The Claremont Braineaters Ultimate Frisbee Team is charging into the 2024-25 season with a hunger for redemption after finishing in 15th place in the 2024 USA Ultimate Division III College Championship, which the team competed in last May in Milwaukee, WI.
“We finished 15th last year, and that definitely doesn’t sit right with us,” co-captain Tanveer Chabba CM ’26 said. “This year, we want to break through and prove we can compete at the highest level.”
The Braineaters earned their spot in Milwaukee last year by securing the Southwest regional bid to nationals, dominating their regional competition including Occidental College and the University of San Diego.
The Southwest region is the smallest in DIII and with only one bid to Nationals up for grabs, the Braineaters were under pressure to perform in the regional round-robin tournament. Despite the fierce competition, the Braineaters kept their cool under pressure and came out on top.
“Beating Oxy in the game-to-go was huge,” Chabba said. “It was our way back after missing nationals the year before.”
In the 2022-2023 season, the Claremont Braineaters failed to qualify for the national championship after falling to Occidental, who later placed 13th in the final standings.
Though the Braineaters are on a mission to continue last season’s comeback success, this season comes with new hurdles: 13 of the team’s players are currently studying abroad, making early-season training a challenge.
“It’s tough to get a flow going with so many of our vets gone, but when they return, we’ll hit the ground running,” Chabba said.
However, intent on keeping the team’s intensity high, many of the team’s captains, including Emmett Levine PO ’27, are focusing on fitness and getting the new players up to speed. He pointed to the team’s unique balance of competitiveness and camaraderie as a strength.
“Ultimate has this reputation for being super laid back, but when we get on the field, we bring a level of intensity that surprises people,” Levine said. “At the same time, we work hard to make sure everyone feels like they belong—whether it’s their first day or their third year on the team.”
This year’s crew of captains is a young but dynamic group, with three sophomores—Levine, Noah Pershing PZ ’27 and Isamu Sims PZ ’27—rounding out the team’s leadership alongside Chabba.
“We’re all really different in how we lead, and that’s what makes it work,” Levine said. “[Chabba] is super focused on the technical and strategic side, Noah and I are a bit more about team culture, and Isamu keeps everyone grounded with his chill demeanor.”
Johnny Russell CM ’26, who played a pivotal role in the team’s nationals run last year but is currently studying abroad, shared his excitement about the potential of the team when he returns.
“I can’t wait to get back and see how much we’ve grown,” Russell said. “Last year was a wake-up call, but we’re coming back more experienced, more cohesive, and ready to take on anyone.”
The team’s drive for redemption extends beyond just making it back to nationals, according to Chabba.
“We’ve been putting in the work — conditioning, weight training, drills — so we can do more than just break seed this time,” Chabba said. “Last year we were the 16th seed and finished 15th, but we’re aiming for a much higher finish this time.”
With scrimmages in the fall and official competitions kicking off in the winter, the Claremont Braineaters are laser-focused on making it back to the championship and solidifying their place among the best in DIII Ultimate.
“We’re not going there just to play,” Levine said. “We’re going there to win.”
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