The Defending Champs: Oregon Fugue

There are talented teams. And then there are talented teams who have Lou Burruss as their coach. Thankfully, there is only one competing at college nationals. An already stacked Fugue team has a ton of athleticism and skill, and they also happen to have one of the best coaches in the game.

Fugue, the defending champs of the Women's Division College Championships, has had a history of strong season performances. The team finished 3rd in 2009 and 2nd 1998, qualifying ten times in 1988, 1989, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. The last four seasons have been with Burruss as their coach.

Lou Burruss, who has been playing and coaching ultimate since 1990, has been coaching in the college women’s nationals scene since 1997. He has led eight teams to nationals in eight seasons of coaching, and has been with Fugue since 2008. It’s safe to say he knows how to help a team realize its strengths and weaknesses, and put the plan into action.

Part of this is the knowledge of approaching each season as a different one than the last. “The challenge of coaching college is that every team is brand new, unlike club ultimate where there is a lot more continuity.  A big part of what you are doing is to try to develop individual players into a successful and valued role on the team and develop the team identity to a point where things click,” explains Burruss.

When it comes to applying this concept in the college women’s game, no one understands this better than Fugue. Defending the title from the 2010 College Championships, the team has set out to create a different identity from last year’s team. “We set out to distinguish ourselves from last year's team in our own minds, so we don't think about it [the title] much.  I don't think other teams are [thinking about it] either.  If we were 35-2 or so, it might be different, but we're 28-7,” says Burruss. The approach to the season must be different each and every season, to deal with the difference in team strengths and weaknesses.

Fugue has been preparing for nationals all season long. Burruss gives an insight to what Fugue’s players do all season long. “We do the traditional 3 practices and a track/agility. Additionally, I push the players to get in the weight room and I think about 75% of them are taking a weights class that puts them in the weight room three days a week.  I also give throwing assignments to particular players to work on outside of practice.” Though the team works hard, Lou tries to encourage individuals to work hard because they WANT to. “We are a varsity sport and we don’t have those expectations or identity of coach-player relationship, so I always try to set things up to say - if you want to get better you need to do 'this' or 'that.'  Then the player can decide for herself how much she wants to put in,” he explains.

Using this system, Fugue has run into very few personnel problems with conflicting individual and team goals. “We run on a philosophy of individual integrity and individual weirdness, so we have fewer conflicts than a team that uses a more my-way-or-highway approach.  I also try to find roles for players that are compatible with their individual styles/personalities/goals so that there is less likely to be a conflict.  When it does happen (which is very rare) it means a long conversation or series of conversations to get myself, the player and the team all on the same page,” describes Burruss.

Nationals Outlook
Fugue has locked down the 2nd seed behind UC-Santa Barbara. Fugue also returns 2010 Callahan finalist, Julia Sherwood, standout Bailey Zahniser, 2011 Callahan Nominee Katy Craley and speedster Christina Wickman, as well as adding talented freshman Sophie Darch to the lineup.

When Fugue is healthy, they are one of the toughest, most athletic teams in the game; however, this has not been the case in 2011. Fugue has been plagued by a ridiculous number of injuries in the regular season this year. “It's been rough.  In the 20+ seasons I've played and coached, this has been far and away the worst.  In ‘08 we lost three women to knees, but two were at regionals and that was the total injury situation.  Usually, I figure you'll lose 1 for the season and 2 or 3 little injuries at a time, but we haven't had less than 4 at any point during the season,” describes Burruss. This culminated at Women’s Centex in the end of March where Fugue had as many players in the game as they did restricted to the sidelines due to injuries.

This has caused Fugue to make some adjustments to get the team running as a championship contending team. “The mental adjustment has been to take a 'dirt road' mentality which is one of nose-down struggle and emotion.  Hard work over beauty.  Everything twice as hard as it needs to be, because it is,” says Burruss.

Fugue has had a roller-coaster of a season. Winning Pres Day. Finishing and taking 2nd at Stanford Invite. Finishing 8th at Women’s College Centex. Taking 2nd at Northwest D1 Conference Championship. Finishing off with a huge win in the Northwest Regional Championship over talented Washington and UBC squads.

Though the team is around Eugene and in school into June, the team is tapering into nationals. Going into Boulder, the team will have a smaller roster than they did in ’10, but will have about eighteen or so healthy players, according to Lou.

When it comes to X’s and O’s, expect Fugue to run quick transitions on O and D, challenging teams deep in every offensive possession (especially on turnovers) and coming up with big defensive plays: typical Fugue ultimate. The team also does a particularly good job of taking advantage of mis-matches on the turn.

Will Fugue walk away from the 2011 College Championships with a back-to-back title? We’ll see in a couple of weeks in Boulder.

Callahan Profile: Leila Tunnell (North Carolina)

Everyone who knows Leila Tunnell knows how special she is- skilled ultimate player, gifted leader, incredibly talented person, and amazing friend. I could go on for days about how much Leila has inspired me during the time that I have known her, but in this feature, I ask Leila some questions, then turn things over to her co-captain Lindsay Lang to tell us more about North Carolina's Callahan nominee.

