“Contestants are you ready? Open your milk … Get ready … Go!”

Ten ambitious athletes dove into a grueling wing-eating contest, marking the beginning of Friday night’s “Beat Iowa Bash” sponsored by Frederiksen Court Community Council and Student Alumni Leadership Council to kick off this year’s Cy-Hawk weekend.

“It was everything I could have imagined,” said contest winner Jordan Wright, senior in aerospace engineering. “To eat things, and win simultaneously.”

The wing-eating contest was one of several events that included a spirit rally featuring a performance by the Cyclone Marching Band and spirit squad aimed to entertain students and rally them for the Cy-Hawk matchup.

“It’s all so new, but being a part of the band makes it awesome,” said Elisa McAfee, sophomore in psychology and color guard member of the Iowa State University Football Cyclone “Varsity” Marching Band. “Being a student makes it a lot more different because I’m actually experiencing it firsthand.”

After a speech from wrestling coach Kevin Jackson, vice president of the Government of the Student Body Jared Knight graced the audience with a few good-natured Hawkeye jokes. He also was impressed with the turnout, which he speculated was much larger than previous years.

“It turned out really well,” said Knight. “I’m glad to see a lot of people turn up from all over campus.”

The event also included a dunk tank, car smashing, a rock wall and all the free Vitamin Water and popcorn one could ask for.

“I’m just trying to get excited about the game tomorrow and this seemed like a good way to spend a Friday night,” said an exhausted DJ Murray, sophomore in mechanical engineering, after winning a race through the inflatable obstacle course.