Fugue is a psychological state of mind where one abandons all personal identity and memory. Fugue is also the name of the Oregon women’s club ultimate Frisbee team. Clare Gordon, a senior captain on the team, says the name is supposed to represent every point as a new point; every game as a new game.

“The name came around because we wanted to treat each game as a new chance to do something great and forget about past mistakes,” she said. “Also, the name fugue was suggested after we had a few seasons of bad results and we wanted to start over fresh.”

Four years after the new name was introduced, the team has completed the turnaround by qualifying for the Club Ultimate Frisbee national tournament on May 16. It’s the first time since 2002 that they have qualified for the 16-team field held annually in Boulder, Colo.

Fugue got there by defeating six opponents at regionals on April 26 and 27, including two-time defending national champion Stanford 13-12. The defeat of Stanford was the second time this year the team had beat Stanford, and it showed how much things have changed for the team. The Oregon women finished this year 23-9, including a four-win sweep at sectionals April 12 and five wins at a tournament in late March.

The ultimate Frisbee season starts in the fall and runs through the end of May, but to these girls it’s the promise of athletic competition and camaraderie that attracts them to the sport. Most had never played ultimate before college, and they were persuaded by friends to try it out.

Read full article in the Daily Emerald