Ultimate Frisbee team places 11th at tourney

After a 12 year absence from the UPA College Ultimate Championships, The IU Club Ultimate Frisbee proved they belonged there. The Hoosiermama? team broke and tied for an 11th place finish in the Columbus, Ohio tournament after being seeded 14th before the beginning of the weekend. \nIn their first game against the University of Oregon, the Hoosiermama? team lost to a crisper team, 15-9. They faced the defending champs and overall number two seed, the University of Florida in their second game of the tournament. In a close game where the teams were trading points the Hoosiermama? team was done in by the Florida’s timely deep shots to win 15-10. \nThis dropped the Hoosiermama? team to 0-2 in pool play, which meant they had to beat the University of Delaware team with enough of a point difference to advance to the championship bracket.\n“Out of all the teams in our pool we knew we could beat them,” said senior co-captain Max Klaben. \nThe Hoosiermama? team ended up beating Delaware 15-10 to place third in their pool which allowed them to advance to the championship bracket. \nIn the pre-quarterfinals Hoosiermama? would face a familiar opponent, the University of Texas. Earlier this season in a tournament in New Orleans, Texas defeated the Hoosiermama? team, 13-4. In this game the IU team played a much more competitive game, but they still lost 15-13. This meant they could finish in the tournament no better than ninth.\nTo finish ninth the Hoosiermama’s? would have to win against the University of Kansas and then defeat the winner of the Ohio State and Williams University match.\nHoosiermama? was able to pull off the victory against Kansas 15-11, which set up a showdown with Ohio State. In a game that came down to the wire, Ohio State pulled through and won 15-14. With the loss it ensured the Hoosiermama? team tied for an 11th place finish.\n“I think most teams didn’t expect us to play how we did,” senior co-captain Jared ‘Gravy’ Payne said. “We did well we were only two points away from finishing top eight and one point away from finishing top 10.”\nThe hard fought return to the tournament was an appropriate ending for the graduating seniors on the team.\n“For our nine seniors graduating from the team it was a very fitting way to go out,” Klaben said. “This sets the foundation for our frisbee team in the future.” \nAfter playing in this tournament with the best teams in Ultimate Frisbee both captains agreed that in order for their team to get better they need to have more experience. Payne also said the team needs to play better defense in order to improve, and that it will be something they will to continue to work on in the future.\nThe Hoosiermama? team ended their season with a2 1-15 record and senior Cody Andrews was named to the All-Region team.