In the spring of 2006 (my freshman year on Wisconsin-B), there were five women’s teams that attended the Lake Superior Sectionals, two of them were from UW-Madison. Three years later, the number has only grown to seven teams, but the talent within those teams has vastly improved. I’m incredibly impressed with the Eau Claire (where?) women’s ulti program; through the years they’ve grown into a very strong team, put together a great zone-D, and are likely contenders for nationals. Teams like Whitewater and Lawrence are still in the building process, but in a few years they could surprise everyone (Susan Boyle style). It is amazing to see women’s ultimate expand the way it has throughout my college career and I expect to see considerable gains as the ultimate community grows with time.
This year is the first year a solid B-team has stayed afloat for UW-Madison. Led by former Bella Eyleen Chou, Atropa quickly eliminated their “b-team” status and began competing at tournaments like Vegas and Midwest Throwdown, breaking their 41st seed and finishing 10th at Vegas! Atropa has some serious potential on their team; rookie Anna Shanedling has amazing hands and it’s hard to find someone quicker than noob Adrienne Rust. Atropa took 4th at sectionals and is seeded 9th for regionals, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they caused a few upsets. As a former B-team player, it’s truly awesome to see UW-Madison’s ultimate program reach new levels and I hope this growth continues for years to come.
On a different note: Bella is the one seed for regionals. It’s all happening. Let’s go.
