At one time or another, it’s likely that you’ve tossed around a frisbee; However, if you spend time chatting with an Ultimate Frisbee Player, it’s clear to see that their passion and dedication for the sport runs far deeper than a summer night pastime. Since their showing at the regional championships, the Roosevelt Ultimate teams proved they have not only enthusiasm for their game, but the talent to back it up. On May 30th, the Roosevelt Boys and Girls varsity ultimate frisbee teams attended the Western High School Regional Championships in Corvallis, Oregon. During the two-day tournament, both teams played six games against teams from Washington, Oregon, and California.
The girls’ team, captained by Anna Wysen and Frances Gellert, placed 5th out of 13 teams and advanced as far as the quarter final where they played against Northwest. Making it to Westerns was no easy feat and once the team arrived, they could tell they were up for a challenge. Freshman and varsity player Amelia Maass detailed the exciting quarter final game against Northwest: “We played well and had really strong defense and some amazing catches, but it was burning hot and we were all tired from the day before.” Maass had a great experience playing with the team this year and traveling to Westerns, but acknowledged that their success was not without hard work, “We had to really trust each other, learn how to work together, and communicate and we got a lot stronger over the season as a team.”
The boys’ ultimate team received first place out of 15 other teams, winning all their games and advancing into the finals against Northwest to win by 13-10. The team was seeded 6th and upset their pool so that by the second day, they were seeded first. The Roosevelt boys entered into the finals against Northwest, a team they had never beaten before. The team pulled through and Captain Noah Kregenow said, “It was a very good game. We were up and then they went up and then we came back and won.” The Boys also had an excellent Spring club season and won every game, successfully defending their title. Kregenow owes the success to having seasoned players at Roosevelt , “A lot of us are juniors so we’re pretty experienced. We all know what’s required of us from the team and it’s helpful to have been playing with each other for three years now.” Sophomore Oliver Fox played at Westerns and he mentioned that their success wasn’t the only highlight, “It was really fun. We had a chance to just hang out and bond.”
The Ultimate Frisbee teams at Roosevelt are growing more and more popular, and with this recent triumph, there are many more frisbee days ahead.
Featured Photo: Juniors Conor Courntey and Simon Senter at an ultimate practices. Photo by Arendje Louter.
