ST. PAUL, Minn. – Macalester College's Women's/Gender-Inclusive Ultimate Frisbee Team has been a popular and successful club sport at Macalester since its creation in the 1990s. For the first time since 2011, the team, known as the Pursesnatchers, will be competing at the Division III Women's College Nationals, which will be held May 18-20 in Milwaukee, Wis.

The Pursesnatchers qualified for the national championships by defeating St. Olaf, ranked No. 1 nationally, to win the program's first regional title. After capturing the region, the team is ranked fourth in Division III with a 13-3 record, which was compiled at three sanctioned tournaments this spring, along with the regional tournament. The 13-3 record marks the Pursesnatchers' best season to date.

"It has been fun to watch this team grow and develop into a championship level team over these past few years," Macalester Associate Director of Athletics Steve Murray said. "Their commitment to their sport and building a strong team culture has paid off."

The Division III Women's College Nationals begins Saturday, May 18 at Uihlein Soccer Park. Fans can follow the team's progress by visiting the links below. You can also support the team by buying Pursesnatcher merchandise here, with 20 percent of every sale going directly to the team.

DIII Women's College Nationals Website | Pursesnatchers on Twitter | Pursesnatchers on Instagram | Pursesnatchers Merchandise
 
Here are some reflections from the team captains:

"This year, we made a huge effort to change the way that we think about each game. We worked on not counting ourselves out and recognizing that we are a team that can compete at a high level, especially because we play in one of the toughest regions in D-III, going up against top frisbee programs. While doing this, we continued to prioritize our love of the game and our teammates so that we can be a team that other teams enjoy playing.

"Our coaches really believe in us, and coupled with us pushing each other to play to the best of our abilities, we have all gained so much and grew as athletes this year. We have also made a really conscious effort to continue building a strong community both within our team and with our broader community. This included tapping into our alumni network and the larger Minnesota ultimate community for support, knowledge, and skills development.

"Going to Nationals this year is a huge accomplishment. We have all worked incredibly hard to get to this point and have grown so much as a team. It is so awesome to have this extra month and additional tournament to spend with people we love playing a sport that we love."

Pursesnatchers Captains
Nora de Rege '24
Elise Gautier '24
Else Gerber '25
May Kinnamon '26
Claire Knopf '24