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Ultimate gains momentum

Ultimate is a fast-paced game that blends aspects of football, soccer and basketball to create an exciting sport that is fun to watch and easy to play.

It is still a relatively new sport, but one that is popular on college campuses across the country—and Portland State is no exception. The Ultimate Club is in its second year at PSU, and club members are preparing for a competitive season.

Typically played outdoors on a football field, Ultimate is a team sport that centers on a standard-sized flying disc instead of a ball. Teams score points by passing the disc downfield and into the opposing team’s end zone.

Last year, PSU’s Ultimate Club was only able to compete in the Sundodger Tournament in Burlington, Wash., but this year the members of the team are prepared for more competitions.

The club has been holding round robins as a way to practice together. They also allow the members to have fun and meet new people interested in their sport. The round robins help to bring other players from around campus who aren’t members of the club to compete against the club team.

“There are a lot of Ultimate players at PSU,” team coach Ted Hart said. “But they have been playing for other club teams around town.”

Some of the competitive teams around the Portland area include Swizzle, Coltrane, Rhino and others.

According to Hart, the Ultimate Club’s success is due to several things.

“Structure and a desire to keep things going, field space and rec club support.” They have all three at PSU, and he sees a successful future here.

The Ultimate season begins in September and extends to May. Teams compete in tournaments that lead to sectionals in the spring, and success in the tournaments determines the team’s seeding at sectionals. The top five teams from sectionals move on to regionals, and the same pattern continues on to nationals.

Last year, the University of Oregon finished first at sectionals and regionals, and though they held a No. 1 seed going into the championship round, they finished in a tie for 14th place.

PSU Ultimate will compete Nov. 20–21 in their first tournament of the season at the Oregon Midfall Games in Eugene. The team will also play in March at the Grover Ultimate Madness, hosted by Pacific University in Forest Grove. Round robins will be held in between these tournaments to keep the competitive spirit going through their season. ?

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