Members of Knox Women’s Frisbee Share Hopes and Concerns for Nationals

Loud cheers were heard from the crowds on the sidelines on April 16, a rainy Sunday morning mixed with lightning in Bourbonnais after a score by first-year Tim Amiri. Called the AlleyCats, the Women team of Ultimate Frisbee at Knox College, won first place in their regional group, gaining admission to the National Round of competition in Columbus, Ohio.

This year, it will be their second time qualifying for Nationals, following their successful admission last year. Junior Leah Wheatley will be the AlleyCats captain next year and had a few goals going into nationals.

“Last year I was still fresh, and was still trying to figure out the game. Now I know it very well, and am excited to get into it. I want to hone my skills and meet new teams,” junior Leah Wheatley said.

The AlleyCats won every game they played at regionals, but Wheatley shared that the seat at Nationals was hard to obtain.

“Our last game was a close game. There was lightning constantly going on, and we had to pause the game and quickly get back to it after thirty minutes. We went crazy on defense, but we played very well and won,” Wheatley said.

As a veteran of the team, Wheatley oversaw the changes that happened over the past year.

“As a team, we lost some players due to their graduation. But we had new players stepping up and made the team just as strong as last year’s. In the end, we are still a consistent national-level team.” Wheatley said.

First-year Sarah Strauss was one of the only two new players to join the team this year. Her adventure with the AlleyCats started in the fall. Joining frisbee had a profound effect on Strauss.

“Joining the Frisbee team as a freshman has been really exciting. I didn’t have many expectations joining the team, it was mostly a way for me to meet other people, find new friends, and stay active. It was a big learning curve for me, but it’s also exciting to see my growth in a sport that I thought I would never be playing,” Strauss said. “Personally, I struggled with player growth and confidence because it was my first time playing frisbee. But the team has supported me so much and encouraged me to become the best player I can be.”

Despite being a nationals-level team, the AlleyCats have a problem with player shortage. The team currently has around fourteen players, and Wheatley stated this has become the biggest challenge to them at Nationals.

“We have pretty low numbers as a team, and we cannot get a lot of subs between points. Therefore playing a full-sized team is sometimes a problem,” Wheatley said.

However, the AlleyCats are open for anyone on campus to join.

“If you want a community that will support you, both on and off the field, or if you want a sport that will keep you active and your spirits high, or if you want to push yourself like you never did before, come and join frisbee! It was one of the foundational decisions I have made in my first year of college and has really shaped my college experience,” Strauss said.