Bella Donna

Fall Information

2009-06-24T10:09:00.003-06:00

Interested in playing with Bella Donna for the 2009-2010 season?

Tryouts will start the second week of school, September 7th, and will continue for about six weeks on Mondays and Wednesdays, 4:30-6:30pm, including two weekend tournaments (one in September, one in October, TBA). Feel free to come even if you've never touched a disc, we'll teach you everything!

UW-Madison has two women's ultimate teams, so if you are not interested in trying out for Bella, check out Atropa, a fantastic team that doesn't require as high a commitment level. Both teams will start out together, so don't feel pressured to make a decision now.

Questions? Concerns? Good stories? Email Georgia Bosscher (gbosscher_at_gmail.com).

2009-05-12T18:23:00.006-06:00

We're seeded third at Nationals!
Check out the schedule and pools here.

Also, congratulations to all the Wisconsin players (both men and women) who made the all-region teams, I think we set a new record for number of players represented. And an especial congratulations to our own Rachael Westgate for winning Central 1st team Freshman of the Year!
Our All-Region winners:

Hodag All-Region winners:

Tom Annen
Jim Foster
Jon Gaynor
Evan Klane
Tom Murray
(Tim Pearce - Hodag alumni)

Also, we'll be updating fans via "Twitter" at Nationals, so if you can't be there but would like to know what's going on, follow us here!

Georgia for Callahan 2009: Highlight Video

2009-05-03T20:40:00.001-06:00

Watch Georgia Bosscher for Callahan 2009- Wisconsin Bella Donna in Sports | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Georgia Bosscher for Callahan '09

2009-05-03T20:18:00.001-06:00

Where to start... WHAT isn't Georgia good at?! Well, ping pong, basketball, C-skips and talking normally (to name a few).

So why should YOU vote GB for C'09 in Oh Nine?

She's just like you!

She wears glasses, just like you!

She was stood up for her senior prom, just like you!She's trendy! Just like you!

But the real reason you should vote for her is because she is not like you at all. Not even a little bit.

Georgia embodies every aspect of the Callahan award with athleticism, spirit, skill and leadership that is unmatched in college ultimate. Georgia is the backbone behind Bella's offense and the most versatile weapon a team could have. Without a doubt, she is a phenomenal player, but even more notable is her love for the game and dominant leadership. Georgia is a selfless teammate, always putting Bella Donna first. She plays with heart and drive, but is also an extremely gracious competitor. She's the full package.

Georgia came into Bella Donna in the spring of her sophomore year, immediately making her presence known with her 70" vertical, manly pulls, and giant forehand hucks. After only a short semester on Bella Donna, Georgia tried her luck at captaining and has remained a Bella leader ever since. Georgia leads by example and pumps her teammates up by getting giant layout d's and frightening skies. Georgia will match up against the best players on opposing teams and sky, break and humiliate them. Fortunately for them, she will probably apologize and assure them she just got lucky. If you've ever watched Georgia play, you know that her amazing speed, strength, throws and decisions make her the most dynamic player in college ultimate. Don't believe me? See for yourself.

2004 Jr. World's Captain & silver medalist
2006 Jr. World's Captain & gold medalist
Great Lakes FOTY in 2006
Spirit of the Game Award 2007
Central All-Region 2007 & 2008
Captain of Bella Donna 2007-2009

Georgia Bosscher for Callahan '09

Let's help her get the award she deserves.

Regionals Highlight Video

2009-05-02T20:35:00.000-06:00

We were only able to tape Saturday... most of this video is relevant to ultimate.

Watch Wisconsin Bella Donna Regionals 2009 in Sports | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

2009-04-23T22:56:00.009-06:00

Rachael Westgate - Central Region FOTY 2009!

Meet freshman Rachael Westgate, #26. Originally from Andover, MA, Rachael came to us this year with an extensive understanding and love of the game that translated directly to her quick integration into our starting defensive line. Sick layout d's, fantastic throws, and aggressive, consistently open cuts are all in the daily life of Rachael Westgate.

She's an amazing team player, pouring heart and soul into Bella, whether it's dominating like a 5th year on the field, shouting like crazy on the sideline, outstripping most of the team in workouts, or lifting on her own time, Rachael embodies everything that Bella Donna strives for.

Rachael Westgate for Central Region FOTY 2009! Watch for her in Northfield this weekend at regionals where she'll be dominating both the d and the o lines.

Sectionals

2009-04-20T12:24:00.005-06:00

UW-Madison Women's Ultimate Program
Bella Donna & Atropa

In the spring of 2006 (my freshman year on Wisconsin-B), there were five women's teams that attended the Lake Superior Sectionals, two of them were from UW-Madison. Three years later, the number has only grown to seven teams, but the talent within those teams has vastly improved. I'm incredibly impressed with the Eau Claire (where?) women's ulti program; through the years they've grown into a very strong team, put together a great zone-D, and are likely contenders for nationals. Teams like Whitewater and Lawrence are still in the building process, but in a few years they could surprise everyone (Susan Boyle style). It is amazing to see women's ultimate expand the way it has throughout my college career and I expect to see considerable gains as the ultimate community grows with time.

This year is the first year a solid B-team has stayed afloat for UW-Madison. Led by former Bella Eyleen Chou, Atropa quickly eliminated their "b-team" status and began competing at tournaments like Vegas and Midwest Throwdown, breaking their 41st seed and finishing 10th at Vegas! Atropa has some serious potential on their team; rookie Anna Shanedling has amazing hands and it's hard to find someone quicker than noob Adrienne Rust. Atropa took 4th at sectionals and is seeded 9th for regionals, but I wouldn't be surprised if they caused a few upsets. As a former B-team player, it's truly awesome to see UW-Madison's ultimate program reach new levels and I hope this growth continues for years to come.

