A first-round upset set the stage for the Fitness Center Cornhole Championships last Tuesday, which guided sophomores Hunter Duncan and Junior Brandon Jones to a bracket-busting tournament win.

The one-seeded, first-year duo of Junior Owens and Bryant Smith came into the tournament confident, going through their warm-up throws as if it were any other game. They clearly expected victory.

“You know, I’ve been training for this moment all my life, from the country back roads of Virginia,” Owens flaunted. “My senior year, I took personal fitness and only played cornhole for 180 days. Straight.”

The game began, but the expectant duo lost to the eventual champions in a mere two rounds with a score of 11-5, all five of which came from Owen’s opening round.

Duncan and Jones continued their tirade through the bracket, eventually reaching the finals. After taking the first round there, however, they found themselves down a staggering 10-5 in the second.

“I knew it was gonna be pretty close, we were going bag for bag,” Jones recounted. “I was like, ‘Alright I gotta do something about it’, so I put four in and then (Duncan) put three in. Wraps.” 

Jimmy Sturgill, Coordinator of the Fitness Center and Intramural Sports came up with the idea for and planned the event. He took the steps necessary for the inaugural tournament to take place.

“People had come to me asking about cornhole, we had bought some new cornhole boards this year and figured we’d put them to good use,” Sturgill explained. “We put fliers all around campus, and we also sent out an email the month and the week of the event.”

Anyone interested in participating in the next tournament or looking for the next event to be held in the Fitness Center, make sure to check emails or reach out to Sturgill directly at [email protected].