With the weather on their side, the Union Jaxx emerged as champions for the first time this season at their tournament in Knoxville on April 5-6 and solidified their push to regionals with a victory in Decatur, Tennesse this past weekend.
The Jaxx, Union’s men’s ultimate frisbee team, has continued to be one of the most successful sports programs at Union. A club sport firmly embraced by an athletic bunch that has become very close over the years, ultimate frisbee is increasing in popularity across the United States and here on campus. The Union Jaxx is in the thick of it all.
The Jaxx won six of their seven games in Knoxville to win the tournament outright, beating the University of Tennesse by two points with a final score of 15-13.
Daniel Yurov, junior business major and captain of the frisbee team, speaks highly of his friends and teammates who practice hard and often to improve an ever-changing game. The majority of the team is made up of freshmen players who picked up the game only a semester ago.
“I was really proud of the way the guys played,” said Yurov regarding the Knoxville tournament. “We’re a heavy freshman team, and they all stepped up in a really big way. It definitely showed that our hard work up through the fall and into the spring has paid off.”
The Union Jaxx practice three days a week for up to two and a half hours at a time, running and working on throwing, cutting, offensive and defensive plays. Ultimate frisbee players can run up to 8 miles during an individual game and can play up to 8 total games in a tournament. Yurov, who plays as a handler for the Jaxx in many situations, has clocked himself running almost 26 miles in one weekend.
“We basically run marathons,” Yurov said.
With regionals ahead, the Union Jaxx hope to continue their victorious stretch. However, it’s more than just winning for these young men. Co-captain John David Logan, a junior political science and philosophy major, knows that the Jaxx represent Christ everywhere they go.
“This year, more than ever, we’ve been consciously ministry minded,” said Logan. “It brings me a lot of joy to see my teammates encouraging other teams, interacting with them on the sidelines, making friends with believers and unbelievers alike, praying with them and loving on them.”
The future is competitive for this athletic group of guys, but the heart for Christ and mission to make him known doesn’t end once they step onto the field.
The Jaxx will contend in regionals this weekend in Foley, Alabama.