Equipment

Arkansas Tech University will compete in the 2023 VEX U Robotics World Championship April 27-29 at Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas.

The ATU robotics team clinched its berth by earning a top-10 world ranking in the skills component of the competition during a VEX U event in Houston, Texas, in March.

“It was something I’ve never been able to do before,” said Chris Osborne, an ATU mechanical engineering student from Bryant, when asked about the Houston competition. “It was an amazing experience. We were undefeated in the qualification rounds and made it all the way to the semifinals. We made some great connections and look forward to doing our best at worlds.”

Osborne is joined on the 2022-23 ATU robotics team by Daniel Andrus of Clinton, Patrick Barnes of Sheridan, Patch Cook of Pottsville, Thomas Dang of Bryant, Collin Easterling of Hope, Lee Edwards of Scranton, Juan Leon of Hope, Wyatt Lester of Sheridan, Hunter Mathis of Hope, Anthony McLain of Bryant, Ryan Nanthalangsy of Sheridan, Braden Pierce of Bryant and Emily Wheat of Sheridan.

Jacob Weidenfeller, ATU instructor of electrical engineering and lab director, serves as their advisor.

The 2022-23 VEX U robotics game is an enhanced version of disc golf. Robots distribute approximately 60 discs into targets and have opportunities to earn bonus points through additional applications.

Arkansas Tech founded its VEX U robotics program at the beginning of the fall 2019 semester by identifying team members, many of whom came from ATU’s Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) registered student organization.

At the end of that semester, ATU robotics won the overall excellence award at a qualifying tournament in Little Rock. ATU’s team earned the right to compete in the 2020 VEX U Robotics World Championship, but that event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Three years later, the ATU robotics team has bounced back and is ready to make that long-awaited trip to compete for a world championship.

“They learn a lot of skills,” said Weidenfeller, who has led the ATU VEX U robotics program since its inception. “They are learning computer-aided design and…

The city of Grand Ledge has several beautiful parks and natural areas for people to enjoy. For the residents of Grand Ledge who have wanted to enjoy nature without going out of the city limits, there is now a place that caters to those same residents.

City highlights include the Grand River that runs through downtown, Island Park which provides people a place to walk down into the middle of the river and a vibrant climbing scene which takes advantage of numerous beautiful climbing spots.

Chris Haman and his family quickly realized that for those who loved the natural parts of Grand Ledge, there was no facility for them to go and hang out. As Chris and his wife spent more time in Grand Ledge’s outdoor scene, they decided a change was needed.  And with that, Toads was born. 

“There was no place in Grand Ledge that welcomed the outdoor crowd. So I kind of saw this opportunity,” Haman said. “There’s these amazing parks, amazing landscapes in Grand Ledge. (Now) here’s a cool atmosphere for you to stop in and grab something to eat, a coffee or a milkshake either before or after you go to the parks.”

Creating a business takes time

The idea of starting their own business originated in 2015. However, getting Toads to the point of opening wasn’t exactly a smooth ride. 

“We probably started thinking about opening a business in 2015,” Haman said. “And then we were set to sign on this building the following March. Obviously, we held off. But that year gave us a lot of time to meet with the SBCD, put a financial statement together, a market analysis, research the industry we were attempting to get into a lot more. We did a lot of work to the building and it officially opened in 2022.”

Toads certainly isn’t a place to just go in and get coffee. While waiting for coffee, latte, milkshake or food to be made, make sure to take a look at all of the other items they sell. These items include toys for kids, discs for disc golf and climbing equipment.

”I wanted to have the things that people need for safety,” Haman said. “I wanted to have a place where people could go locally to buy that gear. I wanted people to not have to go all the way to East Lansing to buy climbing gear.”

Despite people asking for Toads to expand and add locations, Haman’s focus is to make the current location the best…

Catrina Allen led wire-to-wire while Calvin Heimburg relied on aggressive play to push him past Kevin Jones and Ezra Aderhold

March 1, 2023 by Kingsley Flett in Recap with comments

“Things happen to you they happen. They don’t ask first. They don’t require your permission.”
― Cormac McCarthy, No Country for Old Men

If the Las Vegas Challenge was a novel, it would have been written by Cormac McCarthy. When I think of the romance of a sporting season opener, I think of baseball, where it seems like whole volumes of prose have been written about spring and the smell of freshly cut grass.

