Rat Olliimpics

The Rat Olliimpics is friendly competition between the Tuesday and Thursday Learning and Memory Labs. The Labs, fondly known as Team Tuesday and Team Thursday are broken up into sub-teams. Each team is given a rat to train on a specific Olliimpic event.

The Rat Olliimpics started modestly in 1980 with just three events (Hurdles, Ladder Climb and Pencathalon). It was located in the operant room in the Psychology Laboratory. Approximately 15 spectators attended the event. The Rat Olliimpics has grown in size and popularity over the years. In 1988 the Free Style Obstacle Course was added as an Exhibition Event and in 1993 was made a permanent Olliimipic event.

Until 1992, this sporting event was known as the Rat Olympics. However, in 1991 we discovered through several newspaper articles that the United States Olympic Committee had been given exclusive rights to the words "Olympic" and "Olympiad" by Congress in 1978. Consequently, the name of this event was changed to "Olliimpics" at the 1992 Games.

Dr. Ashmore, former Chairperson of the Psychology and Regis College Professor, has been an Olliimpic Judge since the very first Olliimpiad in 1980.

The 28th annual Rat Olliimpics will be held in the fall of 2008

Record Holders

Hurdles

Guido (1988) -- 7.848
Roadrunner (1986) -- 8.284
Frank (1990) -- 8.490
Disco (1993) --8.644
Extra (2002) -- 8.700
Simon (1984) -- 8.814
Lightning (1994) -- 8.83
BC Hotspur -- 8.924
Ben (1991) --9.001
Bait (1998) -- 9.039

Ladder Climb

Shag (1993) -- 4.439
Simon (1997) -- 4.534
Streak( 1989) -- 5.108
Flotsom (1992) -- 5.499
Buster (1988) -- 5.546
Rasta (1993) -- 5.818
Paradox (1986) -- 6.553
Shoe (1985) -- 6.775
Maynard (1984) -- 7.414
Killer (1982) -- 7.986

Pencathalon

Neon (1986) -- 5.661
Henry (1994) -- 6.061
Tex (1992) -- 6.192
Dizzy G (1993) -- 6.224
Uno (2002) -- 6.268
Cody (1994) -- 6.453
Lucy Mae (2006) -- 6.960
Misha (1988) -- 6.981
Stanley (1999) -- 7.563
Bingo (1985) -- 7.686

Free Style Obstacle Course

Zeus (1998) -- 9.660
Mr. Wiggley (1995) -- 10.673
Elvis (1994) -- 11.848
Billy (2006) -- 12.35
Blair Rasmussen (1998) -- 13.040
Six (1994) -- 13.600
Speedy (1995) -- 16.081
Norman (1996) -- 16.124
Ralph (2001) -- 16.185
Spanky (1999) -- 17.080

Quadathalon (records weren't kept for this event until fall of 2008)

Serenity (2008) -- 45
Betsy (2008) -- 68
Pinky (2008) -- 82

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