WOMEN'S OPEN DIV. A few days before this competition Tracy Custer loses one of her dogs, and she makes the long road trip to Denver with a broken heart. To make matters even worse, her QUAD SERIES dog BLADE is injured right before departure and makes the trip with stitches. It is believed the dog would be capable of competing even with the stitches, but love wins out, and Tracy Custer switches to a back up dog. The decision ends her very real shot at winning The QUAD SERIES before she even makes one throw in Denver. Heat (1) has a very interesting line up because every single thrower has won the Women's Div. in Denver before and must now compete in the Open Div. It starts with Sherry Gacke & STITCH throwing down with a 47-yd catch. Marie Earle & NITRO NANA go 3 for 3, but a 40-yd catch leaves them exposed against such a competitive line up. The remaining suspects use one throw each to pounce hard and fast with catches in the mid 40's, Team NITRO NANA is gone. Round (2) has Sherry Gacke & STITCH flirting with the much-feared strikeout, and they avoid that fate with a 44-yd catch on their last throw. The remaining suspects again use only one throw each, Team STITCH is gone. In the Final Round 2-Time Open Champions Jane Brunton & RINGO go first and score with a 45-yd catch. Amanda Guth & LUCY unload a monster 68-yd toss, but it falls as a miss. Team RINGO manages to get one more catch, but it does not better their first catch. Amanda Guth & LUCY then suffer the agony of the much-feared strikeout on a 50-yd throw and that sends Team RINGO off to the Finals.

Heat (2) is a small modified heat with only three teams. The first two teams of Cathy Cramer & BONNIE, and Sierra L Pannke & DYNOMITE suffer the much-feared strikeout. In the tie-breaker that follows, both teams need two throws each to decide it. Cathy Cramer & BONNIE take it with a 39.5-yd catch, then get the pleasure of facing the winningest women's arm in QUAD history, Christi C Sexton. In the Final Round Team BONNIE gives it a good effort, but a 25-yd catch is not enough to stop a 41.5-yd catch by Christi C Sexton and her borrowed dog FIONA. It's off to the Finals for Team FIONA.

Heat (3) is also a small modified heat with only three teams, yet it's some of the best arm talent in the women's half of the QUAD. In Round (1) Sue Visocchi & FABI go 2 for 3 with a best catch of 43.5-yds. Kathy Mills & STEWART NOT SO LITTLE unload with a 58-yd toss, then get the agony of a much-feared strikeout. Tracy Custer & FIVE use just one throw to make it official, Team STEWART NOT SO LITTLE is gone. Through an interesting twist of fate the Final Round holds the two women who showed up this day and had a shot at winning The QUAD SERIES. Tracy Custer & FIVE took two throws in the last round even though she only needed one throw, but that second catch is long enough by one yard to force Sue Visocchi & FABI to throw first in the Final Round (big disadvantage). Even though Tracy Custer is out of the SERIES, she is delivering some damage. Team FABI score first with a 49-yd catch. It takes two throws from Tracy Custer & FIVE before they threaten the lead, yet 47-yds is not enough to take the lead. Team FABI hold on with catches in the low 40's. Down to their last throw and needing to beat 49-yds, Team FIVE uncorks a throw that has the potential, but the catch is half a yard short of doing the dirty deed, 48.5-yds. Team FABI slips past and onto the Finals.

The Last Chance Heat is always difficult, and this one was no exception. Catches in the upper 40's were not good enough to get the job done, it came down to low to mid 50's between Amanda Guth & LUCY, and Tracy Custer & FIVE. In the end Team FIVE'S 52.5-yd catch is not enough to stop Amanda Guth & LUCY's 54-yd catch that took them to the Finals. On a side note, Kathy Mills & STEWART NOT SO LITTLE don't make the Finals and only get a catch of 49-yds, but this catch helps them vault from 9th place in the SERIES all the way to 2nd place when the SERIES is finished.

