1)    A message from Matt Kromer ’99.
2)    A write-up of Brown A’s Sectionals performance.
3)    A write-up of Polyester Funk's (Brown B) and C-Funk's Sectionals performances.

1)   from Matt Kromer '99

Dear friends of Brown Ultimate,

My name is Matt Kromer; I am a Brown alum (undergraduate class of '99, master's class of '00), and former Brown Ultimate player.

As someone who is close to a current member of the men's ultimate team, I am sure you are aware of the constant battle for credibility and respect that the team wages with the university administration.

In hopes of raising the team's credibility, we, the alumni, are attempting to orchestrate a fundraising effort in a more coherent way than has been done in the past. As an initial effort, we have started our first-ever directed fundraising drive.

Our goal is to raise $6000 from upwards of 60 donors by graduation on Memorial day weekend. It is my hope that the money we raise will help the team in ways that go beyond the strict dollar amount. By showing that we, as a community with ties to the university and the team, have a vested interest in the team, the team will gain not only funding, but also access to facilities and university resources (such as trainers, press coverage, uniforms, etc.).

Of our two goals (dollar amount and number of donors), I care far more about meeting or exceeding our donor numbers. I believe that showing the vibrance and active participation of the community surrounding the ultimate team can have a really positive effect on the administration.

I understand that a number of you are already footing the bill for your child's education, but any token amount makes a difference, even $5. Doing so boosts our numbers of donors, and I think our alumni list will probably cover the dollar amount goal.

You can donate online at:
https://gifts.development.brown.edu/#busf
Be sure to earmark the donation for the men's ultimate team. Alternatively, if you prefer to mail a donation, you can print out a form at:
http://www.sportsfoundation.brown.edu/print_and_mail.html

I really appreciate your help in this endeavor. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,
Matt Kromer
matt@kromer.net

In case any of you are interested, here is where I am coming from: Why is this effort important to me? After all, I have graduated. What do I have to gain?

Playing ultimate at Brown was, and continues to be, one of the best experiences of my life:

I had a ton of fun. It added levity and perspective to my college experience in a very healthy way. It introduced me to the game of ultimate, which I continue to play and enjoy tremendously. I gained an extremely strong core of friends. I learned a LOT. I learned about being part of a team; I learned about setting goals and seeing them through to completion; I learned about time management, sportsmanship, leadership, and organization. (Not to mention, important things like whether a team full of people with lots of body hair tends to be better than one without) (they don't).

What does all this add up to? As an organization, the ultimate team has a strong tradition of class & excellence, and the more vibrant it stays, the better. The ultimate team is a good thing, and your participation in this effort will only strengthen it.

2)   A-team Sectionals summary

B-Mo cruised through Sectionals this past weekend. In the past, Sectionals has been a frustrating tournament for Brown A, it’s easy to play down to the competition and win without improving. This year, Brown avoided the temptation to play down—combining their superior skill and athleticism with focus and intensity. Their ‘professionalism’ allowed Brown to run away with the tournament. B-Mo's smallest margin of victory was 8 points and they outscored their opponents 93-16 over the weekend.

The only surprise of the tournament was Yale's upset of Wesleyan in the semifinals. This meant that Brown didn’t get to play Wesleyan but instead had to play Yale twice. In both games against the Superfly, Brown was dominant. They earned a 13-5 victory in pool play and a 15-4 win in the finals. The scores are listed below:

Brown 13-Uconn 1
Brown 13-WPI 0
Brown 13-Yale 5
Brown 13-Brown C 0
Brown 13-URI 1
Brown 13-Conn College 5 (semis)
Brown 15-Yale 4 (finals)

3)   B and C team Sectionals summary

Polyester Funkaledic showed up to sectionals determined and ready. We were seeded fourth out of six teams in the bracket, and began Saturday morning with our three toughest opponents. First up was Connecticut College. Up against a team that likes to huck and run, PFunk found itself in a dogfight. After a solid late-game rally to tie the score at 9, CC’s deep game was ultimately too much and Brown fell 11-9. Next up was Wesleyan A, the second highest seeded team in the tourney. Nietzsche Factor was obviously a heavy favorite to win this game; however, no one expected that Pfunk would hang with them as Wesleyan took half at 7-5. In the second half Brown would only score one more point, but the usually obnoxious and cocky Wesleyan team played in stunned silence. Saturday ended with a hard fought solid win over the number 3 seed in our pool, Roger Williams 11-8, and the number 6 seed in the pool Wesleyan B 13-4.

Sunday began lethargically for PFunk. After spotting Trinity College a 3 -0 lead in the final pool play game, we were unable to recover and lost 11-8. Despite our 2-3 pool-play record, tie breakers and point differentials put us in contention for the third and final bid to the regional tournament. The first game on our path was against a sturdy WPI team who beat us in a hard fought 11-9 game the previous weekend. From the opening pull, PFunk was to make sure there would be no repeat. Jumping out to an early 5-2 lead and taking half at 7-4, PFunk set the tone for the game with chilly handling and sharp cutting. Holding strong through the end, PFunk came away with the victory 11-9. Our next opponent was the same Conn. College team that beat us the day before. The game started off as a duel, with no turnovers through the first six points to a 3-3 tie. Then CC got a break and went on a run. They took half at 7-3 as PFunk began to tire. Despite a valiant second half effort, we fell 12-6, ending our bid to advance. Despite this, we secured a tie for fifth place in the section with Roger Williams – thereby breaking seed – and improving our game as well.

CFunk (also knows as FPunk) played an equally hard fought tournament. Although injuries shrank their roster, they played hard in every game. The high point of CFunk’s tournament was the scare they gave the University of Connecticut before eventually succumbing in the end. Few universities can boast three open teams, much less teams of such high caliber. No doubt, the Brownian Motion program is stronger than ever.


Neale Mahoney