Dodgeballs were flying everywhere, and even Vince Vaughn's Peter La Fleur would have been pleased.
Thon Dodgeball Tournament 2007 saw wild throws and great catches yesterday at the Multi-Sport Facility. The tournament benefited the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, and event coordinator Dan Ward said the event already raised more than $5,700. The final figure may not be known until later this week.
The Amish National Team won the championship, beating The King in the finals. The Touchdown Boys finished third.
"I'm so pleased with the turnout," event coordinator Lindsay Johnson said. "Everyone is having a great time."
The tournament was initially supposed to hold 64 teams, but the waiting list was overflowing, and Johnson said it only made sense to add more teams to the field. In all, 96 teams of six to seven people each competed.
"My buddy just woke me up this morning, and I said, 'I'll go,' " Team Undecided's Jesse Wagner (freshman-finance) said. "It was a lot of fun and it was a great cause."
The Penn State men's basketball team sponsored the tournament, and a few players attended for about an hour. Ward said the team helped the turnout because it was good for people to put the players' names to their faces.
With three weeks until the season starts and practice just under way, the players said it was nice to relax for a bit.
"We just came by," junior forward Joonas Suotamo said. "It looks like fun."
And while the team didn't compete, senior forward Brandon Hassell joked the players could take the tournament. Junior guard Nikola Obradovic laughed and said Hassell can't even catch.
Penn State men's basketball coach Ed DeChellis said supporting the event was important to him personally.
"The whole cancer thing is important to me," he said. "I'm a cancer survivor -- bladder cancer. I just wanted to be involved."
DeChellis said the team sponsored the tournament because they would miss this year's Thon because of an away game. Last year, the basketball team danced at Thon.
The coordinators and DeChellis said they hope the tournament, in its first year, gets more sponsors in the future.
With almost 100 teams participating, the first two rounds had a best-of-three format, with winners then playing a team that had a bye in another best-of-three format. The tournament then used single elimination.
Though the turnout led to some periods of craziness, coordinators and competitors said the event exceeded their expectations.
"It's great. The turnout was really impressive," team Se Ya Later's Lauren Sperry (senior-advertising) said. "I'm really glad I did it. Any way we can incorporate Thon and the university is great."
