Explanation

The QUAD SERIES 2008 took off in Lakeland Florida. Sunny with temps in the mid to upper 80's, and a mild 5-10 mph wind that came and went as the day unfolded. It was a beautiful day to have fun and make some wonderful memories with our Frisbee Dogs.

WOMEN’S DIV. Heat (1) Diane Ziegler & TOBY got on the board first with a 25-yd catch, but the remaining suspects wasted little time before sending Team TOBY to the Last Chance Heat. The much-feared strike out takes out Kat Fahle & MICKIE, leaving Liz McGuire & RIP to deal with Sarah Duke & BAYER. It was Liz McGuire & RIP by just one yard that move onto the Finals. In Heat (2) Ann Farmer & PARTY BOY ACE almost exit early on a strike out, but avoid elimination on their last toss. Jennifer Brisse & ZIPPER win a tie breaker to remain alive, but then fall to the much-feared strike out in the next round. A 37-yd catch by Ann Farmer & PARTY BOY ACE is too much for Debbie Driscoll & GRACIE to overcome and Team PARTY BOY ACE moves onto the Finals. Heat (3) was almost a double strike out, but Stacey Muir & ROCKET refuse to go quietly (32-yds). Team ROCKET grabs the lead in the Final Round only to watch Cassie Anderson & TRINITY take it away from them by just 1-yd. Stacey Muir & ROCKET then take the lead back by 5-yds (36.5-yds) and close the deal with a 39.5-yd catch. Stacey Muir & ROCKET get into the Finals at their first competition ever. In The Last Chance Heat the major players are Sarah Duke & BAYER, Jennifer Brisse & ZIPPER, and Nikki Spirakis & ABBY. Traveling all the way from Arizona though Cassie Anderson & TRINITY manage to edge out Sarah Duke & BAYER by a few yards to make the Finals.

WOMEN'S FINALS. The First Round is a tie for elimination (34-yds) by Cassie Anderson & TRINITY and Stacey Muir & ROCKET. Cassie Anderson & TRINITY got eliminated in Heat (3) by Team ROCKET, so they return the favor and give Stacey Muir & ROCKET their first taste of the ice cold axe of elimination. In Round Two Team TRINITY leave themselves exposed on a 33-yd catch. It takes all three throws from Liz McGuire & RIP and only one throw from Ann Farmer & PARTY BOY ACE to eliminate Team TRINITY. In the Final Round Liz McGuire & RIP get the lead on their second throw (38.5-yds). Team PARTY BOY ACE then take it away by 1-yd (39.5-yds). Liz McGuire & RIP go down fighting hard, but they are 1.5-yds short of what's needed. Ann Farmer & PARTY BOY ACE get the win.

WOMEN’S OPEN DIV. It was small, only 6 teams, but the talent was some of the best women the disc dog sport has ever seen. In Heat (1) Colleen Hegyi & HAZE so leave themselves exposed on a 37-yd catch. Only a few throws later Team HAZE is on the outside looking in at The Last Chance Heat. In the Final Round Michelle Chenoweth & STORM score on their first throw for 56-yds. It is much too strong for Sue Visocchi & FABI to overcome, and Team STORM moves onto the Finals. Heat (2) starts with Joelle Budd & NALA getting a catch of 48.3-yds, but Donna Schoech & LADY BUG and Melissa Heeter & GLORY waste little time eliminating Joelle Budd & NALA. In the Final Round Donna Schoech & LADY BUG get the lead at 46-yds. Melissa Heeter & GLORY have multiple throws long enough to seize the lead, but both fall as a miss. Team GLORY's last toss is good for 45.5-yds, but not enough to get the job done. Donna Schoech & LADY BUG squeak into the Finals by just half a yard. In this Last Chance Heat the top 2 teams would advance to the Finals. The LCH starts with Colleen Hegyi & HAZE so leaving themselves exposed again, only this time much worse, 31-yds. Sue Visocchi & FABI quickly punish them with a 50.3-yd catch. Joelle Budd & NALA only need one throw to join the punishment bandwagon, but 41.5-yds is not safe when you got a Melissa Heeter throwing next. On Team NALA's last toss they score for 52-yds and make things difficult for the 97 World Champion. Melissa Heeter & GLORY then get off three very good throws, but their 45-yd catch is not enough to stop Sue Visocchi & FABI and Joelle Budd & NALA from going to the Finals.

