Rattlers push each other at combine

By Ryan McCracken on August 28, 2018.

NEWS PHOTO RYAN MCCRACKEN
Medicine Hat College Rattlers men's basketball player Jaamel Slack pushes for a record 39 bench press reps at the team's second annual combine on Saturday, Aug. 25, 2018 at MHC.

rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com @MHNMcCracken

The Medicine Hat College Rattlers hit the gym on Saturday.

With training camps for all teams either started just around the corner, members of the men’s and women’s basketball, soccer, volleyball and golf teams met up to test their mettle at the college’s second annual athletic combine.

“It’s a great opportunity for all the athletes to get together just as we’re getting training camps all underway,” said men’s basketball assistant coach and Rattlers athletic events supervisor Patrick Sharp. “It’s a fun thing for them to do and a little friendly competition between the teams as well.”

While the event pits teams against one another in a variety of exercises — from the 40-yard dash to the bench press — Sharp says it’s all about fostering a strong team mentality across the school multiple squads before the season even starts.

“We’re all here supporting one another,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s soccer, basketball, volleyball, we’re all Rattlers at the end of the day so we all want to see each other do well.”

Sharp added the Rattlers keep records from previous combines to create benchmarks for new and returning athletes at the start of each year, and some have already started setting new ones. Men’s basketball guard Jaamel Slack was the last on his squad to attempt the bench press Saturday and ended up setting a new mark for his teammates to match after 39 reps at 135 pounds — besting golfer Braden Schacher’s previous mark of 36 set last year.

“By having these records that we keep track of, then the next year’s group has something to strive for,” said Sharp.

The Rattlers kick off soccer season Sept. 8 against the Broncos at Olds College.

Volleyball gets going with exhibition play on Sept. 7 when the Rattlers women play host to the University of Montana and Montana State University. The Rattlers open the regular season Oct. 12 in Olds.

The Rattlers men’s basketball team opens exhibition play Sept. 16 in Penticton against Okanagan College, while the women hit the hardwood Sept. 21 in Barnwell against the University of Lethbridge before kicking off the regular season at home on Oct. 12 against the St. Mary’s Lightning.

The golf team is hosting nationals in October but their first tournament is Sept. 15 and 16 in Lac La Biche.