DeKALB — The competition has begun, and the first round of the 2019 Tugs Tournament is in the books. Although the weather caused some delay in the start times, the energy was still at a high.

 

Hailey Galler, junior journalism major and member of Delta Gamma, said the excitement of the crowd did not disappoint.

 

“You could feel the energy of the crowd as people were cheering for their favorite fraternity,” Galler said. “My favorite part is watching the caller call out their next move.”

 

In the first match of the tournament Monday, Phi Kappa Psi outlasted Sigma Alpha Mu in a three-rope match to move onto the next round.

 

For the second match, Phi Kappa Theta faced off against Delta Chi. Phi Kappa Theta won the match, moving on to the next round alongside Phi Kappa Psi. 

Phi Kappa Psi and Phi Kappa Theta will face off in their semi-final matchup 5 p.m. Thursday.

In Tuesday’s first match, Sigma Nu outlasted Sigma Alpha Epsilon in three ropes in a match that lasted 41 minutes.

 

Sigma Nu Tugs Coach Devin McCormick said he was proud of Sigma Nu and what they accomplished.

 

“As a coach, there’s nothing like seeing your hard work and game planning pay off,” McCormick said. “Going forward, we’re looking forward to playing for a trophy.”

 

In the second match Tuesday, Phi Sigma Kappa took a win over Alpha Sigma Phi, winning all three ropes. 

 

Sigma Nu and Phi Sigma Kappa are set to face off 3:30 p.m Thursday to kick off the semi-final round. The tournament is held at University Plaza.

 

After Thursday’s matchups, the teams will have a rest day Friday before settling placements Saturday starting at 9:30 a.m.

 

The Championship match will be played 2 p.m. Saturday to crown the 2019 Tugs Champion.