DeKALB – Delta Chi came back after dropping the first round and outlasting Phi Kappa Theta in the tiebreaking third-round in the opening match of the losers bracket at the 2023 IFC men’s Tugs competition. Sigma Alpha Epsilon took down Tau Kappa Epsilon in dominant fashion, sweeping the match 2-0, to earn their first victory. 

MATCH ONE

The first round of the match was a tightly contested round, with Phi Kappa Theta narrowly coming away with the first round victory. It took the full 15 minutes to run out before the winner was decided. 

The second round was not nearly as close, as Delta Chi kept the center rope marker in their trench before the 15-minute round ended. Delta Chi tired out the Phi Kappa Theta tuggers by employing a defensive strategy for the round. 

The tiebreaking third round was a nearly 40 minute battle between the two trenches. Delta Chi controlled the center rope marker in their trench for the last half of the round. Delta Chi secured the win by submission after Phi Kappa Theta’s caller stepped on the rope. 

“Well obviously we came with intensity,” first year undeclared Daniel Fragoso said. “We wanted to win the match, we trained so hard for six months, we fought and we wanted it.” 

Despite losing its first matchup, Delta Chi secured a spot for themselves in the fifth place game of the losers bracket. 

“It feels good,” Fragoso said. “Our hard work paid off and we deserved to get the win today.”

MATCH TWO

After losing their first matchup to Sigma Nu, Sigma Alpha Epsilon bounced back and defeated Tau Kappa Epsilon 2-0. 

“We had a tough matchup against Sig Nu, we had high faith going into that (game) but it didn’t turn out how we wanted,” senior operations management and information systems major Ryan Arens said. “We came back today with a vengeance and we did the best we could.”

In round one Sigma Alpha Epsilon defeated Tau Kappa Epsilon by having the knot on their side when the 15 minutes expired. 

Sigma Alpha Epsilon won the second round by submission to complete the 2-0 sweep of Tau Kappa Epsilon.

“We put in a lot of hard work this year,” Arens said. “We have a few seniors that have been practicing for four years now, but we’ve never been able to make it to match day, so this means a lot to us.”

Arens cited his teammates and teamwork as the reasons that his fraternity was able to win. 

“It’s the group of guys we got,” Arens said. “We don’t give up and any challenge that we have, we’re ready to face it. We were just hungry for a victory.” 

UP NEXT

Thursday’s tugs matches will be Phi Kappa Psi against Phi Sigma Kappa at 3:30 p.m. and Sigma Nu against Alpha Sigma Phi at 5 p.m.