Delta Sigma Pi is confident it will take the title in the tugs “big man” division once again on April 24, but with the high level of competition it’s uncertain who will end up the victor.

Rob LeMaster, a junior corporate communications major, is a member of the Sigma Pi “Big Man” division tugs team. Although he was not on the rope, LeMaster coached Sigma Pi’s “Big Man” team to victory over Sigma Alpha Epsilon spring 2009.

“I don’t really know if we have any rivals,” LeMaster said. “You can’t really underestimate any of your opponents; you never know what any of them will bring to the table. It could be anybody this year,” Sigma Pi takes the tradition seriously, LeMaster said.

“For us it’s a tradition in our house. I mean, will still get letters from alumni, and everything like that, saying ‘good luck’ and ‘we believe in you,'” LeMaster said. “It seems stupid that you try this hard just to go out there and pull on a rope, but it’s a tradition that’s been going on at Eastern for awhile.”

Although the official rules prohibited teams from training together until February 1, LeMaster said he and his teammates began to condition individually before winter break.

Once February came around, LeMaster said he and his teammates wasted no time.

“We all got into the gym-hit the weights,” LeMaster said. “We’ve been running a lot and practicing as a team. The more time you can get on the rope as a team the better your team is gonna’ work out.”

LeMaster said he’s unsure how hard the other teams have been working because Sigma Pi’s house is located within Greek Court like other fraternities, and they keep the details of their practices a secret.

“I haven’t seen any of their practices,” LeMaster said. “We have our own kind of secret place where we go practice. So, Nobody really sees how we train.”

The first round will be Wednesday, the semi-finals will be Friday and the championships will be Saturday.

LeMaster said he expects a turnout of approximately 500 to watch the event.

“It’s pretty wild. I mean, there’s a lot of adrenalin flowing around, you get a lot of your alumni coming down, you get some people’s parents who come down, families come down.”

The wining team in each division will walk away with five points for their fraternity or sorority. Second place will walk away with four points and third will earn three points.

There are three divisions: “Ladies,” “Little Man,” 10 men on the rope, each weighing in at 175 pounds or less, and “Big Man,” eight men on the rope, each weighing in at more than 175 pounds.

Jason Hardimon can be reached at 581-7942 or jrhardimon@eiu.edu

Members of Delta Tau Delta’s little men’s tugs team begin their tugs match April 1, 2009, at Campus Pond. (Amir Prellberg / The Daily Eastern News File Photo)

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Members of Alpha Phi Tugs get ready for their tug in April 2009 at Campus Pond. Alpha Phi would go on to win the women’s tugs by beating Delta Delta Delta. (Amir Prellberg / The Daily Eastern News file photo)

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