UCF Flag Football teams spent another winter break racking up championship trophies, winning UCF’s 10th all-time Flag Football National Championship with victories in the Co-Rec Division at the American Collegiate Intramural Sports (ACIS) National Tournament in Pensacola, FL as well as titles in the Men’s and Co-Rec Division at the National Campus Championship Series (NCCS) Tournament in College Station, Texas.
At the ACIS event, UCF’s Co-Rec team ‘Women Lie Men Lie’ rolled through preliminary play with lopsided wins over N.C. State and Western Kentucky. In the elimination round, UCF defeated LSU and Angelo State to set up a championship game match with Mississippi State. After a closely contested matchup, UCF prevailed by a final score of 22-20. UCF’s Brandon Baroody & Taylor Thomas were named the tournament’s offensive co-MVP, while Vanessa Ziccardi and Nelson Rembert were named defensive co-MVP. UCF Officials Richard Shiller, Andrew Barnard and Andrew Cox also earned bids to referee at the tournament and had success as well. Shiller and Barnard were selected to officiate the Women’s National Championship game, with Barnard being named as an All-American Flag Football Official.
After the new year, UCF teams then traveled to Texas A&M University for the NCCS Tournament. UCF’s Mens team ‘The Immortals’ looked to avenge a championship game loss in last year’s event. The Immortals were flawless in Texas, winning both pool play games against Boise State and Texas Southern. In the elimination round, they ran through Columbus State, UNLV and Angelo State before meeting the University of Florida in the Championship Game. The Gators scored on the game’s first play and ran out to a quick 13-0 lead, but UCF fought back convincingly to win 35-19 behind the arm of tournament MVP Andy Slowik. UCF’s Eric Lodge was named the Tournament’s defensive MVP.
UCF’s Co-Rec team looked for the clean sweep of the National tournaments in Texas. With only 5 players returning from last year’s championship team, a revamped roster had little trouble in the pool play round with wins over Richard Stockton College and Texas Tech. The results were similar in the elimination round, as UCF defeated Georgia and Texas Southern to reach the Championship game in a rematch of last year’s title match against Angelo State. Once again, UCF was dominant in posting a 26-0 victory in the final en route to their 3rd straight NCCS Co-Rec title. Brandon Baroody and Tiffany Fletcher shared Co-MVP honors for UCF, who now has 5 all-time Co-Rec National Championships. UCF Officials were also successful at the NCCS event as Brittney Shiller, David Weiland and Greg Singh were selected to officiate the tournament. Shiller and Weiland officiated the Women’s National Championship game and were both named All-American Officials. UCF’s 3 All-American officials this year brings the total to 19 UCF Students that have been named as All-American Flag Football Officials since 2001.
The tournament success culiminates an incredible run for UCF grad students Brandon Baroody and Andrew Galinsky, who as members of the Immortals first NCCS Champion team in 2008 ammassed 7 Flag Football National Titles in the last 4 years. UCF won the first ever National Flag Football Tournament in the Men’s Division in 1979 in New Orleans.
