Liberty Club Ultimate Frisbee Teams Compete Against Staff and Community in Hill City Hatter

On a brisk weekend, the Liberty’s ultimate frisbee club teams gathered at Liberty’s Mountain Intramural Complex Fields to participate in a co-ed tournament with the local ultimate community Nov. 13 and play in alumni games Nov. 14.

While the ultimate club teams play two seasons in one academic year, the Hill City Hatter event helps them prepare for the spring semester. 

The event allows people from the local community and Liberty alumni and staff to play ultimate with the current club players at Liberty. The participants, about 100 in total, were randomly divided into six teams and played two 15-minute halves until one was deemed tournament champion. 

Women’s ultimate Head Coach Jonathan Mast believes this tournament, although quite different from season competition against other schools, significantly helps his team prepare for more competition later in the spring season. 

“It’s tons of fun for the community,” Mast said. “And it’s great experience for our players to get a lot of playing time outside their normal positions and roles.”

Some players traveled over three hours to come to the tournament, and others lived only a few minutes away. It was open to players of all levels. Attendee Christopher Strickland said he enjoyed the tournament because it improved his knowledge of the game. 

“I like the team aspect of the tournament,” Strickland said. “It’s been fun to learn the different formations and play as a team as opposed to playing individually to get open.”

The ultimate teams played from morning to afternoon on Saturday. On Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Liberty’s ultimate club teams faced off against strictly Liberty alumni. 

The Flames were excited to see former teammates and to exercise their team chemistry against an experienced team. Former players currently hold the edge over current players in victories and the women’s alumni winning the last five games.  

Bethany Weldy, a Liberty alumna (’21) who is allowed to play for the women’s club team only in the 2021 fall semester, said before the game that her team was ready for the challenge. 

“We have pretty good chances,” Weldy said. “We just have to focus and use our heads. This year the alumni don’t have as many subs on the sidelines, so they’re going to be tired. So, we just need to find the open spaces and have good zone offense.”

On the men’s side, the club team is hoped to extend its winning streak against the alumni. Liberty junior Matthew Rogers said that he was ready to take on the former club athletes. 

“The alumni play very intense, so it’s a really good challenge for us,” Rogers’s said. “I’m excited to meet some of the guys and hear from those who played in the past and to share in the experience with them. The game will give us an opportunity to get some good reps in.”

The men’s alumni broke their two-game losing record by defeating the current club team 15-12, and the women’s alumni team handed the current team another loss by winning 11-9. 

Both teams are now prepping for the spring season. 

Satterthwaite is a sports reporter.

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