Washburn rode clean offensive possessions and stellar disconnecting defense to their first-ever HSNI title
June 15, 2026 by TJ Lee in Recap
SALEM, Oreg. — The common theme in the younger levels of ultimate is accepting a higher level of turnovers in expectation that your opponent will give you plenty of opportunities of their own. But Washburn, facing the top seed in South Eugene in the championship match of the 2026 High School National Invite, chose to take a different path: Losing yardage when needed to maintain possession. While many would question the efficacy of this look, it was the game plan that got them past Holy Family Catholic in the semifinal, and the game plan Washburn were committed to riding to the finish line.
In the semifinal, “the wind had started messing with our throws,” said Washburn’s Charlotte Eskola. “But we trust in each other and what we can do on offense. We remember to smile and have fun because we love this game. That’s what got us in the right mindset, and that’s how we know we’re ready.”
The final started with a clean hold from South Eugene. Dana Herrmann acted as the quarterback for the defending runner-up’s offense, and it looked as though Washburn would need to adjust their defensive gameplan.
But before that could happen, Washburn needed to introduce their offense. Another round of smooth zone offense, this time from Washburn, was halted by a block from Grant Gillespie in the end zone. But a block from Lydia Jorgenson in return gave them a quick hold. While Gillespie’s block gave South Eugene an early chance, it was the only stat that Gillespie produced before sitting out the rest of the game. Without the defensive prowess and offensive consistency of Gillespie, South Eugene had to find an answer from elsewhere.
Washburn’s person defense awarded them a stall call, though it would not take long for South Eugene to get the disc back. After a second turn downfield, the Washburn zone offense came to life. For all the downfield coverage that is South Eugene’s zone, the cup had a lack of pressure on the handlers, allowing dumps, dishes, and resets. Washburn began focusing on these short passes, only looking to hit a downfield continuation look when they were sure it would be complete. The result was a long point, but worth it for Washburn, as they scored the opening break.
This level of possession is something that is rarely seen. Washburn finished with only five turnovers on offense. This would be critical, as while Kumari Okumura was coming down with some crazy catches the same way she had been all year, several drops in the breadbasket kept giving South Eugene the disc.
As the game progressed, possessing the disc proved to be a vital value for South Eugene as well. All five of South Eugene’s holds were clean holds, and they only had one turn on the break they scored in the first half to tie the game 4-4. The problem was that after that, South Eugene would not score a break for the rest of the game. After the break, a clean Washburn hold and a break to go up 6-4 led to an 18-minute marathon point. Ending with an Anna Cords sky to break, Washburn finished the half with one more break to go up 8-4.
While South Eugene had been tested in a very defensive semifinal the round prior against El Cerrito, the more consistent wind without the same gusts from earlier in the day was opening the door for more throwing looks. And Washburn was capitalizing. They frequently took several dump passes to lose yards before looking for hitting a wide open continuation shot down the sideline, or finding Charlotte Eskola in the middle of the field.
Washburn continued their offensive dominance. Averaging over 25 completed passes for every turnover while South Eugene could not average five per turn, the game fell even more out of hand.
The second step behind this success was the matchup defense from Washburn. On several occasions, the ability to separate the South Eugene cutters from the handlers left the thrower stuck on an island.
But this kind of patience on offense and shutdown defense requires more than just skill; you need to be able to not give in. “I trust my teammates, and I know that we could do it,” Jorgenson said after the game. “We worked so hard, got a lot of good practice in Minnesota, and I know that we are the grittiest team ever.”
Washburn ended the game with the same kind of patient offense. Utilizing the dishes and short throws through the cup, they waited until the zone pinched in. Once then it was a matter of getting it to a sideline and continuing downfield. The dagger came when Jorgenson got the disc and put up a shot to Eskola.
It is the first-ever title for Washburn in only their third appearance at the High School National Invite. But not only is it their first title in program history, it is the first time ever that a Minnesota high school in either division ended the year as champions. A long, grueling season has ended with Washburn on top.
