Story by Andy Lyons, News Editor

Elvis,  The Spice Girls, The Temptations and boy bands gathered Monday evening at UCM’s Multipurpose Building for the 7th Annual Student Athlete Advisory Committee Karaoke Competition.

Host John Culp, program development and retention coordinator for UCM athletics, said he saw it as an opportunity for unity amongst the student atheletes.

“Any time you have student athlete for student athlete, when all 550 of them come together for an event like this, it’s bound to be fun,” Culp said.

The competition featured 16 of UCM’s athletics teams, including MO the mule. Each team had its own choreographed dances and chose a song to sing.

The emcees for the evening were Mules basketball senior Reggie Stallings and Jennies softball senior Sarah Espy.

The judges included Dana Hoover, academic advisor in GateWay; Ed Wirthwein, assistant director of the Union; Tracy Crow of Sodexo; Bob Boerigter, MIAA commissioner; and UCM President Dr. Charles Ambrose.

MO dressed as Elvis and got the crowd into the performance by mimicking The King’s hip gyrations and tone of voice.

Other performances featured Jennies soccer players singing “Hot Crossed Buns” and pulling members of the crowd to the floor for the finale.

The Mules cross country team came out with flannel shirts tied to their waists and got in a circle around one member holding a stick. They broke into a medley of songs from the “Lion King” soundtrack.

The Mulekickers came out with pillows tucked in their nightgowns and walkers and performed “We Like to Party” as grandmas.

The wrestling team came out in a myriad of “manly” outfits to perform the “YMCA” song that concluded with members shedding their attire for their wrestling tights.

The cheerleaders came out in gowns and swayed to “Hold On” by Wilson Phillips. The Jennies softball team was prepared for the weather in ponchos and umbrellas and sang “It’s Raining Men” by the Weather Girls.

Emcee Reggie Stallings took the lead when Mules basketball performed “My Girl” by The Temptations.

The Mules track and & field team was the defending champion of the male division.  They began with five members singing and dancing to N’Sync’s “Want You Back.”

They were interrupted by more members stealing the show with “Wake Me Up” by the 80s group, Wham!  The entire team was in sync to finish the performance to the tune of the “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO.

Defending female champions, Jennies track & field came out through a makeshift TV screen made from cardboard to a 90s pop music medley.  Their choreography featured dancing in sync, handsprings and back-flips for one of the most high-energy performances of the evening.

After a tally from the judges, the acrobatics of the Jens track & field team couldn’t stand up to the bent-over-granny Mulekickers who won the female division.

Despite a strong performance in the men’s division, the Mules wrestlers came in second behind the defending champion track & field team, which won the coveted microphone trophy.

Emcee Sarah Espy said she took a lot from the competition this year.

“Every year is special and all were very fun to attend, but I felt this year was really special,” she said. “All of the athletes were supportive of one another and you didn’t see such a divide between sports. That is something I love about being an athlete here, we are one big family.”