1. Describe your role on Pleiades this season. My role on Pleiades has been a little different this year than in the previous seasons. It has definitely been a different experience playing college ultimate and doing grad school at the same time and I have found that for the first time in a while my primary focus has not been Frisbee (I’m sure that statement would seem completely ludicrous to any non-ultimate players). The team has still been extremely important to me this year, but I’ve found that I have been more of an on-field leader and done significantly less of the administrative and organizational aspects of the captain job this year. Also, as a result of having three very qualified coaches that I really respect and trust for Pleiades this season I have been able to just play and not worry at all about strategy or team management. It has been really wonderful to feel like just a player this year. I just do what my coaches tell me and fill the role I need to fill offensively or defensively and have complete confidence that it will work out. It has been so wonderful knowing that I can trust my coaches and teammates so much to always get the job done and do what is best. 2. O or D?
Because my throws are one of my primary strengths I have always thought of myself as an offensive player, but this past season has been the first time that I have really tried to switch my focus to defense. I have worked really hard this past year to get in good shape so that I can be a more active and aggressive player outside of just my throws and it has had a big effect on the way I play O and D. I guess it is pretty logical, but I find that the better shape I get in the more I enjoy and look forward to playing defense and it has been really fun for me to explore a different aspect of my game this year. I imagine that I will always primarily be an offensive player, but it is nice to discover that I am not only an offensive player.

3. What is one of your favorite ultimate memories?
A lot of my favorite ultimate memories have taken place since I have played for Pleiades. Pleiades is such a fantastic and supportive community of friends and that environment makes most tournaments and practices really memorable. However, probably my favorite memory was making Nationals for the first time with Pleiades my junior year when I transferred to UNC. I loved my teammates at Connecticut College, but it was so exciting to play for a nationally competitive program of such talented and motivated players.

4. If you had to pick an animal to describe yourself, what would it be and why?
This is a tough question. I really want to pick some badass, awesome animal like a leopard or a dragon but neither of those are at all appropriate. What is an animal that is really sleepy all the time and looks kind of scary but is really pretty harmless? Maybe a non-aggressive bear? Yes. I think a bear because I would be so happy if there was an entire season of the year that I could sleep in a cave with no sunlight. 5. What does the Callahan award mean to you? I think the Callahan award is a fantastic system for valuing and honoring sportsmanship in ultimate. It is so great that the greatest honor a college athlete in our sport can receive is for their positive contribution to the development of our sport rather than recognition for their athleticism or skill alone. Fortunately, there are so many positively contributing members of our sport that it is very hard to narrow the award down to one deserving candidate.

And now some questions for Lang...

1. How has Leila changed UNC women's ultimate during her time on the team? Leila came onto the team 2008, the same year as I did- she as a junior transfer and I as a freshman. We have gone to nationals every year since, and I think a large part of our team’s success is due to Leila’s leadership. Her presence, from her incredible experience to her innovative ideas for practice, has certainly bolstered our program’s burgeoning strength.
2. Give us a few fun facts about Leila: Things you probably know about Leila: #18 has a full-field backhand, she throws like her mark doesn’t exist, and she skies everyone in her vicinity
Things you probably don’t know about Leila: She has a beautiful voice (listen for her singing the national anthem with Kaitlin), she often falls down on the field (with unintentionally hilarious results), and her high school team adores her so much that their favorite cheer involves some combination of the words “Leila” and “love.”
3. How has Leila impacted your ultimate experience? Ever since I began playing for Pleiades, Leila has been a tremendous role model, teammate, and friend. On the field, she garners respect from her opponents with her determined defense, unparalleled field vision, and offensive mastery. Off the field, she inspires me with her contributions to the sport of ultimate: she has not only been a beloved counselor at NUTC for many years, but also a dedicated coach to Jordan high school and the North Carolina YCC Girls’ team, Queen Anne’s Revenge. Leila also co-founded and captained the nationally competitive club women’s team Phoenix in its first year in 2010.
4. Give us 5 words describing Leila. encouraging, calm, visionary, positive, smart. bonus: sleepy bear

In the eyes of my team, I know Leila will always be Pleiades’ Callahan winner. Her talent and spirit are obvious on the field, and her love for the game is obvious in her life.

Callahan Profile: An-Chi Tsou (California)

My first love in college ultimate was the Pie Queens and though I am now years removed from the team, they will always have a special place in my heart. I have had the misfortune of missing playing with this year's Callahan nominee An-Chi Tsou on both the Pie Queens and Slackjaw by one year, but have had the privilege of both watching An-Chi play and getting to know her over the past few seasons. An-Chi is a passionate player and someone who leaves everything she has on the field. Her on-field abilities are undeniable and she is also the heart and soul of a Cal team that plays some very inspired ultimate. In this player profile, we ask An-Chi to answer some questions and then we go to her co-captain Palak Shah to give us some more insight. The Queens will be a fun team to watch in Boulder, and An-Chi will be at the center of it all. Look for her to put on a show. PQ4L.

