Frisbee club prepares for regionals

No need for alarm. The flying saucers gracing the airspace at Woodlawn Field on Tuesdays belong to the women’s ultimate frisbee team. The squad, which boasts 20 members, competes in 10 tournaments each year, traveling as far as Baton Rouge, La.\nThis weekend, the women travel to Champaign, Ill., to compete in the regional championship.\nIn addition to being led by Club President Lindsay Darling, a senior, the team has two captains: junior Juliette McNamara and junior Dena Slattery.\nSlattery started playing in high school with male friends.\n“They wouldn’t throw to me and I’d just run in circles,” she said. “But it was fun.”\nSlattery said she joined the team to stay in shape and meet new people. One of her favorite parts about the team is spending time with other team members at tournaments.\n“We all get to hang out and playing together bonds us,” she said. “It really strengthens our friendships.”\nSlattery said she’d noticed an improvement in the team at sectionals. Though many team members are new to the game, the team only lost five games this year and qualified for regional competitions. \nDarling said one of her favorite memories came during her freshman year when she was taken under the wing of the older women. Traveling and competing in Baton Rouge – something the team has done twice since Darling’s freshman year – has also become one of her other favorite memories.\nOne of the harder things that the women say they experience with the team is balancing time for practice and time for studying. With regional competitions the weekend before finals, study time and practice time can create a conflict.\n“We’re all going to be studying in the car,” McNamara said.\nThe women recommend anyone interested come to Woodlawn Field when they practice. Beginners are welcome and can be taught how to throw if they are interested.\nMcNamara admits that the game can be frustrating at first, but it pays off in the end.\n“It’s a lot of fun,” she said, “But you have to be patient with it.”