Final 4 2015 was an intense battle for the gold medal. After Duke’s sweep during opening ceremonies- they claimed first place in their skit, banner, members loved playing dodgeball because it gave them a chance to prove thand relays.  It appeared that they were going to be unstoppable (or in Agawak lingo, they were “stacked”). However, the results of the series competitions proved otherwise, as Syracuse’s victory bumped Duke down to second.

          The following morning, we played counselor dodgeball. The staff eir athleticism to their team and get more involved in Final 4.  The campers had a blast watching their counselors put on their game faces and get mauled by their friends. Skylar Prizant, Julia Turner, and Chloe Weiss were amongst some of the most dominating staff members.

          After dodgeball, the campers made their way to the Upper Athletic Field for capture the flag. Syracuse took first place, and Tatum Rudman and Tatum Oblonsky were two of their leading scorers. Tatum must be a really lucky name! Also shout-out to P.A. camper captain Marley Berk for getting a flag for Tulane (it was her first flag ever at Agawak)! All the girls ran and pulled their hearts out, making for some very fun, competitive and successful games of capture the flag. 

          Next up came big games! All campers competed in basketball, soccer, and softball. Tulane dominated the basketball courts, coached by WNBA pro Alana Bercu. Bercu’s younger sister, Caroline, was a top shooter, as well as another sister dynamic duo, Maddie and Hallie Abrams. 

          On Tuesday morning, the last day of Final 4, was the infamous Gonzo relay race. This giant relay race starts off in four beds in cabins D and J. When the bell rings to begin the race, one camper from each team hops out of bed and sprints to the flagpole and tags the next runner, who must sing the pledge of allegiance. They then tag the next runner, and so on. Some other tasks include getting two tennis serves in, walking across the balance beam, swimming out to the trampoline to do two seat drops, and completing a word search. Jennifer Filler was so fast at the word search that she put her team, Notre Dame, in first place. Notre Dame ended up winning Gonzo, as they were the first team to ring the bell after all sixty eight tasks had been completed. Duke came in second, Tulane came in third, and Syracuse came in last.

          To end Final 4, the commissioners decided to revamp the closing ceremonies, which used to include another skit, song, and cheer. Instead, the whole camp gathered at the waterfront for a massive tug-a-war. Syracuse won, followed by Notre Dame then Duke then Tulane. At this point in Final 4, the scores were so close that tug-a-war completely changed the rankings! The captains of each team then handed out awards for the two MVP’s of their team. Duke’s MVP’s were Lauren Mass and Sami Chernawsky, Tulane’s MVP’s were Samara Michael and Caroline Routh,  Syracuse’s MVP’s were Nikki Segal and Maddie Chalmers, and Notre Dame’s MVP’s were Liza Greenberg and Rachel Rosen.

           The overall scores were extremely close, but like every competition, there has to be a winner. So (drum roll pleeeeeease), this year’s Final 4 results are: 1st place Syracuse, 2nd place Notre Dame, 3rd place Duke, and 4th place Tulane.

We loved being the 2015 Final 4 commissioners and are so proud of all the campers’ and staffs’ hard work this year!

Final 4 love from,

Meredith Leon, Melissa Kramer, and Nikki Sheinkop