Sigma Lambda Sigma sorority won the women’s Tugs championship after a 27-minute tug against Alpha Delta Pi on Saturday at the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house.

The win was an upset – Alpha Delta Pi won the competition the past three years. Last year, Sigma Lambda Sigma placed last in the Tugs competition.

Tugs organizers did not have an estimate of how much money was raised at the event, which benefits the Cancer Foundation of Chicago.

After 10 minutes of tugging, the team with at least six inches of rope past the marking tape on its side wins the match. The match will continue after 10 minutes in the event of a tie, said Kristy DeFauw, Sigma Lambda Sigma tugger.

“We tried everything we could to pull through,” said Jason Joyce, coach of Alpha Delta Pi. “[Our tuggers] are a little upset about it, but [they] gave about 110 percent out there.”

The Sigma Lambda Sigma success came from physical training and hard work, said John Garcia, Sigma Lambda Sigma coach.

“We’re a lot stronger this year, which brought us up,” he said. “If you can’t pull rope, you can’t win.”

Coaches also said they had high expectations of the girls from the start, said Steve Timko, head caller for Sigma Lambda Sigma.

“We practiced harder than we did before, and we all just clicked and everything worked,” Timko said.

The Sigma Lambda Sigma win this year will aid in establishing a reputation for the sorority, Garcia said.

“This is a big victory for their house because it’ll put them on the map within the Greek community and in women’s tugs and give them higher respect,” Timko said.

“From coming in last place the year before to first this year shows a lot,” DeFauw said.