CAPTAIN’S REFLECTIONS

The Best.

What comes to mind? Those Wednesday night extravaganzas that take our minds off of studying? Getting an “A” on the test that wasn’t fair and you should not have had to take? Walking down the mall and checking out the pleasant sights and faces? No, no, no. “The Best” is going to an ultimate frisbee tournament.

Ultimate frisbee does not just mean a game of throwing the disc around. It is an intense physical endeavor where athleticism, skill, preparation and a sense of humor are essential. A tournament does not just involve this sport. It is actually a cultural experience.

Bananas, bagels and water are the only food obtainable and necessary. Sleep is not an option. And rest is a four letter word. Inter-team jokes (too funny to say here) keep the mood light, rhymes thrown back and forth keep the intellect sharp, and the far too relaxed spectators are entertainment in themselves. The past two weekends, the Saint Louis University Ultimate Team, commonly known on campus as the SLUUTs, journeyed to these fabled tournaments, first in Kansas City, Mo. and this past weekend in Ames, Iowa.

Kansas City was the site two weeks ago for the Sectional Tournament with the top three teams out of 12 moving on to Regionals. SLUUT was outnumbered. While most teams carried 15 to 20 players, SLU only had nine. Fatigue played an obvious factor, and the team went 0-5. The team played some of the top teams in the country, like Kansas City, Nebraska, and Iowa State.

This past weekend SLUUT had numbers. Fourteen players took the six-hour road trip to Ames, Iowa to participate in the first Cyclone Swill Tournament.

What a difference substitutes make. The SLUUTs had plenty of fresh legs, and a lot of experience from Kansas City. The final tally after two days of competition left the SLUUTs with a record of 2-5, with wins coming against Northern Illinois and Central Missouri State. Strong performances by Kevin Cunningham and tenacious defense by Donnie Bohnekamp helped seal the wins.

SLUUT played two amazingly close games as well, losing to the University of Northern Iowa 13-10 and Wisconson-Whitewater 15-13 in extra points.

In the nondocumented records, the SLUUTs wreaked havoc by telling jokes, making amazing, awe- inspiring hustle plays and having one heck of a good time. The team also showed immense signs of improvement, the goal of a young up-and-coming team, making this weekend a moral victory.

The SLUUT has two more tournaments scheduled for the fall season. The newly founded women’s team will be traveling with the men’s team to Fayettville, Ark. the last weekend of October. The following weekend SLUUT will be traveling to Champaign, Ill. for their final tournament of the fall season. With the team improving every game, they should become a quiet threat for schools around the nation.

All in all, there’s nothing quite like an ultimate frisbee tournament. The culture is rich, competition is fierce, yet friendly, and the discs fly smooth and straight. It is simply the best.

Junior Paul Grant is the captain of SLU’s Ultimate Team.