VERNON, NJ — Thirty-eight Maplewood Middle School students tested their mettle on Oct. 22 at the 2-mile Spartan Race at Mountain Creek in Vernon. The students were led by head coach Ray Mantes of MMS’ YouthNet “MMS Fitness” after-school enrichment club. The club is co-led by assistant coaches Mike Berezny and Jamie Felder. Mantes, Berezny and Felder are all MMS teachers.
The Spartan Race is a 2-mile endurance test where athletes must run up and down a mountain, getting through 12 obstacles. Participants who failed to complete an obstacle were required to perform five burpees, or squat thrusts, as penalty.
As difficult as the course already is, the day added other obstacles, such as cold and wet conditions which made the ground muddy and slippery.
According to Mantes, though it would have been easier for his athletes to quit, none did. Instead, he witnessed them helping teammates and strangers complete the obstacles, problem-solving the proper way to complete obstacles after initial failure, challenging themselves by taking the more difficult path when there was an option, and fighting the pain that resulted from cuts, bruises and fatigue.
MMS’ new members of the Spartan Tribe include: Jamie Fardin, Sumner Verdun, Charles Rosenberg, Naomi Van Doornik, Isaac Van Doornik, Charlotte Harteveld, Emily Donaghue, Sofia Hurtado, Alessandra Hurtado, Jack Kalsched, Keira Mahoney, Jason Rowe, Finn Ryan, Max Masino, Madison Moskowitz, Bella Larrier, Ellie Rojer, Sasha Rojer, Ruby Aylward, Nick Alexander, Eleanor Van de Vusse, Owen Heney, Leo Cogan-Drew, Julius Clyburn, Ryan Baum Joseph, Javier Casella, Reed Promisel, Charlie Melman, Fiona Donohue, Cate Sheehy, Katie O’Mara, Sophia Franklin, Lael Licht, Brandon Doubek, Jordan Klein, Sam Zaslow-Braverman, Michael Pirone and Dee Dee Diallo.
Photos Courtesy of Jennifer Lublin
About the Author
