2011 Preview – Ohio State Leadbelly

[stextbox id=”alert” color=”050505″ bcolor=”6cc3f8″ bgcolor=”ffffff” big=”true” image=”null”]School Name: Ohio State
Team Name: Leadbelly
Captains: Phil Cherosky, Kevin Baumann
Coaches: Paul Greff, Andy Thiess
Founded: Mid 90’s
Jersey Colors: We get jerseys if we make Nationals, colors are up for debate
Website: pbultimate.com
Score Reporter[/stextbox]

Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get involved with Ultimate at your school?

Kevin Baumann: I played in high school and came found the booth at our involvement fair. I came out to the first practice and never stopped.

How did your team do last year? What was the highlight of your season?

Kevin: Last season Leadbelly won our section for the 11th straight year, and finished 7th at Regionals. The highlight of our season was our great performance at Queen City Tune Up, the team played really well, reaching the semi-finals

Who is your favorite team to play against? Tell me about a memorable game.

Kevin: I don’t have a favorite opponent, but the best games are against the really competitive, yet spirited teams. If everyone is playing Ultimate the way it should be played, the games are more enjoyable.

Tell us about your coaches and captains. What do they bring to your team?

Kevin: This year, Paul Greff brings his brilliant strategy and physical fitness plan to our team. This guys really knows his stuff. Coach Theiss is an alumus who brings experience and leadership to our sidelines. Our captains are good leaders who keep the team working hard and playing well.

Are there players on your team who deserve consideration for Callahan, All-Region, or Freshman of the Year? Tell us about them.

Kevin: This year we have many players who will easily make a name for themselves. Look out for Jesse Wohl, a 4th year player. This guy is huge on both D and O, he can throw the big hucks, and chase down anything. He is easily an All-Region consideration. For All-Region we also have Phil Cherosky, great handler and cutter with a monster forehand. His defensive ability puts him on the field for almost every point. Steve Schwab is another All-Region consideration, playing huge on Offense as a cutter, he can burn anyone on the field. This guy also has heart on Defense, showing why he is looked to in many clutch situations. We have 2 great freshman this year: Wilson Gardner and Matt Murray (aka Bieber). These kids are athletes, laying out for anything that is near them. We’re looking for them to make some noise this season, and hopefully one of these 2 rookies will get some props in our new region.

What player is most likely to make a huge play as a thrower? As a receiver? On D?

Kevin: Most likely to make a huge throw: Phil Cherosky.  Most likely to be a great receiver: Justin Baumann, one of the fastest on the team, nobody beats this guy deep.  Big D player: Jesse Wohl, I’ve never seen anyone get more handblocks, and you can’t sky him.

Who’s a player you have to watch more carefully to see how valuable they are to your team?

Kevin: Justin Baumann: really fast, great offensive player. He makes smart cuts and always has the right throw.

How does your team bring new players up to speed?

Kevin: We get them as many opportunities to play as possible. We focus on fundamentals and basic Offensive and Defensive sets in the Fall, allowing new guys to catch on. We also have a B team so if players aren’t quite where they need to be, they can play a year or two on the B team, then tryout again when they are ready.

Without giving too much away, what does your team like to do on offense and on defense?

Kevin: Whatever it takes to win. Most importantly playing D with our hearts and O with our brains.

Has your team set any goals for this season?

Kevin: Our goal is always to win Nationals, if you don’t set your goals as high as possible, why set goals at all? We want to win our section for the 12th straight year, and show this new region what we are made of.

What has your team been doing this fall to prepare for the spring season?

Kevin: Running and lifting along with 3 practices a week. We have been to three tournaments, 2 for tryouts and 1 with our regular squad (DBMT, which we just won)

What tournaments do you plan to attend in the spring? Which one are you most looking forward to?

Kevin: We are making plans to try to attend QCTU, Centex, Easterns and other tournaments in the Midwest/East. We want to feel out this new region. We look forward to every game of every tournament, but Centex is always a great one. You have Ultimate during the day, and this year there is music in Austin in the evenings.

What does your team do to get pumped up for a big game?

Kevin: Ohio State has a tradition of pretending every game is against Michigan. That tends to work. We always talk about working hard, and when it gets to the big game we think back on what we have done to get there, it makes us play even harder.

Which Ohio State basketball player would you get out for Ultimate, if you could?

Kevin: Current Player: William Buford. He’s fast and tall. He can jump well enough and he learns quick. He has to step up this year and help lead the team. He has the finesse to be a great thrower too.

What song would you pick for the soundtrack to your team’s 2011 highlight video?

Kevin: Maybe Billy Joel’s “The Longest Time.” It has become a team theme song, maybe by inside joke. I’m not really sure, but we sure do love to sing it.

What do you think about the USA Ultimate College restructuring?

Kevin: It’s exciting to be in a new region, and we have always had a competitive rivalry with Pittsburgh. It is a little disappointing that we lost out on what is essentially a Big Ten conference in the New Great Lakes Region. We are looking forward to this new region and the new season.

The regular season keeps things more interesting during the year, and challenges teams to win every game instead of just winning in the Series. You really get to see which teams are the best leading into Regionals.

Which team has the best shot at winning the 2011 USA Ultimate College Championships?

Kevin: In our region? I think it’s Leadbelly, but Pitt sure is good. In the country? I don’t know who has retained players but I think Wisconsin will have a much harder road to Nat’s this year. I’m going to go with Carleton.