The Bowdoin Orient

April 6, 2001
Volume CXXXII, Number 20

Stoned Clowns

by KURT JENDREK, CONTRIBUTOR

   Bowdoin's Ultimate team, the Stoned Clown, has made a turn around this year. The Clown, who previously had few tournaments with a winning record, emerged from the fall season with a winning record and looks forward to the coming season.
   Captain Jon Knapp '02 stated that the turn around was the result of a several changes. "We had new blood in the freshmen, they knew what they were doing and were pumped about playing. They got the others pumped. Additionally, there was a feeling among the upperclassmen of being not so hot on losing."
   At the start of the year the year the Clown held a meeting at which they decided that they were tired of losing after an 0-5 showing at one tournament. After that the Clown went to sectionals and went 4-1, beating several strong college teams.
   Winning sectionals qualified them for regionals. Knapp said that the Clown had not ever qualified for regionals before. There were several leaders of this turnaround, according to Knapp. "The captains, me and [Brian Mohr '01], provided some leadership. But some of the leadership also came from Brendan Dickinson and [Professor David] Silbey."
   At the end of the fall season the Clown was ranked 16th regionally and fifth within their section, behind such ultimate powerhouses like Harvard and Tufts.
   "Harvard is the best team in the section," said Knapp. "MIT is probably second, and third is kind of fuzzy. We are in the mix for third with Boston University, University of New Hampshire, and University of Maine Farmington."
   The Clown placed second in Maine last semester behind Farmington, losing to the Beaver by one point at the Pine Tree championships. The Clown record was 6-6 against other colleges and 15-10 overall.
   Many of the Clown's favorite memories of last season revolve around the turn around at sectionals. Jeremy Katzen '04 stated that the comeback against Tufts was a great time, as was "embarrassing that high school team." Katzen was referring to the Clown's defeat of two-time national high school champion Newton North.
   Brendan Dickinson '04 stated that the whole day was fun. "There was a level of excitement at those games," he said.
   Dickinson and the Clown have been preparing for the upcoming season. "We have been running, lifting weights, playing basketball to work on agility, as well as throwing around indoors," he said. He added that he would have liked to have done more.
   Dickinson and Knapp both look forward to the Clown's success at the sectional tournament. "We will do well at sectionals," said Knapp. "We will face some challenges at the regional level though." Dickinson also predicts that the Clown will do very well at the smaller tournaments the Clown will attend this season.