The Campus Activities Board created a new Homecoming event this year, the “Amazing Race.”

It is a week-long scavenger hunt where participants are given clues and a puzzle they must solve to get through each step.

The race concluded with Team BD’s taking first place with a five-yard field goal kick before the NIU football game Saturday.

The team consisted of senior business administration major Jarquetta Egeston and senior sociology major Danielle Moses, who are both members of Delta Sigma Theta sorority.

The first-place prize was a round-trip flight to any destination for Spring Break, while the second-place winners received tickets to five CAB concerts.

There were nine teams at the start but two had dropped out by Wednesday.

Two teams remained Friday. In addition to Team BD’s, the other team consisted of DuJuan Smith, a senior psychology major and Student Association president, and Shareace Leafblad, a senior public health major and SA director of public affairs. The pair called themselves Team Life Aids.

Teams faced challenges such as brain teasers and number puzzles.

“We were asked specific questions about certain features in each hall, for example Stevenson’s Corner Store, what hall has the gravel lot – Grant Towers, name of a famous president – Lincoln Hall, etc.,” said Dion Smith, a junior political science major and member of Team Smowe. “Then we had to simulate a plane mission in King Memorial Commons, then had to go to a landmark – Altgeld Hall.”

Contestants could receive some help with the clues, but at a cost.

“The contestants had the opportunity to use ‘lifelines’ where they could ask either me, the CAB staff or people working with me questions, but they would receive time added on to their final time,” said junior finance major Rachel Purches, who coordinated the event. The members of Team BD’s were not available for comment.