First, we ask An-Chi some questions...

1. Describe your playing history.
I started playing ultimate in pickup games back with the locals around my undergrad (Smith College) and overseas in China and England. I’m now in my fifth season with the Berkeley Pie Queens, which has been a fantastic experience. In between college seasons I played with Brass Monkey during their last year together and then had a season with Slackjaw. In my most recent club season I was one of the captains of the Polar Bears who ended up winning the mixed club championships in Sarasota last season.

2. What is your role on the Queens this year?
I’ve played both the handler and cutter positions this year, depending on our opponent and where our coaches have thought I would have the most impact. Off the field, I’ve been working hard to help make sure that our team stays focused, takes care of themselves, and continue to have the Pie Queen spirit with fun and flair.

3. Describe your game in 5 words.
Heart, aggressive, passion, defense, rawr.

4. What is your biggest strength on the field? As a leader?
I think my biggest strength on the field is the ability to get open and put up big throws that my teammates can run down. As a leader I try to get people psyched up to play in the huddle with inspirational speeches, but where I think I excel is leading by example. I try to inspire my team to play and work hard by working my hardest on and off the field. I put 100% effort into making the plays and doing the training that can help us reach our goals.

5. What has your impact on college women's ultimate been? Don't be modest!
Some would say that I have started a fashion trend by wearing my headgear and mouthguard! If so, I hope it’s been helping people understand that it is really important to take care of one’s body, especially one’s brain. We’ll all need them long after our bodies give up on us from beating them up over the years on the field.

6. What's it like to be a National Champion?
Last year’s championship is something that I will always be proud of. It is an amazing feeling to know that the work that we put in last club season really paid off. It has been a great example in my life of how hard work, dedication, loyalty and sacrifice can lead to team success. It’s given me more confidence in our approach to the game, but it’s also important to remember that each season everyone starts with a 0-0 record.


And now some questions for Palak...
1. Describe An-Chi as a teammate. How has An-Chi shaped the Berkeley women's ultimate program over the past few years?
An-Chi is a born leader and has captained the Queens for the past three spring seasons. She brings an intensity and fire that is seldom matched. I think most people would agree that playing against An-Chi is truly intimidating. The rest of us work so hard on the field because An-Chi shows us how. She leads by example. She is very receptive to what does and does not work for the Queens, and establishes clear, concise goals for us to work on during practices and games. Don't be fooled by the headgear though - An-Chi is a true inspiration because she's able to couple her sassy no-nonsense attitude with appropriate silliness and fun, a crucial aspect of Pie Queen ultimate, and a huge contributor to our success.

2. Describe a memory from this season that defines An-Chi in your mind.
At the Stanford Invite this year, we played Stanford in a showcase game in their football stadium. Partially through the game, An-Chi runs onto the field into our huddle, fresh (well... "fresh") off a plane and a harried car ride from the airport to join us. She was physically and mentally exhausted, but found a way to give us a big smile and tell us that we were going to tear it up. An-Chi has a way of pumping the Queens up with her presence, and we were able to come back from a 6-9 deficit to win the game 14-12.

3. You've been playing ultimate for a long time. What makes An-Chi stand out as a teammate, player, and leader?
An-Chi is able to do something that all captains and coaches aspire to do: light a fire in our bellies. From my own experience, I know how difficult it is to motivate a team that's down, to help a group regain focus and battle, even when it feels like we've already lost. But An-Chi is able to do that; she helps our team play with confidence and swagger.

4. Anything else you want to say about An-Chi?
B***** is fierce. Don't mess.


What do others have to say about An-Chi?

Leaders I respect the most are ones that lead by example. An-Chi is a match-up nightmare for any team we played, she cut open with ease and was a terror on defense. One of my favorite receivers to throw to, cause she has speed that very few women can match and also once she got the disc she was just as dangerous. These few reasons are what make it so easy and inspiring to play on a team for An-Chi, and also honored and excited to line up along side of her.
- Lucas Dallmann, Polar Bears #35

An-chi Tsou. She is an inspirational leader. She is a fierce competitor. She is a tireless teammate. She is one of the most passionate slices of pie on the UC Berkeley Pie Queens. I have had the amazing privilege of sharing a jersey and a field with this woman for the past three years and I truly believe she deserves Callahan recognition. As a captain she leads by example - playing with a sort of graceful ferocity. On both defense and offense, she is a force to be reckoned with, in her bright blue headgear she continually runs the show. Not only does An-chi dominate on the field, she has also dedicated countless hours to the UCB ultimate program. Her enthusiasm for the sport is contagious (she certainly has me hooked) and her impact on the program and its players is undoubtedly far-reaching. An-chi Tsou is an amazing athlete. She is a generous and caring friend. She is, most definitely, a Pie Queen for life.
- Claire Desmond, California #51

North Carolina-Wilmington Seaweed: Athletic Team from the AC

Kelly Tidwell on the mark.

