The Wisconsin ladies headed into the last weekend of tryouts brewing confidence and excitement. The fall winds were sending leaves flying and the cool temperatures threatened a winter frost advisory. Captains Georgia Bosscher and Emelie McKain emphasized the fundamentals needed for Bella Donna as the opening chunnel gave Wisconsin an extra boost. Utilizing speedy down field defenders like Laura Bitterman and aggressive defensive, Madison was able to generate turnovers quickly against Illinois. Jenny Koll, Shira Klane, and Rebecca Enders all moved the disc confidently and converted breaks in both directions. Wisconsin rolled to a 12-0 lead before McKain was left with all newbies and lost a macked marathon point, leading to explosive outbursts of frustration despite the overwhelmingly strong start. Wisco finished 13-1 and rallied to the Cu1timate tent; grabbing food, signing up for the party raffle, and feeling the velvet softness of the new Patagonia shorts.
The second of Madison’s 4 pool play games was against a fun-loving Michigan State squad. The winds were subtle still, but the legs of Wisconsin were shining through as Maria Mahowald and Becca Ludford recorded getting multiple D’s. Freshman Al Ellis and Erin Newman both hauled in break goals as Wisco again rolled to a big win 13-2. Seattle recruit Sara Scott cheered on Paideia stud freshman Sydney Dobkin’s as full out shut-down defense proved too much.
The third pool play was against a feisty Colorado State, who had speed and throws to match. Jenny Gaynor and Rachael Westgate dominated the cutter lanes as Wisconsin took a 7-1 halftime lead. Bella alumni Courtney Kiesow kept the lines open as Madison cruised to a 13-2 win, riding a few boom headshots from Georgia and Mabrowald.
The last game of Saturday was against Regional rival Carleton, who was rolling only ~12 players deep. Madison jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the blustering winds, but Syzergy fought back with an upwind break to make it 4-3, seriously testing Wisconsin’s resolve. Veterans like Bitterman, Koll, and Gaynor stepped up their intensity and made big plays to take half 7-3. During the final points of the day, Wisconsin found their legs and pushed Carleton to the brink, taking the game 13-4. The Gaynor’s hosted dinner before the tournament party, which raffled off the latest Patagonia swag.
The Sunday morning heavy frost pushed back start times 45 minutes before the sun peeked through the clouds to burn it off. It was warmer with a high in the mid-50s, but the wind was also picking up. Wisconsin met fellow Regional rival Iowa in quarterfinals, who had already battled to a victory while Madison enjoyed their first round bye. Saucy Nancy was running a stiff zone and taking big shots down field consistently, trading the first few points 4-2. Georgia Bosscher began asserting her presence and Sandy Jorgensen provided a Sunday spark of athleticism as Wisconsin gradually pulled to a 7-2 half as Jenny Koll rifled in scores. Madison remained comfortable in their zone offense as the defensive pressure increased, riding the tenacity of Aimee Speaker and forcing Iowa into tight corners. Save a couple marathon upwind points, Wisconsin pulled away to win 13-2.
Wisco met a high-flying Iowa State in semifinals, who had knocked off Carleton in their quarterfinals meeting. The winds had definitely increased and for the first time all weekend, Madison hit a lull in energy. ISU took full advantage with their big deep game, staying even 4-4 and openly questioning Wisconsin’s talent. It took a time-out and some soul searching for Madison to find their stride, breaking upwind on a ridiculously strong Bosscher pull and subsequent breaks to take half 7-4. Iowa State began punting and cherry-picking the upwind end zone, while backfield drops slowed Wisconsin’s engine. Eventually patient handler movement of Shire Klane and Emelie McKain proved too much and Madison pushed to a 12-9 victory.
As the sun fully appeared and the winds intensified, it was a rematch of Hucktoberfest finals – Madison vs. Eau Claire. Iowa State, Carleton, and Iowa all have top-notch handlers and deeps, but Eau Claire has Robyn Fenning, who stunt doubles as the Macho Man Randy Savage occasionally. With a deep presence and flick huck to match – Eau Claire is a dangerous opponent. The first points were exciting as both teams exchanged deep bombs for goals 2-2. Madison broke upwind first, but Sol matched it with a big upwind grab. During the first 6 points, Robyn had 2 layout D’s on 7-8 attempts, narrowly missing the disc at least twice more. But Wisconsin’s deeper legs proved the difference as tight down field D and pesky marks widened the margin 7-4 at half. Superfreak Sandy Jorgensen recorded countless D’s while Jenny Koll shredded the field upwind. Maria Mahowld ripped a big backhand to Westgate for a break, while OB pulls kept the game within striking distance. The final score showed 13-8 as Wisconsin cheered the first of many tournament victories this season. Skip provided a Chipotle burritos and a set of “bags” to the champions as Madison posed with the winner’s banner. The final Bella Donna squad will be awarded soon, with tough decisions to make. Meanwhile, Atropa will add a few more girls to their already substantial roster, once again captained by Eyleen Chou.
The last game of the tournament was the boys final – a rematch of Carleton tryout’s vs. Wisconsin-X. The game was played at breakneck speed, with all the intensity of an early May Regional final. Kanner, Fagin, and Alex Evangelides played well and broke first to lead 4-5. Wisco stacked the line repeatedly and took the lead 7-6, going downwind. The last point can only be described as long and highly contentious as a 40 minute marathon turned universe before Smart hit Bergen for the win 8-6. The Wisconsin sweep was in effect as burritos disappeared and personal No Wisconsequences “bags sets” were auctioned off to the various Frisbee houses. One thing is for sure, it should be another exiting year in the Central!
