DeKALB – A 42-minute long final rope victory carried Sigma Sigma Sigma to a win over Alpha Phi in women’s Tugs, continuing its dominance in the event with a third consecutive championship.

Timothy Moore, caller for Tri Sigma’s first rope team, said the difference in the match was his squad’s strong mental focus. 

“Mental stability and mental toughness,” Moore said. “We’ve been driving in the girls all season. Tugs is a mental sport. You can only do so much physically in the physical aspect of it, but the team that’s going to come out on top is the team that’s mentally tough.”

Both sides sent out their second rope teams to open the match. Alpha Phi opened with a nine-minute hang and kept the rope near the center in a tightly contested performance. Tri Sigma stayed low and strong, maintaining a slight lead as the 15-minute timer expired to claim the first rope victory.

The second and final rope saw more action, with each side using a wider mix of techniques throughout the grueling contest. Alpha Phi earned a small lead in the opening minutes, but Tri Sigma quickly gained an advantage that was maintained and expanded throughout the remainder of the match.

In the end, Tri Sigma was too strong to be overcome as it steadily inched its way to a win with loud Tri Sigma chants and cheers raining over the pit.

Tri Sigma’s first team tugger, Cayley Frolik, described how much this win means to her sorority.

“It just shows how our legacy can continue on,” Frolik said. “It’s a really big deal, especially as a fourth-year returner on first rope and past captain. Just seeing people carrying on how everything has gone.”

Moore described how special tugs is at NIU.

“How many other campuses do Tugs like we do? None,” Moore said. “A couple other campuses do a tug-of-war, but not the way that NIU does it. It’s been such a long-standing tradition. It’s a very unique opportunity that we have.”