USA Ultimate

In what will be an excellent preview of where most of the division’s major players stand as we inch closer toward the USA Ultimate College Championship Series in April, college ultimate’s top open teams will gather this weekend in Wilmington, North Carolina for the 22nd annual College Easterns. 

Founded in 1990 by Todd Leber, Easterns has a long history of drawing the best open competition from across the country. Six Easterns winners and two runners-up have gone on to win the College Championships, and in 1993 the University of California-Santa Cruz Banana Slugs made college ultimate’s first cross country trip when they traveled to Wilmington in search of stronger and more diverse competition. 

In the middle of the past decade, Easterns fell on some lean years while mega-tournaments such as Trouble in Vegas and Centex came to prominence. Not compromising their well-established commitment to quality, Easterns slowly built itself back up, and by 2009 tournament director Greg Vassar was bringing in teams like Georgia, Wisconsin, and Pittsburgh.

This year, 14 of Easterns’ 16 teams qualified for the 2010 College Championships, including all eight of last year’s quarterfinalists. It is safe to say that College Easterns is back. 

In Pool A, current Open Division frontrunner Carleton College (seeded #1 overall) is joined by Virginia (8), California (9), and Cornell (16). With standouts Grant Lindsley, Simon Montague, and Alex Evangelides ready to go, expect Carleton to cruise while the others fight to avoid the elimination that comes from finishing at the bottom. 

In Virginia and Cal, fans will see an entertaining match up that will be decided by the strength and focus of each team’s defensive offense, but with the pool’s second and third-place finishers matching up in crossover with the same from the crapshoot Pool C, do not put too much stock in the result. In Cornell, look for a rebuilding team that could very easily play spoiler if it gets hot.

Pool B includes two of the Stanford Invite’s semifinalists, Pittsburgh (2) and Harvard (7), as well as a promising Minnesota (10) team that is off to a slow start and the host team, North Carolina-Wilmington (15). One of the deepest teams at the tournament, Pitt has a strong stable of fifth-year and senior players, as well as deep cutter Tyler DiGirolamo, who is coming off of a very strong Stanford performance despite sustaining a shoulder injury. 

Not to be outdone in terms of star power, Harvard brings Callahan frontrunner George Stubbs along with former Carleton handler Adam Fagin—the question for Redline is how well their bench will play. While young, Minnesota has improved steadily over the past few years, and many are predicting them to finish 2011 on a very high note. Finally, Wilmington is a team that is still finding its identity, but with a great understanding of the importance of their home tournament, they should not be overlooked. 

In Pool C, Colorado Mamabird (3) sits on top while Wisconsin (6), Michigan (11), and Georgia (14) will make for a great showdown for the next two slots. All three are recent college ultimate royalty, but none is likely to contend with Colorado’s swarming defense and powerful attack. Amongst each other, though, expect a fight rife with deep throws and point swings. Wisconsin’s Cullen Gephert, Michigan’s Oliver Honderd, and Georgia’s Matt Bailey are all players to watch. 

Finally, Pool D is most likely to be the most interesting. Oregon (4) leads the way, followed by Florida (5), Iowa (12), and Ohio (13). While many are discounting Oregon because of who they graduated (which included six offensive starters and Callahan winner Eli Friedman), doing so is unwise, as the team has returned powerful cutter Cody Bjorklund, defender Topher Davis, and deep threat John Bloch. 

In Florida, expect the same game plan that won Nationals in 2010: possession offense that strikes deep at the right time and smart defense. Iowa, one of the season’s biggest unknowns, brings a strong deep game of its own along with a new coach, former Santa Barbara Condor Ryan Nation. Ohio, the winner of the Easterns Qualifier, has shown itself capable of playing with many a quality teams this season, already boasting wins over Ohio State, Georgia, and North Carolina. 

For many teams, this is the final opportunity to prove themselves for seeding in the Series, so once bracket play hits, expect all-out efforts across the board. Carleton, Colorado, and Pittsburgh look like the frontrunners, but each has their issues: Carleton does not usually play well at tournaments during the spring break, Pittsburgh can at times be one-dimensional with their offense, and Colorado has yet to break through and win when it has counted most in 2011. Beyond these three, Oregon is traveling light and Florida is also looking to add depth to its offensive strategy. 

None of this is to say that any team at Easterns is weak. On the contrary, it simply shows that they are all vulnerable against each other, which is a reflection of both the rising talent level in the Open Division and the parity in this year’s field. 

In other words, Easterns is going to be as competitive as ever, a fact that is sure to bring a smile to the face of any of the tournament’s many former players, organizers, and fans. 

For a whole lot more on Open College Easterns, head to Easterns.org. Also, for information on last weekend’s Women’s College Easterns, check out the 2011 College Easterns (W) recap.

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