London, ON - The Western Mustangs Women's Ultimate Frisbee team won their first Division 2 Championship at the Canadian University Ultimate Championships (CUUC) which took place October 14-15, 2023 in Brampton, Ontario.


 
Ultimate is a non-contact, self-officiated disc sport played by two teams of seven players. The object of the game is to score goals; a player may not run while holding the disc and the disc is advanced by passing it to other players.

The CUUC is divided into Division 1 and Division 2 for both the open and women's divisions. Teams initially compete for spots in the top Division 1. If teams don't qualify for Division 1, then they compete in Division 2. 
 
Head Coach Tawyna Gonzalez was proud of the team and their achievement this year. She was also happy that everyone got involved, and that a lot of new faces stepped up. "[We] achieved very equal play-time for all [student] athletes in most games throughout the season and even at the CUUC. Nine new athletes had to learn a completely new type of play-style that is unique within our division; and in five weeks", said Coach Gonzalez.
 
During the three-day tournament, the Mustangs Women's Ultimate team only lost one game, and persevered in play to battle back and close out tight games. "Our new offensive system promotes the use of the whole team in an equal fashion. We are pioneering the use of this system within our division and have received positive feedback as a result", said Coach Gonzalez.
 
Having been a part of Mustangs Ultimate Frisbee for over 15 years, Coach Gonzalez has a true passion for developing players. "I recently realized that the reason why I continue to coach is because I am passionate about developing women-matching Ultimate players. I love seeing players continue in the sport after they leave Western and it's so exciting to see where they end up!"
 
Coach Gonzalez's journey with Ultimate Frisbee started as a player back in 2005 and 2006 for the Western Mustangs; she then moved on to represent teams in Kitchener-Waterloo and Toronto while consistently competing in Canadian Ultimate Championships. She was part of the team that won gold at the CUC in 2014, and she also helped to coach the Western Mustangs to a bronze medal finish at the CUUC in 2016.
 
In her experience, the key to success is understanding the players. "I think the key to success is valuing what players bring to the table and giving them the opportunity to develop by playing in games as much as possible. I believe it is important to build our student athletes as humans, encouraging a good team environment, and remembering that winning at all costs is not helpful to the athletes or our program", said Coach Gonzalez.
 
Three Mustangs student athletes who have been instrumental in the success of the Women's Ultimate Frisbee program this year are the Co-Captains of the team: Piranavi Rajakumar, Montana Danis and Katie Connelly.
 
All three began playing the sport in High School, and haven't looked back since.
 
"I tried out for my high school team in grade 9 and made the team with no experience. I wanted to play the sport because it was co-ed and the 5 other teams I was on were not, so this was something new. It's also just really fun to play! Said Rajakumar.
 
"I first started playing in grade 10." said Danis. "My parents had played when they were young and encouraged me to try out for my high school team which led to playing in a competitive summer junior league."
 
Connelly started playing competitive ultimate a little later than the other two. "Once I got to high school and started improving & playing at a higher level, I really started to love playing ultimate. I think what ultimately ended up sparking my interest is the spirit of the game in ultimate. You can't just be a good player in order to excel in this sport. Since it's a self-regulated sport [no referees], you also have to be a good sport and keep a level-head in order to keep the game fair", said Connelly, who began playing ultimate competitively in grade 11.
 
All of the student athletes are really proud of the atmosphere around the team and the connections they've made this year.
 
"I'm proud of how we played and bonded. On the field, we always play for each other and off the field we've bonded a lot. Lifelong friendships were certainly made!" said Rajakumar.
 
"I love the atmosphere of the team. It's a fun and safe space for everyone and we try to make it as positive and encouraging as possible while still being competitive and trying to win. On the field I love watching people improve and implementing the things we learn in practice in game situations", added Danis.
 
"If a player gets down on themselves because of a play they may have missed, everyone is quick to lift them up and reassure them that they're doing a great job & everyone messes up sometimes. I think that kind of support is really important, because (from personal experience) it helps to instill confidence in your playing and help you become a better player", said Connelly.
 
When asked about the Division 2 Championship and what it meant to them and the team, the trio paid tribute to the lessons learned in previous years, and attributed this victory to a culmination of the past few seasons.
 
"Winning Division 2 was such an amazing experience that we have been working towards for three years. We took a lot of hits in the past few years to get to where we are and we worked as a team and understood that everyone helped us win that game in their own way", said Danis.
 
"I think being motivating while not being too critical is very important. There are a lot of different people on the team who respond to things differently and are motivated by different forms of communication. I think knowing when to push and give feedback versus when to back off or give someone time is important", added Danis when asked about how important being a leader is.
 
Rajakumar also added, "When leading a team, most people wouldn't say this, but I think passion and care is what is most important. The passion you have translates onto your team. They want to play hard for you, and they develop their own passion, wanting them to play hard as well."
 
"I think patience is really important as well as being level-headed & having a positive attitude. It's easy to get caught up in emotions and let them take control but maintaining a level head and a positive attitude is super important. Supporting your teammates is integral because if ever they need help with anything, showing them that you're there for them and supporting them is really helpful. This helps to foster a successful team environment as well because individuals need support in order to thrive. Showing that you're committed to the team and are disciplined to come to practice and give it your all on the field during practices and games is very important because it encourages your teammates to do the same", explained Connelly.
 
The Western Mustangs Women's Ultimate Frisbee team turned a corner this year, implementing a new offense style that proved to be successful. Combined with the genuine support and respect the players and coaches have for each other, this Mustangs team is primed for future success and we are truly Purple and Proud of their results.