"Thundar" is the nickname of the mascot for North Dakota State University

North Dakota State University

North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, more commonly known as North Dakota State University , is a public university in Fargo, North Dakota. NDSU has about 14,000 students and it is the largest university in North Dakota based on full time students and land size...

's Bison athletic program

North Dakota State Bison

The North Dakota State Bison is the name of the athletic teams of North Dakota State University which is located in the city of Fargo, North Dakota. The teams are often called the "Thundering Herd"...

. The name is derived from an additional nickname that the teams use, the "Thundering Herd". Thundar is a caricature of a bison

Bison

Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...

. He is known for his exaggerated features, including a large head and tail.

He is part of the 2008 Capital One

Capital One

Capital One Financial Corp. is a U.S.-based bank holding company specializing in credit cards, home loans, auto loans, banking and savings products...

 Mascot team. Entering the competition, he was seeded at #1, but was defeated by Cy from Iowa State University

Iowa State University

Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...

in the final round.