As I sit and go over the responses that the Seaweed have given to me, they are concise, to the point, without a lot of extra wordiness. I find it quite similar to their to their play. They don’t use fancy play calls or have elaborate, crazy set-ups. They don’t win with trickery and propaganda. They let their play do the talking. Co-captains Jessica Patrick and Claire Chastain explain exactly what the Seaweed focused on going into the 2011 season.

This team has taken the ultimate scene by storm with their roster that is chalk-full of athletic talent. The Seaweed are able to fill personnel losses in their roster every year by taking advantage of their successful recruiting tactics. “Our main method of recruitment is word of mouth and the UNCW involvement fair at the beginning of each year. We set up a table and basically harass athletic looking girls until they come over and sign up,” they explain.

Taking these athletic recruits, the team wastes no time, and throws them into the ring right away. “Our method for developing rookie talent is to basically toss them right into the middle of everything,” say Chastain and Patrick. “Danny, our coach, always says that ‘in order to learn, you gotta play.’ We put them into scrimmages their first couple practices, and as they begin to understand the game more, there's a lot more focus on throwing and other fundamental skills.”

The focus then becomes working hard until they can’t work any harder; and then they work some more. “Returners realize the hard work needed to have a successful season, and we show that from day 1 at practice,” they emphasize. “We also realize that having fun outside of practice is really important too.....so it's inevitable that from the beginning of the season we get into the habit of working really hard at practice, and then hanging out a lot outside of practice. It starts out as crashing on someone's couch or getting lunch together, and turns into living with each other by your 2nd or 3rd year. The commitment we have to the sport and to each other seems to be a main driving factor in attracting new players.”

The captains of Seaweed find 2011 to be similar to last year, however the roster is much different. “This season is similar to last in terms of our win/loss record and the types of tournaments we attended, but it is different in terms of our rotation and type of players. Last year we had a rotation full of experienced players. This year we have a core group of vets and have worked to incorporate more players into the rotation who don't have as much experience. Our 1st and 2nd year players have worked so hard this year. Without them, we wouldn't be where we are today. A lot of them have stepped up in a huge way,” they highlight.

Nationals Outlook:
UNC-Wilmington comes into Nationals after winning a tough Atlantic Coast Region over North Carolina (AC 2) and Virginia (AC 3).

The captains note that the team sustained no major injuries at Regionals, but had “few girls who were not at 100% and were still coping with some injuries sustained at Sectionals.” Of those “Logan Shapiro, Mikayla Chiarello, Michelle Guadagno, and Ali Carson coincidently and unluckily sustained ankle and tendon injuries. They worked hard to get back to playing shape and were major contributors to Seaweed's success at Regionals.”

On the other hand, “Jessica "Patti" Patrick is currently working hard to recover from a torn hamstring that she re-injured at Sectionals, she was unable to play at Regionals.” Even with the injuries, Seaweed was able to go undefeated at Regionals with decisive point margins, beating Virginia in semi-finals 15-6 and North Carolina 15-3.

The team has taken this momentum in their post-season preparation for the College Championships by increasing the number of practices the team has, and playing a great deal of ultimate. The focus is on getting and staying healthy.

Wilmington goes into the College Championships seeded 3rd overall, earning the top-seed in Pool C. In order to advance straight into quarter-finals, the team will have to knock off TEAMS IN POOL C! Look for speedster Kelly Tidwell to team up with Claire Chastain for big throws, and Sara Casey and Jessica Patrick to pull down goals.

Sidenote: The Seaweed also wanted to give a shout out to their coaches Danny Wrenn and Nikki Zeldin. “They are two of the most dedicated and knowledgeable coaches in the sport of ultimate. They are a major part of our success as a team. They are also HILARIOUS!”

Michigan Flywheel: Great Plays, Great Lakes

Becky "B-Mu" Malinowski with the D

Throughout the season, Flywheel has been showing why their team is one to contend with. The team is able to successfully overcome the weather constraints of being in the snowy, cold state of Michigan, to put together a nationals-qualifying squad year-in and year-out. Co-captain AnnaMaria Paruk, or “AMP” as she goes by, details the way that Flywheel has carried the momentum from the team’s 9th place finish in 2010 to push to improve upon it in the 2011 season.

In the 2010 College Championships in Madison, WI, you may have took notice to Flywheel’s extremely small roster. “Last year, unfortunately, we only had 13 players at Nationals. Due to mid-season quitting and injuries, our roster was quite small for almost the entire season,” begins AMP. But this just served as extra motivation for those who showed commitment to the team. “[It] did, however, force the 13 of us to be in extremely good shape because we rarely had time to take breaks in tournaments; there was no 'resting'.”

