Pumpkin Plunge debut makes splash

Pumpkin Plunge dove right in with its big debut at USU on Oct. 29. The event was held at the HPER in the diving area of the pool. 

 The event was a diving competition with a twist. For those who competed, they had the option to come dressed up in a costume.  

 Macy Gustavus is the coordinator of aquatics & safety for Campus Recreation. She oversees programming and daily operations at the HPER Pools. 

Gustavus said they got the idea for a diving competition from a few of the competitions the Red Bull company has hosted in the past, specifically their Flugtag competition. 

“This event is a spin-off of Red Bull water and diving competitions,” Gustavus said. “When this idea came to mind, the Flugtag was the main inspiration.” 

The Halloween-themed competition was graded by a panel of judges, with the winner receiving a “boo basket” full of Halloween treats and prizes. People were welcome to come and cheer on the contestants during the event.  

Participation was free, and the participant cap was set at 40 people. 

Olivia Schneider is the coordinator of competitive sports at Campus Recreation. 

Schneider stated that the judges for the competition were picked from USU staff and students. 

“We are going to have a panel of exclusive USU students and staff that will judge the diving competition,” Schneider said.  

The judges rated the dives by style, splash, overall fun and creativity of the costumes. The winner was Chase Gunnell dressed up as a lumberjack. 

Baily Kruzan is the coordinator of marketing for Campus Recreation. 

Kruzan said one of the goals for the event was to bring attention to Campus Recreation. 

“This year, we’ve really been trying to get students to know about everything that Campus Rec offers to them,” Kruzan said. “Macy then had this idea, and we thought it would be another great way to get people into that space.” 

Students compete at the Pumpkin Plunge on October 29th.

 Schneider said another goal of the event was to bring students together to have fun in a unique way. 

“This is a fun way for students to relax and have a night of fun,” Schneider said. “We love the fall and want to offer more activities to celebrate this holiday.”  

Gustavus said the event was a great way to show USU students the HPER’s facilities. 

“The pool is a great space that has a lot of potential for student involvement, and I think this is one of those big steps towards creating more fun and quirky programming for our student body,” Gustavus said.  

Schneider said something that makes this event unique was the costumes.  

“This event is special because there are not too many days in the year that you can wear a costume,” Schneider said. “It will be exciting and different from what we have offered in the past.” 

Kruzan said they hope to continue to host the event in years to come.  

“The hope is that this will be a new fun event for students to enjoy and hopefully look forward to in the future,” Kruzan said.