Eric Ely was the winner of the ISU racquetball club’s first VEISHEA tourament Monday night.

Ely, a senior in psychology, is also the president of the club, and after participating in the club since his freshman year, was thrilled to see this tournament come to light. Ely had his eyes set on gold from the start, but knew he faced tough competition.

“We have seven people signed up right now,” Ely said before the tournament. “It’s a small number but we’re really happy with it. A lot of our club members are actually at Nationals right now. Tonight I’m hoping to take it, that’s my goal, but there’s some great players here and there’s gonna be a lot of tough games.”

Ely has been an avid racquetball player for years, has seen the club grow over the past few years, and hosting this tournament in his last year at Iowa State is satisfying.

He hopes the club will continue to grow after he leaves.

“We encourage everyone to come,” he said. “We always welcome new members. No matter your skill level you should come check the club out. It’s a lot of fun.”

Tournament play started at 7 p.m. and ran until 10:45. To start, all seven participants played in at least three games, with the results used to rank everyone in a ladder. Next, a single elimination bracket was set up using the results.

Ely was ranked No. 2 in the ladder and after two tough-fought wins, he found himself in the finals to play the No. 1 seed, Scott Heuchelin. The play was too fast-paced to comprehend at times, as the two battled for the crown. Ely pulled off the upset, fulfilling his goal and leaving the club he helped build as a champion.