WOMEN'S OPEN FINALS was absolutely one of the highlights of my disc dog year. A couple of the usual suspects along with someone who has obviously been practicing, Amanda Guth. How in the world did Amanda Guth find herself throwing last in the Finals of Denver's Women's Open? Round (1) requires catches with nothing less than the mid 40's to have any meaning. Jane Brunton & RINGO's single catch of 37-yds is not enough to get the job done, Team RINGO is gone. In Round (2) the winningest arm in the women's half of the QUAD, Christi C Sexton, goes 2 for 3 with her borrowed dog FIONA, however their 41-yd catch gets the interest of the ice cold axe of elimination. Sue Visocchi & FABI bust a move with only one throw, good for 50-yds. Amanda Guth is observed at the throwing line caressing the razor sharp ice cold axe of elimination, she has literally waited 10 years for this moment. With one throw and a 46-yd catch Amanda Guth & LUCY remove Christi C Sexton & FIONA from the competition. Amanda Guth & LUCY have electrified the atmosphere around the field. Last year at this point LUCY, a jet black lab used by two competitors faded on Amanda Guth and she withdrew in 3rd place, but not this year. The Final Round starts by Team LUCY throwing first and scoring the lead at 44-yds. It takes two throws by Sue Visocchi & FABI to do anything about that, and by two yards they take the lead on a 46-yd catch. With their last throw Amanda Guth & LUCY give us something special, it is the longest catch of the day for any woman at that point, a thunderous 54.5-yd catch that takes the lead back by 8 1/2 yards. Sue Visocchi & FABI step to the throwing line with one throw left and an opportunity at an awful lot of glory. It does not slip through their hands, Team FABI rocks the house with a 56-yds catch!!! In one throw Sue Visocchi & FABI take the longest catch of the day trophy, win Denver's Women's Open Division, and put a massive exclamation point on their win in the women's half of The QUAD SERIES.

MEN'S DIV. It was a huge division with 25 teams, and just making it out of the 1st Round into the 2nd Round was something to be proud of because catches in the 40's did not get the job done. It required throws of 50+ to get anywhere in the MEN'S DIV. Heat (1) saw Tome Wehrli from Chicago once again auction his arm off for a worthy charity and he threw with a borrowed dog named RINGO. Joining Team RINGO into the 2nd Round were a couple of familiar Colorado teams in the form of Daniel Faris & COSMO, and Peter Boyle & PISCO. It took all three throws for Team PISCO to avoid the much-feared strikeout, one was in the mid 60's, but their 49-yd catch left them on the chopping block of elimination. In the Final Round it was Daniel Faris & COSMO throwing first, and they immediately score with a beautiful 66-yd catch. That's an incredible sight to see because COSMO was by far the dog with the shortest legs of any dog in the competition, it takes a lot of talent to use such a small dog and be that competitive. It also takes a lot of talent to be competitive with a borrowed dog, and Tom Wehrli & RINGO manage to grab the lead with their first throw by only 1-ft, good for 66.3-yds. It ends up being too much for Team COSMO to overcome, so it's Wehrli with his borrowed dog RINGO off to the Finals.

In Heat (2) a pair of 49.5-yd catches left Jeff Hill & ENZO tied with Scott Amman & TOBY to advance into the 2nd Round. Both teams turn it up significantly in the tie breaker with catches in the upper 50's. It ends up being Scott Amman & TOBY'S 59-yd catch that have them joining QUAD rookies Mike Hanson & MAGGEY along with Texas man Brandon Burris & SERGEANT in the next round. Scott Amman & TOBY flirt with the much-feared strikeout in the 2nd Round, but a 58-yd catch on their last throw saves them from such a fate. Mike Hanson & MAGGEY score a healthy pair of catches with a best of 57.5-yds. Brandon Burris & SERGEANT also flirt with the much-feared strikeout, then avoid it on their last throw, good for 50-yds. It's not enough though to keep them off the chopping block of elimination. In the Final Round Mike Hanson & MAGGEY get scorched by the much-feared strikeout. It is extra painful because two of their throws were long enough to get them into the Finals. Credit Scott Amman & TOBY'S 57.5-yd catch for making Team MAGGEY have to go for it, Team TOBY off to the Finals.

Heat (3) stayed true to the formula of 50+ throws to get anywhere. The teams with catches in the mid to upper 50's get into the 2nd Round. That would be Charlie Lawrence & SHADOW, Josh Weigel & SAMMY, and Doug Dornseif & OLLIE. In the 2nd Round Charlie Lawrence & SHADOW suddenly end up with throws in the low to mid 40's, and become the latest victims of the much-feared strikeout. The remaining suspects waste little time making it official, Team SHADOW gone. Josh Weigel & SAMMY begin the Final Round with an upper 40's catch, then turn it up with a 51.5-yd catch on their second throw. Doug Dornseif & OLLIE go down hard with an excellent effort, but the much-feared strikeout claims yet another victim. One of Team OLLIE'S throws would have put them into the Finals, but it's Josh Weigel & SAMMY who claim that spot, Team SAMMY in the Finals.

