Students get down and dirty for heart health

CRYSTAL RIVER — This year’s American Heart Association fundraiser at Crystal River Middle School was a real mess.

MATTHEW BECK

Crystal River Middle School seventh-grader Eric St. Pierre struggles through the Muddy Buddy course last week during the school’s American Heart Association fundraiser.

Buy this photo

MATTHEW BECK

Michenna McCabe dives headfirst through one of the many wet obstacles on the course.

Buy this photo

MATTHEW BECK

Katelin Albrecht struggles to her feet after diving through an obstacle.

Buy this photo

MATTHEW BECK

Kyle Touchton, a seventh-grader at Crystal River Middle School, crawls on his stomach through the mud as he approaches the end of the Muddy Buddy course.

Buy this photo

MATTHEW BECK

Deanna McNeil, left, a sixth-grader, and her two seventh-grade friends Kara Quenrud, center, and Robyn Gould — members of the Three Little Pigs team — are all smiles as they near the end of the Muddy Buddy course at Crystal River Middle School.

Buy this photo

MATTHEW BECK

A group of girls jumps through tires on the course.

Buy this photo

About 170 students who raised $3,878 total were rewarded for their efforts by participating Friday in a “Muddy Buddy” obstacle course race every bit as grimy the name suggests.

While the race had the usual obstacles — climbing, jumping, balancing and the like — the real draw was crawling through mud before racing to the finish line.

Students competed in one-, two-, three- and four-person teams.

“It was exciting because it makes you feel dirty,” Juel Culpepper said. “I like the mud. I love getting muddy.”

Physical education teacher Meryl Reynolds said the school has raised $30,000 over seven years for American Heart Association. The school used to have a “hot shot” blitz, but then replaced it last year with the Muddy Buddy race.

“It was an awesome event,” she said. “We had way more kids than I thought we would get.”