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Home > Sports The "Lake Effect" makes a splash
The "Lake Effect" makes a splash
Women's Ultimate Frisbee club team first known as a Cinderella team
BY CARLY MCLAIN
STATESMAN STAFF WRITER
On a humid day in late September, a group of women appeared to be running around in mass chaos on a lot behind the Field House.
But these bedlam movements were actually intricate play routines that UMD's Women's Ultimate Frisbee club team, the Lake Effect, perform during one of their practices. "Layout!" someone screamed across the field to a woman who seemed to dive straight into the air for the Frisbee and belly-flopped onto the grass.
Before the spring of 2003, there was not an organized Women's Ultimate Frisbee team at UMD. Players would join other teams, who also didn't have full squads, to play in tournaments.
"The first year was really tough [to start a team]," said Alicia Hermes,
co-founder and co-captain of Lake Effect. "We never really had enough players. We were killed at sections that first year."
At sections a second time around, they were ranked 11th. They became known as a Cinderella team, because they did something rare in Ultimate: jumped to second place.
"That tournament was surreal," said senior Missy Klajda, who, upon knowing that she was transferring to UMD, would drive up from Minneapolis to practice with the team during fall semester. "We didn't loose a single game that first day. We were walking all over [the other] teams. The second day we did the same"only loosing in the final round to the winners."
HalloWinona is an October tournament the team attends every year. Every team attending wears costumes' and competes in them. "Last year we went as 90s grunge," said sophomore Claire Oakley. "We wore flannel and plaid shirts and ripped jean skirts. It was really intense."
This event is a lot more relaxed. It is not as "intimidating to newer players" as some of them are. Teams have gone as Rainbow Brite, The Smurfs and played in these costumes, according to Hermes. "There is never a dull moment [at HalloWinona]," Kladja said with a smile, as sweat dripped down her face. Another big event is a three-day, spring tournament in Georgia. The team travels during spring break in cars to Georgia, where they play intense Ultimate and camp out.
"It is fricken' sweet," said Emily Ranta, secretary of the Lake Effect. "It was the best spring break ever. Though there are very competitive teams."
Georgia also has more than one type of competition in the duration tournament. One is called the Hat Tournament, where players are randomly put on teams and compete against each other, according to Oakley.
More than just competing in tournaments, the team plays for the love of the sport. "When you are playing Ultimate, it doesn't matter how much pain you are in," said Ranta. The UMD's Women's Ultimate team is made up of many different types of players on. For instance, there are the "practice players," who don't want to compete but enjoy the game and want to stay in shape, so they only go to practices.
Others have graduated and still come to practices, so that they can still play with their old teammates and compete in tournaments, however the sections or nationals are saved solely for college students.
Every student has five years of eligibility to play at the college level. So some students who have graduated come back and take a class or two just to be able to play Ultimate. "I love the sport," said Klajda, who came back after studying abroad spring semester.
