Get involved and get fit with the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) and University Recreation during the 15th Annual Campus on the Run being held on March 24. The past 14 years Campus on the Run has been a way for students, faculty, staff and community members to come together for a charitable cause.  Participants will compete in a 5K (3.1 mile) road race on the WSU Campus and this year’s proceeds will benefit The Willow Center. Campus on the Run is open to anyone 6 years of age or older and participants will be split into divisions: 17 & under, 18-20, 21-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55+ [Male or Female].  Early registration is open from February 1– March 12 and the cost is $14 for Student Recreation Center members (SRC) and $17 for non-members.  Late registration runs from March 13 – March 21 with a price of $20 for SRC members and $23 for non-members.  Check-in on race day, March 24, is 8:15-9:15 a.m. at the SRC, t-shirts and race bibs will be picked up at this time. The race will begin at 9:30 a.m. on March 24 in front of the SRC and will end in the tennis court parking lot.  All participants must wear the bib (race number) on their front.  Also, all race day participants will have access to the SRC for the day by showing their race number. For more information or to register, please visit http://www.campusontherun.wsu.edu/ or call 335-UREC.  

Submitted by: Paul Lund, Cougar Crew Historian The Washington State University Men’s Crew team was represented by five oarsmen at the Northwest Indoor Rowing Championship, Ergomania!, Saturday February 4th in Seattle. The outcome was an impressive five medals and five personal best race results. In the Collegiate U23 Men’s Open 2000 meter event sophomore Jeff Rhubottom, Jr. (Burien, WA) took an early lead and stayed ahead through the first 500 meters. Junior Eric DeMaris (Snohomish, WA) opened a little more conservatively, but steadily closed the gap to his teammate, Rhubottom, Jr. Demonstrating why his consistency has earned him the stroke seat in the Varsity 8+, DeMaris stayed at the same pace until the last 250 meters when he built up to a sprint. He finished first in 6:28.5, and was followed by Rhubottom, Jr. in 6:35.6. Racing in between his fellow oarsmen, senior Joe Sudar went out aiming to improve his personal best by over 20 seconds. He was on pace well past the half-way mark, but the aggressive start caught up as he saw his speed slightly slow down. Sudar finished in 6:48.0, and took the last spot on the podium. In the second to last event of the day, the Men’s Open 2000 meter, Paul Lund (Harstad, Norway) and Orion McCabe-Gould (Olympia, WA) were hoping to show the result of their significant winter training in Pullman. Lund came out firing and jumped ahead of the pack, while McCabe-Gould was between 3rd and 4th for the first 250 meters. Seeded first, Austin Nichols from Pocock Rowing Center, passed Lund and took the lead once they crossed the 500 meter mark. Towards the 1,000 meter mark McCabe-Gould moved up and was within a few meters of his teammate. Nichols maintained his strong drive and stayed ahead with a comfortable margin going into the last 500 meters. With less than 300 meters to go, McCabe-Gould passed Lund for the first time in the race, and Lund was not able to respond. Nichols finished in 6:08, followed by McCabe-Gould in 6:... [More]

Another semester is almost behind us. But there are those with a little push still left to go. We at the Rec Center want to encourage you to do your best as you finish up the last projects, finals and shifts at work. Remember to sleep, work out and eat well so that you can be at the top of your game. Good luck, and Go Cougs!

WSU is the first Pac-12 University to embark on a new and exciting program, Pink Gloves Boxing!  Pink Gloves Boxing was developed to empower women in a community environment.  Women will work together to progress through a tier system to earn their Pink Gloves.  This workout/leadership class is designed specifically for women and was created to build confidence, increase health, attain goals, and bond with other likeminded/dedicated women.  Teamwork is fostered from the very first day of class and continues to grow and develop throughout the session.  Participants work together to build a healthy lifestyle, learn to box, and have fun.  Each workout pushes the class physically and mentally to establish a goal achieving mentality for the group.  By looking after each other, the group grows and progresses together creating a dynamic for collective success.  This program is a great way for women to get into better physical health, gain confidence, grow as a leader, and have a great time.  Additionally, Pink Gloves Boxing donates proceeds from their annual PGB Convention to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, helping in the fight against breast cancer.  For women looking for a new, healthy, way to push past their current boundaries, Pink Gloves Boxing is the next step in women’s overall wellbeing.  

