Ultimate disc team demands respect

     GCSU’s ultimate disc squad, “Disconnected,” has exceeded their expectations. This season they wished to get a bid for regionals and now they have a legitimate chance of going to nationals.
     In September 2006 the men’s ultimate disc team was ranked eighth in the region, but now, after recent success, the GCSU ultimate disc squad is ranked 87th in the nation, including over 400 college teams. 
     The GCSU ultimate disc team is gaining national recognition and respect after winning big match-ups in the Terminus tournament in Cummings on March 10-11, and the Southerns tournament in Statesboro on March 17-18.
     The team beat prominent teams from the University of Michigan, Iowa State University, Winoa State University, Michigan State University, Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt.  Mark Poole, a senior international business major, re-edifies GCSU’s emergence into the ultimate disc community.
     “We’ve been building respect all year, but we solidified the respect in this past tournament,” said Poole, the team captain.   “I think people realize that we are an extremely athletic and fast team that plays the game at a raw and aggressive pace.” 
This past weekend, the GCSU ultimate disk team defeated Georgia Southern University, College of Charleston and Savannah College of Art and Design in the South Open Sectionals in Orlando, Fla., to qualify to play in the regional tournament in Charlotte, N. C., April 27 and 28.  
     Scott Murray, a junior environmental science major, is enthused by the latest victories.
     “It’s a huge confidence builder to beat a team like Michigan,” said Murray, a second year ultimate disc player.  “Most of the top teams we play haven’t heard of Milledgeville and certainly not GCSU.  They are shocked we can compete with them.”
Playing schools four times the size of GCSU creates a problem due to the sheer number of students accessible to participate.  Bennett Williams, a graduate student, refuses to be intimidated by Division I schools.
     “On the ultimate field I don’t even think about who I am playing,” said Williams, a four-year vet.  “If you think about it, when you’re playing, you can get psyched out, but every team can only put seven players on the field at a time.  That evens the score a little bit.”
     With 17 players on the roster, GCSU competes with a determination that is not always so graceful, but effective.
     “The throws, catches and plays may not look pretty but they get the job done,” Poole said.  “The secret to our success is the fact, that when the disc is in the air, no matter who it is (directed towards), we want it more and we get it more than anyone else on the field.  Also we have more fun than any other team at tournaments, which definitely adds to our success.  We have the mentality of competing hard and enjoying ourselves every step of the way.”
     If anyone is interested in playing ultimate disc in the future, they can contact the GCSU coach, Dr. Doug Oetter by e-mail at doug.oetter@gcsu.edu.
     “Actually playing the game is only half the fun,” Murray said.  “Interacting with other teams across the country is the other half.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 20 2007. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry