Women's ultimate sweeps Sectionals

The Praying Manti, Oberlin women's ultimate frisbee team, schooled teams from southern Ohio and Michigan at the 1997 Sectionals Tournament held at Oberlin last weekend. Playing a total of three games against the two teams, the Manti beat Ohio University's team ah-ah-ah Running with Scissors (running with scissors) 13-1 in their unofficial game Saturday, and again 13-2 in the official tournament game Sunday. The Praying Manti also beat the University of Michigan Danger Girls 13-0 Sunday.

The Manti focused on the poise and beauty of their game during the two day tournament. A current focus for the Manti is layout defense and offense. Incentive is the frequently yelled offering of ice cream for a good performance. Lisa Zeus Novins earned her root beer float with a phat layout-D in the Sunday game against Running with Scissors. "Good thing I wasn't running with the scissors in my hand," said Novins.

Running with Scissors tried to hinder the Oberlin scoring maneuvers with some zone defense. Utilizing the hoss zone offense worked by co-captain sophomore Katy Can't-miss-a-throw Hansen, first-year Hostess Suzie Creamcheese and juniors Turtle and Fargot, the Manti broke through the wind point after point. First-year Abby Muffin Sullivan and senior Maliaka Fast-Feet Edwards provided great popping skills that assisted the flow of the disc up the field.

Oberlin zone defense was led by first-year Liza Bean, Edwards and sophomore Speedracer. The three mandible cup crushed the zone offense as though the Ohio University women were running with scissors in their hand. "Too bad your mom didn't warn you about the Praying Manti," said Muffin Sullivan.

Junior DJ Orner was a spectacular force in the dump swing, though, "I didn't call Freud when I had a mark on," said Orner. Saving the day in the end zone was first-year Liz Shak Rosenberg, with her mad-crazy end zone hands and hops.

We met the University of Michigan women on a field in Ohio, the day it was sunny and warm. The Danger Girls yielded easily to the jaws of the Oberlin Manti. The game went to sixes after one of the Danger Girls became too injured from shin splints to play. "We were upset that they had to drop a player. I thought they were driving me mad and making me crazy," said Hansen about the injured Danger Girl.

Suffering injuries of their own, Manti sophomore co-captain Erica Zaklin, and sophomore Sarah Eastman were out for the tournament. Creamcheese and Fargot didn't play in the Michigan game due to persistent back pains.

No injuries will obstruct the Manti from making a bid for Nationals this weekend at the Regionals tournament in Minnesota. Two or three teams from each of the four Regions in the United States go to Nationals, based on their performance at the Regionals tournament. The major competition for the Manti will be Calamity Jane from Indiana University, Colorado University, Betty from Kansas, and Syzygy from Carleton. "No one on our team is ambidextrous, but we win anyway," Novins said. Sophomore Beth Sticky O'Brien summed up the tournament beautifully with her quote, "I think it's a zone now, there doesn't seem to be anywhere to throw... OH! There's a hole!"

We're going to Minnesota!: The women's ultimate team took care of business at the sectionals this weekend and are headed to the Regionals held at Carleton University in Minneapolis. (photo by John Matney)