The Central region wrapped up their 2026 season with the BluGold Invitational II on Saturday, March 28th where they were joined by rivals UW-Platteville (and alumni), UW-Stout and some newer faces Winona State University (WSU), UW-La Crosse (UWL), River Falls (UWRF), and Steven’s Point (UWSP). These events have opened the door for new teams to check out what college dodgeball is like, and it gives the rather secluded central region the opportunity to play people outside the already established teams. Let’s check out how each team did!
UWEC
As their team has grown in numbers, their confidence and pressure on court has also increased. It was not shocking to see captain Cleo Moen take the charge and lead her team up to their attack like. The Blugolds are a very young team with not a lot of experience–only one year of experience for the veterans–and being so far north makes traveling to tournaments outside of Wisconsin a challenge. In fact, they were unable to attend the region cup and will not be at nationals this year. However, they fought hard during every point regardless of if they won it. They move well as a unit, providing good coverage, and apply pressure when they push up. Their understanding of the game has increased immensely since the start of the season, and it allows them to keep points alive for longer.
UWP
Platteville’s season has not always been so smooth sailing. Their official record is 4-14, and that isn’t what the team was aiming for. To compound that, five veterans were unable to attend this event (including two captains), which put pressure on their rookies an non-captains to take charge and lead the team. However, this was a good way to finally push some players out of their comfort zones in preparation for nationals in a few weeks, so no one should feel uneasy about taking charge and being a leader. This event went well for UWP. They won 7-0 against UWEC and played well despite the fewer number of players. They treated each opponent with respect and it was a clean way to close out the regular season.
NCDA Mixed
For starters, it was impressive to see how well these players meshed together; they were very fun to watch. While the UWS players had the most experience and took the lead on most attacks, the other players made sure to move as a unit and did their best to make sure their throws counted. Their base understanding of how the game works and their athleticism helped them score points and stay alive. The central region is looking forward to what these teams will look like by next season, and with any hope, the league can continue to grow and the central region will be taken more seriously.
Final Thoughts
We want to thank the alumni who joined us at this event to help make it run smoothly, and thank you to the players from all over the state who came to play and played hard. It has been a wonderful experience to watch the region grow like it has, and we hope to see these teams again next season.
Check out the steams at the Blue Devil’s Dodgeball Club’s YouTube channel and the UW-Platteville Dodgeball Club’s YouTube Channel. Take a look at the pictures from the event here, and be sure to provide credit if you use any! The fun is just beginning, so check out these players at this year’s National tournaments in Akron on April 11th, and in Athens on April 18th and 19th!