On a different note: Bella is the one seed for regionals. It's all happening. Let's go.

Centex Highlight Video

2009-04-14T21:22:00.003-06:00

Watch Wisconsin Bella Donna Centex 2009 in Sports | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Bella Donna: Centex

2009-04-10T20:11:00.000-06:00

After spending a week laying (actually just burning) in the sand and treating their bodies with utter disregard, BD had a week to shape up and get serious for Women's Centex, easily the most competitive tournament Bella would travel to this year before college natties. The end of SB2kFINE was sobering (in many ways), as BD realized the spoils of the week included a broken toe, finger, some misplaced knees, and other various ailments. By Saturday morning of Centex, these injuries weren't anything a big dose of ibuprofen couldn't fix. Bella was ready to dominate; starting the trail of tears with SLU (who had previously beat Bella on universe with only the wind and a lucky flip to thank for that).

SATURDAY

BD's first two games were tucked behind tennis courts, protected but not fully shielded from Austin's brutal winds. BD started the game on O and traded for the first three points until SLU got a break. BD assumed they could win the game acting half asleep and barely on D, but they were in for a rude awakening; soon Bella was down at half 5-8. SLU's scrappy offense relies heavily 50/50 balls and feisty grabs, but it worked Bella's O-face until the score was 12-6 SLU. Finally McKain decided it was business time and BD needed a scolding. McK Shouted for all to hear, "You have two options, to win this game or lose this game!" FACT: when that small Italian speaks, it is important. That's all it took to bring Bella back to reality and start playing tight D and their well-rehearsed O. At one point Georgia Bosscher's manly pull floated perfectly to the of the end zone and she caught a callahan on the first throw (in case you didn't understand, OFF HER OWN PULL). This is everyone's wet dream, but not for Georgia; her life long ambition is to get a layout callahan off of her own pull (and marry an otter but that's beside the point).While Bella was finally pumped up after a sloppy 3/4 of a game, coming out of half scoring six points (SLU scored once somewhere in there), it was too late and they couldn't finish with a W. Soccer shorts win on hard cap, 13-12.

Round one recap: Bella played a conservative game with only 47 turns (oh god) to start off Saturday morning at Centex.

After a demoralizing defeat, all BD could do was drink pickle juice and gear up for Southern California, a team they knew nothing about. Bella Rick Rolled this game 13-9. The score may seem close but Bella maintained control throughout the entire game, shredding marks and pwning SC players. Post game both teams celebrated with a highly anticipated spirit circle, in which we talked about feelings and touched each other. The only thing missing was Speaker, who would have loved it more than life itself.

Round two recap: Never have I ever, been in a spirit circle.

The last game in pool play was against Cal Berkeley's Pie Queens, the #1 seed in the D pool. Knowing that if they didn't go into this game completely focused it could be SLU all over again, Bella psyched up and prepared for domination. After scoring the first 7 breaks of the game, BD was even hungrier for an upset. Claiming that Bella gelled like a Dr. Scholl's commercial during the Cal game is an understatement. Early in the game, McKain let Cal know who was boss and got a nasty hand block right outside of Cal's endzone, later Fran amped it up with a sky callahan. Wisconsin took half at 8-2. After some sick backwards line-toeing by Bitterman, Wisconsin wins 15-5.

Round three recap: BD's never played a stronger game. They finish the day and win the pool.

Winner winner, bbq dinner (plus our very own stallion Sandy buns in the rookie showcase game and watching the dance off).

SUNDAY
PRE-QUARTERS

Bella knew that Sunday would be hard when they found out they had to play Michigan in pre-quarters. Flywheel is a team BD has seen numerous times this spring and is made up of some serious ballers. Ebae makes any break throw and huck look effortless, and with receivers like Bemu and WHOA Nelly it's not hard to see how intimidating Flywheel can be. Because of Bella's slow start Saturday morning, they were the first team to the fields Sunday morning, warming up and getting any kinks out of their well oiled system. Conditions were perfect. Game time, Bella starts on O, running the usual O; George (iso) gets the disc and jams a perfect huck right into Fran's hands in the endzone. Wisconsin 1-0. Flywheel answers with anther quick point. Captain to captain chemistry fuels the next O point, Court to Georgia 2-1. When Michigan takes half 8-6, they're up two breaks and soon score their O point coming out of half. BD goes on a run to tie it at 9's and then trade a few points before pulling ahead 13-11. This was a clean game with considerably less turns than any other game BD played at Centex. In the end, it was Bitterman that probably won the game for BD. Bit's endzone D and score made it 12-11. With the hard cap on, Flywheel had a chance to tie it up. Unfortunate for them, Georgia's giant pull (that probably would have gone out of bounds) was caught at the very back of the endzone and then thrown into Bit's hands for a winning callahan. She didn't spike it in all her glory; instead she whispered to McKain, "boom, toasted."

Pre-quarters recap: BD pulls out a narrow win after Bitterman shows the world just how good looking she can be. McKain manages to play 21 points without a single turnover. HEY GO BLUE!

