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MCCTC ends year with picnic and McMudder race
By TIM CLEVELAND
On May 23, Mahoning County Career and Technical Center hosted its annual year-end picnic and McMudder race, with approximately 140 students participating in the race on a 7/8-mile course.
The McMudder was MCCTC’s version of a Tough Mudder or Warrior Dash event.
“This is a tradition,” said Jackie Kuffel, one of the event’s organizers. “An end of school picnic is a celebration of the year before they head off to summer.”
The various labs in the school paired off into teams and also competed in volleyball, basketball and corn hole. Each team designed their own T-shirts. There was a DJ who played music and the picnic menu consisted of hot dogs and burgers.
“Absolutely; picnic food cooked by the faculty, served by the faculty,” Kuffel said.
One of the teams was called Science Heroes. The team consisted of Taylor Catri-Eakes of Canfield, Christian Peck, Bailey Lowrey and Josie Brown.
“Yes, I’m pumped,” Catri-Eakes said. “We’re going to kick some butt. This will be a first, so we’ll see how it goes.”
Catri-Eakes also said she was looking forward to the polar plunge event, where participants would jump into ice water.
“It’s going to be the scariest one,” she said. “I’m hoping not to lose a shoe in the creek.”
Kuffel said the event has always been a popular one with the students.
“This is event is a lot of fun,” she said. “It’s kind of a tradition. It’s a fun event for them. They get to challenge each other and get excited about the competition of the event. It brings a lot of school spirit out.”