Club Team Reaches Nationals
The Franciscan University of Steubenville men’s Ultimate Frisbee club Fatal completed the fall season 11-6 after competing in the USA Ultimate Men’s Division III College Championship Tournament in Norco, California, December 17-20.
A 9-6 victory over Oberlin College on November 14 gave Fatal a regional title and cinched its place in the championship.
Fatal won two championship matches against the University of Mary Washington and the University of Rochester but finished the season with a 10-15 loss to Colorado College. Oklahoma Christian University took the championship 6-0.
Ranked 10th in the division during the fall season, Fatal took its 150th win of the team’s history in a 13-0 defeat over Ohio Wesleyan University on October 23. The win was one of only 10 season shutouts across the entire Men’s D-III division, which includes over 100 teams.
Nick O’Brien coached the team during the fall season with former Fatal coach Ian Gill making a return for nationals.
“We earned that national spot, we deserved to be there, and the guys enjoyed it,” O’Brien said. “I firmly believe we could’ve won the national championship. This team defied the expectations of themselves and others, but they lived up perfectly to the Fatal standard.”
The season’s leading scorers were graduate student Mark Schuster on 19 goals and 80 assists, senior John Paul Duerr on 41 goals and 10 assists, and graduate student Ben Lyle on 29 goals and 13 assists.
Since the club’s founding in 2013, it has won six of the seven regional titles and holds a career record of 159-35.
O’Brien said the team did not know what to expect coming into the fall season, since college-level Ultimate teams had not played competitively for two years.
“But I always had a good feeling,” O’Brien said. “The guys we had were ready and wanted to compete. It took some time to find our footing, but with the raw talent and refined skills, we came to be a competing team.”
Fatal’s spring season began in March and concluded with championships May 21-23 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. See franciscanathletics.com for final results in Norco, California.
Franciscan’s Ultimate Frisbee team earned a berth in the national finals.
High Fives
- Among his innumerable awards and top rankings, Liam Galligan MBA ’22, was named Most Outstanding Performer From the Track by the Presidents’ Athletic Conference and placed ninth at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in the mile.
- With 108 points, the men’s indoor track and field team finished in second place at the PAC Indoor Track and Field Championship for their best finish in school history.
- After another winning season (8-5, 5-3 PAC), women’s lacrosse made their third straight trip to the PAC Semifinals. Senior Grace Deegan became the all-time program leader in points (206) and goals (162) during this season.
- Warm wishes to Kelly Herrmann ’87, who concluded 22-plus years with Franciscan athletics as women’s basketball and volleyball coach, director of athletics, and intramural and club sports coordinator, working tirelessly throughout her career to advance the University’s mission.
Big Jim’s Jersey Retired
“Big” Jim Smith Betsill ’58 scored 2,048 points and pulled in 2,334 rebounds—both Baron records—while playing basketball for Hank Kuzma’s Baron basketball team in the 1950s. During half-time ceremonies at a February home game, Jim’s jersey was retired, with members of Jim’s and Hank’s families sharing in the special moment. Betsill, who died in 2002, went on to be a leader in the civil rights movement and in education. You can read more about his life on and off the court in the autumn 2022 issue of Franciscan Magazine, which will look back at 75 years of Baron athletics.
Student-Athlete Spotlight
Name: Bella Rubino
Hometown: Ashburn, VA
Year: Junior
Major: Nursing
Sport: Soccer
Position: Forward/Midfield
On Soccer: “In all the years I have played soccer, I have never incorporated my faith into it until Franciscan. It is amazing to see a group of girls who are competitive and determined to play the best soccer possible all for the glory of God. This team has taught me more about sacrifices, determination, and hard work than I thought was ever possible.”
Career Goal: Pediatric Nursing
Favorite Saint: St. Maria Goretti and St. Francis of Assisi