WOMEN’S OPEN FINALS. Donna Schoech looking for a 3-peat victory in the Women's Open Div watches it disappear on a much-feared strike out in the First Round. It was extra painful because all three of her throws were long enough for Team LADY BUG to avoid elimination. In the Second Round Sue Visocchi & FABI make a strong statement on a 53.5-yd catch. Joelle Budd & NALA get in the book with a 42.5-yd catch, and just miss at 50-yds on their last toss, not a good feeling when the most dangerous women's arm in the competition is next. Michelle Chenoweth & STORM then use only one throw to eliminate Team NALA, 49-yds. Not needing to take a second throw, Michelle Chenoweth takes one anyhow and scores the only catch of the day in the 60's for the women's half of the competition, good for 62-yds. Both teams in the Final Round miss on their first two throws. One of those by Michelle Chenoweth was 68-yds and would have broken the Women's QUAD Record. The last throw from Sue Visocchi & FABI is good for 42-yds, yet far from safe. Michelle Chenoweth takes a little mustard off her last toss and throws for the win. 43.5-yds later Michelle Chenoweth & STORM win their first QUAD.

MEN’S DIV. Heat (1) started with a much-feared strike out by Adam Frye & BEAR, and the remaining suspects showed no mercy. Rick Rauwerda & RIFF RAFF and Mario Matute & BLACKIE made things difficult for Mark Muir & GIPPER. Needing at least 55-yds, Mark Muir's arm was up for the job and got off two throws at that range. It was however the much-feared strike out for Team GIPPER. Canadian Rick Wauwerda & RIFF RAFF gave local team Mario Matute & BLACKIE a good effort, but Team BLACKIE took care of business and once again make the Finals. In Heat (2) Bob Hegyi throwing left handed with a borrowed dog, PARTY BOY ACE, gave us a great effort. However, the ice cold axe of elimination did not care and showed up with tremendous speed. Jack Fahle & RUCKUS grabbed the lead in the Final Round (53.5-yds). QUAD veterans Kevin Eroskey & BROOK rise up and seize the lead from them by one yard, then bump it up to 57.5-yds on their second throw. Jack Fahle & RUCKUS go down swinging hard with two throws that would have gotten the job done, one was 60-yds. They are both misses and that sends Kevin Eroskey & BROOK to the Finals. Heat (3) gave us a man from Germany who borrowed a dog (ABBY) and got in on the fun, Stefan Hellweger. Team ABBY needed all three throws to score a 51.6-yd catch that eliminated Tracy Farmer & RUSTY. In the Final Round Stefan Hellweger & ABBY score a pair of catches, but a best of 39.5-yds leaves them exposed. Chris Engel & BANDIT go 3 for 3 and beat then by almost 10 yards. It's Chris Engel & BANDIT's first QUAD and they are off to the Finals. In the Last Chance Heat Mark Muir & GIPPER made some noise, but Jack Fahle & RUCKUS go 3 for 3 and make even more noise with a 64.5-yd catch. Tracy Farmer & RUSTY and Stefan Hellweger & ABBY give up a huge fight to stay alive, but they are short of what's needed and can not stop Jack Fahale & RUCKUS from going to the Finals.

