Armed with five dollar bills and a desire to see some hilarious skits – and help out the Special Olympics – Belmont students flocked to the Massey Performing Arts Center Sunday night for the sixth annual Battle of the Bruins.
Belmont athletic teams came together onstage with the Music City Miracle Choir and Jimmy Clark, someone who has graced the stage every year since the show’s beginning, in order to raise money for the Special Olympics.
Before they could take the stage, however, Belmont’s own Antonio Peebles had the audience’s full attention. Using Bruno Mars songs, the blues and some killer dance moves, the first half hour belonged to Peebles and the Southern Bruins Band.
When the battle formally started around 6:30 p.m., 12 teams performed short skits in an effort to win the coveted first-place finish of Battle of the Bruins 2017 — and the bragging rights associated with it.
Each performance had its high points, and the men’s track and field team had great audience reaction from its Western-themed rap battle and dance number. However, their performance only earned them fourth place.
The volleyball team also had quite the performance as the members danced through the decades, outfits and all. They still only earned a second-place finish, though — tied with men’s and women’s golf.
The official, judge-chosen winner was the reigning champion, the women’s basketball team. The performance had it all – dancing, acting and a heart-warming gift of flowers to many people in the audience. It was a case of “save the best for last,” because they were the last team performance of the night and received a perfect score.
The voting didn’t end with the judges, though. There will be a People’s Choice Award winner announced, as voted on by the students, and with all the event’s proceeds going toward the Special Olympics, every team won.