A six-year winning streak broke this weekend when Phi Kappa Sigma took home the 33rd annual tugs championship.

The Skulls upset Pi Kappa Alpha by defeating them in an intense final round Friday, earning the title of 2003 tugs champions and placing the Pikes in second.

The Pikes haven’t lost a tugs championship since 1996, when they were defeated by the now-defunct Delta Upsilon fraternity. In the 33 years of tugs at NIU, the Pikes had won a total of 28 championships.

Skulls first rope, first trench man Matt Minuth said their win was helped by a lot of determination and hard work.

Also, the Skulls had three returning first-ropers in their team from last year, and everyone else was retrained, Minuth said.

One fraternity member expressed his amazement by the match.

“Out of the five years we’ve been here, this is the first time we’ve seen the Pikes get man-handled,” said Phi Sigma Kappa Secretary Louis Garcia.

Sigma Pi placed third, defeating Sigma Phi Epsilon who won fourth place. Tau Kappa Epsilon won fifth place, beating Phi Sigma Kappa who placed sixth.

Sig Pi caller Matt Marconi was optimistic about their match to begin with.

“We didn’t expect anything less than third this year,” Marconi said. “We conditioned really hard.”

he Tekes were defeated by the Phi Sigs.

“The Phi Sigs were good competitors, they didn’t give up,” said Steve Morrie, the Tekes second rope caller. “We have a lot of respect for them.”

Phi Sig fourth trench man for both ropes Adam Magill thought their team gave it their all in spite of their loss.

“It’s a team sport; you tug for your house, but you give it your all for the guys on the rope,” Magill said.

Phi Sig rope anchor Nick Rubino agreed.

“We weren’t giving up,” Rubino said.

After the Skulls made history with their victory, president and ninth trench tugger Mark Lepore shared words of elation.

“Our whole team feels like we’re on top of the world,” Lepore said. “I’m speechless.”