The last woman standing, Madeline Thaden, was up against the odds Saturday. The first-year University student laughed as she was finally hit by one of 15 boys whipping dodgeballs at her from across the gym.

“It was awkward because I can’t throw so I was just standing there dodging peoples’ balls,” said Thaden, who had never played dodgeball before.

Thaden and approximately 375 other University students played popular youth games in the third-annual Kid Games event at the recreation center.

Organized by Sanford Hall’s hall council and community advisers, Kid Games is a night in which students play everything from Old Maid and Candyland to Big Base and Trench.

“It’s great for residence hall students to get out on a Saturday and experience recess, which they haven’t done for a while,” said Katie White, Residence Hall Association president.

Started in 2002, this was the best-attended Kid Games yet.

Downstairs from the dodgeball game, Frontier Hall roommates Elisabeth Hagberg and Amber Rancourt were playing Sorry!, their second board game of the night.

“I love playing little-kids’ games.” Rancourt said.

“I used to be ruthless at this game,” she said pointing to the Sorry! board.

Upstairs in the north gym, Sanford Hall first-year students Dan Juola, Luke Lorenz and Reed Yngve waited to play in the Big Base tournament.

“I haven’t played these games in five years,” Juola said. “It’s fun to be playing them older.”

“These games are our heritage and our legacy.” Yngve said. “But we grew up and we can’t play them anymore.”

Lorenz said he wanted to play dodgeball, but he heard it was “pretty vicious in there.”

Organizers said dodgeball was the most popular game, sometimes attracting teams of more than 50 students.

Although there was a referee on hand to ensure people played fairly, students could not escape getting knocked in the head by approximately eight balls flying around the gym.

Organizers are thinking of adding a dodgeball tournament next year, co-coordinator Chrissy Ascheman said.

After a raffle drawing toward the end of the night, students yawned and headed home, content on having spent one more night as a child.