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| CCC has built itself a reputation as the most competitive fall tournament in the country. This year teams are converging on Atlanta from as far away as Michigan, Texas, and Massachusetts for the action. In additon to tough competition, CCC organizers always throw a good party. This year, a trophy awaits the winning team of the CCC Boat Race Championship. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Unranked Teams:
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Final Finish:
1. Florida (7-1) |
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| Tournament Write-up: (Written by Katherine Wooten)
Classic City Classic turned out to be anything but predictable in 2005. Surprise upsets of solid programs, combined with not-so-surprise dominance from up-and-coming programs from around the country had this year’s CCC hard to beat. Pool play on Saturday had 80 minute rounds, games to eleven. Short games meant early leads were particularly hard to overcome, and the first-round start time of 8:00 a.m. was also a challenge for the traveling teams. The weather stayed in the 50's for most of the weekend, with a noticeable wind on the field to keep things interesting. Complete scores can be found at www.scoreomatic.com, and photos of Classic City Classic will be posted at www.ricksphotography.net in the near future. It appears that NC State was just too reliant on its seniors from last year, as the rebuilding team lost every game on Saturday. Teresa Rouse (10) has stepped up into a leadership position, however, and is a lot of fun to watch on offense and defense. There were moments of smooth offense, but for the most part Jaga is still finding themselves and figuring out what kind of team they will be without last year’s allstars. Tufts is scrappy and hard-running, preferring to play man on offense and defense. Crashing every disk in the air was the aggressive advantage that Tufts had over most teams they played Saturday. Handler Becky Firesheets (33) was also key for this squad with chilly throws throughout the day. The E-wo put up wins all day long until the last round, when UNC bested them 10-5, for their only loss of the day. Emory easily looked like the most complete team from Pool X. A close 9-8 loss in the second round to Tufts was their only slip of the tournament, but for the most part Luna looked in control of every game. The most recognizable players on the field are Amy Smith (13) and Adrienne Tecza (8), potentially the fastest 1-2 combo in women’s ultimate this year, but other standouts Katherine Chou (3), Lauren Truxillo (25), and Jennie Yang (31) make watching this team anything but boring. State College was once again headed up by Erin Crider (00)—the recognizable spitfire from the East Coast. On Saturday they only had a 9-man roster, which just wasn’t enough to get the upper hand for most of the games. However, the flow that this team has is pretty, and if their school suspension is lifted in time for the UPA series in 2006 then they should do well. State College beat Michigan and NC State early in the day before falling to Emory, UNC and Tufts. Michigan won their game against NC State handily (11-4) but never could close it out against any of the other teams on Saturday, despite some relatively close games. Offense was clicking at times (they have some sweet handlers in the ranks), but a long drive combined with tough defensive opponents didn’t give Flywheel many breaks throughout the day. As always, the Michigan ladies did not disappoint at the party, with choreographed dancing for all to enjoy. UNC-Chapel Hill is attempting to do what NC State did last year: concentrate the disk in the hands of their senior players and work quickly to score on slack defenses. If Lindsey Hack (23) and Ellie Bolas (12) can clean up the drops they might have a shot at this. Otherwise, they need to sub deeper into their ridiculously large/young roster. After coming out flat against Emory in the first round, UNC took their next-round bye to throw and do drills, coming back confident and hyped up for the rest of the day to end with a 4-1 record. Saturday: Pool Y In Pool Y, as in Pool X, no team escaped without a loss, although the dominant teams at the end of the day were Wake Forest and Florida. Each has been among my favorite developing teams to watch over the last few years, and it looks like 2006 will be huge for both of these teams from the Atlantic Coast. Wake Forest has one of the best coaches on the East Coast in Tammy Moose, and her guidance of this young team is pretty sweet to watch. Lucia Derks (3), Maggie Lovatt (2), and Lara Whalley (29) are three of the most intense players I saw all weekend. Their fire creates smothering defense and spectacular offensive grabs, pumping up Ruckus and frustrating opponents. Wake is also a very smart team, utilizing zone defense when necessary and taking timeouts to steal other teams’ momentum. Wake went 4-1 on Saturday, losing a tight game to Florida under time cap in the last round. Georgia went 0-5 on Saturday, subbing liberally and giving equal play time for rookies and vets alike. Although a frustrating day for the Hodawgs, the handful of times an all-vet line took the field they scored with ease. Shanye Crawford (83) and Sandra Davis (6) were busy coaching the rookies, while up-and-coming players like Chelsea McGehee (33) and Allison Snow learned the ropes on offense. New coach Eileen Murray will certainly be a boost to the Hodawgs in coming months. Virginia suffered from the same syndrome as NC State and Georgia—trying to train a young group of players in the wake of graduating a complete team of experienced vets. Their only win on Saturday came in the last round against Georgia, and even then a time cap only allowed for a final score of 6-3. Virginia worked steadily on a zone defense, and worked out more kinks as the tournament went on. In comparison to the rest of the region, Virginia will unfortunately be among those ousted in the changing of the guard in spring 2006. Texas A&M made Nationals last spring for the first time in the young program’s history, and