With a trip to Buffalo, NY and a bid to the Division III National Tournament within their grasp, the Lipscomb Ultimate team took to the field with high hopes.
“We knew going in that we had a shot to win the tournament, so we were kind of disappointed that we didn’t,” said Jordan Bates, a senior marketing major from Nashville. “But at the same time, we fought through a lot of fatigue and windy weather to get some quality wins. So we were happy overall.”
The regional tournament was hosted Milledgeville, Ga., for all Division III (DIII) schools in the southeast region. Any school with 7,500 students or less qualified under DIII, and any school with more is considered Division I (DI).
The Ultimate team went up against Spring Hill in their first game and beat them by a final score of 15-1. They took on Florida Tech for their second match, whom they also beat 15-1.
Lipscomb then took on Georgia College and State University, the veteran team hosting the tournament, and lost 10-15. This was a hard fought loss, as the Lipscomb men who came back from being down 8-1 at the half just couldn’t gain enough momentum to win.
The team wasn’t able to take their entire squad to the tournament due to scheduling conflicts, and their lack of subs caught up with them. The exhausted team lost a close game to Southern Polytech State 14-15 to close out the day.
Lipscomb’s men bounced back on Sunday and beat Florida Tech 15-12, then avenged their loss to Southern Polytech State with a 15-13 win to take second place in the regional tournament.
The Ultimate team may have an outside chance to get a bid into the DI Regional Championships in Boulder, Co., where they would play teams such as Florida, Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Vanderbilt and others. Also, if another team declines their bid to the DIII National Championship Lipscomb would be invited in their place.
Senior Jordan Bates jumps to catch the disc against Southern Polytech State.
Sophomore exercise science and vocational ministry double-major Cameron Gilliam, from Little Rock, Ark., is on the Ultimate team, but couldn’t play due to a partially torn hamstring. He was disappointed, but happy to support his team.
“My boys really showed a lot of heart this past weekend,” Gilliam said. “Playing in the regional with only two subs the first day and one sub the second day, against teams that could change their entire line after every point, and still placing second in regional is honestly unheard of.
“I really feel like the proudest soccer mom ever, except I’m a dude and it’s Ultimate frisbee, so it’s even better.”
Senior mechanical engineering major Zach Shunk is very happy with how far the team has come in just a few short years.
“When we started the team three years ago, I had no idea we would potentially be going to the national tournament by my senior year,” Shunk said. “The team has grown so fast these past couple of years and is now a strong program with a reputable name among the southern conference.”
Bates said that the Ultimate team at Lipscomb has been a selling point for some prospective students.
“There have already been a couple of students that have been swayed to Lipscomb because of the chance to play Ultimate,” Bates said. “Continuing to have a competitive team will be another activity for prospective students to consider when looking at Lipscomb. I would love to see it get to the point of having an A and a B team.”
Bates believes Ultimate has a bright future at Lipscomb.
“The seniors have built a good foundation for the program to grow as long as people are willing to step up and take the reins,” Bates said.
Gilliam hates the fact that the team is losing a lot of key players, including Shunk and Bates amongst other guys who started the program on campus.
Lipscomb's women's Ultimate team at their tournament in Huntsville, Ala.
“Fortunately, their leadership and example have left behind a legacy, as well as a strong program that already has the makings of an Ultimate empire,” Gilliam said. “We have some big shoes to fill. Lucky for us, we have a lot of guys with big feet.
Just like the men’s team was begun three years ago, the ladies of Lipscomb have come together to start a women’s Ultimate frisbee team.
Though they’ve only been practicing for a few months, women’s team competed in their first tournament two weeks ago in Huntsville, Ala. They placed fifth in the tournament, and though only five teams were competing, they felt like the weekend was successful.
Senior Bible major Caroline Morris, from Goodlettsville, Tenn., said that going into the tournament, the team had a positive attitude, though they didn’t expect to come out on top.
“We wanted to view it as a learning experience and that’s exactly what it was,” Morris said. “All the teams we played were very friendly and helpful. They said that we did great for only having practiced together for two months.”
Caroline Morris looks for a teammate to advance the disc downfield. Photo credit Chaslynn McAvoy.
Like the men’s team, they girls got worn out fairly quickly. They played four hour-long games within six hours, and they only had one sub. Despite not winning a game, Morris said the team accomplished its goal.
“We learned a lot about how to adjust to different teams’ strategies,” Morris said. “We had a lot of fun and that’s what we wanted to do.”
Most of the teams they faced were club teams, with women ranging in age from their teens to their 30s and 40s, and some of these teams had been playing together for 10 years or more.
Ultimate Frisbee is a sport that continues to grow interest on college campuses, where it is predominantly played. Both the men’s and the women’s Lipscomb Ultimate teams started because of the initiative of a few students.
“”We’re definitely a team to be reckoned with, and people are starting to figure that out.”
Check out the video coverage below of the men’s Ultimate team at a tournament last fall.