QUARTERS

Looking at other pre-quarters match-ups, the Wisconsin v. Michigan match-up was definitely the most difficult one. Needles to say, Michigan would have had a much easier path had they not lost their pool the previous day. Quarters against Stanford started almost immediately after the Michigan game ended. Bella hadn't seen Superfly since Centex '08 but had heard through the grapevine they were new & improved. Until Centex, this was the only team to beat Santa Barbara, BD knew to take them seriously. Stanford's game in the air was anchored by #8 Liz Cassel, with #16 Jenny Founds behind most break throws. Both #9 Danielle Platt and #7 Ali Mendoza were annoying quick, burning Bella players in and deep. Holly put out a sick starting D-line composed of Bitty, George, Jamber, Gay, Mc, Rach and Sandybuns. The D-line broke for a score, Bit to the Stallion. The stallion galloped across the field before throwing a full field spike (a TMF was soon to follow). Bella capitalized on Superfly's errors (including a dropped pull) during the next few points. Gaynor, Erin and Bit scored the next three breaks assisted by none other than mc, george and jamber, making it 4-0 BD. Stanford called a time out and made some readjustments to their D, switching to a poach-style D off the handlers. It took a few unanticipated Stanford poach D's in the lane before Bella started seeing the field again and put a few into the endzone, including a morning passover surprise layout catch by CK on an overthrown huck. No one saw her coming as she was was purposely jogging so slow she had to bid with all of her gangles, it was magical. Bella took half 8-3. The second half was filled with Emelie McKain layout D'ing Stanford player Ali Mendoza, who called fouls each time. If only McKain knew the rules of ultimate allowed her to take it to the observer... Jamber got a nasty hand block and layout D, Courtney shredded any poachy D they tried, and Sandy was quite the stallion. The game ended with Stallion catching a huck right outside the endzone and bombing a high O2 to Georgia. Final score 13-8 BD. Both BD and Stanford could have played a cleaner game, but Bella persevered because they were able to convert Superfly's drops and throw aways into scores.

Quarters recap: "Courtney's chicken surprise layout was the craziest thing I've ever seen" -Bob Barker

SEMIS

It's common knowledge that many people have been hyping Santa Barbara all year as one of the best if not the best college women's team in the nation. Led by Ramano, Finney and Jorgenson (and Barry when she's healthy), SB is a very handler dominant team, but also has the height and speed for sick deep catches. They have the most debilitating marks in college ultimate, eliminating many break options. Going into this game, BD knew they had something to prove. Taking the field on defense, BD started off with a break, Amber to Fran on a deep look. That was the only break either team would see until after half, as the rest of the points were even trading. BD took half after a Georgia to Rachel love connection, making it 8-7. UCSB scored the majority of their points on deep looks while Bella relied on quick movement with an occasional deep shot. UCSB is a very physical team; their disregard for personal space and the rules of contact certainly fueled some fire on each side. Out of half, BD started on o and quickly scored. Hungry for more breaks, BD got the next 3 in a row, making it 12-7. It's unclear if Bella just got cocky or content, but something was lost after this run. Cuts weren't sharp enough, handler fakes weren't convincing enough and hearts weren't in it enough. BD's run of 4 was matched by UCSB's run of 5 to make it universe point. Universe was the sloppiest point of the game, with at least 6 turns on each side but UCSB pulled out the win. Final: Wisconsin 12, UCSB 13

Quarters Recap: Don't ever push McKain. and don't you ever put toys on my cake again.

THIRD PLACE GAME
Nationals 2007, Centex 2008, Centex 2009. When it comes to UBC, BD just really drops the ball. Coming out of a devastating loss after being SO close to finals, Bella was emotionally and physically drained (see above). Having played three high scoring games against big names like Michigan, Stanford and UCSB, there was no doubt UBC had the easier path with previous games against Maryland, SLU and then a low scoring game with Ottawa.

Starting the game, BD scored the first O point and then the next two consecutive breaks in a row, one involving Georgia bombing a forehand huck and Becca skying for the goal, looking rather athletic for a change. UBC scored the next three in a row, breaking the O-line twice. The rest of the half was mainly trading, with Gaynor and Erin both burning deep for the hucks of George and Amber. UBC ended up taking half 8-7 and then scored their O point out of half. By hard cap the score was 10-10, game to 11. Bella received the pull on universe, but turned it shortly after an atypical drop. UBC took advantage of the situation with a score followed by a celebration. Two games in one day lost on universe. awesome.

Despite the disappointing Sunday losses for BD, Women's Centex 2009 was amazing. Props to Michelle Ng, Texas Women's Ulti and the UPLA for putting together such a well run tournament.

A special thanks to:

-All of the parents and friends that ventured from Wisconsin, Oregon, and Massachusetts to show their support! Their sideline spirit and food kept BD alive through the long weekend.

-The Ricebowl. Thanks for the wonderful couches, carpets, cheez-its and animal crackers!

Midwest Throwdown

2009-04-10T16:51:00.002-06:00

While you wait to read about Centex, here's our video recap of Midwest Throwdown, where the wind enjoyed wreaking havoc at every opportunity.

Watch Wisconsin Bella Donna Midwest Throwdown 2009 in Sports | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Centex

2009-04-05T16:41:00.011-06:00

Full write-up coming later this week. Meanwhile, check out some pictures from the weekend and a few clips taken by a BD supporter:

Pre-quarters vs. Michigan (final score: 13-11, us)A sick catch by McKain.

Quarters vs. Stanford (final score: 13-8, us)Stallion!A break, from pull to score.

Mardi Gras Highlight Video

2009-03-30T18:06:00.003-06:00

Watch Wisconsin Bella Donna Mardi Gras 2009 in Sports | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Watch Bella Donna win Mardi Gras!

Spring Break/Centex write-up coming soon...

BDL: more than you need to know.

2009-03-12T15:00:00.009-06:00

BELLA DONNA 2009 roster.

introducing...

#1 Elizabeth "hot body" Vu: older than you. d-line handler . homeowner. kinky. fan of the IO forehand break and beef jerky. vu is super quick and gets clutch d's . best running form.

#2 Jenny "bins" Gaynor: senior. d-line cutter. lone member of the 'jam drill' facebook fan club. funny, fast and fiscally responsible. demonstrates self-control and confidence during play. makes sick plays on o and d. generally, just really impressive.

#3 Laura "Buster Bear " Bitterman: junior. o-line cutter. Jew. faster than you. wittier than you. will foot block you and then score on you. thinks about chipotle burritos while toeing the line; bitterman makes it look effortless. catches anything within a ten mile radius. never has been 2nd in the stack, she's that good.

