Fourth-year University of Virginia student Wynn Morris showed up Friday at the McIntire Amphitheatre, cleats on and competitive spirit intact. A member of Phi Kappa Psi and a rugby captain, he knew exactly how to help his fraternity: anchor the tug-of-war team.
“This seemed the perfect application of my weight,” Morris said.
And the strategy worked. With the rope wrapped around his waist, Morris and his teammates quickly pulled the flag tied to the rope across the designated line, earning Phi Kappa Psi a spot in the next round of UVA’s Hoo Games.
The Inter-Fraternity Council, which oversees UVA’s 30 social fraternities, hosted the inaugural Hoo Games. Thirteen fraternities donated $300 each for the chance to battle it out in the elimination-style tournament, featuring flag tag, tug of war and relay races. The stakes: a $5,000 prize for the winning fraternity’s chosen charity.
The Hoo Games were the brainchild of second-year student David Gosik and fourth-year student Jake Beyer. Gosik, the IFC community service chairman, saw the event as a way to support the Charlottesville community.
“We have such a great community here in Charlottesville, one of the most beautiful cities in the country. We wanted to give back to that community for giving us the opportunity to have a school like this here,” Gosik said.
Beyer served as the event’s hype man, rallying the UVA community and encouraging students to turn out – and they did.
