[stextbox id=”alert” color=”050505″ bcolor=”6cc3f8″ bgcolor=”ffffff” big=”true” image=”null”]
School Name: Luther College
Team Name: Freya
Captains: Kristen Schultz, Kelsey Anderson, and Audrey Herring
Year founded: 2001
Jersey Colors: Green and White, Royal Blue and White for 2011
2010 Record: 16-7
Score Reporter[/stextbox]
Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get involved with ultimate at your school?
Kristen Schultz: I knew before coming into college that I wanted to join the Ultimate team. My older sister played ultimate at Middlebury College. I also have 2 cousins that played for LUFDA and 1 that played for the Luther women’s team before I came to Luther.
Kelsey Anderson: I have an older sister who came to Luther in 2003 and joined the team. She enjoyed it so much that she encouraged me to join my freshman year (2007). I have loved Frisbee ever since!
How did your team do last year?
Kristen: We placed 5th in our region – behind UW-Madison, Carleton, UW-Eau Claire, Iowa, and Iowa State . But, we finished ranked as 4th out of the DIII colleges and 35th overall.
Who is your favorite team to play against?
Kristen: Iowa State.
What’s the most memorable game you’ve played in?
Kristen: My most memorable game happened at Southerns last season. We were playing Duke and they took us to half 5-0 (we had decided at the beginning of the game to shorten it.). But, we managed to keep our composure and won 9-5.
Tell us about your captains. What do they bring to your team?
Kristen: The three of us each bring different qualities to the table. Together we are motivated, energetic, and organized.
Are there players on your team who deserve consideration for Callahan, All-Region, or Freshman of the Year?
Kristen: Hannah Lindblom is one of our break-though freshmen. She has speed, height, and a great attitude. For her first year, we feel as though she knows the game better than many of our returners! Kristen Schultz should be considered for the All-Region award. This is her fourth year playing and she is an amazing cutter. She has speed, no height, and can still sky girls! She has awesome, consistent hucks, and contributes so much leadership on and off the field. Kelsey Anderson should be considered for the All-Region award. It’s her fourth year playing ultimate. Her field sense exceeds that of all on the field and is consistent with her throws – deep or short. It is so much fun to play with Kelsey because of her bubbly personality mixed with her competitiveness and determination.
What player is most likely to make a huge play as a thrower? As a receiver? On D?
Thrower: Kelsey Anderson
Receiver: Kristen Schultz
D: Kaitlin Showalter
It’s easy to see when someone throws a huge huck or gets a layout D. Who’s a player you have to watch more carefully to see how valuable they are to your team?
Kristen: Jeni Arbuckle.
How does your team bring new players up to speed on ultimate?
Kristen: We take a lot of time in practice – especially at the beginning of the season to break down every aspect of the sport. Patience in the first few weeks of practice is key.
Has your team set any goals for this season? What are they?
Kristen: Our main goal for this season is to build depth in the team and develop a stronger program. For the season, we don’t feel that DIII series would provide a big enough challenge for us, so we are hoping to win our conference so that we may be eligible for competing in the DI series and do well Regionals.
What has your team been doing this fall to prepare for the spring season?
Kristen: We have really worked on creating set plays for the team and making sure that everyone on the team knows what to do during each play.
What tournaments do you plan to attend in the spring? Which one are you most looking forward to?
Kristen: We’ll probably go to Southerns – but if that doesn’t coincide with our spring break, then we’ll probably go to High Tide. We’ll also go to Frostbite and then conference and Regionals. One of our favorite tournaments for the past two years has been Southerns, so that is the tournament to which we are the most looking forward.
What does your team do to get pumped up for a big game?
Kristen: We make really inspirational speeches.
What song would you pick for the soundtrack to your team’s 2011 highlight video?
Kristen: Either: Warp 1.9 by the Bloody Beetroots or Up Up and Away by Kid Cudi.
What do you think about the USA Ultimate College restructuring?
Kristen: Overall, we don’t like the changes USA Ultimate has instilled. In the past, we’ve proven ourselves to be a competitive DIII school, but we’ve always been in a pretty competitive region. Despite finishing ranked higher than some DIII schools that made Nationals last season, we don’t have the option to opt directly into the DI series as those teams do. So, our hope is to win our conference so that we may go into the DI championship series.
Which team has the best shot at winning the 2011 USA Ultimate Women’s College Championships?
Kristen: Iowa.
Comments Policy: At Skyd, we value all legitimate contributions to the discussion of ultimate. However, please ensure your input is respectful. Hateful, slanderous, or disrespectful comments will be deleted. For grammatical, factual, and typographic errors, instead of leaving a comment, please e-mail our editors directly at editors [at] skydmagazine.com.