#4 Shira "Fro-yo" Klane: junior. Captain. handler . also a jew 4 lyfe. team photographer. thinks everyone is really pretty! shira is a positive presence on and off the field and never hesitates to give helpful advice. works hard on d and has sick throws.

#7 Frances "how to lose a guy in 10 days" Tsukano: senior. o-line cutter. expert lightning player. likes to wrestle mckain. traded her figure skates for cleats and now beats people deep everyday. will layout and catch anything in the endzone (and the rest of the field too). real graceful.

#8 Sarah "sweat pants" Offutt: 5th year. o-line handler . her sticky fingers allow her to catch anything. makes quick handler cuts and moves the disc well. dreams about edward cullen.

#9 Becca "i don't hate it" Ludford: freshman noob. d-line cutter. faster than you. wins the most awkward looking catches award. improves her level of play daily. will lay out for a disc this year and it'll be sicknasty. the next bitterman.

#10 Amber "Hives" Sinicrope: sophomore transfer. d-line handler . ok at ultimate. can shred any cup and break any mark. makes insane plays, lays out into fire ants. will break your water and you won't even notice. huge throws, huger ego.

#11 Erin "Moon time" Moran: sophomore. cutter/handler. the fuel for mckain's destruction, always. has really solid catches, but can't see anything without squinting. consistent cutter, has a possible future in handling? always makes to it practice on time, despite being on moon time.

#12 Reebs "Doogie Houser" Enders: freshman. Lefty handler . tallest player on bd. despite being the youngest bd player by about 10 years, she has giant backhands , and should use them more often. sneaky break flick throws and a great mark. consistently brings notes written by her parents to leave practice early. only elementary school student on a college ultimate team. fan of ice cream, stuffed animals, ponies and polly pocket.

#13Aimee "Marissa Cooper" Speaker: has been in college longer than you. d-line cutter. speaker is the living example of the "glass half full" philosophy. optimistic and friendly are key to describing her benevolent personality. speaker has nasty bids on defense and always strives to improve aspects of her play. fast cutter. really competitive . would rather watch all three extended versions of lord of the rings without blinking than do eight minute abs.

#14 Leah "Cheerleader" Alstad: sophomore. cutter . marathon runner. 800 workout champion. bobble head. when she's not getting ejected from grocery stores, leah will burn you in and bust your guts deep. loves butterflies, pikas, and the movie pocahontas.

#17 Emelie "shady piece of meat" Mckain: sophomore. Captain. o-line handler. borderline midget? winner of the "most unfortunate nick names" contest '09(well, you know what i mean). Breaks everything (mainly the mark, but also assorted dishes and glasses). Ridiculous layouts , amazing earlobes. Doesn't believe in gift giving during christmas .

#19 Kaitlyn "Georgia" Bosscher: senior. Captain. o-line cutter extraordinaire. eats babies for breakfast and her own dreads for lunch. Firmly denies ongoing rumor of a childhood sex change . huge pulls, giant layout d's, will sky you. can make the slowest, most unathletic person look like an all-star with her perfect hucks. always pretends to be really modest and morally in-check. callahan '09?

#21 Jingy"the glucose regulator" Koll: senior. cutter /handler. sarcastic? married to leonardo dicaprio for 3 glorious months. fan of christmas, rollercoasters and songs about wild horses. times her cuts perfectly and is always open. also has sick throws and works well as a handler .

#22 Kari "king of the grumblars" Rongstad: 5th year. d-line cutter . will contest your foul call. pen name- karla panda, breaking gender norms since 2008. Jumps high, runs fast and has huge throws . #1 advocate for sideline presence.

#24 Kay "look at my fingers" Powell: junior transfer as of january '09. d-line handler. Bella's newest addition. wears gloves and sunglasses, making her look like a female muffin, but kay is actually very modest and never speaks in third person. really consistent throws and smart decisions. she's only been playing with bella for a short time, but picked up our offense quickly and is really excelling as a handler.

#26 Rachael "spleen" Westgate: freshman. d-line cutter . unfaithful. typical coastie. always open with her smart cuts and textbook perfect throws . dominates popping in a zone O, when she doesn't have mono. will layout-d the shit out of you when you're not paying attention. if you're matched up against her you'll be humiliated, you should probably just quit now.

#27 Laura "Bow Wow's limo driver" Schott: sophomore transfer from MN. cutter. lefty . Faster than most people when she wants to be. consistent cutter with big backhand huck. Pays $35 a month for celebrity gossip texting. touched rihanna's hand once (best moment of her life).

#31 Maria "that'd be the way to go, hnnn guys?" Mahowald: junior. cutter/handler lives vicariously through flight of the concords. eats birdseed everyday. wishes she were native american. great in the air . her arms are probably ganglier than yours.

#37 Sandy "Stallion " Jorgensen: senior noob. d-line cutter. Played soccer and ran track at UW. Kind of athletic, a little bit tall and moderately fast. Born in a horse stable, raised eating hay and sugar cubes. Learned the art of jumping high and running fast while being chased by her brother Seabiscuit. unfortunately, Sandy was held back from the equestrian olympics for obvious reasons, but she is a champion show jumper in all of our hearts!

#99 Courtney "Nip rip" Kiesow: 5th year. that's el capitan to you. o-line cutter, and best in the nation. winner of the callahan '08. blade thrower and nude beach enthusiast. better than you at most things. wears sneakers with jeans, but pulls it off. will beat you in, deep and leave skid marks all over the field. oh yeah and sick bids all around

Holly "pajama pants" Greunke: coach. dog lover . bd alum , callahan runner-up in '07. eats junk food, calls lines, and invades personal space. thinking about settling down and creating a nice life with fly, her domestic partner.

