Michigan Inaugural Great Lakes Regional Champion

By Andy Marmer 

Michigan Quidditch Team captured the inaugural Great Lakes Regional Championship with a 110*-70 win over Bowling Green State University (BGSU).

Michigan is the Great Lakes Regional Champion | Photo by Stephanie Raudenbush

Nine teams punched tickets to US Quidditch Cup 9 in Columbia, South Carolina. In addition to the finalists, Lake Effect Maelstrom, Ohio State Quidditch, Michigan State Quidditch, Miami University, Ball State Cardinals, Ohio University Quidditch Club, and Central Michigan Quidditch Club all earned berths.

Michigan advanced to the finals without a single snitch-range game. The team won each of its four pool play games by the maximum point differential and continued to roll in bracket play with a 230*-20 victory over Carnegie Mellon Quidditch Club in the Round of 16, a 190*-70 win over Michigan State, and a 120-60* win over Ohio State.

BGSU took the second seed into bracket play, after a similarly unbeaten pool play run. A 170*-10 win over its B team, the Falcon Warriors, and a 190*-0 win over Ohio University took BGSU to the semifinals where a 120*-70 win over Maelstrom clinched its spot in the finals.

Ball State went undefeated in pool play taking the third seed, but after beating Maelstrom in pool play, it was knocked off by the community team 130*-30 in the quarterfinals, in a rematch of the teams’ pool play game.

Pool One saw three teams each finish 3-1 with Ohio State taking the pool on point differential and thus the fourth seed.

Central Michigan was the lone team to qualify for US Quidditch Cup 9 through the consolation bracket, running a gauntlet that included the Falcon Warriors, 140*-40, the Wooster Scottish Nationals 130*-60, and Indiana University Quidditch 120*-40. Indiana’s run to the finals was also exciting with a snitch catch taking it over Q.C. Pittsburgh 100*-90 and an overtime win against Lake Effect Tempest 130^-100*.