by Margot Ross ’24
December 5, 2023
When Jack Wellons ‘24 began to play frisbee in elementary school, he most likely didn’t anticipate that he’d eventually achieve national recognition in the sport.
“I was at a summer camp and this guy Josh Gabella [‘17] taught me how to throw when I was in the fourth grade. Somehow, I ended up at MBA’s field where USN was scrimmaging MBA. That’s when I got hooked on it,” Wellons said.
Though Wellons began playing at a young age, his work in middle and high school was what shaped his talent for ultimate frisbee. Not only has he played on the USN team since fifth grade, but he’s also coached middle school teams and currently plays on multiple club teams.
“Now, it’s really a summer-school-year kind of deal. During the summer, I’m on a U20 club team called Villains. A lot of other players from different schools try out for that team. During the school year…I play for USN,” Wellons said.
The combination of Wellons’ club and USN experience have both shaped his attitude towards frisbee in unique ways.
“Learning to play here in high school has helped me tremendously when I go and play for club teams. When you get up to the club level, everything has to be more perfect than it was in high school; your decisions have to be more perfect. Everyone there…is just as committed as you are, which makes it fun because you get to talk to people who are just as excited to play,” Wellons said.
Though last year’s USN team took home a state title, Wellons recently manage to garner a bigger honor: he was invited to try out for the U20 (“under 20”) USA World Junior Ultimate Championship team. The process of achieving such a feat required outside officials to review reccommendation letters from multiple coaches and Wellons’ stats.
When Wellons received his invitation on October 4, he was elated.
“It was actually at golf’s Senior Night…when I saw that I was invited, I had to excuse myself. I’d broken my collarbone in August, and to get invited to something after putting so much work into recovering…meant a lot,” Wellons said.
Ahead of tryouts, Wellons prepared both physically and mentally. In addition to practicing every day, Wellons also spoke with other USN alumni who have completed tryouts to understand what mindset he’d need in a competitive environment. In particular, Jesse Shofner ‘11 and Eli Motycka ‘13 went through similar tryout experiences, and they had wisdom and advice to share with Wellons.
“Both were amazing,” Wellons said.
The tryouts themselves took place on November 11 and 12 in Georgia. 100 players in total were invited to try out for the team; just over 20 will ultimately be selected to play. Though Wellons couldn’t speculate about his potential placement in the group ahead of tryouts, one thing was certain: he is ready to take the next big step in his robust frisbee career.