Update

2009-02-27T11:22:00.012-06:00

Interested in playing women's ultimate at the University of Wisconsin this spring? The women's B team, Atropa, is a sick team open to all interested players, even if you've never touched a disc in your life! Contact Tim Debyl (tdebyl@hotmail.com) for more information!

If you're looking at UW-Madison as a possible school for the future and have questions about the ultimate programs please email Georgia Bosscher (gbosscher@gmail.com). We'd love to have you come check out some practices!

And now for a quick update on Bella Donna:

Trouble in Vegas

Trouble in Vegas was February 6-8 -- we started out our season taking second place to University of Washington. The weather was absolutely miserable all weekend, especially on Saturday with strong winds, tons of rain, and Wisconsin-like temperatures. This didn't seem to hamper the Bellas, as we dominated Friday and Saturday, beating UWashington in pool play 13-7 to finish up. Unfortunately Sunday started a little disorganized, with people warming up a different times, and games feeling a little unfocused. While we had no trouble cruising through quarters and semis, we weren't prepared to play a team on par with us by the time we got to finals.

The game was close the entire way, but Washington was up most of the time, giving them the adrenaline boost they needed to keep taking risks and playing hard while we played pretty quietly, never taking the time to pump up and decide to win. It was an unfortunate 11-9 loss, with all of us disappointed and thinking through what could have gone differently. However, not winning our first tournament is a great starting place for the season, and has only given us more motivation to get better.

Check out our highlight reel from the weekend!

Watch Wisconsin Bella Donna Vegas 2009 | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

One more thing about Vegas - the Madison B team, Atropa, went in seeded 41st and ended up taking 10th! All that with only 9 players at a 3 day tournament. Ballers. I'm predicting them taking the 3rd spot to Nationals this year.

Mardi Gras

Our next tournament, Mardi Gras, was February 21-22. While never a very high-talent tournament, it was definitely stronger this year with a few with bigger names like Michigan, Texas, Emory, Georgia, Dartmouth, and more that I'm sure I'm forgetting. We played smoothly all weekend, never loosing focus, and playing almost completely even playing time through semis. The girls were looking forward to finals against Michigan - a great team that we hadn't seen yet. While Michigan only had 14 of their players (which may have hurt them by their 8th game of the weekend), they played hard and smart, making us work on defense and offense. Bella rose to the occasion and came out firing, scoring upwinders just as easily as downwinders, and getting D's at the slightest opportunity.

Emelie McKain had more layouts than the entire team during the entire tournament combined, seriously. The game ended fairly quickly 15-8, with the wind hardly seeming to factor in. We scarfed up our winner's king cake and got back on the bus to pick up the Hodags (also winners over Michigan on their side) and took the long, smelly treck back home, very satisfied and looking forward to the next tournament - which, incidentally, is Midwest Throwdown, March 7-8 in St. Louis, MO.

Keep checking in! We'll be posting more regularly, I promise. Mainly because I won't be the one responsible.

Contact Information

2009-01-12T19:06:00.001-06:00

2008-2009 Captains:
Courtney Kiesow - ckiesow@gmail.com
Georgia Bosscher - gbosscher@gmail.com
Shira Klane - shira.klane@gmail.com
Emelie McKain - mckain@wisc.edu

Coach:
Holly Greunke - hsgreunke@gmail.com

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/bdultimate

No Wisconsequences

2008-10-20T11:31:00.006-06:00

After winning Hucktoberfest in September, the team was looking forward to some more competition at the Milwaukee Polo fields this past weekend. No Wisconsequences, a Cultimate-run event co-hosted by the Madison teams, was a huge success in its first year.

The women's team worked hard all weekend, winning their first three games with a total of 5 points scored against them. The final game of the day was against UW-Eau Claire, the under-seeded powerhouse led by Robyn Fennig. The entire game the teams traded points, with a lot of physical competition and sick grabs and D's. Bella finally pulled ahead and managed to win 14-12.

Sunday morning the team gathered to warm up, enjoying a first round bye and cheering on the B team in their game. The wind had picked up quite a bit, and warming up looked a little messier than Saturday. The first game was against Illinois (Menace), who won the flip and called the downwind endzone to start. At the beginning it looked like trading points would follow the wind direction, but suddenly 5 upwind points scored in a row by both teams left Bella up a break, 8-6. Halftime began, but the points had taken so long that the hardcap went on and the game was suddenly over, bringing Bella into semis.

The next game was against Colorado (Kali), who also won the flip, calling the downwind side. This game was tight, with a lot of downwind hucks and man defense on the upwind. Kali was up a break at halftime, 8-5, with the cap going on at 7-5 (game to 9). An intense halftime huddle pumped up the team, with sidelines going crazy and the on-field players ready to roll. The first point Bella scored downwind easily, bringing it to 8-6. Knowing the pressure, the team amped it up even more, needing an upwind break now or never. Beautifully placed throws and sick catches in the wind finally earned the point. 8-7. The next point Kali almost scored the upwinder for the game, but Bella's defense put the disc back in Wisconsin's control. The downwinder was scored, hardcap was on, it was universe point, 8-8. The defense got the D almost immediately after the pull, and started to work it upfield smoothly, but a dump throw miscommunication allowed Kali to get the disc back and score for the win. Disappointed, but still fired up, Bella looked forward to a third place game against Carleton, Syzygy.

This game started close, but with Syzygy only bringing 10 players to the tournament, it was clear that the weekend had taken its toll. Bella scored upwind points easily, strategizing around Carleton's zone, and playing amazing defense the entire game. The final score was a strong 11-4, giving Wisconsin a third place finish to end the tournament.

Next tournament, CCC in Athens, GA, November 8-9!

