Nearly all girls team conquers grease pole

BB Queens advance to Saturday’s championship

Photos by Tom Rivers

KNOWLESVILLE – Taylor Soule of the BB Queens is ready to descend the grease pole after Sam Remley reaches the top of the telephone pole slathered in grease.

The BB Queens were the fastest team on Wedneaday night, climbing the pole 43.72 seconds.

The BB Queens include, from left, in front: Gretta Smith, Taylor Soule and Halle Jurs. Back row: Jessica Grimes, Hannah Hapeman, Sam Remley, Brie Dixon, Brooke Bensley, Cady Messmer and Eboni Taylor.

Most of the members graduated from Albion in 2013. Brooke Bensley pushed to form the team. She has been watching the grease pole at the fair since she was a kid. During many sleepovers with her friends, she said they practiced cheerleading units and pyramids. She knew they could climb the pole.

Most of the men’s teams have taller participants and need to stack four people to get to the top. An all-ladies team would need to stack five people, Soule said. The team reached out to their Sam Remley, who is wiry with the upper body strength to get to the top.

The BB Queens drew loud cheers from the crowd of several hundred people after Remley made it to the top. Soule was covered in grease after the event.

A team from Hamlin, the Troll Diggers, works its way up the pole with Andrew Jones on top. The group watched friends compete last year and decided to try on Wednesday night. They did it in 46.23 seconds, just behind the BB Queens.

Andrew Jones of the Troll Diggers tries to find a grip to keep going up the grease pole.

A team from Medina, Mucked up, battled and climbed the pole in 2:05.99. Here Mucked Up members Andrew Cotter in white with Nick Schroeder in red at right try to get up the pole. Schroeder lost his grip but regrouped and made it to the top.

Lucas Evans of Mucked Up tries to steady himself so the next team member can climb up and stand on his shoulders. The grease pole continues each night at 10 p.m. with championships on Saturday.