The Last Chance Heat has catches in the upper 50's all over the place, and several in the low to mid 60's. Daniel Faris & COSMO 57-yds, Leroy Golden & KARMA 58-yds, Doug Dornseif & OLLIE 59-yds, Josh Grenell & WAZEE 62-yds, Tony Burnett & BIG BISCUIT 62-yds, Peter Boyle & PISCO 65-yds, Brandon Burris & SERGEANT 66.5-yds. It is this division's longest catch of the day however that gets the job done. By just half a yard, Mike Hanson & MAGGEY 67-yds to join the Finals.

MEN'S FINALS begin with Josh Weigel & SAMMY going 2 for 3, but a 52-yd catch leaves them exposed. Scott Amman & TOBY then go 2 for 3 and a best of 46.5-yds. The ice cold axe of elimination looks away from Team SAMMY and starts leering at Team TOBY. Tom Wehrli & RINGO are simply ruthless in using just one throw to score for 56-yds. The axe never even takes it's eyes off Team TOBY. Mike Hanson & MAGGEY miss on their first throw, and then connect for a measly 39.5-yds, the axe takes a glance in their direction. With their last throw Team MAGGEY side steps the axe on a catch of 50-yds, the day is over for Team TOBY. Round (2) has Josh Weigel & SAMMY again going 2 for 3, but a catch of 49-yds places them squarely on the chopping block of elimination. The mustache known as Tom Wehrli and his borrowed dog RINGO continue their ruthless ways with using only one throw again, good for 58-yds. It takes Mike Hanson & MAGGEY two throws to get the job done on a 57.5-yd catch, Team SAMMY is gone. The Final Round has Team MAGGEY throwing first, it's not what they wanted, but it's a catch, 49.5-yds. Tom Wehrli is now in position to win on a borrowed dog, Team RINGO continues to turn up their performance with a 62-yd throw, but it's miss. Mike Hanson then gets serious and rips one 61-yds to MAGGEY for a catch. Suddenly Team RINGO'S ruthless ways are over for the day on throws only in the low to mid 40's, and it's a much-feared strikeout. Mike Hanson & MAGGEY climb out of the Last Chance Heat and go all the way to win it in the Finals. As they are walking off the field Tom Wehrli congratulates Team MAGGEY on their win, and while they are talking Mike Hanson asks Tom Wehrli how long he's been involved in the Frisbee Dog sport. The answer makes Mike Hanson laugh. Why? Because it's a few years longer than Mike Hanson has been alive. Welcome to the Open Division Mike Hanson.

MEN'S OPEN DIV. Winning the QUAD in Denver's Men's Open Division is without a doubt one of the hardest things to do in the disc dog sport. The talent that shows up here just seems to be getting stronger and deeper each year, these are truly the big guns. This year Nate Bednar & MARCY are in the house, the only team in the country that have a chance to stop John Troelstrup & ROOSTER from winning The QUAD SERIES. Heat (1) takes catches of 60+ to be a factor in jumping from Round (1) into Round (2). Even the 61-yd catch by Gary Duke & BAYER is not enough to get that job done because Roo Yori and his first Frisbee Dog AJAX slap them down with a 61.5-yd catch. This is The QUADRUPED though, and for Team BAYER, it's not over until it's over. Round (2) has 3-Time Open Champion Mark Jennings and his new dog MOJO left squarely on the chopping block of elimination with a best catch of 58-yds. 4-Time Open Champion Chris Sexton and his new dog BANZAI use just one throw to do the dirty deed, good for 68-yds. QUAD rookies Roo Yori & AJAX use two throws to do the dirty deed, good for 72-yds. Mark Jennings & MOJO are gone. In the Final Round Roo Yori & AJAX grab the lead at 70.5-yds. With their last throw Chris Sexton & BANZAI threaten that mark on a 67-yd catch, but it's not enough to get the job done, Team BANZAI is gone. Roo Yori & AJAX have taken out two guys with a total of seven wins between the two of them, and slipped into the Finals at their first QUAD, that's rather impressive.

