Homecoming king, queen crowned at Axe Bowl

October 2, 2006 —

by Brandon Kish

Senior Nick Frees is hoisted by his Sigma Pi brothers Saturday during halftime. Sigma Pi won the student organization award for this year's Homecoming competition.

by Brandon Kish

Darcy Hope from Alpha Sigma Alpha receives her tiara from last year's queen, Luanne Miglaccio.

It was cold and raining and the Cardinals football team was losing 17-0. For most, that combination would make for a bad afternoon.

On some level, however, the elements and the score were the last things on the minds of Nick Frees and Darcy Hope, who were announced as this year's king and queen during halftime of Saturday's Homecoming game against Northwood.

Frees represented fraternity Sigma Pi while Hope represented sorority Alpha Sigma Alpha. The two followed in the footsteps of last year's king and queen, Aaron Mason and Luanne Miglaccio, who were their fraternity brother and sorority sister respectively.

It was the waiting that was the hardest part for Frees and Hope, as the two dealt with the pressures of not knowing and the nerves that come along with it.

"I had butterflies in my stomach the whole time," Hope said.

And when Hope heard her name announced, followed by the mass screaming of her sorority sisters, she said she really didn't know what to think.

Frees, on the other hand, didn't even hear his name.

"Not because of the noise," he said. "I guess I was just caught in the zone after having wished all day for it just to be done with."

Even after they had their fraternity and sorority members rush the field to congratulate them, several pictures taken, and started walking off the field, they were still in awe of the moment.

"It's still too new to process," Hope said.

Frees echoed the same thought, before thanking those who helped make him king.

"I'm just really proud to be representing Sigma Pi and SVSU," he said.