Club Regionals
This past weekend, club teams around the nation competed at regionals hoping to make it to the coveted, sixteen team, national tournament. In order to make the cut, hundreds of teams in eight regions across North America faced off in Women’s, Men’s, and Mixed tournaments for a chance to advance. The regions are determined by dividing the nation into eight parts, and teams compete in the region of the city they represent—Saint Louis is in the North Central region. Four Saint Louis teams competed at regionals, see how they did below!
Women’s
Stellar
In their inaugural season, Stellar went into regionals ranked sixth of the nine teams in attendance. For a first year team, this ranking alone is a success and speaks well of their season. At regionals they had record of 3-3 earning them a seventh place finish. They fought hard and beat Milwaukee’s MistiKuE (twice) as well as Madison‘s Lady Forward. Their losses came against Kansas City’s Wicked, Ames’s Wild Roses, and Minneapolis’s Pop (a regular competitor at club nationals). Even though their season ended this weekend, this wont be the last you hear from Stellar. Being a first year team brings a unique set of challenges and hindrances, but now that season one is behind them it will be exciting to see what Stellar is capable of in years to come.
If you want to be a part of Stellar or get involved with Saint Louis Women’s Ultimate click the link below or email these ladies at: stellarultimate@gmail.com
Men’s
Castle
Coming into regionals ranked sixth of twelve teams, Castle had an uphill battle to earn one of two bids to nationals. In their first game, Castle put up eight points against the top seed, Madison Club, who scored thirteen. While this started their tournament with a loss, it showed a glimpse of what this Saint Louis team is capable of. Unfortunately, the boys weren’t able to continue the grind from there, ending pool play with a 1-4 record, sending them into the seventh place bracket and knocking them out of championship contention. On Sunday, Castle regrouped and made the best they could of a tough weekend by beating Saint Paul’s Swans and Omaha’s Scythe to make it to the finals of the seventh place bracket. They lost in the finals to Iowa City’s Illusion 9-13, and finished eighth overall. With a fresh roster and a season plagued by injuries, Castle ended their season unsatisfied and hungry. Be on the lookout for them working hard in the off-season to make next year a better one.
If you want to be a part of Castle or get involved with Saint Louis Men’s Ultimate click the link below or email them at: castleultimate.stl@gmail.com
Mixed
Chalice
The North Central mixed regional had two bids to nationals, being fought over by sixteen teams— four of which have been to nationals in the past, two have won Worlds, and one has won Nationals. Chalice entered regionals ranked ninth with big names ahead of them. On Saturday Chalice went 3-1 beating Star Power (St. Paul, MN), the Hellbenders (Springfield, MO), and Pandamonium (Twin Cities, MN), losing only to the second seed No Touching! (Twin Cities, MN). Their record sent Chalice into the second place bracket where they advanced to the semifinals after beating Northern Comfort (Milwaukee, WI) and, former worlds winner, CLX (Ames, IA). Unfortunately, this is where their winning streak ran out— Chalice lost to NOISE (Madison, WI) and finished in fourth place, just two shy of nationals. Fourth is the best regional finish in Chalice’s history and an incredible achievement.
If you want to be a part of Chalice or get involved with Saint Louis Mixed Ultimate click the link below or email them at: chaliceultimate@gmail.com
Thoroughbred
Coming off their most successful season to date, Thoroughbred had high hopes for the 2018 season. However the team looked very different this year— many returners either moved or decided to venture from Mixed leaving big holes in the Thoroughbred roster. These holes were filled with new and generally younger players, creating new opportunities and challenges. Young, less experienced players often come in with open minds and are ready to soak up what you give them— an excellent opportunity for Thoroughbred in the long run. Plus, young legs are very handy to have around when the points get long. However, a ‘first year’ heavy team has to teach, get everyone on the same page, and find their chemistry quick to have any chance of success in the post-season. With an up and down regular season, Thoroughbred came into regionals ranked thirteenth out of sixteen teams. They went 1-4 for the weekend, finishing in fourteenth, beating the Hellbenders (Springfield, MO), and losing to NOISE (Madison, WI), Northern Comfort (Milwaukee, WI), panIC (Iowa City, IA), and Mojo Jojo (Minneapolis, MN). Thoroughbred’s season didn’t go as hoped but, as is their way, they stayed goofy ponies. With a solid base, new talent, and a lot of growth under their belt, it’ll be exciting to see where they go next season.
If you want to be a part of Thoroughbred or get involved with Saint Louis Mixed Ultimate click the link below or email them at: stlthoroughbred@gmail.com