this experience allowed for a relatively good showing at CCC, even though many of their starters have graduated since then. What Sky U lacks in handlers, they more than make up in receivers. In particular, Shannon McLaughlin (2), and Megan Gersbach (1), came down with every deep look and bladey flick that went up in the air. A punt and set strategy worked well for the morning, as Sky U garnered wins over Florida, UGA, and Virginia. Later in the afternoon, however, Wake Forest and Wisconsin had the chillier handlers to keep the disk out of the Texas women’s hands. Wisconsin, perennial competitor at Classic City, had their most impressive showing in years, in my opinion. Their go-to offense is a smart and effective spread, which only Florida and Wake Forest could stop with a zone. Their roster is full of competent handlers, threading disks through the zone and picking perfect opportunities for the long bomb. Senior Anna Schott (13) was very visible on the field, creating great plays on offense as well as defense. In addition to Schott, Belladonna has a slew of senior handlers capable of taking the team all the way to Ohio in the spring. Look for Wisconsin to make a much awaited return to Nationals next May. Florida was definitely the team to beat this year...as they proved by winning it all on Sunday. It took a loss early Saturday morning to Texas A&M to wake Fuel up and get them going, however. After coming out rather flat against Sky U, the ladies got down to business and rolled for the rest of the tournament, primarily utilizing a clam/zone in the wind to confuse offenses and get the d quickly and efficiently. Their particular zone made its debut last season, and these girls now know it inside and out…running as efficiently as some club teams. Captains Carly Liztenberger (24) and Erin Brown (11) lead the group with poise and nearly mistake-free ultimate. The quarterfinals game between Wisconsin and UNC begins with a hellish marathon first point. After about 10 minutes Pleiades finally punches it in for the score. The game is off and running after this, with UNC falling into a trap zone and Wisconsin looking more than comfortable on offense, whether in the zone or in a spread. UNC prefers to take chances with the long bomb, and puts up several for field position. Wisconsin can’t get the breaks, however, and despite some sweet d’s at pivotal times, UNC begins edging away. Speed kills in this round, and the Chapel Hill ladies have plenty of it. Final score: 13-6, UNC on top. On the field adjacent, a very different quarters game was being duked out, between the two teams at the tournament with the best chemistry—Florida and State College. Florida is throwing their signature zone, State is countering with a very flexible offense that circulates the handlers and spreads the field effectively. Erin Crider, ever the center of the State College clan, oscillates between handling the disk and cutting deep for the long looks from her teammates. Both teams are very comfortable with each other, and this is an interesting game to watch. Crider comes up big on defense time and time again, but the stamina of her team is wearing out and the Florida women came to win. In an effort to conserve energy State College pulls out their own zone early in the game, but Fuel has the money handlers, and Joanna Neville (19) has the money breakmarks. Fuel is quick on the transition and State College can’t keep up. The game gets capped, and Florida wins it, 9-5. Emory started their game against Texas A&M with a sizeable objective: to prevent the flick huck from getting to Sky U’s big receivers. By switching up the defense and keeping Texas guessing, Luna did just that and won the first half convincingly, 7-3. Of all the women’s teams at Classic City this year, Emory had the most disciplined stack and offensive flow. Poaching was an impossibility because Luna’s dump-swing is lethal, and letting any one of their big receivers go deep was a guaranteed score. Losing All-Region player Laura Gold was a blow to Emory this year, but Katherine Chou (3) has stepped up in every way, and appears to be making up for her injured season last year. In the second half, Emory leaves the door open for a comeback when they start dropping and having miscues on offense. The game briefly devolves into a huckfest and Texas A&M makes a run, pulling to within two. Emory settles back down, however, and closes out the game under cap, 12-8. Wake vs. Tufts…easily the closest and most exciting quarters game to watch. Because of the three-way tie for first in Pool X, Tufts came out third due to point differential, and had to wake up early to play in the pre-quarters against Georgia. Notching a win quickly, they then moved on to play a team that ordinarily they wouldn’t have seen until the semis. This turns into the hardest running game I’ve seen all weekend. Lucia (3) from Wake and “Joggles” (28) from Tufts each accrue some solid d’s and each team is fast, playing very engaged man defense. Wake goes up 3-1, but Tufts fights back and ties at fours, then fives. All of a sudden, Wake gets the drops and Tufts takes advantage, jumping to a 10-6 lead. The Wake players get angry and things take a heated turn on the field, with contested calls from both sides slowing the game. Wake starts their comeback too late, as the game gets capped and ends at 10-8. Tufts will move on to face Emory in the semis. Semifinals Florida vs. UNC This game is over before it even gets started. Filtering over from the men’s fields, UFuct players and fans pack the Florida women’s sidelines and get rowdier with every score. Sticking to their zone, Florida gets quick turns and scores to make it 5-0 in just a few minutes. The UNC ladies are dropping it, visibly shaken by the fan support for Florida. Once again, Joanna Neville and Carly Litzenberger are unstoppable on the break side, and UNC simply cannot cover the field the way Florida can. Final score: 11-6, Florida advances. Emory vs. Tufts In the other semis, Emory is also running on all cylinders against Tufts. Though it worked against Wake Forest, starting out on man is a mistake for Tufts in this