Going into the 2011 season, Flywheel has been able to add to its athletic veteran group returning from 2010. “This year we got lucky with a great incoming class of athletes and grad students. We now have a roster of 19 with 8 handlers as opposed to 4, 3 grad students as opposed to 1, and 5 huckers as opposed to 3. However, everyone is still in really good shape because we still depend on the entire team to get the job done,” explains AMP.

Flywheel can make even the toughest plays look easy.

One added challenge was thrown at Flywheel in the 2010-2011 season: Uncertainty of coaching staff. Unsure of whether or not the team would be able to secure a new coach, the captains had to take a different approach. AMP says, “This season we transitioned into a more player run team. In the past we have had amazing coaches who took us on and made us into a great team. This year, we were unsure of our coaching situation so the players had to step up big time. However, we did end up with two amazing coaches again but the characteristic of a player-run team stayed."

A huge way that the team has added depth in 2011 is the focus on recruiting athletic rookies and maintain their interest. “Our recruiting practice is to get as many athletic girls and train them into Ultimate players. We have sign ups throughout campus in the beginning of the school year to attract players but we also post signs throughout dorms and gyms,” explains AMP. Though the emphasis is getting new players at the start of a new academic year, the team continues this push throughout the entire season, and it has paid off. “Recruiting cannot be just done in the fall. If you want a good incoming class, you need to promote your team throughout the year to get people interested in joining your team. We do this by throwing in public places and advertising our achievements."

AMP might be short, but she can sky the pack.

Another struggle the team faces is loss of personnel in the middle of the season or between semesters. “We try to discourage it by creating a friendship vibe so people do not want to leave their friends. A lot of people complain about the time needed for Ultimate and both school; to combat this problem we have Flywheel study sessions at the library so people are making sure to get both done while still having fun.”

This season showcases an extremely fit, athletic team, perhaps the most athletic top-to-bottom in the college women’s game in 2011. AMP explains the team approaches workouts. "This season we continued with Cross Fit workouts. We started this last year and I can say that is definitely the reason we were able to play with 13 players at each tournament, including Nationals. We go to a gym that is unaffiliated with the University so we are trained by professionals making sure we get all of the movements and workouts correct. Additionally, the workouts are tailored to Ultimate so our workouts are very productive and effective. In April we stop these gym workouts and move towards speed and agility to make sure we are still explosive and fast. These skills build on form the base that the Cross Fit workouts give us."

Undoubtedly, the team has reaped the benefits of this training approach. See that the team is explosive and able to play a fast-paced game. For teams looking to improve athletic performance, “I would really look into going to a Cross Fit gym. While you can do Cross Fit workouts on your own, it is a lot easier to go to a gym where a trained professional is coming up with the workouts and perfecting your form,” suggests AMP. But understanding cost and facility constraint, she also recommends that teams “focus on gaining strength in the beginning part of the season (Jan, Feb, Mar) then move towards speed workouts (April, May) so the skills are balanced.”



 For teams looking to increase commitment to workouts, Flywheel has found incredible success with team accountability. “We create a document listing everyone's workouts per day during school breaks. This encourages the rest of the team to workout when they see one player doing sprint workouts and weight lifting after eating Thanksgiving dinner or thousands of Christmas cookies. Keeping a competitive vibe (not too competitive though) encourages everyone to get in/stay in great shape throughout the season,” highlights AMP.

To develop skills to match the team’s athleticism, AMP notes, “We encourage throwing a LOT. Throwing outside of practice really helps with your throws (obviously) but also your catching. In practice we will do punishments (like sprints, pushups, or burpees) for drops in certain drills to hone in on our catching principles and concentration. We will also do drills where crazy, swilly throws are put up so everyone has a chance of reading the disc and coming down with interesting things.”

Flywheel is explosive with their under cuts.

This focus on offensive skills has helped the team to develop an explosive, quick-paced offensive strategy. “I would describe our team as an athletic team with defensive perseverance and quick offensive movement. However, I think the offense has gotten better throughout my years here while the defense intensity has picked up. Teams across the nation are getting more competitive so it is forcing our team to get better at certain skills.”

Nationals Outlook:
Flywheel is coming off of a dominant Great Lakes Regional performance; however, the conditions were not necessarily ideal. “Regionals went quite well for Flywheel. The wind was really strong but we were able to score in both upwind/downwind scenarios as well as crosswind. I was extremely pleased at our showing despite certain elements. We knew the finals was going to be tough against Northwestern,” highlights AMP.

Since Regionals, practices have been going well for Flywheel. The team is taking advantage of its early end of the academic calendar (about 2 weeks earlier than most schools on the semester system), and focusing on ultimate.

Kim Culpan gets up for the score.

The team carries it’s injury-free season into the College Championships, with no personnel losses. As such, the team is prepping for Boulder with “many hill workouts and sprint workouts. Other than that, we are just making sure we don't overdo our training so our legs aren't too heavy come Nationals,” notes AMP.