There was none of that at the Wildhorse Golf Club in Henderson, about ten miles south of Las Vegas in Nevada, last week. The opening tournament of the Disc Golf Pro Tour was set in a stark landscape with cruel luck playing its hand, in 50-degree temperatures and with 35 mile per hour winds whipping in off the Mojave Desert.¹ Players in layers, taking off gloves to throw, and faces pinched against the cold wind doesn’t quite match the exuberance we might expect of a tour opener. But the South Western swing of the disc golf pro tour is a perfect start in its own way.

A New Catrina Allen

As my Ultiworld colleague Matt Thompson foreshadowed, a few pundits might be sleeping on Catrina Allen’s potential as a rival to Kristin Tattar and Paige Pierce this year. It’s been 13 years since the first of Allen’s 180 career wins, so some might be banking on a decline in her performance. Her consistent presence on the tour might have bred some familiarity among disc golf followers who, understandably, with the yearly influx of new talent into the FPO field, tend to be focused on the next big thing.

It seems to me that in the past, Allen’s strengths have been off the tee and in the fairway and that these powers diminished the closer she got to the basket. Some inexplicable putting failures when the stakes were high, like the last hole of the penultimate round of the 2019 worlds, tend to stick in the memory and fuel this impression.

The 2023 Catrina Allen seems different though. She’s less restless. The Disc Golf Network coverage is following other pro sports in showing us the human side of the drama (putting cameras in the face of players in between shots in other words), but Allen is either more comfortable with this intrusion or has developed her ability to find a…

The stakes are already in the ground for the disc golf championship course at the Coleman Memorial Park. Michael Dunkle, founder and former president of the Lebanon Valley Disc Golf Club, recently discussed the status of the course with LebTown.

Dunkle started playing disc golf in 1980 and has watched the sport grow in popularity. When COVID-19 hit the area, disc golf became a safe way for residents to gather.

“Ever since COVID-19, we draw between like 50 and 60 people a week,” Dunkle said.

Mike Snyder is the current president of the club, which was founded in the early 2000s.

Typically, the club’s disc golf season begins in mid-March, and players meet on Wednesdays until September at different courses in Lebanon County. The dates for this year’s season are yet to be announced.

“I have a partner that does the courses with me. His name is Charlie Greco. We’ve done every course in the Lebanon County area and other areas,” Dunkle said. “We’ve … designed like 12 courses so far.”

About half a year ago, the Coleman Memorial Park’s trustees asked Dunkle and Greco to visit the park and consider its potential for a disc golf course.

“There was plenty of room there, and we both saw a great opportunity to put a course in,” Dunkle said. “Now, we didn’t know what they had planned. Once we talked to them a little more … [we learned] they were looking for something that would draw people in from all around the area and outside of the area.”

“And we more or less told them if you put a really big course in, a championship course like the one we have at South Hills that gets used all the time, you’ll definitely draw a whole lot of people into the Lebanon area.”

The park’s trustees decided to take Dunkle and Greco’s advice.

Dunkle and Greco plotted a preliminary design of the course on a master plan map given to them years prior. The park trustees then made a few revisions to their design based on the park’s logistics.

While the majority of the championship course will be situated in the park’s wooded area, no trees will be cut down during the installation of the course.

According to Dunkle, the championship course will consist of two baskets, a closer basket for intermediate players and a farther basket for…

FORT BRAGG, N.C. – Smith Lake Recreation Area is now a popular destination for disc-golf enthusiasts. With challenging courses surrounded by pine trees, disc golfers can enjoy a day on the course while taking in the beauty of the surrounding landscape.

This recreational area features two 18-hole courses, one of which is more challenging than the other. The courses are well-maintained and offer a variety of obstacles and terrain to challenge players of all skill levels. Disc golfers can enjoy a day of fun and competition at SLRA while taking advantage of the other amenities the park has to offer, such as fishing, hiking, and camping.

The course opened March 1, and is open to the public. According to the Directorate of Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation Chief of Outdoor Recreation, James Day, the course was designed by INNOVA Disc Golf Designers Russell Schwarz and Michael Shugart. The playing length is 7,881 feet.

The course offers a wide variety of wooded and open holes of varying length. The longest and most open is pole hole number 10 at 969 feet and the shortest is pole hole number seven at 237 feet.

