USA Ultimate

Feature: UCSB Burning Skirts

Following three National titles and a finals finish in the late 1980s and early 1990s, UCSB fell out of the spotlight, failing to qualify for the College Championships for 13 years.  In 2007, the Burning Skirts returned to the national stage, winning Santa Barbara Invite, their home tournament, and Centex, the most competitive college women’s tournament of the season.  They returned to the College Championships that year, making it all the way to Finals, falling to Stanford 13-8.  The Skirts made it to the Finals the following year as well, but lost to University of British Columbia 15-9.  Back-to-back losses on college Ultimate’s biggest stage served as motivation for the Skirts, and last year, UCSB would not be denied, beating University of Washington 15-11 and ending the year with an impressive 42-3 record.

UCSB’s rise to the top has been in large part due to strong leadership and outstanding play from the likes of sisters Claire and Alden Fletcher, and 2009 graduates Andrea Romano and Katie Barry.  These players have raised expectations for the team and have pushed the Skirts to the top of the college game.  The Skirts have also dramatically improved their team’s relationship with other teams, thanks largely to players like Katie Barry and Kaela Jorgenson.  The Skirts play with a passion for the game- they don’t give up on the disc and they rely on great chemistry with each other to grind out tough points.  Many players on the Skirts have played with the Lady Condors over the past couple of club seasons, and the additional time on the field with each other has only benefited the UCSB Ultimate program.  Last year, the Lady Condors qualified for the Club Championships, giving many of the Burning Skirts experience at the elite club level.

Last year’s captains Carolyn Finney and Kaela Jorgenson, current captains Briana Cahn and Erin Mordecai, and a host of other players such as Emily Bass, Marie Madaras, Alina Warner, and Shannon Bubb, have continued to build the Burning Skirts into a dynasty.  This was not supposed to be the Skirts’ year, but apparently they didn’t get that memo.  With star player and Callahan Top 5 Finisher Kaela Jorgenson out for a significant part of the season with a lacerated liver, the Skirts have developed many other players on their roster and became a stronger team.  Jorgenson’s return has certainly helped the Skirts, but the Skirts’ success has been a team effort.  In the face of a 13-9 deficit in the Semifinals against Wisconsin, the Skirts dug deep to go on a 5-1 run to win the game, earning the team its fourth consecutive appearance in the Finals of the College Championships.  Alum Katie Barry, who has been on the Skirts’ sideline all weekend said, "I am so proud of the team and that they have done an awesome job of continuing the high level of play and great team spirit that we worked so hard to bring back to Santa Barbara.  They have great players, great leaders, and have played their hearts out all season." 

The Skirts have set a new standard for college women’s ultimate and have defined their own unique picture of what a successful women’s team looks like.  And while the game and their team continue to evolve, they’ll likely continue to keep winning with their skirts, "Prove it" cheers, and big smiles as they play the sport they love.