"I absolutely LOVE working for University Recreation as a Challenge Facilitator! Our Challenge course isn’t purely about working with participants and helping them grow. There are many other components of Challenge that assist the groups who come to us, in addition to challenging our staff! I have gained a tremendous amount of knowledge including knot-tying, how to keep people emotionally and physically safe, and how to assist others in growth as individuals or as a team. I have learned about cultural competency and even how to remain conscious about the language I use that may be offensive to certain individuals. I have perfected my ability to balance school and work and I always have a strong support from all my Challenge co-workers. Not only that but I have been professionally trained in how to handle certain situations that may cause others to panic. Therefore, I am better at controlling my emotions in a panic situation and can perform in a proactive matter to relieve such a situation. Going to “work” is never boring and has provided me with a whole new family of people I love and trust. Working as a Challenge course facilitator has boosted my confidence leading a group and helped me overcome my fear of heights. It has encouraged me to grow into a person who can better assist others in developing crucial life skills such as communication, teamwork, leadership and confidence. Because of Challenge, I can now step out into the world and be sure that what I have learned here can truly apply to my future. Thank you, WSU Challenge!"   -by Anita Peralta

The Outdoor Recreation Center staff will be hosting a Clean Up and Climb Eco Adventure at Granite Point on National Public Lands Day (NPLD), September 24. During this Eco Adventure, ORC participants will be cleaning and beautifying the popular climbing spot at Granite Point. Areas of Granite Point have been adopted by Washington State University and the ORC as primary project sites. There will also be some awesome climbing. Transportation and climbing gear will be provided. NPLD has become the United States’ largest single-day volunteer event for public lands with over 170,000 volunteers participating last year alone at 2,080 sites. The sites were located in every state, the District of Columbia, and in many U.S. territories. This trip could be a fantastic way for you to get involved serving your community while getting to do Real Rock climbing at one of Eastern Washington’s best climbing sites. The cost of the trip is $15 for Student Recreation Center members, $25 for non-members and registration closes on September 18. For more information, please visit orc.wsu.edu or call 335-0104.

Shortly, we will be kicking off the school year with the annual Backyard Bash and Demo Week. On August 21 from 12:00-3:00 p.m. the SRC will be having activities and demos in the Backyard!  As a staff we look forward to this event all summer because it is such a fun way to welcome in the new semester. Meeting loads of new freshmen and getting to show them the facility and what we offer as Student Recreation is exciting every year. Everyone (not just freshmen!) are welcome to come for free food, fitness demos, free challenge course use, outdoor recreation demonstrations, music and free giveaways (from T-shirts to an iPad!). This year we are also doing UREC Punch Cards that will give you more chances to earn our prizes. The outdoor basketball and volleyball courts will also be open for use. Check out what all we are doing the day before school starts: http://backyardbash.wsu.edu/ Look forward to seeing you there!

Keeping up with a building that has up to 4,000 to 4,500 patrons walk through the doors in a single day is no small task, and University Recreation does not take it lightly. Maintenance throughout the semi-annual “Closed Week” includes shampooing the carpet, cleaning the mats, and refinishing the basketball court floors.  Fitness equipment was taken apart for a maintenance checks and cleaning.  Several pieces of equipment were replaced with newer models, including 40 pieces of cardio equipment.  The weight room floor was also replaced with a higher quality material that is more resilient and gives a lower impact on those working out. The floor is made of long rolls, which last longer than the tile-like floor that was there previously.  These improvements to the facility are part of WSU student’s expectations that the building stays clean and up to date. Check out the video that was created during Closed Week at the SRC! This video gives a sneak peek into all of the work that goes into maintaining the SRC. Students and professional staff alike were working for 7 days straight to make sure that the facility is ready for school to start. http://news.wsu.edu/pages/publications.asp?Action=Detail&PublicationID=26899&TypeID=1 As the new school year is beginning, come see the newly cleaned and updated SRC!