Scouts put best foot forward in annual Sanpete Challenge
Robert Stevens
Staff writer
9-22-2016
MAYFIELD—Nine teams of Varsity and Venturing Scouts from the Arapeen District gathered in Mayfield on Saturday, Sept. 10, to compete in the 22nd Annual Sanpete Challenge, a delicate and complicated obstacle course.
According to Mica Talbot, unit commissioner for the Moroni Stake, the first place Varsity team was the Manti 8th Ward Team 1650, with a time of 2 hours and 5 minutes.
The first place Venture Crew was Gunnison 2nd Ward Crew 564, with a time of 2 hours and 28 minutes.
Overall, six Venture crews and three Varsity teams competed, for nine teams in total.
The Venturing crews participating in the event were Crew 0571 from the Fayette Ward, Crew 563 from the Gunnison 1st Ward, Crew 561 from the Centerfield 1st Ward, Crew 538 from the Manti 4th Ward, Crew 541 from the Sterling Ward and Crew 564 from the Gunnison 2nd Ward.
The Varsity teams were Team 508 from the Spring City 2nd Ward, Team 1650 from the Manti 8th Ward and Team 542 from the Manti 1st Ward.
The contest, which started at the Mayfield City Park at 9 a.m., is designed to challenge older teens registered as Varsity or Venture Scouts, Talbot says.
According to Talbot, participant teams were given a lighted match that had to be carried through 10 events. The match had to remain lighted so Scouts would be able to burn through a string in the final event.
“The race began with a Frisbee throw, and once completed, the baton was carried to the Mayfield cemetery. The runner would complete the archery challenge, putting arrows into a target,” Talbot said.
From there, Talbot explained, the team baton was passed to a cyclist who rode over the White Hills and descended to a rifle shoot north of the Sanpete County Cooperative Landfill.
The baton was passed again to a runner who ran through the David Madsen farm to a Tomahawk throw.
Once tomahawks were stuck in the targets, Talbot says, runners sprinted up to the Chalk Cliffs for a 100-foot repel, only to pass the baton to a team member waiting at the bottom.
The two-man log saw was next, the baton passed, and then onto U.S. 89, where Scouts had to climb a rope.
A passed baton found scouts in Yardley pond for the canoe obstacle course. After Yardley pond, a biker raced along the canal, back to Mayfield to pass the baton—and hopefully a dry, still-flaming match—to a fellow team member. That’s where teams had to burn through a string.
Talbot said, “Speed, stamina and teamwork were a must, but accuracy and technique were just as important, as teams would be penalized with time delays for missed targets or ineffective technique.”
Talbot said he wanted to give special thanks to Dr. Dwight Inouye, Arapeen District activities chair, and David Beck, Arapeen assistant district commissioner, both from the Gunnison Stake, for organizing the event.
He also extended thanks to Doug Willden. Bob Morley, Dan Nance and his wife, Dean Sanderson, Eric Anderson and Shanon McArther for supervising stations along the course. Rawlin Bagnall, the new Arapeen District executive was also in attendance.