“I think everyone can expect Flywheel to come out with intensity,” says AMP. “This year the women's division is so close it is really anyone's game. Flywheel greatly believes in this principal so we are going to come out with intensity for each game. However, I can expect that out of every team. For it is, after all, Nationals.”

Going into nationals, Flywheel finds itself in Pool A behind UC-Santa Barbara as the 8th Overall Seed. The UCSB/Michigan match up at nationals will be a good game to watch, and this author highly recommends you try to catch that game if you have the chance. The match up between the Burning Skirts and Flywheel will be one not to miss.

Northwestern GungHo: Working Together with Heart and Spirit

Lexy Roy in the air for the Hos.

One of the common themes of the teams in the Women’s Division this year is the way that these teams rebuilt to restore their powerhouse status. I think that it cannot be overstressed the amount of commitment that women’s division teams have to building strength for the longevity of their programs. This story, illustrates how Northwestern’s women’s team, GungHo, restored their team’s nationally recognized reputation.

When co-captain (and 2011 Callahan Nominee) Sara Miller joined the team in fall 2007, she walked onto a team that was just beginning the process. “Northwestern had just finished 5^th at Nationals the season before, and graduated a ton of very talented players,” begins Miller. “I remember flying to play in Trouble in Vegas with a team where the number of rookies outnumbered the vets. Needless to say, our rookie class received a lot of playing time that season, which most likely helped set up a strong foundation for the next few years.”

Shortly after during fall 2008, co-captain Lien Hoffmann (2010 Callahan Nominee) joined the team. Hoffmann says, “[I was] entirely clueless to the world of college ultimate, but I kept playing for GungHo because my new teammates were too cool.” It wasn’t the competitive level that drew her to the team, but the new friends she found. “When the series came around, nationals was a goal, yes, but we didn’t have the necessary drive and skill to make it. We didn’t deserve it yet.”

However, over the past few seasons, the college ultimate scene has been able to watch Gung Ho develop and mature into a force, without losing the unique attitude and character of the team. “GungHo has exploded both in terms of numbers and skill level, while maintaining our goofy and fun loving personality,” highlights Miller.

One of the many ways that the team facilitated this process was by adding a talented, experienced coach into the mix. Miller notes, “Two years ago we added Ron Kubalanza to our coaching staff, who had previously coached Washington Element and Western Washington. Last year, he stripped the team down, and taught us the fundamentals of the game from scratch. We became a much more polished team, but still lacked big game experience against national-caliber teams.”

GungHo off the line at Centex 2011.

The team truly demonstrated their commitment to their team name, which means “working together with heart and spirit,” explains Miller. “It describes our close-knit team and our love for this sport.” The result was channeling this drive and newfound knowledge of the game into a national-qualifying team for the first time since 2007, and 5^th time in the team’s history.

This momentum carried into the 2010-2011 season. “We were able to pick up were we left off the previous spring with an already strong set of fundamental skills. With a big returning class, and added club experience from the summer, we’ve been able to dive into competitive tournaments and gain that big game experience we lacked last year,” notes Miller.

GungHo has taken its strong returning core and helped to get the new players up to speed with the game early on in the season. Miller highlights, “In the fall, we focus on teaching the rookies the game, and getting back in the groove on the field. Once winter hits, we increase the intensity and go to work indoors, with added workouts outside of practice. We learn new concepts and strategies, and fine tune technical skills. In the spring, we scrimmage a ton, often inviting other college and club teams and friends in the area to practice. We use our performances at tournaments throughout the year to pinpoint our weaknesses, and improve upon them.”

Katie "K-Ray" Raynolds with the layout snag.

Hoffmann echoes the sentiment, and notes that the added experience has allowed for them to be challenged even further in practices. “This year, and most prominently, this spring, our coaches have been taking it upon themselves to get physically involved with practice. This means playing against us and applying different types of pressure we would not regularly see by only scrimmaging ourselves,” Hoffmann says.

Nationals Outlook

The post season posed some challenges to GungHo, and the team dropped a few games they were expected to win. “I think we were humbled a bit after dropping two games at the Conference Championships in ugly weather, but we weren’t going to lose our bid to nationals. GungHo worked hard during the regular season, and pushed through in tight games in order to earn a second bid for the Great Lakes Region,” details Miller. The team took these losses as a challenge to step up their game. She continues, “Although we saw windy conditions again at Regionals, we were able to work the disc upwind just fine.”

Hoffmann adds, “Our game against Michigan is the most intense level of playing we’ve seen in awhile. It will be exciting to rematch them in pool play in a few weeks.”

Their performance throughout the season and post-season has earned Northwestern the 13^th seed in a very talented field of teams. GungHo will be playing UC-Santa Barbara, Michigan, Tufts, and Iowa State in Pool A, in the team’s sixth trip to the College Championships.

