Bacchus frisbee will compete in nationals

This past weekend, I had the privilege of competing with Lewis & Clark’s Bacchus Ultimate Frisbee team in the DIII Northwest Conference tournament in Lacey, Wash. This tournament, the culmination of the team’s hard work so far, was our chance to earn a spot at nationals. After winning our pool in a relatively easy first day, and defeating the University of Puget Sound 15-2, Bacchus advanced to the finals against Whitman. 

After a hard fought game, Bacchus lost on “universe point” — when the first team to score a point wins the game. We then had one more chance to secure a spot at nationals, against Pacific Lutheran University. After fighting our way back from a four-point deficit at halftime, Bacchus took the game to universe point again, but this time won the game with a daring, yet perfectly executed blade throw from Anson Parker ’25 which soared over the defense and landed in the hands of Max Zwerin ’25. 

However, it was the efforts and heart of the entire team, throughout the game and the entire season that earned us our spot at Nationals in Ohio, on May 20. This is the first time in seven years the team has made Nationals, and for some seniors who have been part of this community for four, or even five years, such as Owen Heh ’23, it was truly an emotional moment. 

We were proud to have pushed through the adversity the team faced throughout the weekend. 

“We had our ups and downs over the weekend but I really believe the mental fortitude and belief in each other that we exhibited is special to this team,” Heh said. 

Another longtime member of the Bacchus community, Topher Olson ’23 reflected on what the moment meant to them.

 “Making it to Nationals means so much to me because we did it as a Bacchus community,” Olson said. “ Players, coaches, alumni, parents and friends all helped us get there together.”

The tournament in Lacey was the end of the regular season, a highlight of which was traveling to North Carolina in early March. There we competed against some of the best teams in the country, and were consequently ranked seventh nationally in men’s DIII ultimate.

“The Baux,” as the players call ourselves, have a hard road ahead of us in Ohio, and we will be staying in Portland for an intensive training camp after school ends. I look forward to the journey ahead, and believe that if we continue to build on that community and mental fortitude. 

As Heh puts it, “There’s a lot in store for Bacchus this year and the following.”