But if you see IHUC on the fields this weekend at Easterns, you will notice something about their jerseys that make them different from most: on every IHUC player’s sleeve, encircled in black or gold, is the number 16. Ask any member of Iowa’s roster, and he will tell you that the digits are a symbol of his place in Gleason’s Army, a term used by the team to remember a fallen leader and teammate.

2008 Iowa captain Brian Gleason

In 2004, Iowa finished tied for 5th-place at College Nationals. Having qualified for Nationals in four of the previous six years, it was a great era for the program. But in 2005, the team failed make it back when it finished 5th at regionals; in 2006 and 2007, IHUC hit an all-time low, finishing 13th and 11th at Regionals.

In 2008, IHUC captain Brian Gleason took the reigns of his struggling team in hopes of bringing them back into the fold of the national elite. Gleason was well known within his local community for introducing players to the game, increasing camaraderie, and pushing the program to reach new heights, and with him at the helm, the team was confident that with it could regain its once-prestigious place in college ultimate. And, of course, Gleason would wear his number, 16, all along the way.

But on, January 11, 2008 Gleason’s life was cut short in a tragic automobile accident. He was 25.

In the spring of that year, Iowa took its first major step toward rebuilding when it made the semifinals at Central Regionals. But despite going on an 8-0 run against Wisconsin, the eventual national champions, IHUC was unable to close the game out on universe point.

In 2009, Iowa began traveling to prominent tournaments around the country and threatening to break back onto the national scene. The team won Warm Up: A Florida Affair, and was considered to be a strong contender leading up to Regionals. But again, Iowa’s hopes for making Nationals were cut short, this time by a heartbreaking loss to Minnesota in the final game to qualify.

Last year, IHUC was as deep and as hungry as ever. After losing to Carleton in the Regional Semifinal, the team sat down and to talk. The leadership wanted to explicitly spoke about the 16 on each of their sleeves.

Out of that team meeting came the term Gleason’s Army. “It is a reminder that each player, even those youths on he team that never had the chance to meet the fallen captain, is playing for something greater than individual glory,” says IHUC player Alex Rummelhart.

The team-first mentality, the hard work, and the rebuilding process– all bearing the fingerprints of Brian Gleason– would come together in the next day’s final game to go to Nationals. Up against Carleton College GOP, IHUC would grind out a 15-13 win that launched them into the Championships for the first time in six years.

At Nationals, Iowa went 4-3 and finished tied for 9th.

In 2011, IHUC still wears #16, remembering Brian Gleason in their hopes to take the next step forward. “Gleason’s Army is a focusing point,” says Rummelhart. “It is an army without heroes, without superstars, without arrogance, and it is what drives IHUC forward.”

Iowa’s goal, like many teams, is to forge not just an elite squad for this year, but an elite program that consistently produces greatness. As the team fights on for years to come, it do so in memory of the captain that started it all: #16, Brian Gleason.

A memorial disc sold by IHUC. Proceeds go to the Brian Larkin Gleason Memorial Fund.

Many thanks to Alex Rummelhart for telling this story. For the news report on Gleason’s tragic death and the remarkable good that was found in it, visit Cedar Rapids’ KCRG.

The only problem was that Ohio was watching and not playing. At Sectionals just a month before, Ohio had lost three consecutive games to go to Regionals. A particularly painful loss because the team had been the longest-running Regional qualifier out of the East Plains Section, many Ohio upperclassmen checked out.

Ohio captain Nick Wetzel goes up in a crowd at 2010 Great Lakes Regionals.

But Ball and the other members of Ohio’s young core looked toward the future, using the inspiration drawn from watching Nationals as a foundation for a new beginning. “I distinctly remember the conversations we had there,” Ball says. “We started talking about what it would take for us to get to the level of ultimate we were watching and we made the commitment to do whatever it would take. It was a turning point for us as a team.”