According to Hoffmann, when it comes to the game plan, look for GungHo to be “shaking some things up and creating upsets.” They plan to use their academic schedule to their advantage. While many schools are done for the semester, Northwestern is still in the middle of a quarter. As a result, “Our whole team is around to keep practicing right up until Nationals. We’ve just been polishing, polishing, polishing. Ironing out the last few wrinkles so to speak.”

GungHo also has been fortunate enough to return personnel to their roster coming into the College Championships. Miller says, “We had no injuries at Regionals, in fact the opposite—many of our teammates that have been benched due to injuries have returned to the field recently. It’s great to have them back!” This will be especially important as the squad can use their large roster to their advantage to combat the altitude in Boulder. “We know the altitude and thin air will likely be a factor in Colorado. All we can do is maintain our fitness and take care of our bodies until then!”

GungHo gets goofy.

Callahan Profile: Samantha Huo (Washington University)

I have worked with Sam Huo extensively over the past few years and can say with confidence that no other college player in the country has pushed her team to be as selfless as Sam has. Sam has poured hours into bettering women's ultimate in the Midwest and sets the bar incredibly high for her team as well. During Sam's two years as a captain, Wash U has spent thousands of dollars flying in guest coaches for other teams in their section and region, has invested time and money into running clinics at the multiple tournaments they've run, and has even donated money to programs in other regions to help them get new tournaments off the ground. Sam's vision for and dedication to the college division is exemplary. Sam has been the catalyst of much of this. Sam's skills on the field speak for themselves (and are incredibly impressive), but her impact on college women's ultimate cannot be overstated. In this feature, we talk with Sam and then as ask her frisbee mentor and coach Abby Stephens some questions.

First, some questions for Sam...


1. When did you start playing ultimate?
I started playing my freshman year after signing up for club ultimate at the activities fair. I’d been a competitive tennis player before college but wasn’t interested in playing varsity or club, so I was looking for a new sport to try. For awhile I wasn’t particularly interested in ultimate and just enjoyed running around a few times a week, but after going to my first tournament I was hooked and haven’t missed one since.

2. Describe your game in 5 words.
Efficient, risky, versatile, aggressive, strategic.

3. What is your biggest strength as a leader? On the field?
I think my greatest strength as a leader for WUWU is my ability to motivate my teammates through my playing. Motivational speeches and cheering aren’t really my thing, so I try to approach leadership in a different way. I work to have an extensive knowledge of the game and put a lot of energy into strategy and teaching, but I believe true leaders inspire through action. I’m personally always driven to play harder for my team when I see one of my teammates absolutely exhausted, but somehow still able to find that extra fire within themselves to keep cutting hard on O and fighting for that critical D. I aspire to do the same as a player and captain on WUWU.

4. You've brought the Wash U program a long way. Describe your vision for your team and for women's ultimate.
College ultimate has been one of the most gratifying experiences I’ve ever had. I have grown immensely as a person through the sport and now have the privilege of being friends with some of the most upstanding and truly selfless people I have ever met. The women’s division is still young though, and many schools and teams around the country are still in the formative stages. Through my experience with WUWU, I’ve become truly convinced that change starts with the efforts of individuals, who together, can make the sport more competitive and promote its spread and growth. This was one of the key visions behind Midwest Throwdown and the Roundup Division - we attempted to bring knowledge from the coasts to the underdeveloped Midwest, to teams who could then implement that knowledge back at home. I really have to
credit Michelle Ng with the ingenuity of it all. This was a larger, more organized effort, but we can all increase the legitimacy and competitiveness of our sport through smaller actions: by playing hard on the field, acting with integrity on and off of it, recruiting new players, teaching rookies, and so on. I believe vast strides have already been made in only the past few years, and I know there are teams out there benefiting already - my own being a prime example.

5. Talk about the people who have shaped your ultimate career and the way you think about the game.
After my first year of ultimate, I was still totally clueless. I reminisce with some of the alums now and talk about the countless times I would turn over the dump after running down a huck just outside of the endzone. Fortunately Abby, my captain at the time, saw hope in me and we spent a ridiculous amount of time that summer playing ultimate, throwing, and talking strategy - at one point we attempted to calculate just how many hours we’d spent on ultimate in one week...we totaled 26. Abby has really fueled my ultimate obsession ever since then, and more importantly, shaped the way I think about the game and my own leadership. When problems arise, her passion and infectious energy for this program and sport remind me of why it’s all worth the hard work in the end. What really inspires me about Abby though, in ultimate and in life, is how selfless she is. Both she and Chung Lee, our coach my sophomore year, never cease to amaze me in how much they think about how to improve WUWU and sacrifice for our team (even though Chung no longer coaches us). I strive to give back to the
team and this sport as much as they have.


And now some questions for Abby...

1. As someone who's done a ton for women's ultimate in the Midwest, what makes Sam stand out in your mind as a leader and advocate for women's ultimate?

