Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and University of Arkansas basketball coach John Calipari visited Hackler Intermediate School in Mountain Home on Monday to celebrate the school’s victory in the statewide #RazorbackReady2026 fitness challenge. Education Secretary Jacob Oliva also attended the event.
Hackler Intermediate topped schools across Arkansas in the competition, which was launched this spring by Governor Sanders and the Arkansas Department of Education as part of the return of the Presidential Fitness Test. Schools entered by posting a 60- to 90-second video of students completing the test on social media between April 20 and May 22. Entries were judged on creativity, social media engagement, and student participation.
“There are over a thousand schools in Arkansas, with more than 500,000 students,” stated Oliva during his remarks to the students. "When I saw Hackler’s video, I knew I needed to meet the students and teachers behind it.”
Before guests were introduced, students demonstrated aspects of the school’s “Hackler Healthy Kids” program, which includes events like a mile run, dodgeball and kickball tournaments, a fifth-grade Wiffle ball tournament, and twice-daily recess after state testing each spring.
Governor Sanders commended the students for their creativity and hard work. “You showed us in that video how hard you can work,” she told the audience. “As a reward for your hard work, you get to meet one of the coolest people in Arkansas.” She then introduced Coach Calipari, jokingly reminding him of his goal to lead the Razorbacks to a national championship.
Calipari presented Principal Kristyn Goodwin with a basketball autographed by himself, the governor, and Oliva, addressed to Hackler’s students. Speaking to the children, he shared insights about perseverance and learning. “My job as a teacher is to make my players uncomfortable and push them to realize they can do more than they think,” he said. "As a student, your job is to get comfortable being uncomfortable. When you feel like stopping, you’ve still got 40 percent left in the tank.”
He also praised the school building and Mountain Home’s commitment to education. "This can’t be a 10-year-old school building," Calipari remarked. "Your city and town care about you, and that’s obvious from these facilities.”
The visit concluded with trivia led by Governor Sanders. Students answered questions about Hackler’s mascot, the state capital, and recent University of Arkansas basketball achievements to win homework passes. Before a group cheer for Coach Calipari, Sanders encouraged students to thank their teachers for their dedication. “They do a lot of work you don’t even see,” she said. “When you go home, they’re still preparing for you.”
Guests posed for photos with teachers to wrap up the event.
The #RazorbackReady2026 fitness challenge was part of Arkansas’ rollout of the Presidential Fitness Test, which the governor reinstated for schools starting this academic year. The test includes a one-mile run, sit-ups, push-ups or pull-ups, a shuttle run, and flexibility stretches. Students who score above the 85th percentile nationally in all areas may earn the Presidential Physical Fitness Award, originally established under President Lyndon B. Johnson and recently reinstated by an executive order in 2025.