The Bainbridge High School varsity Ultimate team swept the recent Frisbee disc league championship tournament at the Shoreline Center in Shoreline, Washington, coming away with the title for the first time since 2001.
Hosted by DiscNW, a nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of the sport of Ultimate, the tournament saw 18 teams compete in two separate divisions.
BHS (3-3 overall this season) entered the bracket seeded fifth, but quickly rose to the top through a series of stellar showings, said Spartan Head Coach Andrew Lovejoy.
“It was a good day,” Lovejoy said. “We played really, really well in the semis and the finals, so the games weren’t really super close. But that’s not because the other teams weren’t good, we were just playing our best.”
This year marked Lovejoy’s seventh at the helm of the island squad, and a bit of a flashback for him personally. He’d been present, as a player, when last the Spartans claimed the league title.
“We won when I was a senior in high school in 2001,” he recalled. “The sport has really come such a long way since then.”
About 50 Bainbridge High students, three teams, were on the Ultimate squad this year. It was the A team that technically claimed the league title.
Of the A team’s 19 players, though, 12 are seniors set to graduate, which makes next year a definite rebuilding time for the Spartans, Lovejoy said.
“We have lots of good players still,” he said, noting the sport’s increased popularity in recent years — despite some confusion in the larger culture about what exactly those kids are doing out there.
“I think a lot of people don’t know what it is at all,” he said. “A lot of people confuse it with Frisbee golf and are surprised to learn there’s running involved and how athletic it is.
“It’s pretty high intensity,” he added. “We have some great athletes on our team who work hard to stay in shape.”
One of his personal favorite aspects of the sport, Lovejoy said, is the opportunity for students to practice honesty and sportsmanship, as ultimate frisbee is entirely self-officiated by players.
“Players make the calls, resolving calls on the field,” he said. “It’s totally unique among team sports.”
Ultimate is an annual spring sport at BHS. Visit www.bhsultimate.org to learn more.
