The starting blocks weren’t filled with swimmers. 

Instead, they held football players, skiers, basketball athletes and even a few reluctant divers, each one seconds away from realizing that the water does not care how strong, fast or dominant you are on land. 

At Northern Michigan University, the all-athlete relays have quietly become one of the most electric traditions of the spring semester. Hosted by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, the event throws athletes out of their comfort zones and into a setting where experience is rare and survival mode kicks in fast. What follows is equal parts chaos, competition and pure Wildcat energy. 

This year’s meet featured teams from across NMU athletics, including football, dive, women’s basketball, nordic ski, alpine ski, soccer, volleyball and hockey. The stands were packed, the deck was loud and the atmosphere felt closer to a championship meet than a lighthearted crossover event. 

And yet, the outcome still mattered. 

Despite being far removed from their usual field of play, the NMU football team, led by coach Boomer Repke, once again proved dominant in the water, capturing first place overall for the second consecutive year. Close behind, the Nordic ski team powered its way to a second-place finish, showcasing endurance that translated surprisingly well to the pool. 

For Repke, the event is about more than just winning, but that does not mean the competitive edge disappears. 

“It’s just a blast,” Repke said. “You’ve got all this support, all these teams here. It’s great offseason training.” 

With a swimming background, Repke had a slight advantage, but even he admitted the transition is not easy. 

“Swimming muscles are very different,” he said. “Sprinting in the water, it’s tough if you haven’t done it in a while.” That sentiment echoed across nearly every team on deck. 

Men’s alpine skier Kyan Hopke came into the event with the same mindset he brings to the mountain. 

“We wanted to win,” Hopke said. “It’s kind of like a ski sprint, you need that cardio, but it’s still totally different.” 

The difference became obvious almost immediately. 

“I think I swam once before this,” he added, summing up the preparation level for many athletes. 

Still, that lack of experience did nothing to take away from the intensity. Every heat was loud, every finish was close and every swimmer touched the wall with the same exhausted, wide-eyed look. 

For the NMU women’s basketball team, the event was less about expectations and more about stepping into something completely new. 

NMU women’s basketball athlete Sydney Whitehouse described the uncertainty heading in. 

“We didn’t really know what to expect,” Whitehouse said. “We just wanted to try something new and get everyone involved.” 

But once the race started, instincts took over. 

“It was more about having fun, but we definitely didn’t want to get last,” she added. 

That balance between fun and competition defined the entire event. No one came in as a swimmer, but no one wanted to lose either. 

Even athletes who spend their seasons around the water found themselves challenged in new ways. 

NMU diver Tobie Stiles, who is used to controlling every movement off the board, faced a different kind of test once he hit the lane. 

“Stamina and breath control were definitely the hardest,” Stiles said. “A 25 is just all willpower.” 

It is that exact moment, halfway down the pool when form breaks down and survival takes over, that defines the relays. Muscles tighten, breathing gets rushed and suddenly, the simplest movement becomes a grind. 

For NMU swim and dive head coach Heidi Voigt, that moment is the entire point, she sees the event as a way to build appreciation across teams. 

“People don’t realize how hard swimming is,” Voigt said. “Once they actually get in, they’re exhausted. It builds a lot of respect for the water and for what our swimmers do every day.” 

That respect runs both ways. Swimmers gain a new appreciation for the athleticism of other sports, while visiting teams walk away with a deeper understanding of the physical and mental demands of the pool. 

Beyond the races themselves, the event continues to grow into something bigger than competition. 

“I think it definitely has gotten bigger every year,” Voigt said. “Teams are more excited, more involved. To have the bleachers full for something like this shows how much they support each other.” 

That support was impossible to miss. Teammates lined the deck, banging on the blocks, shouting with signs and celebrating finishes like it was a conference meet. Athletes who compete against each other all year found themselves cheering side by side. 

With finals approaching and seasons winding down, the relays offer something different. There are no standings to protect, no records to chase and no pressure beyond the race in front of them. 

Just teammates, competitors and one length of the pool. 

And when it is all over, what remains is not just a winner, but a shared experience that cuts across every team on campus. 

A reminder that no matter the sport, every athlete understands what it means to push, to compete and, sometimes, to struggle. 

Or, as Voigt put it best: 

“Wildcat energy.”