- Before the first zip
On Friday we had the wonderful opportunity to host the Mountain State University Men’s Basketball Team at Burning Rock. The guys and their coach, Bob Bolen, do an impressive job on the court at MSU. Check out this bit from the team’s website:
Under the guidance of Coach Bolen, in fifteen short years, the Cougars have risen to the top of the NAIA in basketball. In 2004, MSU became National Champions with a 74-70 victory over California’s Concordia University in the NAIA tournament. Bolen was named the 2004 NAIA National Coach of the Year, 2004 Basketball Times National Coach of the Year, and 2004 West Virginia AP College Coach of the Year.
Bob Bolen has accumulated the best record of any college coach in the United States over the last nine seasons with a record of 271-41 (87%). Bolen’s Cougars have won 401 games in only 15 seasons, averaging over 27 wins a year. MSU had the best record, 38-1, of any college team in the country during the 03-04 campaign. MSU has been ranked one of the top five scoring teams in the nation for 15 consecutive seasons.
So needless to say, we were excited to have the team on site!
A few of the guys were apprehensive about riding the zip line. After all, it can be a little intimidating looking up into the trees to find our launch tower and realizing that you’re about to be really (really) high up. Adam and his team of guides did a great job of explaining exactly what to expect. And once they started to zip, all nervousness was gone. I did hear a few yells and ‘woo-hoos’ from the trailhead, but I’m pretty sure those were sounds of fun being had.
Some team members went on an ATV tour instead of zip lining. Just a different kind of adrenaline rush, right? Paul Sturgess, the tallest player in college basketball (7’8″) was one of them. He’s a junior at MSU.
Needless to say, everyone had a blast! In fact, some of the guys opted to go a second time. And then a third time. And they probably would have gone a fourth if time would have allowed.
Big thanks to Coach Bob Bolen and Megan Constantino at MSU. And thanks WOAY-TV, CBS/Fox 59 and The Register Herald for being there to capture it all on film. Lots of pics from the day can be found here.
Tags: ATVs, basketball, Bob Bolen, guides, Mountain State University, msu, naia, Paul Sturgess, sports, West Virginia, ziplines
