The final clan competition of the year, the much-anticipated Day of the Tower, was held on campus last Friday, May 20. The four clans of the crest had been tallying points throughout the year. Going into the final round of competition, Gold Cross was 68 points ahead of White Lily, White Lily 93 points ahead of Red Cross, and Red Cross 186 points ahead of Red Rose (GC 1,125, WL 1,057, RC 964, RR 778). With the Relay Foot Race and Valley of Trials ahead, there were plenty of points on the table for any clan to take The Heights tower trophy.

The Foot Relay Race foreshadowed the final results. Two runners from each grade, beginning with third, ran a half-lap on the upper sports field and passed their clan’s flag off to the next pair in the year above. Gold Cross was victorious after taking the lead early on. However, the Valley of Trials generated considerable suspense for participants and spectators. Games Master, Mr. Kyle Blackmer, provided some background on this year’s course: “The Tire Tower is two years old. The Mountain Haul is three years old and is a formidable challenge. The Cliffhanger – slackline/rope traverse was the only truly new element. The Rope Crossing over the pit is age-old but is always a crowd favorite, though among the racers it is only favored by the few spider monkeys in the student body.” (see footnote below) The notorious Rope Crossing did indeed alter outcomes throughout the races. Red Cross won the lower and upper school Valley of Trials while Red Rose triumphed in the middle school race. In the end, Gold Cross accumulated 1,215 points, just 91 points more than Red Cross, claiming victory for the first time since 2012. Congratulations to the Gold Cross clan!

Footnote: Obstacle course identification in the map below: Tire Tower (#7), Mountain Haul (#10), Cliffhanger (#11), Rope Crossing (#4)