The ISU Quidditch Club made its first ever appearance in the IQA Midwest Regional Championship this past weekend in Rockford, Ill.

In the event, 28 teams competed, with 15 of those earning bids to compete in World Cup VII next spring in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Iowa State finished 18th in the tournament, but placed high enough to potentially earn a replacement position in the World Cup if any of the teams who earned bids are unable to attend. Despite having the smallest bench in the tournament, the club stuck to a physical game plan.

“We played really well, really physical; we’re starting to get the reputation of being the team nobody wants to play,” said sophomore and club chaser Marc McWilliams. “We run people to the ground and ourselves in the process sometimes.”

While the majority of the teams in the tournament played with at least 20 players, Iowa State sent 14 and finished with only 10 eligible to play.

“Nine games of really, really physical quidditch is pretty intense,” said freshman and club chaser/seeker Garret Meier. “It was great to see everyone on the team working hard no matter what, knowing that at least we can try something.”

The club hopes to add more members moving forward in order to send a full bench to future tournaments. Just last week, the club added a new member to the team who learned the game and traveled to compete in this weekend’s tournament. 

The members of the club said learning the game is quick and easy and teaching newcomers how to tackle is not a problem.

“If you don’t know how to tackle we’ll teach you,” said junior and club keeper/chaser Brandon Trent. “We taught half of our team how to tackle and within a week they were tackling properly and they were being very effective.”

The club has only been around since 2010 and didn’t become an official sports club until last year. This allowed them to get more funding from the Government of Student Body and made it financially feasible for them to travel to the Midwest Regional Tournament.

If the club does get invited to compete at World Cup VII, the hopes are to take a full bench and a coach along with them. They also hope to receive more funding from GSB to travel.

The next tournament for the club is scheduled to compete in is the Spring Breakout tournament March 8 in Missouri.