round. Emory coach AJ Tiarsmith turns Amy Smith and Adrienne Tecza loose downfield, and they have a field day catching almost every score and deep option. Nobody on Tufts can hang with either for very long. On defense, Emory throws a zone which Becky Firesheets (33) and #19 from Tufts handle with ease. However, when the E-wo get in a tight spot, risky throws get eaten up by the Emory defense. The score at half is 8-2, Emory looking to finish it quickly. After half, Luna opts for more of a set O- and D-line, but instead of falling into a groove they start doinking it and throwing it away. Just like in their quarters game, Tufts takes advantage of the mistakes and they bring the score to 10-8 in a massive comeback. Tiarsmith rallies the troops, and Emory finishes it, 12-8. Finals: Emory v. Florida This is a clean, exciting game to watch from start to finish. Both teams must create d’s, as offenses are running smoothly and aren’t forcing turnovers. Right off the bat, Fuel is using open space all over the field to move the frisbee and punch it in for scores. 2-0, Florida. Neither team scores more than two in a row for the remainder of the game, and it stays close throughout. Jenny Yang (31) from Emory has a couple of sweet layouts on offense early on, and Erin Brown (11) from Florida steps up the offense for Fuel with beautiful long flicks down the line. Florida is probably the faster team top to bottom, and every Fuel starter can throw inside-outs and huck it with ease. Kristen Lamm (8) and Meli Jurado (14) from Fuel are playing great as well, coming up with big plays when it matters. Florida takes half 8-5, but Emory battles back behind Lauren Truxillo (25) when the teams retake the field. Luna gets two breaks to tie the game at elevens. Trux is having her best game of the tournament, making unbelievable grabs on defense and then pinpointing bladey flicks to open receivers through the UF zone. For the first time, the momentum shifts in Emory’s favor. The cap horn blows and the captains agree to make it a game to 13. Fuel looks rattled for the first time all game and drops a potential score in the endzone. They get it back however, and make two great catches in a crowd of people to score. 12-11. Emory answers back by working it calmly through the UF zone to tie at universe point. As Luna charges down the field on defense for the last point of the game, a long huck from Joanna to Erin goes up before Emory can really get on d. From there, it takes only 2 short passes for Fuel to score. Every Florida player, male and female, mobs the field to celebrate the win—Fuel’s first major tournament victory ever. A truly great game for everyone involved, and a fitting end to a very exciting tournament.
For other notes and opinions on the tournament, check out the blog of Emory's coach, AJ Tiarsmith, and a related thread on rec.sport.disc.
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| Pre-Tournament Hype:
It's tough to make any firm predictions about who will win which games since most of these teams have not faced off at this point in the season yet. Teams provided a short bio to the CCC website with some team history and notable roster changes from last season. Additionally, the Score-O-Matic has updated rosters and player pictures for most teams attending CCC. Here's a brief recap of the teams by pool: Pool X pits North Carolina rivals NC State and UNC-Chapel Hill against each other. These teams traded games all season long last year, with NC State winning out at Regionals and earning the one AC bid to the College Championships. This year, UNC retains most of its roster, including Backhoe club player Lindsey Hack, while it could take NC State awhile to fill the holes in its roster left by the graduation of its top four player. NC State still made the semifinals of the Wolfpack Invitational earlier this fall. Also from the AC, Emory played in the Itchfest tournament this fall in Nashville, TN, where it won the consolation bracket. Laura Gold is no longer with Emory, but look for coed standouts Adrienne Tecza, Jennie Yang, and Amy Smith to pick up the slack. Michigan took third at Regionals last year, and is returning a number of players with recently gained club experience. This will be the fourth tournament of the fall for Michigan and the team won the Ohio State Fall "Championships" in October. Penn State, playing under the name State College, suffered a blow when it was suspended from the College Series last year. Under the leadership of Erin Crider, the team has a solid cast of experienced players that should do well at the tournament. Tufts is also returning most of its roster from last year and has a number of veteran players, one of which competed at the Club Championships this fall with a competitive coed team. The team came in third at Yale's Coffee Cup tournament this fall. Pool Y has more representation from the AC and should be just as competitive. Wake Forest won the Wolfpack Invitational in October, beating Florida and NC State in the semis and finals, respectively. The team only graduated one starter and adds several freshmen with youth ultimate experience. Florida has wins this fall over Virginia, NC State, and UNC-Chapel Hill (all at Wolfpack). With over 15 returners from last year, many of whom now have club experience from this summer, Florida should be increasingly competitive this season. Georgia is probably the team to beat in this pool. Returning playmakers Shanye Crawford, Sandra Davis, and Maggie Jackson are ready to defend their home turf. This will be Georgia's first tournament for the fall. Virginia recently made the semifinals of the Wolfpack Invite. It could take awhile for the team to fill the roles of some of its many graduates, but with Andrea Duran at the helm, this "rebuilding" year could hold some surprises. Texas A&M qualified for the College Championships last year for the first time in the school's history, where it finished 13th. This year, the team is planning on attending more tournaments as it prepares itself to challenge Texas for the South's bid to the Championships.
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