Jacob Phillips | Copy Editor
Coming off stellar regular seasons and convincing wins at sectionals, both men and women’s club ultimate Frisbee advance to the regional championships feeling good about their chances.
The women (24-2) beat Humboldt State 15-1 to win the sectional championship while the men also won the sectional championship over Humboldt State with a 15-8 win.
The women, ranked fourth in the nation by the Ultimate Players Association poll, were dominant in sectionals, winning by a 90-6 combined score of 90-6. They advance to regionals on May 3 and 4 in Corvallis at the Crystal Lake Sports Complex. The top three teams advance to nationals.
Head coach Lou Burruss thinks this women’s team has a legitimate shot to win it all.
“This is the best team Oregon’s had probably ever,” said Burruss. “I’ve been on championship teams before, and they just felt like this team does. It’s been fun to win and play in big games.”
Washington (22-4), ranked fifth, and Stanford (27-6), ranked third, figure to challenge Oregon, although the Ducks have beaten Stanford eight straight times.
The Ducks’ major advantage is their depth and fast-paced offense. Their quick transitions run opponents ragged.
“This team is deeper than all those other teams,” said Burruss.
“Some of the other teams may have stronger players, but as long as we run our fast-paced offense, we’ll be fine,” said captain Clare Gordon.
An influx of new talent has helped push the Ducks to the next level. Two players, freshmen Kimber Coles and Bailey Zahniser, played in the Junior World Championships last year. Seven players played ultimate Frisbee competitively in high school before joining the club team, which also has helped immensely.
Burruss also mentioned Tina Snodgrass, a former varsity tennis player. Snodgrass came out after a shoulder injury forced her to leave the tennis team. She is 6 feet tall and “runs like a deer,” Burruss said.
The men’s team (28-4) is also in good position going into regionals. It is ranked third in the nation by the UPA poll.
In the sectional championship Humboldt State stayed close to Oregon in the first half, with the score 8-7 at halftime. But the Ducks were too much in second half, going on a 7-1 run to win 15-8.
“We started out slow, trading points, but we took off in the second half,” said coordinator Aki Ohdera,
Ohdera likes Oregon’s chances to advance to nationals. The top two teams move on.
“Our strategy will stay the same. Our intensity and mental preparation will determine if we make it or not,” said Ohdera.
Cal (27-9), Washington (23-6), and Stanford (23-13), ranked 11, 14, and 15, respectively, will stand in Oregon’s way. But the Ducks like where they are.
“I think this is gonna be a good year for us,” said Ohdera.
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Ducks in contention for national title
Daily Emerald
April 19, 2009
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