Nobody’s really talking about it, but UNC and NC State not making Regionals out of Conferences last weekend. UNC made Nationals in 2007 and was one of the best teams not to go in ’08. NC State won a championship in 1999 and was in Columbus in 2009. Both have incredibly rich histories, have consistently produced high-level club players, and were mainstays on the list of contenders in the old Atlantic Coast. And for both to fail to make Regionals is a big freaking deal.
I got word today that NC State just accepted a bid to go because a DIII team chose not to. So in some ways, this is a moot point. But NC State backed in, so it’s really not. In UNC’s case, losing Noah Saul, their captain and most important handler, to a broken arm a couple months ago, made me think that they’d struggle at Regionals. But Conferences?
Even today, UVA alumni who are out of the loop ask, “so you’ve got to beat UNC, NC State, and who else?” Thanks to years of being at the top, Darkside and NC state are just assumed to be in the mix.
From what I hear, the wind was a huge factor. In fact, UNC-W coach Greg Vassar told me that Saturday was one of the worst days of ultimate that he’s ever seen.
Whatever, whatever. For a brief moment, it looked like both UNC and NC State were going to miss Regionals. Ask anyone on the East Coast. That’s crazy!
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.