Fall 2008

2008-08-28T17:18:00.012-06:00

Schedule for women's Ultimate Frisbee in the fall:

First Two Weeks:

These days will consist of getting to know people, learning skills, running a few drills, and scrimmaging. There will be a fun, relaxed atmosphere, with learning for every skill level. Even if you've never touched a disc before or have never played ultimate, you are more than welcome to come, as we will teach you everything!

Monday, Sept. 8: 4:30-6:30

Wednesday, Sept. 10: 4:30-6:30

Monday, Sept. 15: 4:30-6:30

Wednesday, Sept. 17: 4:30-6:30

At UBay fields:

View Larger Map

What to bring:

Cleats if you have them, otherwise tennis shoes
A light and a dark shirt
Water

Official Tryouts for Bella Donna:

If you are interested in becoming part of Bella Donna, we will be running our official tryouts on Mondays and Wednesdays at 4:30-6:30 from Sept. 22 through October 19. This will include two tournaments: Hucktoberfest, Sept. 27-28 and No Wisconsequences, October 18-19. These tryouts will also take place at UBay fields. Please email any questions to Georgia Bosscher (gbosscher@gmail.com).

Mad-Donne

If you would like to play ultimate this year, but are not interested in the intensity or commitment that Bella Donna requires, there is a second UW team called Mad-Donne that will have practices at the same time and place as Bella Donna starting September 22. This team will have two coaches, one of which is Tim DeByl (tdebyl@hotmail.com) who can be contacted with questions. Mad-Donne will be attending many of the same tournaments, and will give a great opportunity to anyone wanting to play ultimate in a more relaxed environment without having to tryout.

Mailing List:

To get updates for both teams or anything going on in general, join the mailing list now by clicking this link and then selecting "Join Now". Signing up should only take a second. This will keep you up to date on practices, parties, random fun events, and ultimate in general at UW-Madison. Again, any questions or concerns can be directed to Georgia Bosscher (gbosscher@gmail.com).

2008 Results

2008-06-17T19:04:00.002-06:00

The 2008 College Ultimate season is over, and the Bella Donnas can proudly present captain Courtney Kiesow as the first ever Wisconsin women's Callahan award winner! "In the eyes of his of her peers, the Callahan winner is the personification of the ideal ultimate player." As rival, teammate, or leader, Courtney has always been recognized as a spirited, knowledgable, and skillful athlete, and the college women's community has acknowledged this excellence by voting her the MVP of 2008.

The Bellas themselves finished tying for fifth after losing to UCSB in the quarterfinals. We are extremely proud of our season, having had it labled early on as a "rebuilding season". Rejecting this notion, we went to tournaments confident in our ability not only to win tough games and play well, but to learn as a team and become closer together, creating the foundation that Bella Donna will rest on for years to come.

While we can say proudly that we got fifth at College Nationals, our goal has not changed. Watch for us in 2009, Bella Donna will be setting out full-force for a National championship!

COURTNEY KIESOW FOR CALLAHAN 2008!

2008-05-09T13:10:00.004-06:00

Watch her highlight reel!

Read about her on R.S.D!

Join the facebook group!

Then VOTE for her!

Decorah, IA: The Bella Donna Story

2008-05-01T13:42:00.005-06:00

Saturday morning, the men started at 8:00am, reportedly playing while snow fell. Both the open and women's divisions were to share eight fields for the weekend, due to the water that pooled in areas throughout the field. Winning the flip, the women were scheduled to begin at noon, playing again at 2:00 and 6:00pm. This gave us time to enjoy the amazing breakfast at Bluff's Inn - so many cereal choices! With everyone strewn across the beds, we watched cable and eased into the day. It's difficult to relax for too long the morning of a tournament, and before long, excitement took over. Soon everyone layered up and headed to the fields. Once there, we watched the men play Iowa State and huddled together for warmth. Ultimate in strong wind is just ugly. Generally, the downwind team hucks it away and the upwind team slowly moves the disc behind the cup. Every now and then something exciting happens, but all in all, it's just painful.

By the time Bella started warming up, the temperature had risen to something in the 40s but the wind held strong. I heard later that gusts had been up to 30mph - a near gale force on the Beaufort scale.

Due to the limited field space, the women’s format had changed to double-elimination brackets. UW-Milwaukee was set to be Wisconsin's first opponent of the day. They had only brought 8 players, and despite having #10 who handled well in the wind, they continued to turn the disc in Bella's redzone. They put up one point when the Madison women tried to use man defense during the first half. After that, the pressure from the zone combined with Bella's confidence in the wind led to a final score of 15-1, Wisconsin.

Regionals, April 26-27, 2008

2008-04-28T23:20:00.005-06:00

2008 REGIONAL CHAMPIONS!!

More information coming. In the meantime, you can read about the finals on RSD and check out how the brackets played out on the UPA score reporter.

A full write-up of the day can be found at IC Ultimate.

Bella Alum! Get yourselves to Boulder! I will see you there.

Sectionals, April 19, 2008

2008-04-24T15:48:00.049-06:00

Early morning. Reconsidering my decision to drive – way too tired. Finding myself far too warm in cold gear, jeans, thermal, and borrowed Bella jersey. The forecast all week long had been cold, wet, and miserable, and I planned to be that way for at least part of the day. I had a moment of panic thinking about the cleats I had left behind until I remembered that I wouldn’t actually be playing (they really need to extend that “eligibility” thing). The bucolic Wisconsin countryside slipped by as we made the forty-five minute drive down to Whitewater, Wisconsin for Lake Superior women’s sectionals.

We arrived before just about everybody and found field #7 on which Bella would be spending the day. Trash bags were spread across the dewy ground so everyone except McKain could cleat up without soaking their pants. Bella cars arrived in quick succession and soon the field was full of throwing pairs dressed in intimidating black shorts and jerseys. Despite Kari’s need to “stand out” in gray shorts, morning drills looked unified and smooth. As Lawrence arrived, Bella (having arrived so ridiculously early) took a break to go the bathroom, eat some fruit, and make fun of each other. The mood was relaxed and easy as the sun broke through the clouds. Team huddle, team cheer, team tunnel for the starting seven. 9:00am: Kate Arnold’s cow bell rang out. The games were about to begin.

