Many of Kent State University’s sports teams took a break from their regularly scheduled practices and gym sessions to compete against one another at the 11th annual Jock Jams in Cartwright Hall Tuesday night.

Jock Jams is a way for student athletes to let loose and have fun by doing skits, all while raising money for a good cause. Every year, the event raises funds for the American Cancer Society and Walls Elementary School in Kent.

This year, it was the eccentric act of the football team that took home first prize and bragging rights over all of the other teams. Emcee and the Flashes all-time leader in field goals, Freddy Cortez, said he was very pleased.

“Honestly, I feel like this should be our second year in a row,” Cortez said. “We’re starting off this year with a great season, great Jock Jams; only good things to come for football.”

Members of the football team performed skits that ranged from dancing to Mackelmore’s “Thrift Shop” and TLC’s “No Scrubs” to new head coach Paul Haynes dressing up and joining his team on stage to “Pop, Lock and Drop it.”

Last year’s champions, the women’s track and field team, came in a close second for their skits, which included a mockery of the football team’s wrong direction punt return.

Finishing in third place was the volleyball team. Members danced to several songs and sported glow sticks to grab the judges’ attention.

Each team was judged on criteria ranging from creativity to crowd involvement. The judges’ panel ranged from the deputy athletic director to Kent State’s super fan.

While each team was having fun on stage, two men kept the jokes rolling all evening long. Cortez partnered up with the basketball team’s Brian Frank to entertain the crowd of Kent State’s student athletes.

“It was too much fun,” Cortez said with a big grin. “When you’ve got two idiots like us and anything like this, we’re going to make the most of it.”

“Honestly, I thought we were going to screw it up a lot more, and I don’t even know how much we screwed it up this year,” Frank said. “But I thought we did a great job and did better than we originally anticipated.”

While Cortez and the football team won the event, Frank said he watched a much improved and more confident basketball team perform.

“I’m telling you right now, if you saw last year’s [performance], you would think the basketball team did awesome this year,” Frank said. “They did better than they did last year, and that’s important. Hopefully, they realize this is a lot more fun.”

Though the teams had fun, Cortez said Jock Jams is for the charities.

“People enjoy this; it’s not for us, it’s for the money we earn for the organizations we’re doing it for,” Cortez said. “Hopefully they realize that and keep participating like they have in the last couple of years.”

Contact Matt Lofgren at [email protected].