Compared to previous seasons, the Central region made leaps and bounds in terms of progress and growth. Not only did rookie team Iowa host their first official tournament, they also sent ambassadors to this years national tournament in Athens, OH, AND they hosted the first ever Central Region Cup. The number of teams currently in the Central region–six official and four prospective–makes them the second largest region in the league, right behind the Ohio region with eight teams.
UNL
UNL has this uncanny ability to build a team in near isolation. They are so far removed from the rest of the league that they usually don’t see any other region’s teams until Nationals, but they consistently sit high in the league’s standings and outcompete the other central region teams. Their coach, Tre Sumrall, pushes his players to be the best they can be even when playing each other. This season, they had a perfect record until day one of nationals, and they were the first ever winners of the Central Region Cup. Another big step UNL made was being able to form their own women’s team, but they were unable to attend nationals this year. Their women played the other central region’s women’s teams at the Pioneer Classic VI and the Zanderthon Throw-Down X, and they played against some of the UWP guys at the Central Region Cup. Their growth from the beginning of the season to the end was amazing to witness, and it will be a huge milestone to see them at nationals next season.
UIUC
Illinois sat at the number two spot in the region for the entire season, and they were able to attend more tournaments outside just the central region events. They were finally able to branch out and play more teams to help round out their team’s skill set and strategy. What is most impressive about this team is that they don’t have an official coach even after several seasons in the league, and they do extremely well without one. Their most beneficial quality is their desire to win. Much like UNL, UIUC is a team who wants to win and knows they can win. Another thing UIUC has to be proud of is their women’s team. A team of four women represented them at women’s nationals, going 2-3 on the day and making it to the semifinals. Those four women should feel a great sense of pride with how they played at nationals this year, especially against full rosters like MSU and Akron. Let’s hope this coming season grants them luck in recruiting so more women can share the same sense of accomplishment as their current team.
UWP
Platteville started off the season with a bang. They recruited enough players to form a B team, and their women’s team had a full roster. While they weren’t bringing home the wins they anticipated, their players exhibited a strong connection and their veterans made sure to support their rookies in their first few official events. UWP has also been a huge ambassador when it comes to league growth. The Zanderthon Throw-Down X alone had players from ten different schools attend, increasing the central region’s prospected team number to four. Additionally, UWP was able to register their women’s team for the second season in a row, and they took a team of six to women’s nationals along with a few guys and alumni for support. Their hard work was obvious in their victory against NKU in the quarter finals, and they fought hard against MSU in the semifinals, much like last season. However, the following weekend saw UWP taking the consolation bracket for the second year in a row! Their season was not one with very many wins, but they took the stage at nationals to come out on top.
IOWA
Iowa finally joining the league was a huge milestone to achieve, and their growth over the course of the season was impressive and encouraging. They were able to attend several events in the central region, and they were privileged hosts of the first ever Central Region Cup. Additionally, they were the only team to score any points on UNL that day, and the energy from everyone was electrifying! Their women were also welcomed into the world of women’s no-sting by playing on the mixed team against Winona at the Zanderthon Throw-Down X. Another big step forward was sending ambassadors to nationals in Athens, OH this year. They were unable to send their team, but those who were able to attend brought home the valuable experience and a new found determination to be at the next one.
UWEC
Eau Claire went through a great recruiting period this year and were able to compete as their own team for the majority of the tournaments they attended. Their coach, Matt Polum, has the experience across multiple leagues of dodgeball, and he is able to bring his knowledge and experience to his team so they can grow stronger as players and as a unit. This season, they hosted two events and attended three others, all within the central region. They unfortunately missed out on the Central Region Cup and both national tournaments, but their increased participation this season was great to see. Much like the other teams in the central region, UWEC is far away from all the other teams, and this makes attending events in other regions much more challenging. However, the anticipated growth of the central region is sure to open up more opportunities for them to play and grow as important members of the central region.
UWS
This season was not kind to UW-Stout. They were hardly able to maintain a roster of eight players, and those players couldn’t attend very many events. Their veterans were able to make the events in Platteville, but their rookies missed a lot of useful experience close to home that could have helped prepare them for next season. They were also unable to participate in the regional cup, but we hope that this coming season will offer some much needed growth to their team. Luckily, with UWL being a prospective team for next season, this will give UWS the opportunity to not only help build the new team but also build up their own. The close proximity to both UWL and UWEC can offer close team connections and intense competition, so we hope to see the northern central region teams grow even stronger in the coming season.
Prospective Teams
Students from the schools listed below attended a handful of tournaments during the season to get a feel for the sport. These tournaments included the Pioneer Classic VI and The Zanderthon Throw-down X in Platteville as well as the Blugold Invitational II in Eau Claire.
UWL: La Crosse has been on the radar for a few years now; their proximity to UW-Stout and UW-Eau Claire makes for a great addition to the region especially because of the support they would receive from the two teams. The players that played this year were strong, confident, and very competitive, and they were a great opponent for the UWP-B team to play. Their athleticism would give UNL a run for their money, and it would open the region up to additional tournaments to fill the calendars.
Winona: Last season, they participated in an event hosted at UW-La Crosse where they played both divisions of the NCDA. Teams were mixed up, and the main objective was to show as many students how fun dodgeball is. They also participated in a women’s match against the UWP women! The same went for this year at the Zanderthon Throw-Down where they played games for both divisions. It was wonderful to see them back, and they played just as hard and just as intensely as the last time. We hope they form an official team to help round out the northern region of the central region and they would make a great addition to the growing women’s league in the region.
UWRF & UWSP: They’ve attended a couple events so far, but only a few players at a time. However, it only takes one person to start a team, and Coach Erik Zander and UWP Alum Tomas Zander have been working very hard by reaching out to other Wisconsin schools in hopes that people are interested. The players that represented these schools seemed to have fun, so let’s hope that with more participation and encouragement, they can form their own teams for future events.
Congratulations to those who graduated this year!
Aleah Lazure (UNL)
Samuel Lavender (UNL)
Jaden Tran (UIUC)
Will Tang (UIUC)
Ehis Eromosele (UIUC)
Jalen Sims (UWP)
Dylan Fabry (UWP)
Griffin Johnson (UWP)
Andrew Heim (IOWA)
Michael Lauer (IOWA)
Matt Polum (UWEC)
Dakota Borths (UWEC)
Final Thoughts
We want to thank all those who supported our teams, helped run events, and took photos; your support means the world, and we wouldn’t be a league without you.
Let’s also thank our alumni for giving their time and experience to our new players and new teams; you give new players something to look up to and to aim for.
We look forward to seeing what the central region will look like next season, and we hope to see further growth in the women’s league! Thank you for your support, and we’ll see you next season!
Check out the NCDA’s YouTube Channel for any games you missed; click here for more articles from the league; and check out the NCDA’s Facebook and Instagram for more dodgeball clips and pics!