On a dark and stormy night, Oct. 26, which was actually a slightly chilly night with a slight drizzle, the Crete community gathered at Fuhrer Fieldhouse for a spooky good time.
Student Athlete Leadership Team (SALT) had organized Spooktacular, where Doane athletic teams host games for trick-or-treaters. 18 teams participated in the fun.
The cross country and track team built a giant obstacle course, the men’s and women’s tennis teams let kids try their hand at a rally and the cheer team pinned the bow on the skeleton.
“They get candy either way,” said sophomore Saije Phelps while watching a kid try their hand at women’s wrestling’s cornhole. Phelps had dressed up as a cow for the event.
Several Doane faculty and staff participated with their children, including Stephanie Hemje and women’s basketball head coach, Ryan Baumgartner.
Some teams came decked out in themed costumes. Softball was party animals, Women’s Soccer cats and Cheer beanie babies.
Women’s Golf dressed up as pirates, but team captain, senior Payton Morgan, said her favorite costume she’d seen was “all the Spidermans.” Both golf teams had putting games, which Morgan admitted maybe every “one in every three kids” would make it in. Regardless of the outcome, the little athletes always walked away with a piece of candy.
Some trick-or-treaters, however, clearly enjoyed the activities more than the candy, coming back to play again and again. They weren’t the only ones; a few student athletes tried their hand at other sports stations.
The event kicked off a week of Halloween festivities on campus and created a space for the Crete and Doane community to come together.
Photos by Mackenzie Pike
