This year, the UW is dominating the competition in one ultimate sport: Ultimate Frisbee.

The Washington women’s Ultimate Frisbee team, called Element, is the best women’s team in the United States and second in the league to the University of British Columbia (UBC). The team is ranked second overall in the Ultimate Players Association and is headed to nationals for the first time since 2005, when UW finished second overall to Stanford.

“I was actually playing for the team the first time we went in 2005 when we went the first time,” coach Miranda Roth said. “There are a couple of the girls on the team back then. Most of these girls have never been before. I expect them to be very excited.”

They certainly are.

“Oh, hell yes,” player Jillian Goodreau said when asked if she was excited for nationals.

The University of British Columbia has been playing tight with the UW all season, only picking up the No. 1 ranking after coming in first place in regional play.

“It’s a big deal to get to nationals, especially from our really, really competitive division,” graduate student Kate Everitt said. “There were a lot of good teams we had to get through to get here.”

Last year, the UW’s team lost by a double game point in overtime to the tournament’s winner, Stanford, and did not make it to nationals.

Sixteen teams across the country will descend on Boulder, Colo., May 16-18 for nationals. Teams are selected by region, and each region sends between one and three teams based on a number of factors, including the size of the region and how the teams did in the tournament last year.