2005 - 2006

The program was able to bring in yet another strong recruiting class, ensuring the existence of a competitive B Team for the second straight year. The fall saw the program split up for Fall Club Sectionals in Salisbury, Maryland in an effort to get the numerous new players a chance to gain valuable tournament experience. After Sectionals, the A Team traveled to tournaments in Columbus, OH, Delaware, and Atlanta (to compete in the prestigious Classic City Classic tournament).

Though the fall provided an excellent chance for the team to garner experience, play quality teams, and begin to build some chemistry, none of the results of the fall mattered once spring rolled around. The team embarked on an extensive schedule that begin in Las Vegas, NV. g-dub managed to crack the top 16 of the 64 team tournament, with wins against out-of-region opponents like Cal (National Runner Up, 2004), while losing nail-biters to powerhouse UC-Santa Barbara by 2 and eventual NW Regional Champions Oregon, on double game point. Next up was the Atlantis Tournament in Salisbury. With only 5 members of the team who had played at 2005 Regionals present, g-dub suffered an uncharacteristic 0-4 Saturday, plagued by a combination of low numbers and heavy winds. However, on Sunday, the team bounced back to defeat rival Maryland, SUNY-Albany, and eventual ME Regional Champions Delaware to find themselves in the finals against a similarly young Ohio State team. Though holding a late lead, Ohio State was able to finally win a close game. The next tournament was also in Maryland at Towson's Huck of the Irish Tournament. Unlike Salisbury, g-dub rolled through pool play into Sunday, which saw them beat Swarthmore in the quarters. Ohio State ended our weekend in the semis, beating g-dub for the second tournament in a row.

2004 – 2005

With a large senior class as well as the biggest recruiting class in history, the team had a great deal of young players looking to run and older players looking to lead. With a tough schedule, starting with a late fall appearance at Classic City Classic, the premiere fall tournament, the team looked to gain experience and play the best teams they could over the course of the season. With ninth place finishes at Terminus and Ultimax, the team looked strong and ready for Sectionals despite some unfortunate injuries over the course of the year.

Battle-tested for Sectionals, the team went 4-0 on Saturday, including an impressive cross-over win against Metro-East contender and GW rival University of Delaware 13-11. Sunday brought victories over American and St. Mary's, setting up a finals match against University of Maryland. Looking to overcome a late-season loss, GW came out and took the game over, winning convincingly 13-6, securing the Colonial Section title for only the second time in team history. Day One of Regionals brought a first round win against Syracuse, followed by a victory over University of Maryland in the quartefinals. In the semifinals, GW matched up against Queens-Kingston, with the Canadian team coming away with the victory. Sunday began with a victory over Drew and one more win against University of Maryland, putting g-dub in the Game-to-Go to Nationals against University of Pittsburgh. In a very emotional game, g-dub came up just two points short, losing 14-12, finishing third in the Metro-East. A heart-wrenching way to end the season, it was the farthest GW had been from the College Championships in four years.

Tournaments: Queen City; President's Day; Terminus; Ultimax; Sectionals; Regionals

*Ben Spears made the Metro-East All-Region Team

2003 – 2004

With a big recruiting class and some great fall experience, the team looked ready to make some noise again in the Metro-East. Adding to last year's core with some promising young players, the team had good showings at the Queen's City and President's Day tournaments. At Terminus, g-dub managed to surprise everyone but themselves by making into the Semi-Finals of the largest Terminus tournament ever.

Using the unique “Noid” offense, developed by captain Ben Faust, the team looked strong going into Sectionals. The team went 4-0 on Day One, putting themselves in great position for Sunday. g-dub beat University of Maryland in the semifinals before losing 15-13 to the University of Delaware in the Finals. GW then had to play University of Maryland in the second place game, winning that 15-13 to secure second in the Capital Section for the second straight year behind University of Delaware. At Regionals, g-dub beat Salisbury then was upset by Queens-Kingston 11-10, in a game littered with calls and frustration. Victories over University of Maryland and Syracuse were necessary to make it to Sunday. On Day Two, g-dub beat Princeton, followed by Cornell setting up a 2 nd place game against Queens-Kingston, in a bitter rematch for the last bid to Nationals. The team came out firing on all cylinders, easily winning the game 15-8 and qualifying for the College Championships for the second time in three years.

Nationals brought some exciting, high quality play. g-dub had tough losses to Kansas and William & Mary in pool play, with another close defeat to eventual semifinalist Brown. On Day Two, g-dub pulled out their first Nationals victory, defeating Illinois 15-13. Following that impressive win, the team looked to take on perennial powerhouse Carleton College, and ended up taking half 8-7 before losing a nail biter 15-13. GW ended up breaking seed by place spots, finishing 11 th in the country. * Below is the description of the team as seen on the 2004 College Championship website:

“In its seventh season, G-Dub Ultimate has transitioned from a fledgling team into a thriving athletic program. Making their second trip to nationals in 3 years, the Hippos have become a spirited institution not only on campus, but around the college ultimate community as well. This season, the Hippos traveled to Queen's City Tune Up (Charlotte, NC), President's Day (San Diego, CA), College Terminus (Atlanta, GA), College Easterns (Wilmington, NC), and Chesapeake Invite (College Park, MD) before heading into the UPA Series. Posting a record of 24-6 since March 13, the Hippos are stronger than ever and hoping to build off a second place finish at Metro East Regionals. George Washington eagerly awaits the opportunity to prove themselves among the best in Seattle.”

