A University of Dayton sports team is currently ranked eighth in the nation against its competition.

'What team is this'? You are probably wondering. No, it is not the basketball team, nor is it the soccer or volleyball teams. In fact the team is not even an intercollegiate, school sponsored sport.

The UD club Ultimate team, Ghetto Force, is holding strong in the eighth position in the Ultimate Players Association (UPA) rankings, thanks to the great record the team earned last season. The team also claims the second spot within the Great Lakes region, with only Michigan ranked ahead of them, fourth in the nation.

Ultimate is a fairly unknown sport in this area. However, the lack of information has not stopped this group of 25-30 men and women from making Dayton, Ohio an Ultimate powerhouse.

Five times a week the players will meet for practice. Two days are set aside just for conditioning, while the other days the team will focus on throwing, drills, and scrimmaging.

Officially called Ultimate, rather than Ultimate Frisbee due to the result of Frisbee being a trademarked brand name, the sport is played year round. The team will compete in tournaments and games in January and go all the way till May with tournaments scheduled for most weekends.

Ultimate tournaments can involve competition with anywhere from 8-15 teams in a weekend. Last semester, Ghetto Force took part in seven tournaments, with close to nine games in each tournament. This year, the team is hoping to compete in the same number of tournaments and total almost 40 games by the end of the season.

An Ultimate game involves two seven player teams competing against each other, attempting to put the disc into the opponent's end zone. The competition involves aspects of soccer, football, and basketball. Players are not allowed to move with the disc, but must pass it to another teammate, who is most likely running down the field.

Players are allowed to block the discs in hopes of changing the direction of play for the other team. If the disc does go out of bounds, is blocked or hits the ground, play resumes until a team scores. Games will usually go to 13 points with no referees used in competition.

With over 200 colleges playing Ultimate through the UPA, the competition for UD can be intense. UD's team has traveled all the way to Wisconsin, Alabama and Buffalo and as close as Fairborn to take on teams from Denison, Bowling Green and many other places.

The tournaments help prepare the team for sectionals, regionals and, hopefully, nationals. In order to compete at the national championships the team must finish in the top four in the section. The main goal is to compete in Columbus, Ohio for the right to be national champions.

However, Ghetto Force is not all work and no play. After playing in the tough and competitive tournaments, the team has a tradition of their own. Bringing unity and a special bond to the athletes the team members compete in eating contests at a Ruby Tuesday's near the competition site.

'We get 'serious' at the Ruby Tuesday's Serious Salad Bar,' said captain and four-year team member Ed Mack, confirming the ability of the team to work hard on and off the field.

Unlike most sports, Ultimate players have not grown up watching the Ultimate on television and dreaming of playing professionally. Instead, most players on UD's team become interested thanks to the advice of a friend or family member also involved in the game, usually at a much older age than most sports.

'Some friends introduced me to the sport at pickup games in high school' said Rice. 'I was friends with Brendon Ulen in high school, and he was my link to the team here at Dayton.'

'My older brother played in college and I got to play with their team when I was a junior in high school' added Mack. 'They invited me to tournaments and all it took was one tournament and I was hooked. I played in high school from then on.'

As Ultimate is a club sport, it can sometimes be difficult for the players to fit in time for practice and traveling. Fortunately, the love of the game drives the team members to compete and do their best no matter what adversity they face.

The UD Ultimate team has a no cut policy and welcomes anyone interested in the game at any time, whether an individual has experience or not.

Anyone interested in being a part of this competitive, fun, skilled and spirited team are welcome to contact Mike Rice through e-mail at ricemicp@notes.udayton.edu or stop by any of the team's practices on Monday and Thursday at 5 p.m. and Saturdays at noon on Stuart field. The team also has conditioning practices on Tuesdays at 5 p.m. at the RecPlex and Wednesdays at 6 p.m. at Stuart Field.

Ghetto Force is also planning to hold an Ultimate tournament later on on the semester for anyone looking to test their ultimate skills against fellow UD students.

All the practices, preparation and hard work the men and women are putting in this season is sure to make for an exciting time as Ghetto Force looks to improve their national standing in the UPA.