JOUST 2023

Blue Team

“Blue Angels”

Team Captains: Katie Parks and Emma Neal

What made you want to be a captain?

Ever since being roped into running the ring by spring race my freshman year, I fell in love with competing in the wild and crazy Joust events with friends!

What are you most excited about for this year’s Joust? Having the most epic, awesome time!

Green Team

“Lucky Charms”

Team Captains: Kayla Menczynski and Anthony Chasteen

What made you want to be a captain?

I want to lead my team without losing focus on Jesus.

What are you most excited about for this year’s Joust?

I am excited to see the lip sync this year and to watch people compete all weekend.

Red Team

“The Red Sea”

Team Captains: Kendall Smith and Grace May

What made you want to be a captain?

I love cheering on others. The Joust is a great way to meet people and make friends. What are you most excited about for this year’s Joust?

I’m excited that I get to lead our team in all of the new events.

Yellow Team

Team Captains: Bethany Seyden and Jenna Myers

What made you want to be a captain?

The Joust is such a fun, unique experience that campus looks forward to every year. I wanted to play a part in facilitating a fun team experience for everyone involved. What are you most excited about for this year’s Joust?

I’m most excited to see everyone at the opening ceremonies! I’m excited to see campus bring the hype for their teams and enjoy some friendly competition as we close the year.

“Hoopin’ for Hagen #33.”

For the Grace men’s basketball team, bracelets with this slogan are a reminder that they’re playing for something greater.

For their teammate Hagen Knepp, it’s motivation to keep fighting to stay alive.

Knepp, a first-year student, was training for the season in September 2022.

As practices started in October, Coach Scott Moore noticed Knepp’s chest and abdomen were bloated.

Knepp told teammate Jake Wadding that his stomach had hurt for six weeks, but he pushed through because he could. Wadding said Knepp needed to talk to Moore or the trainer.

The next day the trainer sent Knepp to get a CT scan; doctors told Hagen it could be cancer.

Knepp was transported by ambulance from Warsaw to Fort Wayne. He saw many doctors, but none could identify the problem until they discovered a tumor in his stomach.

A surgery scheduled for Dec. 6 was meant to remove the tumor, but the surgeon found the problem was worse than expected — there were many tumors, in a cancer that was aggressive and fast spreading.

The surgeon decided against operating and recommended six months of chemotherapy before considering surgery again.

Within 48 hours something changed.

The same doctor decided the condition wasn’t as serious as originally diagnosed and proceeded with the surgery.

“It was prayer and the work of the Lord,” Moore said.

On Jan. 12, Knepp had surgery that removed his appendix and parts of his pancreas, colon, spleen, liver and stomach lining. Then he underwent a chemotherapy bath to wash out his stomach. The surgery that was meant to take 12 hours took 22 — the longest the surgeon had ever completed.

The surgeon removed 99% of the cancer. Knepp remained in ICU as his stomach was shut down.

Seven days later, Moore took the team to see Knepp in the hospital while they were playing in Marion.

The team was devastated to see their once-healthy teammate being fed by tubes and needles.

Knepp had lost 45 pounds and many of his organs, but his smile remained.

“His smile changed him,” Moore said.

“It gave the team life,” Graber, a teammate, said. “If Hagen could have a joyful attitude, we all could.”

The same day Knepp’s stomach began working, and within 48 hours he was discharged. While Knepp started the recovery process, the