“We noticed disc-golf courses were trending and there wasn’t one at Fort Bragg,” said Recreation Assistant Supervisor, Kevin Harp. “My leadership decided that a disc-golf course would attract new and old patrons to join in the fun.”

Harp stated that there are disc sets for rent at the Recreation Equipment Checkout Center main office at SLRA.

It is important to note that the rules of disc golf are like traditional golf, except instead of hitting a ball with a club, players throw a disc into a basket. Beginners should look for discs with a speed rating of 4-9, as these are easier to throw for new players.

The targets emphasize a complete range of skill and present an opportunity to work on all skills for developing players. Seven holes have alternate target positions to provide a more challenging playthrough.

The addition of the course will do more than just provide a new recreational activity for the Fort Bragg community.

Disc golf has been found to be an effective form of therapy for individuals dealing with a variety of mental health issues. The game involves physical activity, fresh air, and social interaction, all of which can have positive effects on a person’s mental and emotional well-being.

Additionally, disc…

You’re hanging out with one of your best friends but you find yourselves feeling bored with nothing to do. You decide to take a walk and stumble upon a small park, while exploring the park and enjoying the fresh air you notice a disc golf basket. Then it hits you… “Let’s go disc golfing!”. But your friend gives you a look of confusion, unaware of one of the world’s most enjoyable sports. Where do you go from here?

Disc golf is an inclusive and engaging sport played by millions of people worldwide (and that number is growing every day!). It’s a game that combines the unique individual decision-making component of golf with an incomparable opportunity to connect with and appreciate the nature around you, as disc golf courses span a far more diverse spectrum of environments than traditional ball golf courses. Disc golf is also incredibly accessible to beginners, and you can help others find a love in the incredible sport by following the tips below.

Tips for introducing a beginner to disc golf:

• Start with the basics: Explain the rules of the game, how to throw a disc, and the different types of discs used in disc golf. You can also show them some basic techniques like a backhand throw or a forehand throw. Unless they ask, try to avoid getting into the nitty-gritty of the sport.
• Choose the right course: Staring down the fairway of a 1,000-foot par 5 hole with nothing but tight gaps can make anyone feel a little apprehensive. Be sure to pick a course that is beginner-friendly and has shorter holes. This will make learning and playing the game easier (and more enjoyable) for your friend.
• Bring extra discs: Bring some extra discs so your friend can try out different types. Without going overboard, have them explore different molds and weights of discs. You can also lend them a few discs to use during the game, but think twice about lending them your favorite disc!
• Play a casual round: Keep the game casual and fun. Focus on having a good time and enjoying the outdoors. Don’t worry too much about keeping score or being competitive.
• Offer encouragement: Encourage your friend throughout the game, especially if they are struggling. Remember that everyone starts somewhere, and it takes time and practice to get better. Be considerate and try not to give them tips for every throw as this could get irritating, let them experiment and learn.
• Share your love for the game: Last but certainly not least, talk about why you enjoy playing disc golf and…

The Illini Disc Golf Club has been facing issues with a lack of resources for the team ahead of the College Disc Golf National Championship in April.

The resources needed for disc golf include discs, baskets and a course to play on. The Illini Disc Golf Club is currently facing issues with a lack of baskets and a desire for a practice course closer to campus, according to freshman team member Charlie Rockow.

“Currently the club has some discs, which have been donated by past and current members,” Rockow said. “But we rely on individual members who have baskets if we don’t want to have to travel about three miles from campus to get to the closest course.”

Additionally, Rockow said that the practice course the team uses is “not at all comparable in difficulty” to those used in tournaments. The distance of the course from campus has also been a barrier for teammates without cars to get to practice.

“There are plenty of players on the team who find the current courses too easy and some of them choose not to play very often because it feels monotonous and is not very good practice,” Rockow said. “This can potentially affect team morale when people do not want to practice with their teammates.”

While the team still faces these issues, they said their resources have expanded this season.

The team has recently acquired new sponsorships from Prodigy Disc Golf and Flippy Disc Golf. Through these sponsorships, the team has been given discs, jerseys and bags according to Charlie Chemers, Illini Disc Golf Club treasurer.

Even with these sponsorships, the team’s supply of baskets still poses an issue.

“Baskets are probably the most expensive disc golf equipment to obtain and also take up a lot of space,” Chemers said. “It was a priority for the club to focus on receiving other equipment like discs and jerseys.”

