Hi Woody,

The other endurance team refers to the group from Omaha Nebraska who climbed last Monday (Oct. 19) and got themselves into trouble, and then called for a rescue.  They were subsequently hauled off the summit by a helicopter from Stockton on Wednesday, Oct 21.

Those hikers were connected to a real estate company in Omaha, the Landmark Endurance Team, website here.

And the "half summit" means they got to the top, but had to be hauled off. Their folly was created because they failed to think about a safe turnaround time, and continued to climb higher as the weather worsened.

The main thread is here:  Hikers FOUND!!! -- SAR on Whitney
And George Durkee, a Sequoia N.P. backcountry ranger started a subsequent thread here:
    How not to die on Mt. Whitney (and elsewhere...