Men’s Ultimate club team prepares for post-season play
By Raymond Chafin/ Student Publications
Jonathan Monforti, a senior management student, throws a backhand “huck” around a University of Kansas defender in this file photo from the Classic City Classic held two years ago in Athens, Ga.
The Tech Ultimate club team currently ranks No. 8 in the country. In four regular season tournaments this season, the team has not finished outside of the top 15.
The Ultimate team traveled all over the U.S. and played against tough competition this season. They lost to No. 1 Florida in the Florida Winter Classic earlier this year. In Las Vegas, Nev. the Tribe finished 4th out of 64 teams in the Trouble in Vegas tournament.
In Atlanta, Tech lost in the quarter finals to UGA at the Terminus tournament. In Austin, Texas the team finished 13th overall at the Centex tournament.
The team is currently playing in the playoffs. They are headed to regionals in Charlotte, N.C.
The top two teams at the regionals will move on to nationals. The Tribe will most likely be handed the No. 4 seed in the tourney. This would be the highest seed that Tech has ever had going into the regionals. The last time the Tribe qualified for nationals was in 1991.
The men’s Ultimate team is referred to as the Tribe, rather than the Jackets. “Our team name is the Tribe. We don’t actually go by the Jackets. Most teams do not have their school team name. There are a few schools that do, but that is mostly due to funding issues where they will not get [funding] unless they have the school’s mascot as their name,” team president Parag Gajawarala said.
In order to qualify for regionals, the Tribe had to get past the sectionals tournament, where teams from South Carolina, Georgia and Florida competed. Out of 20 teams, Tech’s Ultimate team finished third. They lost to No. 4 Georgia in the second place match 13-12.
Florida won all of their matches to take the sectionals tournament. They are currently ranked No. 1 in the country, and will be the team to beat in Charlotte. Tech will get another shot at Georgia in the Regionals as UGA will most likely be the No. 2 seed in the tournament.
In order for the Tribe to get to nationals, they must get through a double elimination bracket. The team that wins four consecutive matches will get to go to nationals. The team that wins the lower bracket will also qualify for national competition.
“Our goal is to qualify for nationals at this point,” Gajawarala said.
Last year, Tech made it to Sunday competition at regionals, which only the top six teams in the tournament make.
The key players for this team are the captains Jeremy Goecks and Dave Street.
“The other top players are Hensley Sajur, who is one of our top defenders, Chris Robertson, who is one of our best handlers, and Jonathan Monforti, who is also one of our best handlers,” Gajawarla said.
There are two positions in Ultimate-cutters and handlers.
“Handlers are the people who have the disc in their hand most of the time,” Gajawarla explained. “They are usually looking to get the disc downfield toward the end zone to the cutters.”
The handler position is essentially the quarterback position of an Ultimate team, while the cutter acts as the receiver.
“Cutters are usually the ones setting up by the end zone by cutting in and out, faking to the end zone, and making deep cuts toward the end zone. They are usually very good athletes, and have quick feet. Handlers usually are great throwers, and also have great vision. Everyone has to be a great defender, but there are some that specialize in that,” Gajawarla said.
