March 20, the Campus Center was packed with sharks - pool sharks, that is.
Students from all over campus were present for the third pool tournament of the semester. The tournament ran from 8 p.m. until all matches were completed, in a best of three games, single-elimination format.
Players were ranked in a bracket system based on their previous performances in the tournament, and new players drew their playing spots based on arrival to sign-up.
Previous tournament winner and first-ranked sophomore Adam Hubbard said, "You have to show up early or at least on time; otherwise, you're guaranteed to face the top seeds in your first match."
The center also provided food such as tenders and wings from the Cove for participants as well as onlookers; a variety of drinks and alcohol could be purchased from the Campus Center's bar as well.
Said senior Leo Sakai, who organizes the tournaments, "I wanted to create an environment where students could enjoy the campus facilities and to also try to attract more students to come down to the Campus Center.
Finally, I wanted to have competitive tournaments where students could really relax and have fun and take a break."He continued, "I decided to set up the pool tournaments because I knew, from running previous tournaments such as ping pong, that students really enjoyed the level of competition and the environment. After the first round, everyone gets really competitive. You could be here until 2 a.m.
before you get through all the rounds."One student observed, "You get a crowd here that most other events can't - the center's staff, fraternity brothers, and members of several sports teams playing or supporting each other!"
"I've only been here a little while, but I'm really enjoying the games. It's a good event and great to see so many people here," commented one sophomore.
Sophomore Tracy Smet, the only ranked female player, has established a sort of following during the tournaments.
Said Smet, "I always play at the Blue Bird, and I've been playing pool since I was big enough to reach the table. I enjoy the game, but I can never get my girlfriends to play. The tournament is a great place to hone my skills, because I get so nervous playing sometimes."
Junior Taylor Crocker, who is new to the tournaments, commented, "I play with Tracy at the Blue Bird sometimes, and she told me about the center's tourney. I wanted to check it out. At the bar, guys never expect you to play, but they respect you once you beat them."
The winner of the March 20 tournament was freshman Thomas Corsanico, and the runner-up was junior Ralfi Saragosi.
Said Sakai, "The best match of the night was in the quarterfinals, where a 2-time defending champion dueled with the current champ Hubbard.
The final game score was 2-1, Corsanico. Everything went smoothly, and it seemed like everyone really enjoyed the tournament."Sakai has plans to further expand the tournaments next semester.
"I want to do a league tournament, and some sort of mixed couples bracket. I just want everyone to come out and have a good time, to get rid of some of the stress of classes, and play or hang out," he explained.
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