Bella Donna vs. Lawrence

Georgia Bosscher began the game with a huge pull through the still air, sending Lawrence deep into their endzone as Bella tore down the field on fresh legs. Courtney Kiesow’s mark proved to be too much pressure, and Lawrence threw it away. Loopy backhand from Elizabeth Vu to Georgia for the score. Georgia’s next pull took off out of bounds, but she redeemed herself with a run through D on an early swing pass. Bella transitioned into offense without a pause, and Courtney found Laura Bitterman for the score. The points continued to rack up with deep, wide open cuts. At one point, Courtney chose not to huck to a wide open Frances Tsukano despite encouragement from the sideline and practiced the short game more instead. A few passes later, Jenny Koll recognized that Frances was still completely open deep and sent it high and outside for the score. In the next 3 points before half, Emily Orner came up with a sweet run-through D and Frances bailed out an errant swing pass with a huge lay out catch. At 6-0, Bella was in full control. The point to take half was textbook; the stat sheet comments concurred: “FLOW – sick. Vu to Bit to Leah.” After their seven point run, Bella huddled up just as focused and intense as they had been at the beginning of the day – determined to avoid complacency.

Coming out on O, once again Bella’s flow was unstoppable. They worked it down the length of the field to Eyleen Chou who toed the line for a would-be score; a pick called the disc back. The next throw was placed too far for the cutter, directly to the Lawrence defender. This was the first point of the game to drag, although huge unsuccessful offensive and defensive bids kept it exciting. Bitterman ended the point with a pass to Jackie Mich who played a game of flutterguts with herself before stopping rotation for the score. After that point, the women from Madison decided to finish the game as quickly as possible with sick hucks (McKain to Court & Georgia to Fran), another D from Emily Orner, and decisive flow. The last in a string of great continuation cuts, Elise Mann put the disc to Laura Bitterman who pulled it down for the 13-0 finish.

Bella ended the game with only 4 unforced turns which speaks to the hard work they’ve put in getting to know each other and their offensive patterns. Their team defense generated throw-aways in this game, but they knew they’d have to be more aggressive on under cuts if they wanted to continue getting breaks for the rest of the day.

Bella Donna vs. UW-Milwaukee

After a short break to strip off layers and eat a few more pink bagels (what flavor was that?), the team once again came together like the Planeteers – uniting their powers to save the world… or at least beat Milwaukee. Another team tunnel pumped the energy of twenty into the veins of seven, and Bella took the field. Milwaukee turn off the pull, Eyleen to Emelie McKain, score. Despite the slight cross-field breeze, it seemed this game would be just like the last – clean and efficient. That, however, proved to be NOT the case. The next point included a floaty huck-away, swirly cuts, and a sweet D by Kristen Brenner (although the conservation of greatness rule forced her to drop the next pass). In the end, dreads prevailed as Georgia popped a short backhand to an open Brenner. An equally frustrated Milwaukee came out hard on the next point. Their cutters burned the Bella defenders down the line, and they quickly worked the disc to the red zone. Fortunately for Madison, they were unable to finish. A drop-fest ensued on both teams. During the marathon point, Erin Moran made a huge bid for a poor pass but was unable to save the turnover. Finally, Carrie Eaton decided everything had gone on long enough, made a huge catch D, and threw to Elizabeth Vu for the score. The same line stayed out, and as I was marking the stat sheet apparently Milwaukee turned the disc and Vu found Courtney in the endzone. Points continued to vary in length and efficiency. Defense became increasingly intense and at times completely shut down Milwaukee’s offense. Eyleen dominated one point with strong, committed cuts and a huge huck to Bitterman who skied her defender for the score.

Halftime came and went. Madison’s defense continued to get breaks and monopolize on them. Maria Mahowald and Emily Orner got up and over their defenders to stick throws that were headed out of bounds. Kari Rongstad intimidated handlers with her active mark, forcing throw-aways and even chalking up a stall. Bella showcased their depth with scores and assists coming from almost every member of the team. Milwaukee could not recover their fire from the early points of the game, choosing instead to rely on desperation hucks. Despite a few last minute surprises (e.g. Speaker’s blade-dump) Madison closed out the game 13-0.

Bella huddled up to rehash the game and learn something from their 18 unforced errors. After renewing their resolve to value the disc and run harder, they grabbed more bagels and fruit before heading off to spend their bye watching the Hodag Alumni game. Although the game was exciting and well-fought, the most entertainment came from Emelie McKain climbing on Georgia in a ridiculous Cirque de Soleil-type event called body traversing. Drew Mahowald videotaped the feat; I’m going to work on getting it posted. I don’t care what Georgia says.

Bella Donna vs. Marquette

Back on field 7, the Madison women ran through some drills before circling up to focus on the task at hand. Gusts of wind flew intermittently across the field; the sun blazed in the sky. Bella rolled through the first point and then the second with Jenny Koll sprinting deep for a full field huck from Georgia. The third point of the game was also smooth and efficient . . . for Marquette. Flowing out of a vertical stack, they simply worked the disc down to the endzone and found open hands. Indignant, the Bella seven stayed on to redeem themselves. After quick work down the field, Sarah Offutt had her choice of three open cuts in the endzone, choosing Carrie to pull in the score. The freshmen padded their stats with Kristen assisting Erin to bring the game to 4-1. Marquette gave up on Courtney’s next big huck, leaving Jenny Gaynor to run half the field by herself for the score. Bella D continued to manufacture breaks as Bitterman used her ridiculous speed to run through a Marquette swing pass, giving Madison the opportunity for a beautiful O2 score. Poised to take half, Georgia momentarily forgot how short 95 yards is and sent the disc into a ditch behind Marquette’s endzone. The slight pause in the game seemed to put Bella back on their heels. Also, I think the disc landed in something sticky in the ditch: Marquette caught everything (Frances-esque). They continued their disc-grabbing ways all the way into the endzone. 6-2. Again, the seven who had been scored on demanded the right to salvage their reputation and sprinted back to the line. Bella eventually took half, but the easy feel of the morning was beginning to dissipate.

