As the spring semester wraps up, Macalester’s club ultimate frisbee teams, Flat Earth Open Ultimate and the Pursesnatchers Gender Inclusive Ultimate, are stacking up successes. Both are headed to the USA Ultimate Division III College Championships in Waukegan, Ill., in May. This is Flat Earth’s first time qualifying for nationals in program history, while the Pursesnatchers reclaim their bid after missing it in 2025.
Flat Earth’s road to nationals began with an exhilarating weekend in Cedar Rapids, Iowa at the Old Capitol Open Tournament. They won 13-5 against the University of Northern Iowa and 13-4 against Grinnell College, but their fate rested on the last game, facing the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
Team captain Owen Suelflow ’26 scored the last point with a final score of 13-6, allowing Flat Earth to continue their pursuit to qualify for nationals.
“I remember catching the disc in the endzone and pumping my fists in excitement, sharing the joy with the Pursesnatchers who were on the sidelines cheering us on,” Suelflow said.
Old Capital was the first tournament they’ve won in program history, earning the North Central Region another bid. With a strong performance at sectionals, Flat Earth secured the third bid in this region, only losing to the first and secondranked teams, Carleton College and St. Olaf College.
The Pursesnatchers, meanwhile, lost a close 8-7 championship game to the University of Kansas, but earned their spot in nationals three weeks later at the North Central D-III Women’s Conference Championship Tournament. They placed second overall, one of the three teams in the conference to advance.
The win didn’t come without challenges. The Pursesnatchers played Winona State’s gritty offense in 35+ mph winds. This brutal combination — a tough team in tough weather — made for a challenging victory.
“In games that are so windy like that game, the offense feels like we are playing against eight players,” Pursesnatchers Captain Zayna Hopkins ’27 said.
The Pursesnatchers appeared at Division III National Championships two seasons ago, tying for fifth out of sixteen teams. They fell short of qualifying altogether in 2025, making their qualification this year all the more impressive.
The team has found success for several reasons, including teambuilding exercises, dynamic training during practice and reworking strategies on the field. The fall semester brought many first-years eager to pick up the disc and play.
“It was amazing, but it has made it more of a puzzle to get the most out of every practice for every player,” Suelflow said.
Only seven players are on the field at a time, posing a challenge for Mac’s 20+ player teams. Since most are new to collegiate ultimate frisbee, they’ve had to hone in on creating a competitive dynamic during practices rather than leaving the competition for tournaments alone.
To mimic the game-like pressure, Sueflow said the teams “scrimmage a lot during practice, [which] is what translates best into games.” This focus, along with cultivating a tight-knit community on and off the field, helps them have “a cohesive vision for our goals and getting everyone on board to achieve them,” something both Flat Earth and the Pursesnatchers wanted to improve on throughout the season, Suelflow explained.
The teams also emphasize “understanding the importance of everyone trying their hardest, maintaining positivity and knowing that their teammates are pushing them out of love.” It’s this collective mindset during practices that “translates best into games when we see hard competition,” Pursesnatchers Captain Adi Megiddo ’26 said.
Through their detailed game plans and successful tournaments, it is hard to deny the Flat Earthers and Pursesnatchers’ love for ultimate frisbee. With each throw and catch, they come back to what they show up for — the team community and the “‘spirit of the game’ [that] is written into the rule book,” Hopkins said.
The Macalester frisbee teams have less than a month until they head to Illinois for nationals on May 16. May 16 is also commencement for the seniors, posing a difficult choice for the graduating players.
“It was a super hard decision and honestly a really unfortunate situation to be in,” Suelflow said. “Frisbee has been my biggest highlight at Mac, so to miss part of nationals, a tournament that we’ve been trying to make every year, will be tough.”
