A crowd lined both sides of Elmhurst Avenue on Saturday afternoon. They came to watch one of Frontier Day's most popular events – the weight carry competition.
Coordinators Greg and Nicole Reitz and Quint Hughes collected the $10 entry fee from each competitor. One at a time, they released each entrant from the starting line at the top of the street.
The men packed 105 pounds of solid concrete under each arm, about the weight of a baby elephant. The women carried two 52 pound weights, each roughly the weight of a small bale of hay.
The August Sun bore down relentlessly. The crowd sought shade and fanned themselves with whatever they could find. They shouted encouragement to their friend, parent, son, or daughter as each took their turn.
“Easy does it, Keen.”
“You got this!”
Joaquin Wanner’s arms showed the effect of hours in the gym. He’ll play for the Pershing County Mustangs football team this Fall. In the end, another teenage athlete, Sean Gottschalk, won the prize - $100 in Frontier Days loot to spend anywhere in the courthouse park.
“The weight carry was hard,” said Wanner. “I just like to challenge myself.”
“Those two young men did amazing,” said Nicole Reitz. “Our adult contestants also did well.”
The adults competed for cash prizes of up to $100.
Many in the crowd knew Marisol Happy from her job as a teller at the Nevada State Bank. She wore a determined expression on her face as she set off down the street. In the end, Tawnya Watson, edged ahead to claim the top prize for adult women. Her husband, Adam, won in the men’s division.
Each contestant lumbered up and down Elmhurst until their muscles gave out. Greg Reitz measured the distance from the starting line to the point where they dropped the weights.
“It was amazing watching them carry,” said Nicole Reitz. “The hardest part is getting out there and doing it. What I love most about this event is the friendly competition. You just never know who is going to win. Many of the men signed each other up to be funny, but when they got out there, they gave it their all.”
