WHEN Dubbo Ultimate Frisbee Federation (DUFF) player Nicole Harte competed at her first national-level tournament last month, she expected to have her abilities well and truly tested.
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What she didn't expect was to come away with was the title of Up-and-Comer of the competition, as voted by other players at the tournament.
It capped off a stunning weekend of ultimate for the Tooraweenah local, during which her team the Inland Gypsies exceeded all expectations to cause two major upsets and beat their 12th place seed to finish sixth.
The Gypsies, which comprises of players from across Western NSW including Dubbo, Mendooran and Tooraweenah, was founded in December 2015 with an eye to competing at the inaugural division two women's Australian Ultimate Championships (AUC).
But club founder and team captain Ashleigh Boatman said the girls blew the competition away.
"I think many of the teams underestimated us because we were a fresh new team with many new faces," she said.
"To go that well at the first national competition was amazing."
Each of the 15 teams at the tournament was allowed to nominate up to two of their players for the Up-and-Comer award. Harte came out on top.
"Surprised!" Harte said, when asked how she felt when her name was read out at the presentation. "I knew I had the support from my team but I was watching some of the other girls nominated and they were quite strong players."
It's even more flattering when, in the words of AUC Div II women's tournament director Nicky Smith, the award was designed to recognise "a girl playing at a national championship for the first time who has a lot of promise to have a big impact on Australian ultimate in the future".
"Nicole was one of the players that really stood up this tournament," Boatman said.
Harte's win was one of many highlights for the Gypsies, who also caused two massive upsets on their way to sixth spot.
The fourth and final game on day one saw the Gypsies clinch a tantalising 5-4 win against Victorian powerhouse BAUHAUS Reserves.
Then on day two, the Gypsies defied the odds to down second seed Wine and Cheese, from Melbourne, 8-6 - after having lost to them 9-3 in the opening match of the weekend.
The win shot the Gypsies into the 5/6 playoff, and relegated Wine and Cheese to play off for seventh or eighth.
