Even though BMo captain and Class of 2024 graduate Jacques Nissen had to miss out on Commencement ceremonies at Brown to play in the nationals, he said he didn’t have any regrets. After making it to the semifinals multiple times over the last few years, the taste of victory was sweet.

“It was certainly a multi-year process to get this win,” Nissen said. “To finally get over the hump is really rewarding, especially for me and my fellow graduating seniors… To be able to win and share this moment together meant so much for us, both as friends and teammates.”

Part of Brown’s club sports lineup, BMo has graced the fields at Brown for more than 40 years, racking up four national championships and five Callahan winners — the MVP award for collegiate ultimate frisbee.

This year, Head Coach Jake Smart implemented an expanded approach to team operations, moving from a more traditional “top down” structure to one where all players contributed to leadership, he said. At the start of every practice, the team made time for check-ins and “non-business-related” conversations. Off the field, the players began spending more time together, creating a sincere and robust sense of camaraderie. 

“A lot of our best strategic moments came from player-to-player interaction,” he said. “It wasn’t me bringing in the team and giving some impassioned speech or telling someone to knock it off… There was real personal connection and trust that they would tell each other the truth in a high-pressure moment.”

For the seniors on BMo, the 2023-24 season was the perfect culmination of their time at Brown as members of the ultimate frisbee team, according to Nissen, who heads next to Washington, D.C., to become an elementary school teacher.

“It’s really nice to go out on top,” he said.