Custodial teams mop up competition

Last year it was Northside Boys and Girls. This year it was Northside Hurricanes because they are faster, stronger and much more united, they said.

The Hurricanes, along with seven other UNM custodial teams, were tossing, throwing and rolling cleaning products around Wednesday night to claim the title in the Custodian in Action Olympic Rodeo.

"It's a little silly, but a lot of fun," said Mary Vosevich, director of the Physical Plant Department.

September is national housekeeping month, and Vosevich said the event recognizes people who are at the University when no one else is.

"It takes a special person to come in day in and day out to do the same thing," she said.

Rita Zapata from the CIA team was not only battling against other custodians, but other family members. She said most custodians have family members in the business.

"We work as a team," she said. "I think we're the best group. Sometimes we fight, but we love each other."

They all said they were the best group - an eight-team rivalry.

"It's good competition," Harold Sanders said. "I think they should have it all the time. It shows a lot of heart and spunk."

Last year's champions were the Graveyard Terminators, a team that has won for the last four years.

Team captain Alfigopete Ramirez said it's because they are a tighter team, and that they don't even need practice.

"To me, it really doesn't matter who wins as long as we have fun," he said.

The custodians will not know who won until tomorrow night at the custodian awards banquet.

Julia Lasky from the West team said she went door-to-door to get donations for prizes to award the custodians.

"Tomorrow they are going to give us our trophy," she said.

Is it yours?

"Well I hope it's ours," she said.

Team members from the Hurricanes said the competition is cutthroat.

"People take it seriously over here," Adrian Quintana said.

Some teams even held tryouts.

Not too many practice, Nora Boyer said, but picking the team is a weeklong process.

"We're under pressure all year long," Gabriel Gurule said. "We have one chance to bust loose. The ones with the strongest arms and best eye get the spot."

Custodians booed other teams from the sideline and got coached from vendors who sponsored the rodeo.

Quintana said there was foul play in some of the games.

He said a game that was supposed to be two minutes really lasted 20 seconds.

"I only got to shoot once or twice," he said. "It wasn't fair."

The rodeo took about an hour and a half out of some custodians' shifts.

"It's alright," Chris Gurule said. "It kind of stresses you on work."

He said the rodeo is one of the few perks custodians get for the job.

Some have been at the University for more than 30 years, Vosevich said. The rodeo gives them a chance to meet others who do the same kind of work, she added.

They don't have to think about anything but enjoying themselves, she said.