On Saturday, Oct. 14, UT students packed the Martinez Sports Center to attend the Midnight Madness event. The event served as a pep rally for both the men and women’s basketball teams. It was a night of laughs and entertainment that made the late-night happening an enjoyable time.

The night began with the introduction of the Spartan cheerleaders. The energetic squad, made up of mostly freshmen and sophomores, was graciously welcomed from the UT crowd. Team captains Jillian Reyes, Ashleah Hughes and Jantzen Young received the loudest ovations. The team performed a short routine that set the tone for the night.

A large portion of the night involved the student body’s participation. The entire crowd enjoyed several humorous contests. Among them was an eating contest and a game of tug of war. The crowd found the most enjoyment in an unusual race against two teams. It consisted of a member from each team racing down the court and making a lay-up. It sounds like a simple task. However, each member had to change into the other members’ jersey and shorts. People were slipping and sliding all over the place much to the delight of the crowd. The winners pulled out the close victory with a lay-up just ahead of the other team.

Midnight Madness belonged to the men and women’s basketball teams. The players’ introduction was UT’s first look at their team for the 2006-2007 season. The crowd received the defending SSC women’s champions warmly. Among the players who got the loudest ovations were guard DeShaydia Mackey and center Sheena Walton. The cheering continued for the men’s team. The loudest ovations were for forward Chris Evans and forward Jeremy Black.

Members of each team paired up for a shooting competition. Various markers were set up on the court with different numbers. The numbers signified how many points the shot would be worth. Among some of the best shooters were guards Chris King and Heather Graefnitz, who hit a few shots from well behind the three-point-line.

The most anticipated event of the night was the slam-dunk contest. It was the usual battle of who can pull off the most impressive jam. Each player tried to top the next. There were a couple of dunks that overshadowed the rest. One was from guard Johnathan Ball who threw down a thunderous 360