Friday morning’s sunny weather brought excitement and had students ready to take on the annual Oozeball tournament hosted by 31 Ambassadors.
Teams packed into the parking lot, heaps of dirt surrounding the makeshift courts they would soon be waist deep in. Students put on team shirts, duct taped their shoes and amped up the excitement as their teams prepared for the conclusion of Spring Fever Week.
Sophomore risk management major and 31 Ambassador Bryant Breksa spoke about the setup and execution of the day.
“Oozeball went really well because of the great team, led by President Ousman, that made sure each step and process was well planned and any contingencies were prepared for,” Breksa said.
One by one, people dropped into their assigned mud pits and tried to get their footing. Slipping, sliding and some face-planting occurred before the matches had even begun. Once the game started, students gave up on keeping dry.
With only 16 minutes to win, students rushed to score as many points as possible. After eight minutes, students had less than two minutes to swap sides on the court.
Any previous hesitation of getting muddy evaporated, with some students even jumping into the mud pit. Screaming and laughter could be heard across the intramural fields as even spectators were splashed with mud.
Co-rec teams played first, with the “Water Ski Team” being declared the winners at the end of the day. PIKE fraternity group “Justice League” took their win over the men’s section of the matches. The women’s oozeball team “MEATBALLS” were declared the winners..
Sophomore history and political science major Madison Herbert playing for “Mock Trail Muckers” seemed to enjoy fostering a sense of camaraderie with her teammates more than the actual competition.
“The best part of oozeball was just hanging out with my friends and getting to throw mud at each other,” Herbert said.
With this year’s participation being a record turnout—including 39 teams— ULM can expect Oozeball to remain a staple, must-see event during Spring Fever Week.