USU frisbee teams take ‘Club of the Year’ honors
Starting the year with only four returning players, the Utah State Ultimate Frisbee club has come a long way, earning the squad the Statesman staff award for “Club of the Year.”
“We started our season basically from scratch,” said men’s captain Dustin Smith. “My overall highlight was to see our team progress from a bunch of hacks to a very organized team.”
The men’s team traveled all over the United States for tournaments – Tempe, Ariz., San Diego, Calif., Santa Barbara, Calif., Pocatello, Idaho, Fort Collins, Colo., and most recently to New Haven, Conn., for the Yale Cup.
“We improved at every tournament we went to,” he said.
Smith said it was a milestone for the team to be accepted to the Yale Cup, because it is one of the most competitive tournaments in the nation.
“We did well and held our own,” he said. “We were able to play top-ranked teams. We barely lost to No. 8- ranked Harvard. I felt this tournament gave us a glimpse of our potential.”
On the women’s side, captain Sara Lundstrum thought the Statesman award was much-deserved for the sport.
“I think it’s awesome,” Lundstrum said when she found the team had received the award.
The highlight of the year for Lundstrum was going to Santa Barbara with six players, while other teams had 14-17 players.
“It was a rough tournament,” Lundstrum said of Santa Barbara.
“I was impressed with the newcomers,” she said. “I’m definitely looking forward to next year.”
Smith said the keystone of the men’s team this year has been fellow captain Myke Bybee.
“He is one of the best players I’ve had the chance to play with,” Smith said. “Myke has put in countless hours organizing the club, preparing tournaments, organizing practices and playing hard. Myke has been a huge part of why our club has succeeded.”
Another player who deserves credit is newcomer Jason Turner, Smith said.
“He came in at the beginning of the year not knowing much about the sport but has improved drastically,” Smith said of Turner. “He is probably one of the most improved players and will be a huge help to our team next year.”
Another person who has made the team possible this season is the club’s coach, USU professor Mimi Recker.
“She rules,” Smith said.
With most players returning and a good year of recruiting, the team will become one of the best in its region, Smith said. According to Smith, the squad will end up ranked approximately 60th in the nation out of about 350 teams.
“Next year we’re expecting a really big year,” he said.