By Albert Chang-Yoo
By all accounts, the University of Puget Sound’s Womxn’s Ultimate Frisbee team was not supposed to make it this far. The team, known officially as Clearcut Ultimate (and affectionately termed the “Cuties”), won big during the Northwest Regional tournament, securing their route to the Division III national tournament in May.
The Northwest Region is highly competitive. Out of the six teams in the region, Whitman, Lewis & Clark, and Portland were all ranked within the top 10 frisbee teams in the country. In its prediction for the Northwest Regionals, UltiWorld, the leading outlet covering Ultimate Frisbee, wrote that “the Nationals attendees seem decided” and that “Puget Sound’s chances are slim”. Furthermore, Clearcut arrived to the conference shorthanded: Ultimate Frisbee teams usually consisted of about 24 players, to make up subs for the 7 players on the field. Clearcut had only 11 players competing at regionals.
Coming into the tournament, which was held April 12-13 in Oregon, Clearcut had a modest 5-9 record. Yet they won three out of five games at Regionals, including a crucial semi-final win over Lewis & Clark, a team ranked #6 in the country. The Lewis & Clark match was an intense back and forth, ultimately coming down to a next-point-wins situation. “We knew we had to put it all on the field,” Claire Bargman (‘26) said. The game was decided by Lilia Yatskowitz’s (‘25) catch, making the final score 10-9.
“It was a huge upset,” Luna Wagner (‘27) said. Wagner made the winning assist to Yatskowitz. Wagner explained that during tournaments, frisbee players run “anywhere between half a marathon to a marathon.” After playing multiple 90 minute games in a row, the winning element essentially comes down to both physical and mental toughness. “Our mental strength was the reason we won the tournament,” Wagner said. “It was the perfect game.”
Taylor Kanemori is one of two head coaches for Clearcut Ultimate. Coaching is a voluntary, unpaid position, built off of love for such a niche sport. “This team is small but mighty,” Kanemori said. “We have a lot of talent but most players are relatively new to the sport which means we are still growing and improving in just our fundamentals a ton. It was awesome to see all of the newer players have to really step it up alongside our more experienced players at conferences.”
According to Kanemori, Clearcut Frisbee is built off of a culture of mutual support and openness: “no one ever takes their frustration out on their teammates and everyone supports each other’s highs and lows on and off the field.” The upset win at regionals only furthered that notion.
The Clearcut Ultimate team started at Puget Sound in 2005, and has seen a number of ups and downs – including multiple appearances at nationals. 20 years later, the team is finding renewed success. This year’s squad is exemplary of the welcoming culture frisbee can cultivate. “It feels so special to be able to spend more time playing and competing with my teammates, especially our seniors,” Bargman said.
The D-III Ultimate Frisbee Nationals will be held from May 17-19 in Burlington, WA. 15 of the highest-ranked teams from across the country will gather for the tournament for a chance to win it all. Though the fate of Clearcut’s season will be decided then, in many ways the team has already marked its own path towards success.