Bucknell’s club Ultimate Frisbee scene is soaring once again, thanks to a passionate group of students leading the charge to rebuild the sport’s presence on campus. The Mudsharks, Bucknell’s co-ed Ultimate Frisbee team and the Peacefrogs, the newly revived women’s team, are bringing back a sense of camaraderie, competition and community that had nearly disappeared after the pandemic.
“I just really love playing frisbee,” said Captain Aiden Kamm ’26. “It doesn’t matter if I have three assignments due the next day – when I’m on the frisbee field, I’m happy, I’m not stressed. It’s a great outlet for me to put school and any anxiety on the side. I want to make a space for everyone else to experience the same thing.”
Ultimate frisbee has a long history at Bucknell, dating back to the 1970s. But, like many campus organizations, it struggled to survive the COVID-19 pandemic. Kamm recalled that when he joined as a first-year, practices often drew only a handful of players.
Vice Captain Eitan Rub ’26 remembers those early days well: “We were around five or six people at a given day at practice, and we’ve really grown a lot since then. Now we have about 15 people on average, at minimum, on a given day.”
That growth reflects not just an increasing interest in ultimate frisbee but also the welcoming atmosphere that defines the Mudsharks. Leo McMenimen ’26, the team’s spirit captain, said his job is “to keep the vibes high and make sure no one’s doing anything unsportsmanlike.” After joining his junior year, McMenimen said he was struck by how well everyone connected. “Everyone meshed together extremely well, and I always thought that was rare to have a team where everyone gets along as well as the Mudsharks do.”
For many, the team’s sense of belonging fills a void that competitive sports can leave behind after high school. Leah Carlson ’27, who serves as vice captain of the Mudsharks and captain of the Peacefrogs, said joining the team was like finding “a home away from home.”
“I played a lot of sports when I was growing up, but finding one in college was difficult,” she said. “Once we found the Mudsharks, it was a sense of community. There are so many different skill levels, so many different people from all different majors, even all different parts of the world. I just wanted to keep bringing more people into the family.” Carlson is now working to rebuild the Peacefrogs, the women’s team that had gone dormant in recent years.
The Mudsharks practice twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, balancing structure with fun. “We’ll start by throwing and warming up, then we’ll usually do a drill that works on throwing and cutting or applies to some tactical stuff we’ve been working on,” Kamm said. “Then usually for about the last hour, we’ll just scrimmage and have fun and compete.”
McMenimen emphasized that practices are open to all and beginner-friendly. “If people don’t have the experience, they’re not going to feel out of place,” he said. Meanwhile, the Peacefrogs hold their own additional practice each Monday evening.
The team’s hard work has paid off with a busy and successful season. “We went to four tournaments this semester and had a couple of individual scrimmages as well,” Kamm said. “Some of our highlights were that we hosted two games on Parents Weekend against Bloomsburg and Wilkes, and we got to play in front of people’s parents. We won both of those games, so that was really exciting.”
The Mudsharks’ competitions are more than just games – they’re opportunities to celebrate progress, test teamwork and create memories. “Last fall we played a tournament at Wilkes, and we won that,” Kamm said. “That was our first tournament win ever with the team. It was just a very powerful moment because of how far we’d come as a program and how hard we’d worked together to make it happen.”
For McMenimen, one of the most special moments came when his family came to watch him play. “After the tournament, the whole team went to a park that was less than five minutes away, and we had a cookout,” he said. “My dad brought a portable grill. We had burgers, hot dogs, chips, sodas and everyone was just hanging out afterwards. It was really cool to hang out with the whole team plus my parents.”
Carlson had a similar experience when her family came to cheer her on. “A lot of my family and extended family came up and watched the games one weekend, which was really cool. I think that was one of my favorite memories,” she said.
For Rub, the most meaningful moments often happen off the field. “I’ve had a lot of good memories on the drive back from tournaments,” he said. “People always seem to be in a good mood, and we just really love having a great time, sharing funny stories and spending time with friends.”
As the seniors prepare to graduate, they’re looking to the future of Bucknell ultimate frisbee with optimism. McMenimen said his biggest goal is “to see the team staying together next season, having everyone come back and adding more people.” Rub echoed that sentiment: “A big long-term goal would be to come back for Alumni Weekend and see the same faces there. Building a foundation for when we’re gone.”
Kamm agreed simply: “Leave the team better than we found it.”
For anyone curious about joining, the team’s message is clear – no experience is necessary. “Just come by, and I promise you’ll have a good time,” Kamm said. “We’ll help you improve, and we’ll make it a welcoming space for you.”
From humble beginnings to tournament wins, the Mudsharks and Peacefrogs have proven that Bucknell ultimate frisbee is a family built on passion, teamwork and a shared love for the game.
