USU students attempt to break a world record and miss the mark

3…2…1…DUNK.  

All that could be heard in the Spectrum was the sound of over 2,000 cookies being splashed in cups as Utah State attempted to break the Guinness World Record for Most Amount of Cookies Simultaneously Dunked in Milk.  

At a USU gymnastics meet on Friday, Feb. 27, the record break was attempted and missed by 555 cookies.  

Bobby Nash, associate athletics director of marketing, said the ultimate goal of the event was to get students involved with campus sporting events.  

“Yes, the goal was to break the record, but it was also to expose more people to Utah State Gymnastics, and with that second goal in mind, we did that,” Nash said. “I mean, we had students here who had never been here before. We had families from Cache Valley who had never been in here before. We got to compete in front of a great crowd, and that’s really what it was about.” 

Athletics and campus recreation executive director Ryder Sasser said a local business owner reached out to the athletic department and wanted to try breaking the record. The current record — 3,236 simultaneously dunked cookies — was set by the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana on Jan. 6, 2018.  

“If we had gotten the record, it would’ve been great, but the fact that all these people got to come and support student-athletes is really the main goal,” Nash said.  

To break the record, at least 3,237 cookies must be dunked, but it was decided that 4,000 cookies was the number to beat that night. The USU Athletics Department partnered with local businesses, including Number, Crumbl and Gossner’s Milk, and decided the gymnastics meet was the perfect event to try breaking the record.  

“I think it’s cool that something like this is happening at Utah State,” Sasser said. “We’ve never done anything like this. And I think it gives students a chance to experience something new. I think Utah State is really well known for offering student experiences. There’s no other university out there that offers events and activities to do.”  

Ryder guessed that around 100-150 people were involved in putting the event together. It was mostly organized by the USU Athletics Department, and the participating businesses were the driving forces.  

“This is a great example of Utah State continuing to innovate and ask ourselves, ‘What can we do next?’” Sasser said.