MEN’S FINALS. Round One starts with a pair of catches from Chris Engel & BANDIT, though 42-yds is nowhere near the safe side of the street. Mario Matute & BLACKIE need two throws to edge them out by one foot (42.3-yds). Kevin Eroskey & BROOK use just one throw and simply explode with a 66.5-yd catch. Jack Fahle & RUCKUS need two throws to make it official (44-yds), Chris Engel & BANDIT are shown the exit. In Round Two Mario Matute's jet black lab BLACKIE is feeling the heat of the day and their monster 58-yd toss falls as a miss. Mario Matute takes one more throw before showing BLACKIE some love and scratches from the competition in 3rd place. That leaves Kevin Eroskey & BROOK and Jack Fahle & RUCKUS to the Final Round. The second throw from Jack Fahle & RUCKUS give them the lead at 45.5-yds. Then by almost 13-yds Kevin Eroskey & BROOK make their claim on the lead with a 58-yd catch. It is too much for Team RUCKUS and Kevin Eroskey & BROOK score their first QUAD win.

MEN’S OPEN DIV. Heat (1) Denver is a long way to travel and strike out in the First Round, yet that is what was in store for Mark Brisse & GABBY. The remaining suspects pounce hard and fast, Team GABBY is gone. Chuck Hensley & BUSTER then join them with a much-feared strike out too. In the Final Round Matt DiAno & MAGGIE get a lead at 53-yds, but Joe Ryan & MIA top it by 11-yds with a 64-yd catch. Team MAGGIE responds with a 69-yd catch to wrestle the lead back. Joe Ryan & MIA get off two great throws and score for 65.5-yds, yet that is not enough to stop Matt DiAno & MAGGIE from going to the Finals. Heat (2) lord have mercy, every team here has won the Open Div before, with three of those throwers having multiple Open Div wins. It starts with Chris Sexton & BANZAI almost striking out, but they manage a short 60.5-yd catch. Andy Busby & LC flirt with a much-feared strike out too, yet their catch is a healthy 72.5-yds. It takes John Troelstrup & ROOSTER & Darron Barrus & THE EDGE two throws each before Chris Sexton & BANZAI feel the ice cold axe of elimination. In the next round John Troelstrup & ROOSTER almost strike out, but a 67.5-yd catch keeps them alive, for a couple of minutes. One throw later Darron Barrus & THE EDGE show Team ROOSTER the exit (77.5-yds). Andy Busby & LC grab the lead in the Final Round at 76.5-yds. With his first throw Darron Barrus gives Busby THE EDGE by half a yard (77-yds) That is when Andy Busby & LC uncork the longest catch of the entire day, good for 82-yds. It is too much for Darron Barrus & THE EDGE, and Team LC is off to the Finals. In this Last Chance Heat the top 2 teams would advance to the Finals. The major players were Joe Ryan & MIA and Chris Sexton & BANZAI who both need all of their 3 throws to tie at 65-yds. John Troelstrup & ROOSTER go right to the edge of a much-feared strike out before scoring for 68-yds on their last throw. Darron Barrus & THE EDGE need only one throw to score a 68-yd catch, so it's Team ROOSTER and Team EDGE onto the Finals.

MEN’S OPEN FINALS. In the First Round catches in low 70's are everywhere, and that makes the 69-yd catch by Andy Busby & LC the first to leave. With the Florida sun and tired arms we did not see another throw in the 70-yd range again. The Second Round was very tightly grouped in the upper 60's. With one throw left Darron Barrus & THE EDGE were on the elimination train, until Matt DiAno told him it was a long way home if he blew this throw. Darron Barrus & THE EDGE promptly eliminate Matt DiAno & MAGGIE by two yards (68.5-yds). It left Team EDGE facing a team they eliminated in Heat (2), John Troelstrup & ROOSTER (who are loving that Last Chance Heat). Darron Barrus & THE EDGE miss twice before the second throw from Team ROOSTER takes the lead at 59.5-yds. With their last throw Darron Barrus & THE EDGE avoid the much-feared strike out and seize the lead on a 64-yd catch. With the last throw of the day Team ROOSTER rises to the occasion, scores a 67-yd catch for the win, and takes the lead in The QUADRUPED SERIES. It's a fine way to finish the competition, Indiana.... here we come.

Jeff Hoot, Director
The QUADRUPED®