NDSU High School Upward Bound students from the NDSU TRIO department recently participated in a regional Olympic-style contest and won the 2009 Traveling Spirit Stick. The students participated in swimming, volleyball, Sudoku, math masters, brain busters, egg drop, kickball, track events, hot shot, diving and ping pong. Other activities included derby building, swimming, track and chess.

The Spirit Stick is given to the team that demonstrates team spirit, good sportsmanship and can yell really loud. The Spirit Stick is on display at the Memorial Union Gallery. This is the first year NDSU has participated in the High School Upward Bound Olympics.

High School Upward Bound director Kris Mickelson and academic tutors/coaches Travis Dockter, Kaylie Young, Lindsey Gedrose, Shawn Pauly, Bethany Wagner, Annie Preskey and Jessica Brown accompanied the students.

High School Upward Bound is a pre-collegiate program funded by the Department of Education through competitive grants. Students are first-generation possible college grads from financially disadvantaged families. Other Upward Bound programs participating were University of Mary, South Dakota State University, University of North Dakota, University of South Dakota and Northern State University. More than 300 students participated in the games.