The Ball State men’s ultimate frisbee team returns home after a long weekend in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Junior Garrett Fuelling said the team looked exhausted after finishing 12th out of 16 teams.
“We are trying to develop depth early on in the season,” Fuelling said. “And not worry about our record.”
Most of the team’s opponents used a cup zone defense, and Fuelling said the Wizardz also had trouble with the wind. Fuelling said his team also had trouble with the wind.
“We struggled with the conditions a bit because we were not used to playing outdoors,” Fuelling said.
Freshman Justin Hess had a standout tournament, playing 175 minutes.
“I really focused on what I think I was best at, so when I was a cutter I made sure that I not drop the disc,” Hess said. “When I was on defense, I made sure that I stayed on my guy.”
Hess said he needs to work on breaking zone defenses.
“Going against a zone defense is more about experience more than athleticism,” Hess said. “I feel like I need to work on my understanding of the game more too.”
Another player that stood out in the tournament was freshman Jaden Jarrett, who scored two goals against LSU’s B team. In this game, Fuelling had floated the disc up to Jarrett, who came down with the score against two LSU defenders.
“ I was honestly running down the field, I saw a disc and just went up for it,” Jarrett said. “It is just another play in my mind, so it is nothing crazy.”
Jarrett said he needs to work on physical conditioning to be ready for Ball State’s next tournament, the Midwest Throwdown.
“ I feel really comfortable throwing the disc and cutting,” Jarrett said. “I need to focus on running more for the next tournament.”
The MidWest Throwdown is on March 4-5 in Columbia, Missouri.
*Here is the link to the highlight video from T-Town: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Guz1exy-Vs&feature=share*
Patrick Murphy 