It’s one of the most punishing endurance races in the country: a 220-mile ultramarathon over 20 mountain peaks, all while carrying a 22-pound rucksack.

Melissa Salmon, left, and Tammy Collins listen as the Declaration of Independence is read on Friday, July 4, 2025, at the Saratoga National Historical Park in Stillwater, N.Y.

Her friends returned with Pfeiffer volleyball coach Heather Schoch. Shoch coached at Cox Mill before coming to Pfeiffer, so she’s familiar with East’s volleyball program.