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(The Blue Banner}
Disc golf dream becomes reality at UNCA
By Phillip Amos
Staff Writer
PMAMOS@UNCA.EDU
UNC Asheville’s Student Govern
ment Association dedicated the first
six holes of the new campus disc golf
course with a ceremony and a celebra
tory round of play on Sunday at Mul
len Park across from Zeis Hall.
Chancellor Anne Ponder and SGA
President Cortland Mercer gave brief
’■emarks and then threw the first discs.
Students around school are buzzing
with excitement about the new course.
“I started playing disc golf two or
three years ago. At the time it was a re
ally good way to blow off steam in be
tween classes and a way to kind of de
stress after busy days,” Mercer said. “I
started to go out to Richmond Hill and
played a lot out there and started to
get involved on campus and thought it
would be a good fit for our culture here
on campus.”
Comparable to traditional 18-hole
golf, players toss specially designed
discs toward chain baskets attached
to poles. Each pole represents a golf
“hole,” with the objective to get the
disc in the basket with the least num
ber of throws.
“We are the six-time defending in
tercollegiate disc golf champions, and
we compete with other schools within
the state. We meet once a month be-
girming around September and ending
about March,” Mercer said. “Depend
ing on how many people you bring out,
as well as how well you perform, you
are able to earn your school points. At
the end of the year they tally up the
scores, and the best school wins.”
According to the Disc Golf Asso
ciation, disc golf as it is known today
began with “Steady” Ed Headrick, the
father of disc golf and modem day disc
sports. Headrick was the driving force
responsible for the modem era of Fris-
bee sports.
He founded the International Fris-
bee Association, established the Junior
Frisbee Chamnionshio. e.stahlished and
“The course is the
natural next step for
the players, and we are
grateful that the
university has been so
supportive in the
endeavor. ”
.. . . Photo by Assistant Photography Editor Ian Shannon
SGA President Cortland Mercer throws out the first disc on Sunday.
organized the World Frisbee Champi-
onship and created and standardized
the sport of disc golf
“Disc golf has been a sport club for
a number of years. The course is the
natural next step for the players, and
we are grateful that the university has
been so supportive in the endeavor,”
said Jill Moffrtt, director of campus
recreation. “In addition to supporting
the club, campus recreation is ecstatic
about this new recreational opportu
nity, which will be open to the entire
community.”
Mercer and senior Peter Carpenter,
director of disc affairs, were the stu
dents behind the work involved but
they'were not alone. At the induction
ceremony Sunday, Mercer and Car
penter were able to thank many of
those involved.
“Dr. Jill Moffitt and Melissa Acker
were the go-to people who were there
when I had questions and setbacks.
Their support is invaluable. The of
ficers of .student activitv and leamine
—Jill Moffitt
were also with us at every turn, loaning
us tools and a' lot of wisdom as well,”
Carpenter said during his speech Sun
day afternoon. “Finally, most impor
tantly, we would like to thank Dr. Bill
Haggard, the vice chancellor of student
affairs. Without him this project would
have never gotten off the ground.”
See DISC GOLF Page 15 I
Page 14
Men’s soccer
team excited for
upcoming season
By Natalie Pearson
Staff Writer
NGPEARSON@UNCA.EDD
As the Big South men’s soccer
season rapidly approaches, the UNC
Asheville Bulldogs are excited and
ready to go.
Showcasing a roster of five fresh
men, 15 sophomores and one senior,
UNCA boasts one of its youngest
teams in years. However, according
to senior defenseman Edwin Wotortsi,
the team’s overall age shouldn’t cause
any problems.
“I don’t think we’ll suffer,” he said.
“The guys are working hard anyway,
so, although they’re lacking experi
ence, their hard work will make up for
it.”
Alexander Koslick, a transfer soph
omore and one of UNCA’s forwards,
agrees.
“I played with only one senior at
Catawba last year, and it’s no disad
vantage,” he said. “Everyone’s ex
pected to hold their own anyway, so it
makes no difference.”
Catawba was UNCA’s first sched
uled exhibition game on Tuesday and,
according to Koslick, the team is not as
good as Asheville.
“Asheville’s much better,” he said.
“The chemistry is really strong here,
and everything’s harder, faster and
more intense, so I look forward to hav
ing a successful year.”
Before official practice started on
Aug. 14, Director of Exercise and
Sports Science, Brad DeWeese orga
nized a full summer of strength and
conditioning workouts.
The team also participated in two
weeks of captain’s practice led by
Wotortsi before working with Head
Coach Steve Cornish.
“I oversaw their strength and condi
tioning and provided them with a sum-
See bulldogs Page 16 I