By Will Burton

Bournemouth Heat – the university’s Ultimate Frisbee team – made history last weekend with their highest ever finish at the BUCS Open Outdoor National Championships in Manchester.

"To come to Nationals and beat a club record feels fantastic” said club captain Mark Shepherd.

“It's down to the team and the commitment everyone's put in this year. We deserve our place at Nationals and played really well this weekend too, which is great."

Back in March Heat caused an upset by qualifying for the BUCS National Championships for only the second time in their history.

Despite being seeded 10th in the Western region, Heat beat fierce rivals Plymouth University followed by Swansea to clinch 6th spot and an invite to the National tournament in Manchester.

At Nationals, the Bournemouth team beat sides from Kent and Aberdeen Universities to finish 14th in their division and cement themselves as one of the top 30 teams in the UK.

The club’s achievements are all the more commendable as their squad contains five beginner players, each with just over six months experience of playing the sport.

"They’ve all played beyond their level of experience” said Shepherd.

“They’ve done really well - they follow instructions and do exactly what the team needs.

“Without them we would have struggled to make Nationals and to perform as well as we did.”

Shepherd is clearly confident that the experience gained by the club’s newest members will stand them good stead for the future.

"They know exactly what they are doing, they've taken control on and off the pitch - the club is definitely in safe hands for the future."

“With the continued support from both sportBU and SUBU, who have been instrumental in the club’s success this year, I am confident the club will continue to grow from strength to strength and further their reputation as one of the region’s top sides.”