The Union Jaxx made a name for themselves in the Jackson area due to their recent accomplishment of ranking 17th in the nation in just their fourth year of existence.
The ultimate frisbee team was founded by Jesse Dahms and Christian Winter in the spring of 2013. The freshmen came into college with a love and knowledge of the game and were determined to start a team wherever they went to college.
Like any new team, the Union Jaxx started out at the bottom. Over the past four years the team has put in countless hours of practice and has traveled to numerous tournaments to improve their skill level and team chemistry.
Now Dahms and Winter are seniors and the Union Jaxx are ranked 17th in their division and are first in the Southeast Conference. The Union Jaxx are a part of Division Three since Union has fewer than 10,000 full-time students.
The team is excited about being 17th in the nation, considering that is the highest they have ever been ranked. Although that is a huge accomplishment for such a young team, the team is still pushing to advance their ranking.
“We are excited but seeking to improve,” said Dahms, senior business management and psychology major. One goal the team has is to advance to 16th in the nation since the top 16 teams get to compete in nationals.
The team credits their success not only to their hard work and dedication but to the addition of their coach, Harrison Hayes. Hayes’s influence on the team has been helpful to the flow of practices, games and tournaments.
Over the past four years, the Union Jaxx have become more recognized across the student body and Union community. The bleachers are becoming more crowded every time there’s a game. This is due to the intensity of their games increasing along with the competitiveness. The team now travels farther to tournaments because their skill level is up to par of larger schools.
The Union Jaxx will be competing in an upcoming tournament called the D3 Eastern located in South Carolina next month. They will also be competing in regionals on April 30. Depending on how they do in regionals and other upcoming tournaments, the Union Jaxx may have a spot in the national tournament. If so, they will be competing for the national title on May 21 and 22.