Catch This

GAMBIER, Ohio (October 8, 2004) Many would consider Frisbee a fairly relaxing activity. But for the Kenyon Ultimate Frisbee team, the game requires clever shots, agility, and speed. The group joins a growing number of collegiate teams in a sport that has gained popularity in recent years, says Josh Briggeman, senior team captain of the Kenyon Serfs--a club sport whose name pokes good-humored fun at Kenyon's varsity team, the Lords.

In his time on the team, the history major from Greenfield, Massachusetts, has seen the game evolve from recreation to sport. When he first joined, the goal was just to get together and have fun. Today the team, with a roster of about 45 students, holds two-and-a-half-hour practices five days each week and competes in intercollegiate tournaments.

The Kenyon Serfs belong to the Ultimate Players Association, a national organization that ranks 375 competitive collegiate Frisbee teams. Although at the moment Kenyon is ranked 348, Briggeman's goal for this year is to improve the team's record and break into the top 100.

The team is perhaps best known on campus for such traditions as the annual Boxer Frisbee Match. This time-honored event occurs on the day of the first big snowfall in Gambier, when the team strips to their undergarments and plays a round of Frisbee on Peirce Lawn. "For some reason, this event always attracts a lot of spectators," Briggeman jokes.

The team's next match, the Fred Tournament, will be held October 17 and 18 on Kenyon's Rubgy fields. Participants include Central Michigan University, University of Toledo, Denison University, Ohio Wesleyan University, College of Wooster, and Kent State University.

by Sarah Bill, Class of 2005