2008 Woodie Awards
Ultimate Frisbee at MSU
Dirty Jerz, Leaders of The New School
Jose Ortiz
Issue date: 11/11/04 Section: Sports
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Under the night sky of the MSU quad, a disc can be seen beautifully floating through the air, like a butterfly fluttering in the wind. If you can peer through the thickening fog, and bare the nerve chilling cold beneath it all, you'll see a team of college students linked - not by coaches, awards, or trophies, but - by one united love for Ultimate Frisbee.
It may look like a few kids just throwing a Frisbee around, but team captain Aaron Bourcier and the other 14 members of Dirty Jerz, are outside day and night practicing in the Student Center Quad, and under the dim lights of Diguardi Field. For those who aren't prepared to take anything involving a flying disc seriously, just step into a practice and watch their athletic jumps, acrobatic dives, and Frisbees whizzing by at mind boggling speeds. Let that convince you of their passion.
"We have the same type of intensity as every other team at MSU," team treasurer, Christine Mercardo said. "We deserve the same type of respect."
Team Dirty Jerz was started by Dan Sigul, a former student, in 2003. In the team's second year of existence, they have already begun to compete in UPA sanctioned games across the East Coast. Princeton, Syracuse, Gettysburg, Drew and TCNJ are just a few of the places that the team has competed and has been successful. The team is very serious, and are even nationally ranked.
The game of Ultimate Frisbee may look like nothing more than child's play, but it was introduced in the 1989 World Games in Japan, began as a medal sport in the 2001 World Championship games, and will appear again in 2005, although it is not recognized as an NCAA sport. This is no game for the weak either; just as in other sports, injuries are of the game.
"I was at a tournament and someone threw me a Frisbee, and the wind blew it wide," said Bruno Lanfernini. "So I had to dive for it and I injured my throwing shoulder. It was a two-day tournament, so it just got worse and worse."
It may look like a few kids just throwing a Frisbee around, but team captain Aaron Bourcier and the other 14 members of Dirty Jerz, are outside day and night practicing in the Student Center Quad, and under the dim lights of Diguardi Field. For those who aren't prepared to take anything involving a flying disc seriously, just step into a practice and watch their athletic jumps, acrobatic dives, and Frisbees whizzing by at mind boggling speeds. Let that convince you of their passion.
"We have the same type of intensity as every other team at MSU," team treasurer, Christine Mercardo said. "We deserve the same type of respect."
Team Dirty Jerz was started by Dan Sigul, a former student, in 2003. In the team's second year of existence, they have already begun to compete in UPA sanctioned games across the East Coast. Princeton, Syracuse, Gettysburg, Drew and TCNJ are just a few of the places that the team has competed and has been successful. The team is very serious, and are even nationally ranked.
The game of Ultimate Frisbee may look like nothing more than child's play, but it was introduced in the 1989 World Games in Japan, began as a medal sport in the 2001 World Championship games, and will appear again in 2005, although it is not recognized as an NCAA sport. This is no game for the weak either; just as in other sports, injuries are of the game.
"I was at a tournament and someone threw me a Frisbee, and the wind blew it wide," said Bruno Lanfernini. "So I had to dive for it and I injured my throwing shoulder. It was a two-day tournament, so it just got worse and worse."