Since the installation of a Catamount Links, a nine hole disc golf course on our campus, the sport of disc golf has really taken flight. During the Fall 2006 semester, the equipment rental area in Reid Gym checked-out 600 discs to students. Approximately 200 rounds a week are being played by students, faculty, and staff from many disciplines. Over 50 students have participated in three different tournaments on the course. These statistics are even surprising to the course designer, Dr. Justin Menickelli in the Department of Health and Human Performance. “We knew it would be popular, just not this popular.”
Dr. Menickelli is the advisor to the Catamount Disc Golf Club, a new sport club on campus, already 80 members strong. The mission of the club is to nurture the sport of disc golf as a lifetime activity for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, improve the disc golf facilities on the WCU campus, and encourage the responsible use of green space on the WCU campus. The club plays a random-draw doubles tourney every Thursday on Catamount Links at 4:30pm. “We will start later as we get more daylight. It’s a lot of fun for everyone,” said Menickelli.
Catamount disc golfers are already making their mark in collegiate tournament play. In its fourth season, the WNC Intercollegiate Disc Golf Challenge consists of six separate tournaments at five different locations. Participating schools include: AB Tech, Brevard College, Haywood Community College, Mars Hill College, Montreat College, UNC- Asheville, Warren Wilson College, and Western Carolina University. At the end of the season points are totaled to determine which school is the overall champion for the season. The overall season champion has the right to retain the trophy until the beginning of the next season.
Season Point Total: Brevard College – 35 points, WCU – 22, UNCA – 21, AB-Tech – 17, Mars Hill College – 4, Montreat – 0, Warren Wilson – 0. Competitors from WCU included: Jared Bass, Chris Brown, Forrest Clark, John Combs, Kevin Couke, Chris Ferrell, Aaron Freeman, Dan Grellman, Dante Hill, Darren Jones, John McKenzie, Daniel Oats, Phillip Patton, T. J. Saenger, Cliff Smith, Brandon Stewart, Collin Taylor, Ben Thedieck, and Dustin Wheeler.
If you want more information on the Catamount Disc Golf Club, go to www.ceap.wcu.edu/menickelli/CATAMOUNT_DISC_GOLF.htm or stop by 103 Reid and chat with Dr. Menickelli. T-shirts with their cool logo are also available.