Out on O after the half, Courtney immediately put up a huge backhand into defense but recovered the turn with a D of her own. Old-school “Papa Ley” was called in the endzone, and McKain hit Maria just like they’d practiced back in Madison. On the next point, the sideline erupted as the disc tipped off Maria’s finger and she threw her body after it for a huge layout catch. Bella edged closer to game point, and Emelie McKain racked up Ds, adding a stall to the list. The team continued to work their textbook offense and brilliant swing movement; turns seemed to result more from hesitation than from poor decision making. With the count 11-2 and the wind picking up, Bella came down in a zone. After a few passes, Marquette succumbed to the pressure, off which Vu sent a huge inside-out flick to Georgia in the corner of the endzone. Even with their backs against the wall, Marquette continued to fight. They turned the disc early by passing into Georgia’s defense, but were given a second chance after a throw-away. This time they capitalized on Bella’s mistake, taking the disc down the length of the field for their third point of the game. A new Madison seven received the pull, punching it in quickly to finish 13-3, Madison.

Bella Donna vs. UW-Eau Claire

An Eau Claire parent videotaped the game and made some montages:

Thanks for the Wisconsin clips!

The same Eau Claire parent took almost 1,000 pictures of the game, so you can get a flip-book effect if your computer is fast enough. I'll post the most exciting ones here, but feel free to check them out.

I had hoped to finish all the sectionals write-ups before regionals, but it just didn’t happen. I had stalled a bit, hoping that Carleton would completely underestimate SOL in Decorah, giving the temporary-tattooed women the edge they needed to take the second bid to nationals. Robyn Fennig said of her team,

"That's how our season went. Being the unknown team from god knows where. ("Eau where??") I liked coming in, under the radar, being extremely underrated, and finding our way in the backdoor "one away from natties" game. I'm pretty confident that we made some of the best teams in the nation work their asses off to beat us. We don't roll over and die the way the other teams they face do. We put up a damn good fight, and keep fighting until that last hard cap horn blows and the point is done."

I didn't take as many notes this game because I was running up and down the sidelines, so the pictures and video will have to give you all the specifics.

Someone is probably going deep.

Jenny Gaynor and Frances Tsukano making Bella look good.

Elizabeth Vu with a swing to Emelie McKain - love the form

Georgia Bosscher winding up - torque!

Courtney Kiesow doing what she does - making ridiculous catches look easy.

Score! So many open options in the endzone!

Emelie McKain: Central Region Freshman of the Year (official title pending...)

The laws of physics do not apply to Georgia Bosscher.

Robyn Fennig with a huge catch D on a misplaced dump pass.

The game was exciting with points trading back and forth. In the middle of the game, Eau Claire tied it up at 5s and then went on a three point run to take half. 5-8, Eau Claire. Wisconsin was not happy. After half, Bella came out firing. With sidelines as the most dominant 8th player yet, the women in black stormed back with a huge five point run and took the lead 10-8. Eau Claire, tenacious as always, put in the next two just before the soft cap. Tied at 10s, game to 12. At this point the Eau Claire men had filled the sidelines; the air was filled with the sound of voices and tense with the sense of imminency. Although SOL is a phenomenal team, there is a reason that Bella has consistently been in the top 10 all year: they have what it takes to finish when it matters. They prepared for moments like this and at this point in the day, were barely tired. After all, they had spent countless weeknights running sprints at the shell and weekend after weekend traveling to top tier tournaments. Focus, legs & hands.... all they needed to win.

And they did it. Bitterman to Frances, then Georgia to Courtney. 12-10, Wisconsin. The best ending to a sectionals tournament that I have ever seen. Next step, Decorah...

Update

2008-03-10T10:21:00.003-06:00

Since winning Mardi Gras, we took third at Vegas, first at Texas Throwdown, and ninth at Stanford Invite (with 15 people). A Stanford writeup will be coming soon, but to hold you over, here's a quick highlight reel from Vegas, and one from Throwdown. More to come soon!

Mardi Gras Highlights

2008-02-17T15:13:00.003-06:00

Courtesy of Emelie McKain's editing prowess and Anne Bosscher's video taping skills, we have our first highlight reel. Yeah, baby.

Mardi Gras Win

2008-02-05T10:47:00.000-06:00

Our first tournament of the official college season went extremely well. After traveling through blizzards and ice storms and taking anywhere from 15 to 24 hours to drive down to Baton Rouge, it was a relief Saturday morning waking up to sunshine and mild temperatures. Bella Donna came out strong, with a desire to play born from -25° windchills. The girls won all of Saturday's games by at least 10 points, ignoring the standing water that covered our field. After a first round bye on Sunday and a move to fields that didn't have six inches of mud, we were ready for anything. Quarterfinals against Vanderbilt went smoothly 13-1, leading to semis against an Arkansas reunion team. The girls came out strong, but lagged after half, only managing to finish the game 10-8.

A team pep talk before finals (against a conglomerate Eau Claire/Milwaukee team) decided that no matter what happened we would all be involved and excited, pumped to keep the team going. This manifested itself in the girls cheering whether we got the point or not, rushing the field when we did get the point, sidelines getting D's every point, and ultimately a 13-5 win. Ending our first tournament so strongly bodes well for the rest of the season and we cannot wait for Trouble in Vegas this weekend.