Bryan LaFave has his sights set on an acting career, but Sunday night he was focused on two things: sack racing and testing his knowledge in a question-and-answer contest.

Jessica Blacksmith wants to be an attorney, but she was ready for some three-on-three basketball and helping her team win a tug-of-war contest.

They were two of more than 100 high school students taking part in the first Trio Relays for Upward Bound students in programs at Haskell Indian Nations and Kansas universities.

“I’ve been practicing every day for a week,” Bryan, 16, said.

Trio is a federally funded program for high school students, and Upward Bound is one of the programs under the Trio umbrella. Upward Bound helps students get to colleges or universities who might not have the financial means to attend or who are having trouble meeting other requirements.

Upward Bound not only assists with financing, but also handles paperwork and provides counseling to see that the students obtain the proper class credits.

In addition to preparing for college, Upward Bound students also participate in their own intramural sports activities. Sunday they competed on the Haskell campus in several athletic contests, including sprints and relays.

“This was a chance for all of us to get together and have some fun,” said Bruce Martin, director of the Haskell Upward Bound program. “We’ll see how this goes and maybe it will become an annual thing.”

Jessica, 18, lives on the Kickapoo Indian Reservation. She will be going to Haskell for the fall semester and she credits Upward Bound, the program she has been in for four years, with helping her get there.

From left, Emily Torres and Ciera Steward, both Lawrence 15-year-olds, and Ashli Quinn, 17, Kansas City, Kan., cheer on relay participants during an Upward Bound intramural event. More than 100 students attended the games Sunday at Haskell Indian Nations University.

“It’s helped me a lot with credits,” she said.

Bryan, of Kansas City, Kan., also welcomed the Upward Bound assistance. He said he was considering going to college at New York University, noted for its drama program.

“I’ve been interested in drama all my life,” Bryan said.