Wisconsin students compete in BattleFrog College Championship on ESPN2

Four student employees from the Division of Recreational Sports are representing the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the BattleFrog College Championship to be televised June 9-11 at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.

The BattleFrog College Championship, held in March, brought universities from across the nation together in Orlando, Florida to compete in an obstacle race series designed by U.S. Navy SEALs.

“I love to compete to be the best I can be and to encourage my teammates to do the same,” says Cassie Visintainer, one of the Wisconsin competitors. “They compare the course to the obstacles you undergo in life and how to push yourself to overcome them. That was a different approach to an obstacle course for me, and I loved it.”

Visintainer joined teammates Sterling Chapin, Kimberly Kirt and Matt Koester to represent Wisconsin. More than 60 athletes from 16 other universities, including Big Ten rivals Illinois, Michigan and Penn State, also competed in the test of physical and mental strength. The course was set up as a 400-meter relay over 20 obstacles.

“The team was constantly practicing on the course as a group and offering suggestions to best overcome the obstacles and reduce their overall time,” says Aaron Hobson, associate director of programs at Rec Sports and the Wisconsin team manager. “It was amazing to watch the group push one another to accomplish new heights.”

Obstacles challenged teams to climb, crawl, run and keep their balance in the four-day tournament. Despite the obstacles and the rivalry, the competitors say they enjoyed the supportive environment and feeling of camaraderie among all the universities.

“All the other teams were full of great people. Everyone was there to have fun and support each other along the way,” Visintainer says. “My favorite part was having the teams we got closest to running alongside us on the course, cheering us on and giving us advice along the way.”