Alex Bray checked another thing off of his bucket list Saturday as he won his second University of Idaho Intramural cribbage tournament.
Bray emerged triumphant from a field of 21 contenders.
“It’s about right on par. Above average,” said Butch Fealy, intramural director for UI.
Bray, a third-year law student, said he appreciates the tournament because it gives him an opportunity to play against people who know the game.
He said cribbage is not a very popular game, so not many people play it well. Bray has been playing the game since junior high.
“The people that come out and play know what they are doing,” Bray said.
He was glad to see the turn out — he had to play five best-of-three rounds to win.
Fealy, who got his master’s degree in recreation management from UI in 1999, said the cribbage tournament has been an annual holdover since before his time here.
Mike Dehoney said there were some spectators, which was a first in his three years overseeing the event. He said these spectators made a sign to support their friend.
Fealy said there are about 50 intramural activities ranging from structured sports to cribbage.
“We want to provide activities regardless of age or ability,” Fealy said.
When he got his current job in 2004, he brought dodgeball tournaments to campus. Two years later, he added kickball, which grew from eight teams to 40 or 50 teams, or about 500 students.
Some activities, like cribbage, foosball and shuffleboard, are done as weekend tournaments, Fealy said. He said many team sports have a five-week schedule.
The intramural office employs about 100 students, Fealy said, and they learn the rules of various sports to be able to officiate in them.
Dehoney said cribbage is self-officiating. In events like this, his job is to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Fealy said the most important things they teach officials are not the rules, but problem solving, diplomacy and tact, among other things.
With every sport, Fealy said they evaluate the rules, time and risks involved. When adding new events, they have to look at scheduling and cost of officials.
Funding for intramural events comes from student fees, entry fees and forfeit fees.
Kasen Christensen can be reached at [email protected]