The following fall, Ohio came out strong, winning Fall Brawl over a Pittsburgh split squad, and in the spring the team qualified for Great Lakes Regionals. The tournament was postponed after two games, and with the short notice schedule change, only 11 players made the trip to finish the following weekend. Ball and his teammates finished fifth, a performance from which they only drew more motivation. “While we were proud of what we accomplished, it only increased our hunger for success.”

Last summer, Ohio players took the next step toward improvement and committed to playing club. Two players earned trips to Club Nationals with Madcow, and at this point every member of Ohio’s roster has some level of club ultimate experience.

With ten seniors and one graduate student (former Texas player Andrew Foley), this is the year for Ohio to bring it all together. Knowing that practice alone is not enough, Ohio has already travelled south three times in 2011, facing quality competition at T-Town Throwdown (where the team finished seventh, losing to Florida in the quarterfinals 15-12), Queen City Tune-Up (third, losing to Michigan in semis and beating Georgia in consolation), and the Easterns Qualifier (first, beating regional rival Ohio State twice, 12-9 in the final).

Strong results aside, Ohio knows that there is still work to be done. In fact, Ball realizes that the regular season is merely a stepping stone. “For us, the regular season is all about building chemistry as a team and winning as many games as we can for our region. But once the Series rolls around, all the rankings and hype are thrown out the window. It’s just us and the team we are facing, and the only goal it to win.”

If they keep it up, Ohio will be in a good position for its second Nationals trip in three years. This time, the goal is to be playing.

Big thanks to Bryan Jones for his help with this article!

In the fall of 2006, that was the University of Virginia Night Train’s Matt King.

Now, you know the guy that generates his team’s offense with his throws, leads it with his work ethic, and is generally considered one of the top players in his region? The kind that UNC-Wilmington coach and all-time great Tully Beatty describes as “an old school type of player that I’d have enjoyed playing with?”

Same guy.

Matt with his lefty flick against Stanford at Nationals in 2009.

In 2006, Matt King made the Virginia roster after the team finished dead last at Regionals the previous spring. In a freshman class that included athletic standout Tyler Conger as well as three players that stood 6’3″ or above, Matt made the team for two reasons: he never missed practice and he hustled.

Beyond that, though, his game had a serious hole. Naturally left-handed, Matt could only throw a righty backhand. Exacerbating the problem, Matt came back in 2007, his sophomore year, equipped with a forehand– with his left hand. As Matt would say, he was beat.

Unable to put open throws to the right side of the field, Matt’s game was significantly hindered, and when it was time to decide on the A team roster, the captains considered cutting him even though he was a returner. Again, though, Matt’s value as a teammate (along with another poor showing from Night Train in the season prior) was his saving grace, and he kept his spot.

That year, Matt’s contribution to the team was felt across the board. As committed as ever, he set out to maximize his impact as a speedy and tenacious defender while compensating for his lack of throws as much as possible. Also, as he learned more about the game, his exuberant personality made him an invaluable sideline presence, and he was voted the team’s 8th Man of the Year at Night Train’s end of the year banquet.

In the summer following Night Train’s 7th-place finish at 2008 Regionals, Matt set out to truly fix his game rather than simply compensate for its flaws. He brought his team-first mentality to Richmond’s Floodwall, and he spent most of his free time trying to solve his throwing problem.

The outcome was one that any experienced ultimate player would envy: after the summer, Matt came back with a left-handed backhand to go with his flick, making him a complete lefty. While a junior at this point, it was better late than never, and with both legitimate throws, Matt grew as a player as Night Train charged to its first Nationals appearance in 2009.

That summer, Matt would captain a Floodwall team that was made up of virtually all college underclassmen. On top of playing every point, where he improved his defense, field sense, and most importantly, his throws, Matt transitioned from being a fiery teammate to a fierce leader; even when matched up against much more experienced and skills competition, Matt showed an incredible desire to win with every layout D and breakmark huck that he threw against Truck Stop and Ring of Fire.

