2019
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2019 Rookies!

As their first season with Ohio Roller Derby winds down and preparations begin for the next round of OHRD tryouts in September, we caught up with some members of the 2019 rookie class to discuss their experiences, joys, and growth over the past year. How did you first hear about roller derby, and what made you decide to get involved with OHRD? Slayna Scully: I first heard about roller derby back in college in 2009! I was in my first year at BGSU and went to see the Glass City Rollers and fell in love. I bought a pair of quads that year, but never had the money or the time to get involved. I skated casually and recreationally until I finished graduate school last spring, and then I was free to join OHRD, aka the league of my dreams! Nick Tater: Slayna Scully, who I knew mostly just as an acquaintance through my sister, was involved with OH-Rec League (OH!RL) and convinced me to join because she thought I would enjoy it. I've always been athletic and she just reached out randomly one day and told me to come try a WannaBe Clinic. I was hooked from that first night. I joined

OHIO BESTS BRANDYWINE

Skating their second-to-last home games of the 2019 season, Ohio Roller Derby welcomed Brandywine Roller Derby for Pride Night and racked up early leads that led to triple-digit victories in both games. (63) OHIO ROCKETS PAST (69) BRANDYWINE, 235-64 With just a few weeks remaining for games that can impact postseason tournament seeding, and incredibly close competition among half a dozen teams in the North America East region hovering near the cutoff point for Continental Cup eligibility, the Ohio Roller Derby All Stars drew on the momentum they gained from their 3-0 run at Midwest BrewHaHa and charged into their 12th game of the season swinging. Aiming for a 2:1 spread over the Brandywine Belligerents, the home contenders wasted no time on the track, opening a tidy 100-point lead by halftime and obtaining lead jammer status in 78% of jams. Quick shutout jams dominated the opening minutes of the contest, as Ohio jammers largely limited themselves to single scoring passes. Brandywine snuck onto the board in jam 7, but a subsequent power start for Ohio stalled their progress. KloverKill and Kelsey Khaos burned a Brandywine power jam, then Bigg Rigg made the first major move for Ohio with a 16-4 gain, shifting their

OHIO DOMINATES AT PUT UP YOUR TOQUES INVITATIONAL

While multi-game tournament weekends already present a unique set of obstacles - increased fatigue, unfamiliar track surfaces, special attention to hydration and nutrition, playing earlier or later in the day than usual - adding international travel into the equation can create extra hurdles, particularly for U.S. teams that don’t necessarily do so often. Undaunted by any of the challenges presented, the Ohio Roller Derby All Stars crossed the northern border and skated their way to three decisive victories in less than 48 hours. LAST JAM UPSET OF ORANGEVILLE, 191-183 Ohio opened the tournament with a back-and-forth battle against (69) Orangeville, swapping lead ten times and eking out a last-jam victory. An initial power jam allowed Ohio to control momentum and gain small handfuls of points over the first five minutes of play before Orangeville forced the first lead change in jam 5, 12-16. BrussKnuckles fired back in jam 7, spinning through the pack to pick up 18 points and boost Ohio to a narrow 30-28 lead. A tug-of-war for lead ensued; Birch Slap quickly juked through the pack and avoided jammer defense for 7 uncontested points, but a 4-1 pack advantage for Orangeville in the following jam left little resistance against Gruesome Gracie

Ohio Extends Neighborly Welcome to Gem City

Fresh off a successful tournament weekend in Canada, Ohio Roller Derby returns to their home track in Columbus with an improved 4-1 season record to welcome neighboring league Gem City Roller Derby (Dayton, OH) on Saturday, May 11th for one of the most eagerly anticipated games of the season. Despite their close proximity, the two A teams have not played one another in a decade, meeting twice in 2009 with entirely different rosters and under a very different WFTDA rule set. Gang Green and the Gem City B team, the Violet Femmes, sparred more recently in September 2014, with Gang Green emerging victorious. In the years since, Gem City has been on a steady upward trajectory, boasting nearly undefeated seasons for the past three years. The Purple Reign were in position to make a run for their first postseason appearance at the North America East Continental Cup in 2018, but they were forced to cancel the deciding game against Toronto on the final day of the WFTDA regular season due to unsafe track conditions. Eager to prove that they’re up to the challenge, they have scheduled an ambitious but well-paced season and are currently 2-3. Kicking things off with an early February

