Fever Through the Years
- 1999-2000: A small group of dedicated women, led by upperclassman Sarah Waterson, practiced with the men’s team (Leadbelly) throughout the season. Playing with the men or picking up at tournaments, the women honed their skills and learned the game throughout the year. The Ohio State Women’s Ultimate Team debuted at Sectionals in the spring of 2000 with a squad of 15 coming together at the last minute. The squad of nearly all rookies did not win a game, but got OSU women’s ultimate off to a spirited start. (write-up by Kate Hickey)
- 2000-2001: FLOOD Ultimate became an official club sport at OSU in the fall with Abby James as captain and Kate (Powell) Hickey as president. The eager, young squad attended several tournaments including OU Halloween (dressed as Noah’s Ark), the UPA series, and other local tournaments. Wins were rare and roster size varied, but FLOOD was gaining momentum - “Take A Deep Breath!” (write-up by Kate Hickey)
- 2001-2003: Led by Kate (Powell) Hickey and Abby James, FLOOD continued to compete in area tournaments, even hosting a regional women’s hat tournament (The X2 Games) that drew enough women to field four teams in the fall of 2001. Roster size continued to be a struggle and often FLOOD joined forces with small, new teams at tournaments. (write-up by Kate Hickey)
- 2003-2004: Coached by Nathan Swalen, the team remained a small squad that was just gaining its footing in the world of Women's Ultimate. They finished 3rd out of 8 teams at Sectionals, but did not attend the Regional tournament.
- 2004-2005: Coached by Nathan Swalen, the still-struggling squad finished 5th at sections, but managed to tie for 5th place (out of 11 teams) at the Regional tournament, marking the beginning of a career of Regionals appearances.
- 2005-2006: Coached by Nathan Swalen. The small team was consistent and fought hard, finished 3rd out of 7 at sectionals and once again tying for 5th at Regionals, this time out of 13 teams. Coach Nathan had gotten Fever through its first, tenuous years and started an upward trend.
- 2006-2007: The first year of rising coach Deanna "D" Ball. She was aided by Assistant Coach Terri Brandt and Captain Hannah Gustafson. The squad grew to around 14-17 members, and the new management led the team to a 2nd place finish at Sectionals, marking their best Sectionals performance yet. They once again tied for 5th place at Regionals.
- 2007-2008: Deanna "D" Ball and Hannah Gustafson continued on as Head Coach and Captain, respectively, with new Assistant Coach Lindsay Cencula. Under D's patient and persistent guidance, Fever really began to hit its stride: the squad continued to grow, now up to 15-18 members, and became the Sectional champions. They also tied for 5th at Regionals out of a larger team selection than before (15 teams).
- 2008-2009: After the success of the previous two seasons, Deanna "D" Ball, her supporting staff, and Captain Hannah had laid a solid foundation for Fever's continued growth and improvement. With the addition of Emily "Pooch" Puchala as Assistant Coach and a team big enough to allow Hannah to have two more co-captains, Andrea "Train" Traina and Ashley "Byrnes" Byrnes, Fever's potential was high. The team had its best season yet, finishing 2nd at Sectionals to Case Western but playing in its first game-to-go (with a Nationals bid on the line) for the 2 spot against Illinois. They lost, ending up 3rd out of 13, but they spark was there--someone just needed to light the fire.
- 2009-2010: Head Coach D and Assistant Coach Pooch, as well as returning captains Train and Byrnes (with the addition of Lizzy Hopkins), led Fever through another season of growth with its biggest squad to date, up to 20-23 members. They finished 2nd to Case Western at Sectionals again and took the 4th place spot at Regionals.
- 2010-2011: The breakthrough year for Fever and the year the fire started. Once more coached by D, with the addition of invaluable Assistant Coaches Brent Reeb and Rodger Oakes. The spirited and determined captains Janine "Bully" Walker and Cassie "Bonesaw" Swafford set the goals for the team at nothing short of a Nationals bid--and their hard work and dedication paid off. Fever went from a Regionals-level competitor to a National competitor, winning both the Sectional and Regional tournaments and clinching a bid to Nationals, where they broke seed and finished 17th overall.
- 2011-2012: Coming soon!
Fever Goes Old School: Photo Album |
