NY Gridlock
The NY Gridlock is a professional womxn's ultimate team based in New York City which competes in the Premier Ultimate League (PUL). The team joined the PUL for the league's inaugural 2019 season.[1] Their stated mission is to "to achieve competitive excellence on the field and equity in the sport of ultimate by increasing accessibility to and visibility of womxn ultimate players."[2]
 | |
| Sport | Ultimate |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2019 |
| League | Premier Ultimate League |
| Based in | New York City |
| Head coach | Isaiah "Izzy" Bryant |
| Website | nygridlockultimate.com |
Franchise history
NY Gridlock Ultimate (NYGL) formed in early 2019, and is one of the original eight teams in the Premier Ultimate League.[3] Their name is presumably a nod to the rush-hour traffic that's a common occurrence in their city[4].
The team would have played its second season in 2020, but the PUL cancelled the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5][6]
Record
In their 2019 season, NYGL defeated the Indianapolis Red 14-9, the Columbus Pride 17-10, the Austin Torch 14-12, and the Atlanta Soul 21-17. They fell to the Raleigh Radiance 20-11. This record gave them a third-place finish in the league.[7] In the league semifinals, NYGL again fell to the Raleigh Radiance, 19-18.[7]
| Year | Reg. Season | Playoffs | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 4-1 (3rd) | 0-1[7] | Lost in Semifinals |
| 2020 | Season Cancelled | 0-0 | Season Cancelled |
| Total | 4-1 | 0-1 |
Current coaching staff
- Director of Coaching - Isaiah "Izzy" Bryant (he/him/his)
- Coach - Eileen Murray (she/her/hers)
- Coach - Zara Cadoux (she/her/hers)
Roster
The team's 2020 roster was as follows:[8][9]
| 2020 New York Gridlock | ||||
| # | Name | Pronouns | College | Most Recent Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00 | Genny De Jesus | She/Her | NJ Jughandle | |
| 2 | Brittany "Bkap" Kaplan | She/Her | New York BENT | |
| 4 | Nastasia "Stazi" Tangherlini | She/Her | New York BENT | |
| 5 | Lindsay McKenna | She/Her | West Chester University | West Chester Loco |
| 6 | Janine Hlavaty | She/Her | ||
| 7 | Luisa Neves | She/Her | New York BENT | |
| 8 | Kelly "Beezus" Hyland | She/Her | Washington DC Space Heater | |
| 9 | Sarah Johnson | She/Her | ||
| 10 | Natalie Bova | Philadelphia AMP | ||
| 11 | Danielle Walsh | Philadelphia AMP | ||
| 12 | Amy Zhou | She/Her | Rutgers University | Washington DC Scandal |
| 13 | Becca Tucker | She/Her | ||
| 14 | Tulsa Douglas | She/Her | St. Olaf College | Boston Brute Squad |
| 16 | Jessica Shatkin | |||
| 17 | Margo Cody | |||
| 18 | Wei Gao | She/Her | New York BENT | |
| 20 | Karen Chalif | She/Her | ||
| 21 | Linda Morse | She/Her | Philadelphia AMP | |
| 22 | Lauren Woods | She/Her | New York BENT | |
| 23 | Andrea DeSabato | She/Her | Philadelphia AMP | |
| 24 | Casey Gorman | Washington DC Scandal | ||
| 33 | Lauren Piontek | She/Her | ||
| 41 | Martha Gregory | New York BENT | ||
| 44 | Raha Mozaffari | She/Her | Philadelphia AMP | |
| 71 | Cassie Wong | She/Her | Boston Brute Squad | |
| 88 | Nikki Hair | She/Her | ||
| 99 | Veronica Kolegue-Spalaris | She/Her | ||
| PP | Abbey Stolowski | |||
| PP | Caroline Turner | |||
| PP | Kyla Dayer | |||
| PP | Tricia Smit | She/Her | ||
Social justice and equity
In 2020, the Gridlock raised over $10,000[10] for the National Bail Out collective, a Black-led and Black-centered collective of abolitionist organizers, lawyers and activists building a community-based movement to end systems of pretrial detention and ultimately mass incarceration.[11] Social justice and equity are build into their mission statement[12], with text that centers gender and racial equity and accountability in community partnerships. These were elaborated further by Eileen Murray, owner and General Manager, and Khunsa Amin, Director of Community, Outreach, and Operations in an interview with Still Out of Your League.[13]
References
- comments, Charlie Eisenhood in News with 0 (2019-01-22). "New Women's & Non-Binary Semi-Pro League Set To Launch In April". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
- "Mission Statement". New York Gridlock Ultimate. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
- Zagoria, Adam (2019-06-28). "Born of a Boycott, a Women's Ultimate Frisbee League Charts Its Own Path". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
- "Team names give hip, hip, hooray to hometown shortcomings". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
- comments, Charlie Eisenhood in News with 0 (2020-03-12). "Western Ultimate League Postpones Start of Season Due to Coronavirus Outbreak". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
- comments, Charlie Eisenhood in News with 0 (2020-04-14). "Premier Ultimate League 2020 Season Has Been Canceled". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
- "Results". Premier Ultimate League. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
- Raynor, Keith; Opinion, Daniel Prentice in; comments, Preview with 0 (2020-03-05). "PUL 2020: A Look At The New Rosters". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
- "2020 Roster". New York Gridlock Ultimate. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
- Ultimate, New York Gridlock (2020-05-10). "To all who donated, to all who amplified this campaign: THANK YOU. Without each & every one of you, this would not have been possible. We are feeling very energized and grateful after seeing how this community has responded to help free Black mothers in pre-trial detention.pic.twitter.com/wtaG0LJNGR". @ny_gridlock. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
- McHarris, Philip V. "Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, National Bail Out Is Freeing Black Mothers From Jail". Essence. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
- "Mission Statement". New York Gridlock Ultimate. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
- Cretaz, Britni de la. "this professional sports team is trying to dismantle white supremacy culture in their sport". britnidlc.substack.com. Retrieved 2020-05-22.