2016 Division III College Championships Schedule and Seedings Announced
Posted: May 13, 2016 11:37 AM
Bryant University, Williams College Earn Number-One Seeds
Colorado Springs, Colo. (May 13, 2016) – USA Ultimate, the national governing body for the sport of ultimate in the United States and proud member of the U.S. Olympic Committee, announced today the seedings and schedule for the 2016 Division III College Championships.
The top seeds at this year’s championships go to Bryant University and Williams College in the men’s and women’s division, respectively.
After finishing the regular season without reaching the 10-game minimum for inclusion in the college rankings, Bryant jumped to the top spot after a strong performance at the New England D-III Regional Championships that landed them at number one in the pre-Nationals rankings. Bryant finished tied for third at least year’s D-III Championships and is making their third consecutive appearance at the Championships in 2016.
Indiana Wesleyan, Lewis & Clark and Wheaton (Illinois) round out the top four in the men’s division and are the remaining one-seeds in their respective pools.
Williams is making their fifth appearance at the D-III Championships this year. They have reached the finals twice, in 2011 and 2013, but have yet to claim a national title. They finished the regular season ranked second behind Mount Holyoke, but won the New England D-III Regional Championships, taking the first of four bids out of the strong region. They finished tied for fifth at last year’s Championships.
Two-time defending champion Rice earned the number two overall spot, while Bates and St. Olaf round out the top four in the women’s division.
Eight teams are first-time College Championships qualifiers this year, with two additional teams making their first trips to the D-III Championships after making appearances at Division I College Championships in previous years. Air Force, Indiana Wesleyan, Knox, North Carolina-Asheville and Wheaton are the men’s first-time qualifiers. Amherst, Bates and Mount Holyoke are the women’s division’s first-time qualifiers. Colorado College (men) and Wesleyan (women) have both competed at the Division I College Championships over the course of their teams’ histories – Colorado College in 2011, and Wesleyan in 1990.
The 2016 D-III College Championships will be held May 21-22 in Winston-Salem, N.C., and be hosted by Triad Area Ultimate. The annual event is held for colleges and universities with student enrollments of 7,500 or less. The D-III College Championships were first held in 2010. The 32 teams that qualified for this year’s event reached the championships by advancing through conference and/or regional events.
Follow Along:
- Men's Division Schedule
- Women's Division Schedule
You can keep up with the D-III Championships next weekend by following @USAUltimateLive and #d3natties on Twitter, as well as with score updates on the event page: play.usaultimate.org/events/USA-Ultimate-D-III-College-Championships-2016.
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