Huntington University Halls Baker and Roush host this year’s annual Sock Wrestling Tournament on the campus quad for all students to participate in and enjoy.
By Ellen Batty | October 26, 2026
HUNTINGTON, Ind. — Two challengers enter the ring with one common goal: to de-sock the opposing fighter. One will leave barefooted with shame and loss. The other leaves victorious.
The annual Sock Wrestling Tournament is held by the university’s own Baker and Roush Halls. While this event was formally focused in Baker/Roush, the event has been moved to the Quad for the first time ever.
“This is the first big Sock Wrestling,” Roush Hall Resident Assistant Lana Cantu said in an interview, “in the past, it’s always been in the Baker/Roush lounge, but now they’re opening it campus-wide.”
Sock Wrestling itself has remained a widely anticipated event for many years. Hosting responsibilities this year have been given to returning host Chase Drummond and new host Bryce Garrett. Though the exact origin is unknown, notable success and popularity increase can be credited to student Chase Drummond and Huntington graduate Carson McFadden.
“I don’t know if they started it, but they’ve kept it going if it was before their time,” Cantu said.
This year, however, Sock Wrestling will be for all of campus to come compete, watch, and cheer it on. According to Cantu, the tournament will serve more as campus event rather than a Baker/Roush “fun thing.”
“We’re getting lights, we’re getting music, there’s going to be a halftime show and it’s going to be a really big deal” Said Cantu, “They’re having an artist come out to play for halftime.”
In addition to being a memorable event for the students, Sock Wrestling will also serve as an opportunity for charity. They will be taking donations for the cancer services of Northeast Indiana in hopes to give back to the community.
Incoming Freshmen and student leaders were able to witness a preview of the event during last summer’s Forester Camps in the basement of Livingston.
“They set up a bunch of mattresses and lights and made it a whole big thing,” Cantu notes, “It was a nice little precursor to what’ll happen next week.”
Students anticipate the biggest rivalry and most intense match will be between last year’s champion Peyton Lackey and formidable fighter Bryant Ramirez.
When asked who she believes will take the crown this year, Cantu replied, “Gotta go with the tried-and-true Peyton Lackey!”
The event opened with student Elijah Banes performing the national anthem on the euphonium, which was well received by the students.
Then, Emcee and Residential Director Andrew Martin introduced the first match: Rocky Morel versus Levi Pennington. Although the match was close, Rocky came out victorious.
Next match was a fight between the current Baker 2nd Sojourner and former Baker 2nd Sojourner: Aaron Benny and Zac Liby. Liby entered the rink with the bold choice of wearing ankle socks yet still seemed determined to get the victory. The two wrestled with intention and intensity; the match even included a quick game of rock-paper-scissors. While the two ended in a tie, Benny decided to forfeit and thus award Liby the winner.
The next match made history for Huntington University’s annual Sock Wrestling. Residential Assistant Lana Cantu and student Aylwin Hendrickson stepped up as the first two female wrestlers ever to compete in HU’s Sock Wrestling. This now opens a new bracket for women and an opportunity for more female wrestlers in next year’s Sock Wrestling event. While Hendrickson took home the victory, both women won the hearts of many.
Then, came the match between previous wrestlers Jay Deaton and Andrew Nash. In last year’s Sock Wrestling tournament, Nash took home the victory. However, upon popular request, the two returned for a rematch. Both wrestlers opted for the longer sock approach, sparking criticism from the audience, but an allowance from the judges with a roll down. The crowd started to chant “Sock! Sock! Sock!” as faces were grabbed and shirts were pulled. Referee Martin called for a time out to allow the wrestlers to catch their breaths.
“Sit on him, Andrew!” a fan from the crowd called out.
“I lasted longer than you thought I would!” Deaton called back. The two entered sudden death—socks rolled to toes. Although it was close, Deaton took home the victory and revenge on his former opponent, Nash.
The final match before the halftime show was between Zach Wechsler and Preston Munster. While Munster put up a good fight, Wechsler pulled through with the win.
The halftime show started with student artist Nathan Deck playing a song on his acoustic guitar. “The Strolls were supposed to perform but died in a horrific car accident” Deck told the audience. Note the Strolls are alive and well.
Then suddenly, emerging from behind a curtain, was graduate Carson McFadden—thus completing former halftime band, Strictly Lasagna, once again. The duo performed multiple of their hit songs, including two featuring special-guest students Chase Drummond and Maya Oyer, which received positive feedback from the audience
The first match to follow the halftime show was an open match challenged by Will Haley. Student Keegan Williams stepped up to fight and came out with the win.
Then came a match between Braden Dietrich and Isaac Winters—two notably athletic students. After many flips, grabs, and intense wrestling, Winters pulls Dietrich into a head-hold with his feet and was able to claim victory.
“It smells like milk!” A member from the crowd shouted, referencing Winters’s “milking” weeks prior during the Baker-Wright prank war.
The final match was anticipated across the student body: A rematch between former champion Peyton Lackey and his former opponent Bryant Faustino-Ramirez.
“He’s big, he’s bad, and he’s here to take your socks,” Martin said while introducing Lackey. The crowed chanted Faustino-Ramirez’s name as he walked out. Martin referred to the match as a modern-day “David versus Goliath.”
The championship consisted of three, 90-second rounds. The first round, after a quick time-out for bleeding, was given to Faustino-Ramirez. Although he did not managed to take the sock off, judges determined victory through the more cloth grabbed.
The second round was won by Lackey.
The third round ended in a tie, resulting in pushback and encouragement from the crowd to pursue a fourth round, to which the judges obliged.
The bonus round became a sudden death—with socks being rolled to toes. Although the match was close, and had students at the edge of their seats, Lackey was able to rip off Faustino-Ramirez’s sock at the final second, thus keeping his title of “Sock Wrestler Champion.”
Overall, Sock Wrestling is a beloved annual student-led event. Cantu said, “Coming from experience, you’ll really regret it if you miss it”
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