The 2014 Delta Tau Fight Night in the Student Activities Center Thursday night once again displayed competitive matches and raised money for inner-city children.
The annual boxing competition benefits Youth Encouragement Services (YES) by charging $5 for entry. The program, operating in Nashville, offers a safe environment for low-income children to learn and grow.
Delta Tau President Blake Mitchell said that the event raised over $1,500 for YES. He also explained the benefit of bringing the event to campus.
“I think it’s an important event because it’s something different for Lipscomb,” Mitchell said. “It gets a lot of the student body together, especially the Greek life. It’s something that Lipscomb kids don’t get to see very often.”
During the event, there were ten matches throughout the night. In the opening match, Ryan Hood of Delta Tau beat Daniel Hutchinson of Delta Nu.
The second fight was a late submission, and it pitted independent James Weaver against independent Phillip Brodnax. Weaver won the match, and he said that he had never boxed before.
“I just didn’t know what to expect, but I enjoyed it,” Weaver said.
In the third match, Zach Clemens of Sigma Iota Delta defeated Ryan Matheny of Sigma Omega Sigma by technical knockout (TKO).
Tau Phi’s first win of the night came from Brian Warf, who defeated Hunter Allison of Delta Nu.
Andrew Jordan, a Sigma Iota Delta member, pulled out the victory over independent James Tamburello.
Matt Clemens, another SID member, followed up Jordan’s victory with a win of his own. Clemens won by TKO over Caleb Janelle of SOS.
A knockout came from the match between Fox Smith of Delta Tau and Clark Shacklett, in which Shacklett emerged victorious.
Tate Dalrymple of Delta Tau, and Dan Coleman of Theta Psi, fought in the eighth match of the night. The judges considered the fight even throughout the three, one-minute rounds, so they decided that the loudness of the crowd would determine the winner.
There was opposition to the decision, but when it came time decide, fans of both fighters took their turns supporting their favorite.
Dan Coleman received the loudest applause, and took home the win.
“We want to show people that we’re here, and we’re serious, and that we stick around,” Coleman said. “We just want to be recognized as a club, and I think we are.”
This was Coleman and Theta Psi’s first time competing in Fight Night.
Ryan Luttrell of SID, and Tyler Hickey of SOS, entered the ring, and Luttrell left victorious by TKO.
In the tenth match and the main event, Tau Phi’s Jordan Satterfield took on SOS’ Austin Nichols for the championship belt.
It took three rounds to determine, but in the end, Satterfield was named the winner. Once he was wearing the belt, from the ring he and his club sang a Tau Phi chant in victory.
“It feels so great,” Satterfield said of the win. “Going in to this all my friends were doubting me because [Austin] Nichols’ had a ton of training; he’s a heck of a fighter.”
All three of Tau Phi’s fighters won their matches, giving the club a 3-0 record Thursday night.
If you would like to donate to YES, please visit www.youthencouragement.org