To some, intramurals — especially winning an intramural championship — is a big deal at Iowa State. There is a sense of pride and bragging rights that come with being able to wear a shirt around campus that reads: “Intramural champion.”

Some students have more bragging rights than others.

Matt Allbee, graduate student in accounting, has won 13 intramural championships — most among current male students at Iowa State, according to intramural records dating back five years.

“It was a chance after high school to keep playing, to keep improving on things, and it’s a great study break,” Allbee said. “Especially for freshmen, it’s a great way to get to know people.”

Allbee has won intramural championships in flag football, basketball, badminton, volleyball, ultimate Frisbee and dodgeball, among others. Along with his intramural championships, Allbee also has second-place finishes in basketball and wrestling.

“Flag football was the most memorable,” Allbee said. “We had four different teams in four years. The most random championship was badminton or ultimate Frisbee. We liked trying new things.”

Allbee is currently playing flag football and plans to take part in intramural euchre in February. He also hopes to continue participating in sports following graduation by finding a basketball or sand volleyball league.

Right on Allbee’s heels is Emily Conrad, a third-year student in veterinary medicine, who has won 12 intramural championships — the most among current female students at Iowa State, according to the same records.

It was Conrad’s competitive drive that brought her to intramurals.

“I’m extremely competitive, and I played four sports in high school, so I was pretty much playing year-round,” Conrad said.

Conrad has participated in basketball, volleyball, slow-pitch softball, soccer, broomball, flag football, water volleyball and ultimate Frisbee, as well as others.

Her most memorable intramural championship came playing volleyball. Some of her intramural basketball teammates have been girls she played basketball against in high school.

“I really enjoy the people I’m playing with,” Conrad said about her volleyball team. “It’s a lot of fun. It’s really a fun team of girls. We mesh really well together. It’s really competitive.”

Conrad won one of her intramural championships playing the Football Bowl Pick’em.

“A few friends did it against each other,” Conrad said. “I must have randomly been a good guesser.”

Neither student was aware they had won as many championships as they have. Both have given some of their shirts to friends and family.

“The T-shirts are nice, but I love playing, I love competing,” Conrad said. “While the shirts are cool to win, I don’t like to lose. It’s more the competition, getting out there and being active — getting to play.”

That thought was shared by ISU intramural coordinator Nathan Pick. 

“It’s not every day you win a shirt,” Pick said. “You can’t win that many shirts playing just the big sports. When someone wins that many shirts, it makes us feel good. It means they must have spent a lot of time in the [facilities] with us. It’s a big tradition everyone knows about.”