In Heat (2) a double strikeout makes things rather simple for John Troelstrup & ROOSTER, they go safe and score for 46-yds (safe is 46-yds !?!?), and trash talking king Matt DiAno is toast in the first round. Casey Wittwer & ROO begin Round (2) with a 57-yd catch. Mark Brisse & ZIPPER suddenly go from upper 50's and lower 60's into the upper 40's. Team ZIPPER'S 48-yd catch leaves them seriously exposed. It takes two throws from John Troelstrup & ROOSTER, and again they go with a safe throw and a catch of 53-yds (safe is 53-yds !?!?). Team ZIPPER is toast. Team ROO forces Team ROOSTER to throw first in the Final Round, and Casey Wittwer & ROO grab the lead on their first throw with a catch of 55-yds. The second throw from Team ROOSTER is anything but safe, it's a lead seizing catch of 69-yds. Casey Wittwer & ROO give us an excellent effort with their last throw, it's good for 63-yds, but way short of getting the job done, Team ROOSTER is off to the Finals.

Heat (3) takes catches in the upper 50's and lower 60's to do any damage, it's Joel Zucker & BAILEY, James Commuso & STITCH, and Nate Bednar & MARCY that move on. Round (2) starts with Joel Zucker & BAILEY leaving themselves seriously exposed on a 45.5-yd catch. James Commuso & STITCH flirt with the much-feared strikeout, then pull in a 42-yd catch on their last throw. It takes two throws from Nate Bednar & MARCY to score for 44.5-yds, Team STITCH is toast. Nate Bednar has the longest catch and the right to go last in the Final Round, it's a huge advantage to throw last, but they throw first instead, and miss. Joel Zucker & BAILEY then take the lead at 56-yds. A miss on the second throw by Team MARCY has Joel Zucker & BAILEY skipping their second throw. A miss of 47-yds on their last throw brings the agony of a much-feared strikeout upon Nate Bednar & MARCY. Team BAILEY is off to the Finals.

The Last Chance Heat starts with some noise out of Mark Jennings & MOJO in the upper 50's. Then Gary Duke & BAYER slam the door shut with an 80.6-yd catch. That is interesting because the Last Chance field was only painted out to 75-yds, we had to pull out a tape measure to make sure of what we were looking at. Nobody else even came close, Matt DiAno & MAGGIE were slightly over 13 yards shy at 67.5-yds. The longest catch of the entire day puts Team BAYER into the Finals. Nate Bednar & MARCY'S 61-yd catch make it official, John Troelstrup & ROOSTER take the men's half of The QUAD SERIES.

MEN'S OPEN FINALS start with a 60-yd catch by Joel Zucker & BAILEY. The 59-yd catch by John Troelstrup & ROOSTER leave themselves seriously exposed. It is however the 58-yd catch by Roo Yori & AJAX that catches the attention of the ice cold axe of elimination. Taking two throws to return the favor of being eliminated from Heat (1), Gary Duke & BAYER score for 64-yds and remove Roo Yori & AJAX from the competition. Round (2) begins with Joel Zucker & BAILEY making a 58-yd catch, then missing on their last two throws. John Troelstrup & ROOSTER only use one throw, good for an impressive 76-yds. Gary Duke & BAYER suddenly go anemic, all they have is a 54.5-yd catch, Team BAYER is toast, yet their 3rd place finish is enough to vault from 9th place in the QUAD SERIES past Matt DiAno & MAGGIE into 3rd place when the SERIES is finished. Not bad for a man who almost died of a ruptured appendix and missed the first competition in The QUAD SERIES. The Final Round has John Troelstrup & ROOSTER throwing first, and they grab the lead on a 66.5-yd catch. It takes two throws for Joel Zucker to do anything about that, good for 67-yds. This is Team ROOSTER we are talking about however, and they deliver a punishing 77-yd catch. The last throw from Joel Zucker & BAILEY is 22-yds short at 55-yds, and it's a miss. John Troelstrup & ROOSTER win Denver's Men's Open Division, and put an exclamation point on their win in the men's half of The QUAD SERIES. John Troelstrup is now a 5-Time Champion, and becomes the winningest arm in the men's half of The QUADRUPED.

Jeff Hoot, Director
The QUADRUPED®