In the 21-year history of the Great American Rivalry Series, the Van Buren vs Alma matchup was selected as one of the nation’s top rivalries. As part of this tradition, each school competes in the Raise the Bar Challenge during lunch and at the game. With representatives from the U.S. Army and GARS on hand, students test their strength in push-ups and deadlifts to see which school can rack up the most reps.

Alma put up a strong effort with 2,000 reps during their lunches. But in true Pointer fashion, Van Buren set their sights even higher — aiming for the National Record of 3,712 reps, set by Bergen Catholic High School in New Jersey back in 2021.

Not only did Van Buren shatter that record at lunch with 4,953 reps, they came back under the Friday night lights and “Raised the Bar” even higher, finishing with a jaw-dropping 7,019 reps!