This is it, the moment IXC has been training for all season long. Saturday, Nov 16th, the men and women of IXC step onto the course at Pole Green Park in Virginia and give it everything they’ve got. From the Frosh/Soph to Junior/Senior/Grad, and to the top 7 level, our athletes are ready to compete with the best of NIRCA. But while the competition is the main reason for our 4 day trip out East, multiple storylines outside of the race will add to the intrigue.
1. Will Justin Ostrem defend his rap title?
Last year hearts were broken at the time-honored nats rap tradition, as Justin Ostrem delivered a 30 page manifesto of cold-hearted rhymes to take the nats rap crown from previous champion Jarod Meyer . Justin looks to defend his title, but he will have to contend with some of the best, ice-cold thugs in the game. Look for XXL Freshman Rapper of the Year Arthur Mazzeo to fire off some heavy hitter lines. And who could forget about upstart Brisa Mcgrath , who had the audacity to slip a copy of her newest mixtape into the NIRCA Regionals coordinator’s hand at the award ceremony??? Look for Connor Farrell to disappoint with some weak bars as well.
2. How fast will Daniel Engel eat his Jimmy John’s Sandwich?
Fresh off his victory in the Domino”s Pizza Challenge, (where he ate a medium cheese pizza in 3:28), Daniel Engel has his eyes set on eating a Jimmy John”s sandwich as fast as humanly possible. Will he finish in 60 seconds? 30 seconds? One bite? Who knows. Will it be pretty disgusting to watch? You bet.
3. Which van will win the drag racing competition?
In all this turmoil, let’s not forget to thank the sets of parents who have volunteered both their time and support to drive us from Illinois to Virginia for the meet. But while their are 5 sets of vans being driven by parents to Nirca Nats, only 1 van can win the inter-van IXC drag racing competition. The competition is steep, and it’ll take some serious tokyo-drifting to beat the likes of the Mollways and the Kellums on the open road.
4. A Day at the Races: Gambling
What sporting event would be complete without some forms of underground betting? While officially no betting is taking place, rumor has it that Grace Gudwien stands to win upwards of $400 if Matthew Beckerman takes a dive at Mile 3. The question is, will Beckerman’s sense of moral integrity get in the way of a payout that could secure his early retirement? So much INTRIGUE.
5. Oh yeah, people are racing too.
Good luck to all IXC runners this weekend, and thank you to everyone who helped make this trip possible. Stay tuned for updates as the meet unfolds, and a nice 10 page lab report with chicago mla citation style to recap it all!