What do most of the top Open, Women's, Master's and Mixed teams in the Northwest region now have in common? That's right, Trigger Hippy.

Having accomplished their goal of winning Nationals, the "three-year pick-up squad" and Worlds 2002 semi-finalists have called it quits. Citing a plethora of reasons, including organizing fatigue and an inability to practice together on a regular basis (as if they needed it), captain Michael Faris recently stated that, "our run was done… Worlds was mostly a bonus round." Team members have subsequently "retired," or joined other NW teams such as Kavu and Donner Party (as if they need it).

One other notable absence from this year's competition is perennial contender Red Fish Blue Fish (SF bay area, CA). Falling to Grind in the backdoor semis at NW regionals, the Fish - after a 5th-place finish at Worlds in August - miss out on a 5th consecutive trip to The Show. Taking the top spot in the Northwest was the aforementioned Donner Party (Lake Tahoe+, CA). On a roll from their dominating performance at Worlds, the 'party fly in to Sarasota as the overall #1 seed. Recent results, combined with the fact that Mixed Nationals has seen a NW team in the finals ever year since 1999, more than justifies their seeding.

You think the Northwest is tough? The Mid-Atlantic region has also seen their teams in the finals for three years straight, winning it all in 1999 (Raleigh Llama), and again in 2000 by Spear, who return this year as the MA #2 seed, #5 overall. Numero Uno out of the MA is World's semi-finalist Blue Ridge Ultimate. Losing to Donner 14-17 in World's semis, and then 10-13 to Trigger in the 3/4 game, BRU looks perched to regain the Mid-Atlantic stranglehold on the Mixed trophy.

Closing the door on Trigger Hippy's finals aspirations in Hawaii was the current South #1; Hang Time (Dallas, TX). "We played maybe three bad games all week in Hawaii," stated a Hang Time player, "the final was one of them." Buttressed by some phenomenal female ringers, Hang Time cruised through the waters in Hawaii, sending Trigger packing in the semis 17-9, but losing by a similar difference in the final. Rex O'Quinn and Co., having downed Holes and Poles for South #1, find themselves headlining Pool C over Clear the Room (NW #2), who lost to Donner Party by 1 in the NW Regional final. They duke it out -- along with all the other pools' favorites -- at 2 PM on Thursday.

High Plains Drifters (Denver area, CO) have enjoyed an accelerated ride to the elite level. Formed in 2001 as a synthesis of Aintree (2000 SW#4), Ryno (2000 SW#5-6) and Boulder open pick-ups, they quickly captured the top bid out of the Southwest and ran straight thru to National's semis. They return this year with Worlds experience, and - at the #4 seed - high expectations. Look for them to play up to it. [note: the Southwest region is the only other region to place a finalist in UPA Mixed Nationals; 1998, Pira Haku (Colo. Springs, CO)]

I smell Red Tide. Open glory days Red Tide, they're 'round here somewhere! Smelts (Portland, ME), Northeast #1, are a barrel of old RT vets with some Undertoe women thrown in for equally good measure. Narrowly taking out Canadian stalwarts Grin (Grin+: some Mephisto & Sumo ringers) in the regional semis, Smelts run away with the final and a guaranteed spot in the Dance. Possibly to avoid regionals rematches or because of the weak NE showing last year, Smelts are seeded 8th, facing Donner in a tough first day. Beware of: "We came, we saw, we Smelt-Smelt-Smelt!"

To say that the Central region didn't live up to expectations last year is an understatement. All three 2001 qualifiers rounded out the last three final rankings spots. Missing this year is Canadian Mixed Nationals champ Chaos, whose assumed quest for Club Series redemption will remain unfulfilled for 2002. Three Martini Lunch (Indianapolis, IN) picks up the slack, earning only 11th seed overall. Stacked below Hang Time and CTR, the Indy squad faces an upwind battle in returning the strength bid to the Central region.

Is it my imagination, or is there a greater turnover in Mixed Nationals as opposed to Open and Women's? There are only six mixed teams returning to Nationals from 2001, and 8 out of the 10 remaining teams will play in their first National Championship. In the next installment of pre-tournament hype, I'll delve deeper than the top regional seeds and weed through the qualifiers that are dying to prove that seeding means nothing. That's why we play the games. And on that note -- I can't wait, can you?