Coming from an athletic but non-Ultimate background, as Sam fell in love with Ultimate she quickly realized the potential for growth of the sport and the college women's division. When Michelle Ng approached WUWU in 2009 about running Midwest Throwdown, Sam quickly volunteered to help make the tournament run smoothly and provide much-needed playing opportunities in the Midwest. Since then under Sam's leadership, WUWU has hosted three more tournaments, two skills clinics, and a round-up division. The fall tournament Midwest Warm-Up was run purely as a fundraiser to fly in elite-level guest coaches for the upcoming round-up division, and some of the profit from other tournaments was donated to help other developing teams get off the ground. Instead of just saying she cares, Sam shows it with her time and resources and how she leads her team.

She is also applying her developing interest in sports medicine to work for better injury prevention in college Ultimate. Working with Jamie Nuwer, she has been collecting injury data from college teams nation-wide this spring, and next year they plan to implement a training program designed to decrease the number of players who have to be sidelined due to injuries.

Although Sam has been playing for less than four years, she's already given so much back to women's Ultimate, both to her teammates and her opponents. All she wants in return is to get to play the game she loves. To me, there's no better way to be an advocate of our sport.

2. Describe Sam's development as a player over the past four years.

A tennis player in high school, Sam came to Wash U wanting to try something new. She found Ultimate in the fall but didn't really get hooked until the spring. That summer the two of us played on St. Louis' mixed team One Trick Pony. It was probably the best summer of my life, as we played club, summer league, hat draws, 500, and threw in our front yards upwards of 20 hours per week, purely for the love of the game.

When she returned to college Ultimate as a sophomore, she was a dominant force and would have been an obvious all-region pick, had she not sustained an ACL tear. She spent the next two years enduring multiple surgeries and rehab, all the while coming to every practice and developing every throw she could, including a hammer, full-field pull, high release backhand huck, and game-ready push pass. As a captain from the sidelines for most of her junior year, she's now in peak playing form as a senior, determined to finish her college career memorably.

3. Talk a little bit about Sam's involvement in helping start a competitive women's club team in St. Louis.

After breaking into the club scene in the mixed division as a D-line deep cutter and then taking a season off because of her knee, Sam kept musing how fun it would be to unite all our past and present regional rivals and finally get the experience of playing an integral role on a cohesive competitive club women's team. With her insistence and with the help of several like-minded women in the area, Midwest Revoloution was formed in 2010, claiming 14th at Nationals in its inaugural year. She'll be moving to Boston in the fall and so isn't captaining this year, but the groundwork for elite women's Ultimate in St. Louis has been laid, and Revoloution is expected to shatter more expectations this coming season.

4. What has Sam's impact on WUWU been?

Sam is responsible for transforming WUWU from a team into a program. She had the vision and ambition to use WUWU's unexpected 2009 Nationals birth as motivation to the team to train in such a way as to expect repeat appearances -- which she also made a reality in 2010 and 2011. She's also worked hard the last two years to establish a B team, ensuring the future success of WUWU even after she graduates. WUWU has been a defining part of Sam's college experience, and she's been a highlight of our team's history.

5. Describe Sam as a teammate.

I've gotten to be Sam's coach, captain, co-captain, and player. As a player, she challenges herself to work harder than everyone else in every game, every practice, every sprint. She also seeks out advice, accepts it respectfully, and truly wants to improve however she can. As a leader, she is obviously the go-to person on the field, but she also quietly takes responsibility for the hours of thankless grunt work.

6. Give us 5 words to describe Sam.

Excited. Ambitious. Resilient. Oddly clumsy. Friend.

What do others have to say about Sam?
I've had the pleasure of seeing Sam grow from a decent rookie to an incredible captain (despite two ACL surgeries) and the even greater pleasure of being her teammate during the Club season. Her dedication to her own improvements, her team's successes, and the sport in general are inspiring, and I know competitive womens ultimate in this region has grown greatly in part due to her combined efforts with other leaders in the sport. She's a great athlete, she's smart and she has some of the sickest throws around--deadly combination.
- Tasha Parman, Midwest Revoloution #10

I could talk about Sam's sick lay-out D's, her unstoppable push pass, her uncanny field vision, the beauty of her backhand hucks, or the way she rips the disc from the air. But remarking on Sam's ultimate skills has gotten old-- I suppose I've just grown too accustomed to her dominance on the field. But what sets Sam apart, and why I admire her more than any other ultimate player, is the fact that she pours her entire being into her work... and loves doing so. Even when Sam was sidelined with an ACL injury, she was always present, and when she couldn't use her legs, she used her voice and her mind to encourage, to strategize, and most of all, to teach. Sam is the kind of leader that you want to follow: her competitive spirit, her endless sacrifice, her self-reflective passion, made me stick with the game that I eventually came to love. I am the player I am today because of Sam, WUWU is the team it is today because of Sam, and women's ultimate is the sport it is today because of leaders like Sam Huo.

- Kami Groom, Washington University #7