Chaos Theory, Bowdoin women’s ultimate frisbee team, recently placed first in the New England regional championships, beating out seven other teams.

Over the course of the tournament, held the first weekend in May, the team went 7-0, beating Williams College, Amherst College, Wellesley College, Smith College, Bentley University and Brandeis University by a total point differential of 103-29. “This raises our season record to a ridiculous 33-0,” co-captain Julie Bender ’13 said.

The win secured Chaos Theory’s spot in the Division III National Tournament in Milwaukee, Wis., May 18-19. “It’s been an absolutely incredible season, and we’re thrilled that it’ll be continuing for as long as possible,” Bender said.

Co-captain Phoebe Aron ’13 noted that over the past four years, Chaos Theory has grown from a team that used to consider just qualifying for the regional tournament an achievement. Each year, the team has done a little better, she said. “Two years ago we lost in the last game at regionals and were the first team out at nationals. Last year we won our regional tournament and went to nationals,” where the team finished 7th in the country. “We’re really hoping we can continue this trend,” Aron concluded.

While the source of their success this year is somewhat mysterious, Bender admitted, she chalked up much of it to her teammates’ “love of the sport and a love of the team.” She added, “Our first priority is having fun and enjoying the game. During games, we are constantly listening to music and dancing on the sidelines. We play very competitively, but we try to not take ourselves too seriously.”

Plus, Chaos Theory has a lot of talented, athletic players with a “depth of skill,” Bender said.
The team includes Hannah Young, Tess Chardiet, Zina Huxley-Reicher, Erica Swan, Clare Stansberry, Mik Cooper, Zoe Karp, Emily McDonald, Elizabeth Carew, Sivana Barron, Elisabeth Strayer, Molly Sun, Nina Underman, Ana Leon, Hannah Leblanc and Juliet Eyraud.

Additionally, the team, while mostly self-coached, has had some guidance from Brady Meisenhelder. Bender also thanked the College administration. “On campus, Ultimate Frisbee is beginning to be recognized as a legitimate sport, and so many administrators have been absolutely wonderful with helping us coordinate and fund tournaments, travel and practice opportunities,” she said.