Today, it is hard to remember Matt as the player he once was. A co-captain for Night Train in 2010 (along with Conger), Matt was one of the team’s most reliable throwers and defenders, and he earned Second Team All-Region honors at the end of the year. This year, his fifth and final, Matt’s presence has already been felt, as he played one of the better games of his career in Virginia’s win against Colorado at Warm Up and continues to push his teammates both on and off the field.

Good rush.

At this point, I should disclose that I have been playing with Matt for five years and that he is among my best friends. Regardless, his is a story worth telling, as it should serve as inspiration and motivation for anyone passionate enough to play a sport regardless of current limitations.

Fast forward to 2010, and Pittsburgh finishes in the National Semifinals. The time in between has been filled with steady improvement that includes six straight Nationals appearances with increasingly higher placements nearly every year.

But beyond its Nationals qualifications, Pitt’s rise has been marked with signature wins and tournament victories at pre-Series events, none bigger than 2006′s 17-14 victory over perennial Nationals qualifier Harvard in the finals of College Easterns.

Pittsburgh: College Easterns champions in 2006

“Pitt Ultimate cut its teeth in North Carolina,” says Sean McComb, a former captain that was there during the team’s darkest points as well as the beginnings of its rise. “A lot of the grit and ability to grind and play tough and not back down that has characterized Pitt Ultimate throughout this past decade came from learning from teams like NC State and North Carolina.”

“Going in we had only ever won two spring tournaments, Clemson’s Joint Summit and Sectionals in 2003.” McComb remembers, “The Harvard game was emotional: we scored a callahan, I dropped a pull, we had to show some poise to hold on for the win. And when we won it really was a huge win for us.”

Noting the confidence gained by winning a tournament with as much history as Easterns, McComb says, “We got to look at that trophy and see the names of programs that we had looked to as models and tried to learn from.  We watched ‘I Bleed Black’ and read about Carleton and the old UNC-W teams and to see some of those names on the trophy and knowing ours would go there really made us believe we could have some sticking power and some legitimacy as a program.”

Since winning Easterns in 2006, Pitt has placed in the Finals twice, losing to Wisconsin in both 2007 and 2010. Current captain Geoff Zettel comments that while none of Pitt’s current players were on the roster in 2006, Easterns is still a huge part of the program’s spring routine.

“Easterns has always been a well-run tournament that is a great benchmark for us during the spring season. Making Finals appearances and generally playing well at Easterns always gives us extra confidence before going into the Series.”

But for many members of the University of Florida’s Gators, academic life is a bit more focused.

“Something a lot of people don’t know about us is that we’re very grad student heavy,” says captain Alton Gaines. “A lot of our guys really have to juggle a heavy school load with the demands of our practices.

Cole Sullivan (right center) throws to Nathan Sage

In addition to Gaines, who is earning a Master in Management at the Hugh Graduate School of Business, the Gator roster includes four others that are studying beyond their undergraduate years. Co-captain Cole Sullivan is a first year law student, Miguel Palaviccini is working toward a PhD in Aeronautical Engineering, Nathan Sage is in accounting school, and Greg Feldman is on track to become a dentist.

For a team whose roster only goes about 12 players deep, five players is a huge fraction. Gaines says that the team has to be flexible with its practice demands, making accommodations on a case by case basis.

“Miguel had to miss Warm Up because of school, and he’s about to defend his dissertation, so it’s tough for him to get to practice and he’s not even sure if he can make it to Easterns,” Gaines says. “Also, since our law school doesn’t have tests during the semester, finals are really important, so Cole is probably going to miss a lot of practice in late April and May.”

Sullivan notes that his time in law school has given him more perspective on the field. “I have noticed myself being more open to debate and hearing what the people I’m playing against have to say rather than tuning it out. It’s always interesting to hear different opinions on the same set of facts.”