Competitors from as far away as Washington state, Minnesota, and Massachusetts faced steamy Bluegrass conditions over the weekend as they battled in the Ultimate National Championships. College division three ultimate disc title winners were decided at the Kentucky Horse Park.
Flying discs soared on lined fields one after another much of Saturday and Sunday.
Bill Reed came to support his daughter who plays for Williams College in Massachusetts. “The more you watch this, the more you get enthused about it. It’s a wonderful sport, especially for women."
Reed says Ultimate is all about good sportsmanship and character development.
Neatty Johnson traveled one of the longest distances, with her University of Puget Sound teammates. “I used to play basketball before that but, when I joined Ultimate, it just had much more of a community feel and I became really close with my teammates and it’s much more of a supportive environment for me,” said Johnson.
Johnson says she’s found open-minded, energetic, happy people in Ultimate.
Aaron Hoffe is a junior at St John’s College in Minnesota, about a 13-hour car trip from the Horse Park, “Definitely, the heat is something we’re not used to in Minnesota, but I think the fields are nice. Kentucky’s been really awesome to be in,” Hoffe said.
In addition to the competition for the 32 men’s and women’s teams in the Division 3 Ultimate Championships, "learn to play" clinics attracted some aspiring disc-throwers, defenders, and divers.
