The Tigers Girls Ultimate Frisbee team — undefeated 21-0 going into their last home game on Wednesday — will compete for the Division I State Championship in Northampton this weekend. The team recently placed first at the Pioneer Valley Invitational, competing against several all-star club programs — and was one of only two high-school teams to reach the quarter-finals and the only high-school team to reach the semi-finals.
Currently ranked sixth in the eastern U.S., the Tigers have already qualified as one of the 16 teams nationwide to compete in the National High School Invite championships in Salt Lake City, June 16-17.
Nearly all of the team’s 17 players are from Newton North High School — one is from Newton South High School, and the team plans to recruit more. It’s a no-cut, all-varsity team that has drawn strength from several players’ experience in the Boston Ultimate Disc Alliance.
The team has impressive guidance from Coach Heather Raker and assistant coaches Christine Dunlap and Peggy Hollinger — all Hall of Famers with several championships of their own.
It will take about $25,000 in travel expenses to bring the team to the nationals in Salt Lake City. Families of the players are paying what they can, and the team has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help.
