Thursday, May 7, 2009
They don’t have a fieldhouse that seats 17,000. They don’t have a stadium with halftime shows and hot dog vendors. All the HorrorZontals need is an open field and a frisbee, and they’ll show you what they’ve got.
The HorrorZontals, KU’s ultimate frisbee team, were established in 1979 by, as you may have expected, a bunch of fun-loving hippies. But don’t get today’s team confused with the Zontals of the past.
“We don’t follow that stereotype,” Axl Brammer, Overland Park sophomore, said. “We spend a lot of time in the gym.”
Ultimate Players Association College National Championship HorrorZontals (11-seed) May 22 to 25 Columbus, Ohio
Today, the team is all business as they prepare for the 2009 Ultimate Players Association College Championships in Columbus, Ohio. From May 22 to 25, the tournament will host a field of 20 teams, including Tufts, Georgia and arch-rival Texas.
After finishing seventh in the south region last year, the HorrorZontals improved to second place, giving them their second national tournament appearance in three years.
Making the tournament “is a testament to the hard work that we’ve put in as a team,” said captain Kevin Kelly, Riverwoods, Ill., senior. “One of the biggest factors in our success this season was our offseason commitment.”
Simply making the tournament, however, is old news to this storied organization.
“Our goal is to win the whole thing,” Kelly said. “We have won 19 of our last 20 games and still have not played our best ultimate yet.”
But the HorrorZontals are about more than just winning. Kelly said the team culture was unique and could not compare with any other sport.
“Ultimate frisbee is incredibly fun to play,” Kelly said. “The community is very tight and brings together some really great people, intertwining high-end competition, socializing and spirit.”
After every score, cutter Axl Brammer howls “HORROR!” as the rest of the team shouts back “ZONTALS!”
Gameplay in ultimate frisbee is similar to several more popular sports. Scoring in the endzone emulates the thrill of a touchdown in football. The constant disc movement and cutting is comparable to soccer. The rapid, back-and-forth pace is similar to basketball. The similarities are why much of the HorrorZontal’s roster is made up of former cross country, soccer and football players.
Ultimate frisbee has two positions: cutters and handlers. Cutters are typically faster, taller and more athletic players who do most of the running and catching in the open field. Handlers have the best throwing and disc skills, keeping the disc moving and finding the cutters downfield.
The HorrorZontals starting seven features cutters Kelly, Brammer, Ryan Bigley and Jack McFarland. The starting handlers are Abe Jacobs, Justin Kaminsky and Gary Gareis.
At practice, the HorrorZontals like to joke around and have a good time. One player tells another to do a sexy dance. Another isn’t paying attention during one of the drills — now the fun is over. After Kelly barks at the player to get it together, the drill immediately takes shape, fluidly performed by the cutters and handlers, one after another. Now, it’s Kelly’s turn. Dashing to the middle of the field, Kelly looks up, leaps and completes a spectacular play with a catch that looks effortless.
“Way to get up, KK!” Brammer said.
This is the kind of ability that the HorrorZontals bring to the table. It is the kind of ability that they hope translates to a national championship.
“If we play hot, we know that we can beat any team in the nation,” Kelly said.
The HorrorZontals are always looking for new players. Anyone interested in joining can find contact information at www.horrorzontals.com.
— — Edited by Liz Schubauer
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