Ultimate frisbee, a staple of collegiate club athletics, has also shown a strong presence on Brandeis' campus. TRON, the men's ultimate frisbee team, took their squad westward on February 8 and 9 to compete in the Division III Warm Up tournament in Riverside, Calif.

TRON went 4-4 this past weekend, competing against top-caliber teams such as the University of Puget Sound, the Claremont Colleges, and St. Olaf College.

The team fell to Claremont by a mere three points while snagging victories over Westmont College, St. John's University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

TRON entered the competition as the eighth seed and left California in seventh, a positive accomplishment as the team looks forward to the rest of the season.

Although the ultimate frisbee season does not officially begin until spring, the DIII Warm Up gave teams a unique opportunity to demonstrate their skills in preparation for what looks like a promising season. The tournament was exciting and spirited but also competitive. TRON and the other teams assembled for the tournament are nationally recognized as elite frisbee squads.

For a team trapped indoors by harsh winters and polar vortexes, TRON did not let the cold Bostonian air interfere with their competitive edge. After missing last year's DIII Warm Up due to plane delays and severe weather, TRON went to California this year with a brigade of talented and experienced players.

TRON captains Nadav Pearl '14, Clarence Lee '15 and Max Zaslove '16 helped carry the team throughout the tiring eight-game tournament. Returning handlers Zaslove and Pearl continued to have successful debuts on the season.

However, it was rookies Mike Humbert '17, Brian Gzemski '17 and Zephry Wright '17 who played an impressive role in the competition.

"Our younger crew is talented [and] athletic, and I'm very proud of how they performed this weekend," Pearl reflected.

TRON's skills were tested in a field of talented squads, including the University of Puget Sound and Claremont teams who took first and second in last year's competition. Both teams are projected to be top contenders at the USA Ultimate Nationals competition in May.

Out of the eight matches played, TRON played extremely close games in six of them. Luckily, the trip to sunny California allowed TRON to work out some kinks before moving on to the season.

Pearl did not let the outcome of this weekend's tournament damper his high spirits for TRON's upcoming season.

"Results in February don't show where we'll be come April and May," he mentioned. "Our mentality heading back home is positive, but ready to work hard and do better come Division III Easterns."

The DIII Warm Up tournament offered a glimpse of what future competitions will look like for TRON as the team begins to transition into the spring season.

In late March, TRON will travel to the DIII Easterns in North Carolina that will feature teams similar to those that competed at this weekend's tournament.

TRON returns to Brandeis with a positive approach for the future. The team, ready to hit the gym and the field, is excited to continue to improve as a successful group in the spring season.