Unpredictable Vegas leaves Men's Division up for Grabs

A wild and unpredictable weekend is par for the course in Vegas, but the final result of the weekend is also par for the course in College Ultimate. Top-seeded and top-ranked Wisconsin claimed its first Championship at Trouble In Vegas, the only whole on a resume that includes 118 wins and 15 tournament titles in the last three seasons. Nine of those wins came on this weekend, including two over its most bitter rival and one of the main obstacles to its road to a repeat National Title, Carleton.

Standing opposite Wisconsin's expected excellence in the Finals was the most unexpected of teams, in the midst of an exceedingly excellent performance. Arizona, a team without a single appearance at the UPA College Championships, had emerged from the bracket left decimated by upsets in the round of 16. The biggest damage was done by Arizona itself, upending two-time defending tournament Champion, undefeated and second-seeded Florida 11-10 in front of the biggest crowd of the whole weekend.

The lower half of the bracket saw upsets in each of the four games, including Whitman over third-seeded Oregon, Harvard over Illinois, and California over British Columbia. California-Santa Cruz also knocked California-San Diego in the top half, Colorado nearly toppled Carleton, and Dartmouth had opportunities to take out California-Santa Barbara.

The results leave the chase for the NCUS Grand Prize wide open. Wisconsin has established itself as the front-runner, but the many upsets at this tournament show that no team is safe. With the stage set to shift west, to The Stanford Invite, the parity in the NCUS Standings could make this the most meaningful edition of one of the most prestigious tournaments of College Ultimate history. The strong performances from Arizona and Whitman allowed them both to punch their tickets to Palo Alto, and each will look to validate itself as a contender not only in its Region but also for the National Title. Perennial powerhouses Colorado, making its first trip to Palo Alto in several years, and host Stanford, will look to get on the NCUS board, and reestablish the pecking order in their respective Regions. Florida, Carleton and Oregon, all identified in the preseason as contenders for the NCUS Grand Prize and National Title, could use a tournament Championship on their resume to stem Wisconsin's tide.

The setting of Vegas proved to be the best backdrop for such an unbelievable weekend, but as the NCUS shifts toward the stately venue of Stanford University, order may be restored at the top of the Men's Division, or Arizona, Harvard, and Whitman could be prepared to establish a new order. No matter which teams are positioned second and beyond, Wisconsin will be eager to prove that second is what the rest of the country is fighting for again this season.