What's all the RUCKUS about? And what exactly is the Well Oiled Machine Baby? Just ask any of the men's and women's team members of one of Wake's newest athletic crazes: Club Ultimate Frisbee.

This past weekend almost 40 people from both the men's and women's ultimate frisbee teams traveled to the University of Richmond for the Monument Games Tournament.

Both the women's team, RUCKUS, and the men's team, known as the Well Oiled Machine Baby (WOMB), played exceptionally well, with the highlight of the weekend coming from an upset victory by the women's team over American University.

Over the past few years at Wake, membership for both RUCKUS and WOMB has been growing exponentially. The men's team, led by captain Nate "Natty Light" Stewart, currently travels with a roster of more than 20.

Junior Betsy Browder is the captain of RUCKUS, which formed just last year. The women's team already has a core of 20 members, and is continuously growing with every practice.

Today, Ultimate, as it is fondly called, is played by an estimated 100,000 players in over 30 countries. Ultimate Frisbee was even added as a sport to the 2001 World Games in Japan, in which Canada won the gold medal game with an overtime victory against the United States.

Last season, WOMB advanced through sectional play and qualified for the regionals. "This was a great accomplishment for a team as young as ours," Stewart said.

"Despite the fact that we didn't win a game at regionals, we walked away from that tournament with an increased motivation to learn how to win. We were really lucky not to lose anyone for our starting team from last year, which gives us another year to work together and continue to build our skills as well as grow with the younger guys that come out."

WOMB has recently taken steps to become even more competitive in Ultimate play by signing Andy Brewer as a coach.

Brewer, an ultimate player from a nationally ranked team in the Winston-Salem area, hopes to use his experience and leadership to lead WOMB to victory. "We are stoked that we have the opportunity to have such an experienced and spirited guy like Andy," Stewart said. "These past few years we've been trying to teach ourselves how to win, which is a very frustrating task. This year we took the next step toward becoming a championship winning team É and our goal for this year is to be one of the top five teams in the region."

RUCKUS also enjoyed success last year by placing sixth in the North Carolina Sectional Tournament. The women's team is currently applying for their club charter. With practices three days a week and tournaments throughout the semester, RUCKUS is looking ahead to another spectacular season.

"The team improves so much at every tournament and it is a great time to get to know teams from other universities," Browder said. "We have a great time practicing, competing, traveling, socializing together, and getting more and more excited about the sport of Ultimate."

For WOMB and RUCKUS, however, Ultimate frisbee isn't just about the practices or the competitions, but rather the team camaraderie.

"Not only is our team a committed and competitive club," Stewart said, "we're also a tight group of friends, some even lovingly call us a cult. Just because we ritualistically eat Benson's breakfast at 11p.m. and allow Ultimate to consume all of our thoughts ... ok, so maybe we are a cult. But seriously, it's more than a sports team to us. It's a brotherhood that happens to share a love for Ultimate frisbee."

"We love being around each other. It's evident the minute you step onto the field that we're a group of girls who truly care about each other and are bonded together under a common goal of improving as a team," Browder said.

"When I first tried Ultimate, I really wasn't interested much in the sport, but I stuck around because of the people," senior RUCKUS member Jen Nylund said. "Now I think it's an amazing game and my only regret is that I didn't get to play it earlier."