Another year of Seattle Prep’s infamous Iron Panther event has passed, and it did not disappoint this year with another competitive and fierce battle. Every year contestants are tested physically through their strength, speed, and endurance making it one of Prep’s hardest Olympic Week events. Speed is especially important as top 3 in each category or exercise will earn points that will be tallied at the end for a total score. The contestant with the most points at the end of every event would come out victorious.

Many students surrounded the Merlino Mezzanine and weight room to witness the chaos that was about to erupt. As the crowd built up and the energy was high, the anticipation and spirit of the school began to rise.

The first section of the event consisted of how many reps each contestant to do in a minute such as chin-ups, push-ups, and sit-ups quickly testing their speed and strength right out of the gates. During this first part, it was Mateo Baptista-Allen ’27 who quickly stood out from the crowd along with Reilly Cahill ’27 in close pursuit.

Then the next challenge that tested speed and endurance was running up the hill at Seattle Prep. Already tired, competitors were immediately thrown into battle, giving all their energy left into the final push. As the competitors crossed the finish line at the top of the hill, the only thing left was to tally up the points and see who would become the 2026 Iron Panther champion.

In the end, it was ultimately Barron Fredette ’29 representing Bellarmine Collegio who took the crown as this year’s Iron Panther winner. He showed impressive skills, strength, and speed showing impressive results in every single exercise making it a well earned victory. Through the chaos and sweat, Iron Panther proves yet again to be one of the most entertaining events to watch while also being the most physically demanding. Finally, the crowd seems to always love watching this event with high energy and intensity from fans throughout the competition.