USA Ultimate

Throughout the regular season, there has been more inter-regional play between the Division-III women’s teams than before, making Appleton anyone’s game. No one is unknown to the rest of the field, as 16 of the top Women’s Division-III teams battle for the National Championship. 2012 D-III College Championships: Team Info

Favorites

Claremont Greenshirts		Heading into the weekend with the top seed, the Greenshirts are poised to make finals. They have been taking down top-notch teams all season. After annihilating competition at Centex, Claremont’s only loss at Conferences was to California-Santa Barbara.  Everyone’s eyes will be on Erica Baken, who was a leader in both assists and D’s in last year’s tournament. Julia Raney and Alicia Hendrix gained some big-game experience and continue to get open in the endzone. Throw one of the best freshman in the country, Tessa Bertozzi, into the line-up and the Greenshirts have one of the most well-rounded teams in Appleton.
Bowdoin Chaos Theory		Bowdoin enters the tournament as the only undefeated team after the regular season. Suffering only an unsanctioned loss to Case Western at High Tide, Bowdoin has not been challenged since mid-March. Their closest game all season came from Leihigh, whom they have faced three times in the regular season. We will wait to see what happens when they play some top-notch competition in Appleton. Can Phoebe Aron lead her team to a championship?
Valparaiso Chicks Hucking Discs		The Chicks Hucking Discs have been taking names all season against D-I and D-III competition. Thanks to bringing a young roster to last year’s Championships, Valpo returns a deep roster of ballers. Valpo has one of the most patient offenses and one of the most intense zone defenses in the game, and never seems to run out of energy. If the wind stays strong, expect Valpo to come out on top.

Darkhorses

Carleton College Eclipse		The defending national champions head into the weekend seeded 5th and are looking to upset the top teams to reclaim their title. Eclipse has traveled more this season to see a wider range of competition, playing tournaments in Texas, Missouri, and Virginia. If Carleton can oust Mary Washington in the second round of pool play, they could be poised to take down PLU.
Elon Free to Lay		Free to Lay is relatively unknown to the rest of the competition, besides Mary Washington. They have been turning out impressive results since the end of the regular season. Led by Lauren Krizay’s height and athleticism, Elon has upset potential, especially in bracket play on Sunday. Many teams rosters will be losing senior players for graduation, but Elon will be there full strength, ready to take down the competition.
Princeton Clockwork		Clockwork Orange has had some impressive results this season, taking down Smith, who was a favorite heading into the post season. Princeton lost to Bowdoin by 9 at Garden State Open, but with some adjustments, their team could surprise some top teams. Julia Yue and Kelly Weeks have phenomenal on-field chemistry that keeps their team working like Clockwork.

Players to Watch

• Erica Baken (Claremont): Baken is a dynamic player with the ability to make plays on O and D. She distributes the disc better than most handlers in the college game today, and can break any mark for the score in the red zone.
   
• Erika Wagner (Valparaiso): With wind in the forecast, Wags will get the deep D, and put a pinpoint accuracy huck to any one of her speedy receivers. 
   
• Carla Eckland (Grinnell): She led the tournament last year in goals scored with 27, and she isn’t getting any slower. Eckland can get open on a dime against any team’s top defender. She’s great in the air and can make the most acrobatic of grabs look easy.
   
• Sienna Mann (Haverford): Mann is a D-machine. Even though she is only a sophomore, she has the poise of a seasoned-veteran, and can win her matchup.
   
• Julia Yue and Kelly Weeks (Princeton): This might be the most dominant dynamic duo you will see in Appleton. Princeton relies on these two to dominate offensively.
   
• Kalli Perano (Carleton College-B): She has phenomenal control over the disc and great thrower’s vision. Her throws are precise and powerful. 

This preview was developed in conjunction with Skyd Magazine's coverage of the 2012 Division III College Championships.