Screams from the crowd. The sounds of wheels squeaking down W. Riverside Avenue. 

Cheers proclaiming victory as beds come to a halt. Since 1980, Bed Races have been a Ball State University Homecoming tradition. 

Taking place on Friday every year, the Bed Races are the final major homecoming event before Saturday’s football game. 

“It’s one of the best events that leads up to the football game,” Special Events Chair for the Homecoming Steering Committee Ethan Davies said. “It gets everyone's energy ready for the football game.” 

The high energy event attracted a variety of groups, both in competition and in audience. 

“I think it was a great turnout; we had the football team, we had Coach [Mike] Neu, we had a good amount of Greek life, I mean overall good turnout,” Davies said. “I think [the contestants] did great, everyone was killing it, everyone was going superfast, and the event went by super fast so it was a good time.” 

Excitement extended from both the crowd to the competitors. 

“There’s just so much energy,” Gabi Springer, Ball State third-year student said. “This whole street lined up with students, I mean you don’t see that normally here.” 

Springer, along with her teammates, represented the Jo Ann Gora Student Recreation and Wellness Center lifeguards at the Bed Races. 

“We did this last year,” Hannah Cushing, Ball State second-year student said. “We had to come back for the win, last year we had a bed that had a wheel that was kinda jankady, so we weren’t able to win our first race.” 

Cushing was also a member of the recreation center lifeguards. Rachel Zalud recreation center lifeguards team captain and Ball State fourth-year student said she felt her team did better this year than in years previous.  

The race is also a spectacle for the spectators who line the entire makeshift race track built on W. Riverside Avenue. 

“I wasn’t able to come to bed races last year so I’m very excited to be able to see the whole experience,” Alex Buxton, 2022-23 homecoming king, said. “I saw ROTC [Reserve Officers’ Training Corps] did pretty good. I haven’t seen much of the competition yet, but it looks like a good time.” 

Neither the recreation center lifeguards nor the ROTC won this year, with the Mens’ Cheerleading team taking home the win. 

“I feel like it's just such a big part of homecoming, it just gets everybody all hyped up,” Springer said. “This is the energy, this is the environment, you got the blow horns, you got the flag waving [and] you got people at the end cheering you on. So much fun.” 

Contact Benjamin Grantonic with comments via email at benjamin.grantonic@bsu.edu

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