OHIO NARROWLY SILENCED BY ROC CITY

Barrelling full steam ahead into the season, Ohio Roller Derby hosted Roc City Roller Derby (Rochester, NY) for two incredibly close-scoring games that each saw numerous lead changes and outcomes determined in the closing minutes. (66) OHIO UPSET BY (71) ROC CITY IN NAILBITER, 156-171 Meeting for the first time since 2016, the Ohio Roller Derby All Stars and the Roc City Roc Stars fought for every point in a back-and-forth battle, with neither team managing to accumulate a sizeable lead. Six jams ending in a tied score, seven lead changes, and nine jams with matched scoring passes kept all 30 skaters on their toes while fans in attendance steadily raised the volume in the Ohio Building throughout the game. Fast pack speed in the first handful of jams minimized gains on both sides, but a star pass to Betty T. KayO helped Ohio capitalize on the first power jam opportunity in jam 6 and take an 18-14 lead. After the All Stars controlled the clock for three consecutive jams, Florence Fightingale picked up lead jammer status for Roc City in jam 11, but massive hits by Pain Train stalled her progress; meanwhile, Chainsaw took a star pass and hustled through the pack

OHIO DEBUTS PROMISING START TO FOURTEENTH SEASON

Returning once more to their home track after a long off-season, Ohio Roller Derby welcomed perennial adversaries Toronto Roller Derby to Columbus, playing two action-packed games for a nearly sold-out crowd. (64) OHIO BREAKS (58) TORONTO WIN STREAK, 150-121 Aiming to both maintain a perfect record against Toronto and disrupt their 13-game win streak, the Ohio Roller Derby All Stars rolled with multiple lead changes in the first half before tightening defense, committing to a core veteran jammer rotation, and denying points in crucial moments to secure their victory. Both teams spent the first few jams feeling out one another’s defense, swapping a scant handful of points. A penalty on the Toronto jammer allowed Catch Mikachu to make the first bold move for Ohio and pick up 12 points in jam 6; Toronto responded with back-to-back shutout power jams, posting 24 points for the first lead change of the game. Quick offense helped BrussKnuckles to snag lead and a quick 4 points, but momentum ground to a near halt in jam 11 as Bigg Rigg and Monster Muffin each fought immovable walls. Mikachu swung the momentum back in Ohio’s favor with a second lead change, posting a 13-0 gain while the home defense

(64) Ohio Kicks Off Season 14 with International Match Against (58) Toronto

Prepared both mentally and physically for a jam-packed schedule this year, Ohio Roller Derby will launch their fourteenth season on Saturday, March 23rd against familiar Canadian contenders (58) Toronto Roller Derby (Toronto, ON, CA). Ohio will look to improve on their 4-0 record over the All-Stars, having bested them annually from 2012-2015 on home and away tracks as well as in tournament play. The two teams may potentially rematch more than once later in the season, as both have been accepted to the Put Up Your Toques and Midwest BrewHaHa tournaments in May and June. Toronto put in steady work to climb the WFTDA rankings in 2018, ultimately going 12-0 and very narrowly missing a postseason invitation to the North America East Continental Cup. Retaining a large veteran squad, Toronto will try to build on their previous success, beginning with the trip to Columbus. In addition to stacking games over tournament weekends, they will also take on Boston Roller Derby and Royal City Roller Derby in April. The inevitable rebuilding year last season brought new challenges and resulted in a 4-8 season, but ultimately helped set Ohio up for greater cohesion this year. When unable to achieve overwhelming victories, as against North Star

Ohio Roller Derby 2019 Season Preview

After a postseason trip to the North America East Continental Cup last August and a fun-filled season of intraleague play that culminated in the revival of the fan-favorite Skatemare Before Christmas game, Ohio Roller Derby enjoyed a well-deserved off-season. Now, with renewed minds and increased strength, they return once more to their home track at the Ohio Expo Center in 2019, gearing up for their fourteenth year of competition against old rivals and new challengers alike. Twelve skaters from the 2018 playoffs roster return to the All Stars roster this season: Amy Spears (captain), Betty T. KayO, Bigg Rigg, Birch Slap, BrussKnuckles, Kelsey Khaos, KloverKill, Pain Train, and Vyles, as well as crossover skaters Belle A. Trix, Smash Panda (formerly known as Jane Goodfall), and TactiGal. After spending last season coaching, Chainsaw rejoins the pack, and recent transfer Catch Mikachu will provide additional versatility in the jammer pool. New to All Stars but certainly not to the track, Baby Kakes, Jane, Literally, Lara Del Rage, Jonny No, and Oxford Coma join in pulling double duty for both the A and B squads. Already retaining a solid veteran core, Gang Green welcomes a robust rookie class and a few additional transfer skaters