The CHS ultimate frisbee team got a much-needed lift this year thanks to a new name and a great mix of players, both of which carried the team to success.

This season, the CHS Swag Surfers – coined by senior Simon Warchol – had a stunning record of 5-1 thanks to the combined efforts of both veteran and new players on the team.

Senior veteran Auggie Turner explained why the Clayton ultimate frisbee team had such considerable success.

“We had a good amount of seniors and experienced players this year which led to a lot of smart playing,” Turner said. “That coupled with a ton of athleticism and more turnout than previous years carried our team to a huge winning record.”

The other main factor that led to the success of the ultimate frisbee team this year was the recruitment of new players which added to the depth of the team. As a result, the 2011 season was also the first year in the short Clayton frisbee history during which two girls have joined the team.

Senior Maddy Bullard expressed her decision to join the team and what it was like to be one of the two only girls in a mainly male league.

“I joined the team with my friend Monica Gierada and I’m really glad I did because it didn’t take up a lot of time but it was still fun and competitive,” Bullard said. “While Monica and I were the only girls on the team, we still basically dominated other opponents on the field in the long run.”

Not only did Bullard and Gierada join, but seniors Christian Wolfgram and Will Hayes also came out to play to help rake in the victories, proving that great athleticism goes a long way in ultimate frisbee. Sophomores Jack Wei and Jojo Moomaw were also some of the new faces on the field who showed promise for the coming years and were greatly contributed to the morale and success of the Swag Surfers.

Moomaw recounts his involvement in the Clayton frisbee team.

“When I got here to Clayton, being an incoming sophomore, I was told that if I do anything it should be join a club,” Moomaw said. “I had played unorganized ultimate in the past, but when I heard it was an extracurricular, I was psyched.”

Like much of the team, Moomaw found the frisbee team enjoyable and overall rewarding.

“I had a blast playing and we had a great season so it’s definitely something to look forward to next year,” Moomaw said.

The facilitation of the CHS Swag Surfers, along with the acquisition of new players was largely thanks to senior Scott Jeffery, who filled the position of team captain after Julian Katz graduated last year. Jeffery not only led the team with his disc handling skills, but also the organizational aspect by calling players before games to ensure participation and by settling logistics with the St. Louis Ultimate Juniors (SLUJ) league.

Senior Scott Jeffery expressed his satisfaction with the team.

“Despite our lack of practices, we had a tremendous season,” Jeffery said. “Overall, I know everyone had a blast playing, which in my mind makes this season a success.”

While much of the CHS Swag Surfers’ success this season was attributed to the heavy presence of seniors in the lineup, this also means that next year there will be a large gap in the team after the current seniors graduate.

Junior Adam Ferguson illustrated the problem of losing so many of the seniors but is hopeful of the coming season.

“The seniors are leaving so we’re losing a lot of players on the team, but the truth is that there’s plenty of underclassmen who don’t play spring sports and who are athletic,” Ferguson said. “We just need to advertise ultimate frisbee more.”

Seniors or not, with plenty of untapped talent at CHS and a weathered junior, sophomore, and freshman class ready to lead the team to victory, the CHS Swag Surfers are set for another winning season in 2012.