UNM team beats Ivy League schools

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - The UNM Chess Club has a lot to celebrate; they are now one of the top 15 teams in the nation.

Teammates Doug Thigpen, Dante Archuleta, and Silas Perry, and Lara Armas make up the four members. Late last month the group headed to Dallas for the Pan American Intercollegiate Chess Championship.

“This was our biggest tournament,” said Thigpen. Teammate Archulta then chimed in, “This is the first year we completed collegiately. This is the first year we had a good shot at sending a decent team. ”

With calm nerves and cool heads, they sat down for their first competition and won the round. And the wins just kept coming.

“I don't think people were expecting the University of New Mexico to do very well, but we actually did give a pretty good showing,” said Thigpen.

When it was all said and done the Lobos were 13th in the nation, beating out some powerhouses and even Ivy League schools Princeton and Yale.

“It's pretty cool to be able to say we are better than them at something,” said Archuleta.