However, Chemers said that the team has gained more support from the school this season as well.

The team recently became a…

The 24th Annual Las Vegas Challenge

The 24th Annual Las Vegas Challenge (LVC) presented by Innova will take place from February 23-26, 2023 at Wildhorse Golf Club in Henderson, NV. The top competitors from around the world will be competing on one of disc golf’s main stages, trying to get their seasons off to a hot start. 

As the DGPT season opener, the LVC acts as a tonesetter for the year to come. With 2023 expected to be disc golf’s most-competitive, best-covered, highest-stakes year in history, the LVC tournament directors, staff, and volunteers have been working overtime to create an event worthy of the year to come. The courses have been redesigned to be more technical, challenging, and fair than ever before. The competition level has never been higher. The on-sight spectator experience is set to be more involved and more fun, with the most vendors and activities on site we’ve ever had. And the at-home spectator experience will be at its best as well, with live coverage of each round by Disc Golf Network as well as post-produced coverage from your favorite media outlets. 

Whether you make it to Vegas to watch in person, or you are watching at home, the 2023 LVC will be unmissable. Here is everything you need to know to get ready for this year’s Las Vegas Challenge presented by Innova. 

Wildhorse is a 135-acre golf facility that features three premiere disc golf courses, driving and putting ranges, a full-service clubhouse, and Spectator Arena. The facility is divided into three separate 18-hole circuits, the Millenium Course, the Infinite Course, and the Innova Course. This year, the courses have been modified to be as challenging and fair as possible for the players, while being as safe, yet close-to-the-action as possible for the spectators. 

While many small changes have been made to OB lines and spectator areas across the property, listed below are the most significant changes that the three LVC courses will see for 2023.

Millennium Course

Hole 7

This is a brand new hole this year. It is a 315 foot, par 3 with a low ceiling off the tee. The OB gets narrower as you get nearer to the basket. Hole 7 will require a straight shot with minimal fade. This new hole is one of the most technical holes on an otherwise fairly open course. 

Hole 9

The green of hole 9 has been redesigned. This year it will play as an island hole with a big risk/reward decision to…

Innova and the DGPT Return to Milo McIver 

The 2023 Beaver State Fling presented by Innova will take place from May 19-21 in the beautiful Milo McIver State Park in Estacada, Oregon. DGPT Tiered Registration opens tonight at 6pm Pacific!

Year after year, many players say that the Beaver State Fling is their favorite stop on tour. With the beautiful landscape, the epic course, and the amazing event staff that the tournament has become known for, it is no wonder why. 

The 2023 Beaver State Fling presented by Innova continues the evolution of this legendary event in some very exciting ways!  The DGPT touring pros will play a new 18 hole course that utilizes the best holes that Milo McIver has to offer along with a few combined holes that will create some serious drama down the stretch.
-Tournament Director, Jesse Tomaino

A round at Milo McIver State Park is a trip into another world. As you enter the forest of massive, old-growth trees, everything other than disc golf and the awe-inspiring scenery around you seems to disappear. A perfect combination of wooded and open fairways tests every shot shape, from rollers, to backhand bombs, to flex forehands. It is obvious to see why players are so enchanted with the Beaver State Fling. 

GG, 2019 Beaver State Fling 2019. Credit: Alyssa Van Lanen

The Beaver State Fling will feature a DGPT Silver Series tournament from May 19-21 and an Am and Masters event from June 16-18. DGPT Tiered Registration for the Pro event opens tonight, February 10, 2023, at 6pm Pacific. Registration for the Am and Masters event will open on March 10, 2023. Registrations for both events will fill quickly. 

Bringing Innova on as the presenting sponsor for the AM and Masters to me is a dream come true as Innova was the title sponsor when I first became involved with disc golf. The sights and sounds from that initial weekend will forever be ingrained in my memories and I am looking forward to giving people that same memory.
-Am and Masters Tournament Director, Anthony Hammerschmith

Innova loves the Beaver State Fling as much as the players. The amazing people and tranquil setting give the Beaver State Fling a unique charm.

Innova has always had a close relationship with the Portland disc golf community and the Beaver State Fling. We’re thrilled to return to Milo McIver and serve as the presenting sponsor of an event with a rich history that is favored among the touring pros.
-Sam Ferrans

The wonder of Milo isn’t…