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A strong Force from the North

The Bates women's ultimate team, Cold Front, heads to nationals

By Bates College

May 31^st, 2018

Cold Front Is coming your way

In weather terms, a cold front is a relentless push of cold, dry air.

Then there's Cold Front, the name of the women’s club ultimate team at Bates. They’re relentless too, and riding a sky-high season. "We are strong force coming in from the north!" says tri-captain Josie Gillett ’19 of Seattle.

The team boasts a 19-1 record. They’re ranked second in the nation among Division III colleges. And they're heading to the USA Ultimate Championships this weekend.

League of their own

Cold Front’s tri-captains are Gillett and seniors Adair Andre of Edina, Minn., and Katie Hartnett of St. Paul, Minn.

For the Bates seniors, this is their third appearance in the national tournament, held this year in Rockford, Ill., once home of the World War II-era Rockford Peaches, the women’s baseball team from the movie A League of Their Own.

Cold Front finished seventh and 10th in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Hartnett says the previous trips were “a wild experience. Crazy.” But this year, the team feels more serene. “We’re working hard, we know where we need to improve, and we’ve done it. We feel less pressure.”

“This is our last tournament,” Andre says. “We’re ready to have fun, play our hardest, and play our game, and not get caught up in what the other teams are doing.”

What Learning is

While the sport of ultimate might be growing by leaps and bounds on college campuses, the Bates tri-captains say that few students arrive having done much more than toss the disc around in high school. And that’s cool.

“Most people have not played ultimate,” says Andre. “Some have never touched a disc. But it’s a fast learning curve, and people get the hang of it.”

Hartnett came to her first practice three years ago with great trepidation. “I could not throw a Frisbee.” She stuck around, even though it was a struggle. “I was not one of those who picked up on the game quickly.”

She stayed because “everyone was so receptive and supportive. They were kind when people made mistakes,” she recalls. “After all, making mistakes is what learning is.”

Monster Flick hucks (Huh?)

Josie Gillett is, flat out, one of the country’s best collegiate players. She’s on UltiWorld’s watch list for Division III Player of the Year thanks to her “dominance across the field; watch out for her monster flick hucks.” (A “flick huck” is a type of throw, like a submarine pitch in baseball.)

The team has two volunteer coaches, and when they are not at practice, Gillett leads the way. “We practice based on what we need to do,” says Gillett. “We keep the intensity high to replicate game conditions. We push each other to do better.”

“She’s amazing,” Hartnett says. “She knows so much, and has taught us so much. She’s a huge driving force in how our team has improved because she’s a teacher. She helps us harness our energy into something productive.”

‘You’re in the right place’

Gillett is an elite player, but not elitist. Here’s what she tells newbie players who’ve barely touched a disc:

“First, you’re in good company, because nobody really plays ultimate before college. You’ll feel that you’re bad, but you’re in the right place and you are doing the right thing. And if you want to get better, you just need to show up at practice, and you will get better.

“You're going to make 1,000 mistakes. But if you make mistakes working hard, at 110 percent, it's better than making mistakes going at 80 percent.”

Get used to Cold Front

Cold Front is here to stay. “The older players have had experience at the national level. They’re teaching younger players what it means to be a competitive ultimate player,” she says.

“We’re getting deeper, up and down the roster. There’s not a single person who can’t play. Everyone is up to speed, totally deserves to be there, and can beat any girl on any other team.”

‘That’s us: Cold Front’

The name “Cold Front” is about loving Maine and being together. “We practice late at night outside beginning in February,” Gillett says. “We learn how to thrive in less-than-ideal conditions. We like to channel that energy into ourselves.”

If you happen to be in the Rockford area this weekend, check out the championship tournament. Look for the team with their hair dyed a chilly blue. “That’s us,” says Hartnett. “Cold Front.”