Tournaments: Queen City; President's Day; Terminus; Easterns; Sectionals; Regionals; Nationals

*Ben Faust made the Metro-east All-Region Team as well as placing third in the Callahan Award, for the best player in College Ultimate

2002 – 2003

The 2003 season was supposed to be a rebuilding year. Losing nine starters from last years Nationals team, it didn't help when the team managed only to recruit a couple new players. However, this was a totally different team, now known as “g-dub”, a blue-collar team that may not have played as pretty as last years team, but was always ready to run and get dirty.

Going into Sectionals, the team had some solid experience under their belt and it showed, with the team going 4-0 on Saturday. Sunday began with a surprise upset by eventual Sectional champion University of Delaware in the Semi-Finals. The team overcame this defeat and clinched second place in the section. At Regionals, the team beat Pittsburgh in the first round before losing a heartbreaker to Cornell 15-12. g-dub managed to overcome this and defeat Carnegie-Mellon and then University of Delaware to make it to Sunday. Day Two brought fulfilling victories over rival Swarthmore and an upset over Cornell, their first win in team history. Finally, in the game-to-go to Nationals against Penn State, g-dub lost on universe point 17-16, narrowly missing a second College Championships bid and ending the season ranked third in the Metro-East region.

Tournaments: President's Day; Terminus; Ultimax; Spring Phling; Sectionals; Regionals

*Ed Van Leer made the Metro-East All-Region Team

*Ben Faust made the Metro-East All-Region Team

2001 – 2002

With a great recruiting class and a team full of upperclassman and graduate students, the team looked poised to make a run for Nationals. With four captains, the team had great leadership as well as a solid team from top to bottom. After being snubbed from the President's Day tournament, GW made the drive to Alabama, competing in the Elite division a MudBowl, and obtaining their first ever tournament victory. On their way to the title, the team managed to overcome a 9-0 defecit to Auburn and rattle off 15 straight points to win the game.

With a 12-man B-team, GW sent two teams to Sectionals. The A-team went 4-0 on Saturday, then beat Maryland in the finals 15-11, capturing the Colonial Sectional title for the first time in team history. At Regionals, GW put up impressive wins against Edinboro and Princeton. On Sunday, they beat Swarthmore securing a Nationals bid before losing to Cornell in the finals, taking second place in the Region.

GW Hippos had qualified for the College Championships, held in Spokane, WA. On the first day, GW lost to Carleton and Colorado in pool play, two teams who consistently make the Semi-finals with one more loss to Illinois. Day two brought close games against UC-Santa Cruz as well as Iowa, unfortunately ending in defeat in bracket play. The season was a great success. *Below is the description of the team as seen on the 2002 College Championship website:

“Long ago in a swamp far, far away, a hippo was born. This hippo was born an orphan with no one to lead or teach it. But, after growing steadily in his first year and stomping on nearby turtles, they reached their first Spring Regional. The next year the hippo grew much more, and again stomped many turtles and a few other chumps. But the hippo had a drinking problem and did not last into the Spring and its Summer slumber began early. Having learned from this, the hippo awoke the next fall stronger and angrier. After eating turtle soup and beating some ivy league chumps, they stomped to the dirty south. After hitting a few bumps in the road, they again reached a Spring's end. At this point, the hippo was growing older and for the first time it started to shed some layers. But this would not keep the hippo down. And after growing more over 2 years and shedding nothing, the hippo has reached hippo-hood. And what is a full grown hippo to do? DEVOUR everything in its path.”

Tournaments: Queen City; Mud Bowl; Terminus; Ultimax; Sectionals; Regionals; Nationals

*Thomas Shields made the Metro-East All-Region team

2000 – 2001

Now the team had started to make some headway, building a team and developing some strategy, thanks their first year with a coach, Dave Bellar, a starter for a local club team in DC called SeaBass. It was also the first year the team joined with the Women's team at GW and began having regular co-ed games on Fridays. In addition, the team began a tradition of attending the famous Purple Valley tournament in the fall held at Williams College in Massachusetts, creating a chance for alumni to come play one more tournament with the GW Hippos. Though history it scattered for this year, the team did manage to have a good showing at the SPUD Tournament, as well as make some noise at Regionals.

On Sunday, GW managed to win on double-game point against University of Delaware on a historic layout catch by Alex Liss. Following that game, GW pulled out another universe point win over Princeton, who the previous year had made the College Championships. After this win, the team lost a heartbreaker to Swarthmore, finishing fourth in the Region, their best showing to date.

Tournaments: President's Day, SPUD Tournament, Sectionals, Regionals

1999 – 2000

A still very young program, but gaining speed and players, the team managed to make it to the semi-finals of the Sectional tournament, losing to Maryland, though still qualifying for the Regional tournament.

At Regionals, GW managed to make it to the second day play, finishing in the top six. This was also the first year of the infamous Red Shirt All-Stars, a B-team known for theit exciting play as well as their crazy behavior.

Tournaments – Bucknell, President's Day, Sectionals, Regionals

1998 – 1999 [Early History]

A very young team, primarily relying on the huck-and-play-defense strategy, this team of young, athletic players was captained by Dave Watermulder. It was the first year the team qualified for the Regional tournament, narrowly missing the second day of play. This was also the first year with a B-team, a testament to their recruiting power.