Photo courtesy of Sherry Yang ’20
Emma Bowe ’21 competed with Daisy Chain at the ultimate frisbee tournament at Bates College.
BY HANNAH THUKRAL ’23
“We wanted to reference Mount Holyoke’s root in the Seven Sister colleges. The schools are sometimes referred to as the constellation ‘Pleiades,’ the ‘Heavenly Seven’ and ‘Daisy Chain,’” Mount Holyoke Ultimate Frisbee Captain Clara Honigberg ’21 said. “It’s also a great name because it has both a ‘strong’ and ‘pretty’ aspect to it, which we like to think of [ourselves as.]”
Daisy Chain is a campus club team that was founded in 2005, and has grown significantly since.
“We are so big this year that we have had to split into a practice squad and a tournament squad,” team member Anna Karapin-Springorum ’23 said.
Daisy Chain competes nationally. They have made the USA women’s college Ultimate Division III (DIII) Championship every year since 2016, finishing fifth in 2017. Most of their tournaments are away games, during which they compete in multiple matches throughout the day.
On Feb. 27, Daisy Chain went to their first tournament of the year at Bates College, where they played Amherst, Bowdoin, Colby and Bates Colleges in sub-freezing temperatures. The team won all four games.
“One interesting thing about the sport is that we don’t really have referees,” Karapin-Springorum said. “Everyone is held accountable by their own teammates. It’s a really awesome, positive environment.”
Sportsmanship is paramount to the game. In fact, it is in the rule book. “I can’t speak to other club sports, but Frisbee is unique because, in the official rule book, there are regulations about good sportsmanship called ‘Spirit of the Game,’” Honigberg said
Daisy Chain practices three days a week for two hours each day. Since ultimate frisbee is not a varsity sport at Mount Holyoke, players don’t receive physical education (PE) credit for their commitment, nor do they get assistance from the athletic trainers.
“It feels unfair that we don’t get PE credit for doing all this physical activity and committing so much time to something, but I love the team and the sport, so it’s worth it,” Karapin-Springorum said.
“People choose to do club for different reasons,” Honigberg said. “Some come to do athletics that complement their academic schedule, others come for a workout ... some come just because of how fun it is.”
“Everyone is always willing to teach you new stuff,” Karapin-Springorum said. “Even if you do mess up, or have an off day, everyone is still checking on you.”
At the DIII Championship, there is a competition for “spirit,” in which Daisy Chain placed second last year.
“We usually rush the field after points and give high-fives no matter the outcome of the score,” Honigberg said.