[stextbox id=”alert” color=”050505″ bcolor=”6cc3f8″ bgcolor=”ffffff” big=”true” image=”null”]School Name: University of Colorado at Boulder
Team Name: Kali
Captains: Shannon Waugh, Lili Morris, Whitney Fose, Brenna Hokanson
Coach: Tina McDowell
Jersey Colors: Yellow and Black
Website: kalifrisbee.com
2010 Record: 35-10
Score Reporter
[/stextbox]
How did you get involved with Ultimate at Boulder?
Whitney Fose: I was a gymnast all through high school and missed being a part of a competitive athletics team. My cousin played ultimate in high school and college and encouraged me to play for Kali so I did! It was one of the best decisions I’ve made in college.
How did your team do last year? What was the highlight of your season?
Whitney: We made it to semis at Nationals last year, tying for third with Bella Donna. The highlight of our season was probably the whole weekend of Nationals. Every player on our team dug deep for those wins and played with a lot of heart.
Tell us about your coach. What does she bring to your team?
Whitney: Tina has been a major part of our success the last two years. She pushes us in ways other coaches haven’t been able too. Tina’s huge on strategy and knows the game so well.
What player is most likely to make a huge play as a thrower? As a receiver? On D?
Whitney: We lost some great throwers last year but we also have some new handlers with big throws. Brenna Hokanson has been one of our solid handlers and always puts on a show with our down fielders.
How does your team bring new players up to speed?
Whitney: Our fall season is all about the rookies. We pick up athletic girls every fall who have never played Ultimate. Practices and tournaments are all about the basics, getting used to the field space, and becoming familiar with the disc. Usually by the spring, our rookies are no longer rookies.
What does your team like to do on offense and on defense?
Whitney: Our team is all about defense. Our defensive intensity is what wins us those long points.
Has KALI set any goals for this season? What are they?
Whitney: We are looking to have a successful season and go to Nationals again this year.
What has your team been doing this fall to prepare for the spring season?
Whitney: Kali has been working a lot on the basics and getting our team on the same page with the basics. We also want individuals to focus on improving their game through taking risks and trying out new things that might be discouraged in the spring.
What does KALI do to get pumped up for a big game?
Whitney: Kali has a boom box that we bring to every tournament. Last season we listened to a lot of Lady Gaga, she fires us up. We get fired up differently for each game though. Sometimes a really inspirational fire up speech gets us going, other times we just blast music during huck drill. Just thinking about both fire me up.
Which team has the best shot at winning the 2011 USA Ultimate Women’s College Championships?
Whitney: I think it’s too early to know. Team develop a lot through the fall and into the spring. We’ll have a better idea of the big teams once some of the tournaments start up in the spring.
Kali at the 2010 College Championships
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.