Miami University hosted its first-ever intramural battleship game Sunday. Over 50 students attended the event. (Lauren Olson | The Miami Student)
Miami University students took to the water last weekend in the university's first-ever showdown of intramural battleship.
Though the game had been piloted with fitness center student staff members, this was the first official game of intramural battleship played by Miami students, Geremy Bardon, associate director of intramural sports said. According to Bardon, 52 students showed up at the pool for the competition Sunday at the Recreational Sports Center (RSC).
"The event went very well," Bardon said. "Everyone that plays it has a great time."
According to Bardon, teams of four are given one paddle, one shield and two buckets. Four or five teams in canoes compete against each other and the last boat to sink or get tipped is the winner.
Aside from some games running long, Bardon said the event ran smoothly.
First-years Christian Jaekle and Tyler Simonton competed in the event and although their success in the water was short-lived, the two said they had good time.
"We were the first team to lose in Miami history," Jaekle said.
But Jaekle and Simonton did not let the loss get them down.
"I thought it was a blast," Simonton said. "It was really cool to 'go down' in history. I haven't had that much fun playing an intramural sport."
According to Bardon, intramural battleship is something that has been gaining popularity at other universities across the country such as the University of Dayton and the University of Alabama.
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"It's something we heard about at conferences that other universities had done," Bardon said.
Bardon said because the pool in the RSC is often in use for events on weekends, it is not easy to find time to host the battleship event. However, Bardon said it is surely an event RSC will put on again.
"We are definitely going to offer it again next year," Bardon said. "If the popularity grows we may try to offer it twice a year."
Jaekle and Simonton are eager to redeem themselves.
"Hopefully they do it more often," Jaekle said. "It was just good to have everyone at the pool. It was a great way to meet friends ... and enemies."
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