ABOUT THE MICHIGAN PAINTBALL TEAM:
The University of Michigan Paintball Team promotes the sport of paintball while focusing on safety and teamwork. The team participates in a variety of paintball-related events, including National Collegiate Paintball Association (NCPA) tournaments, local speedball tournaments, and scenario events. As the team enters its 7th year as an officially recognized student organization, it has a bright future ahead with interest in the sport of paintball rapidly increasing on campus. Membership is open to anyone on campus interested in becoming involved with a highly motivated, teamwork-oriented organization.
Because the University of Michigan Paintball Team is an officially-recognized student organization, our constitution ensures that membership into the University of Michigan Paintball Club shall be open to all students, faculty, and alumni who may wish to join, regardless of age, sexual orientation, race, religion, or creed. The University of Michigan Paintball Club will strive at all times to be a club of equal opportunity that all can enjoy and benefit from.
TEAM OFFICERS:
Sean Thompson
President, University of Michigan Paintball Team, Ann Arbor
Mark Leemon
Vice President, University Paintball Team, Ann Arbor
Ryan Thorwarth
Treasurer, University of Michigan Paintball Team, Ann Arbor
Brian Hopton
Secretary, University of Michigan Paintball Team, Ann Arbor
Harry Taylor
Alumni Advisor, University of Michigan Paintball Team
TEAM HISTORY:
Dave Clemons and Harry Taylor established the University of Michigan Paintball Club in April of 2003 at the Dearborn campus of the University of Michigan. They formed the club in order to bring together paintball players and to generate interest among the student body towards the sport of paintball. The club has since expanded to the main Ann Arbor campus and currently consists of more than 20 tournament players, including current students and alumni.
In May 2003, the club founders registered for the Michigan Extreme 3-Man and finished 5th in their division. Soon after, Nelson Paintball and National Paintball Supply (NPS) became the team's first sponsors.
By the start of the 2003-2004 season, the team had grown to seven players. The club entered its first NCPA event; the Midwest Inter-Collegiate Tournament in November 2003 and finished 13th overall. By the end of January of 2004, Smart Parts, Hyper Paintball Arena, and Topstitch were added as official sponsors of the University of Michigan Paintball Team. That year, the team placed 10th in The Michigan Open and 10th in the Midwest Winter Open. The U of M Paintball Team finished 36 of 56 in overall AA standings at the end of the regular season.
During the 2004-2005 season, the U of M Paintball Team finished 11th in the MSU Fall Open. After adding Allen Paintball and Atomix Paintball (after Hyper Paintball went out of business) as sponsors, the team finished 13th in the MSU (Michigan State University) Winter Open. In April of 2005, the team attended the NCPA National Championships in Orlando, Florida and finished 31st. Overall, the team ended the '04-'05 AA season ranked 28th out of 65.
In the 2005-2006 season, the team placed 9th in the Grand Valley State University (GVSU) Open and 16th in the Midwest Intercollegiate Tournament. During the winter, U of M and MSU combined resources and hosted the UofM/MSU Winter Open, in which the team placed 9th. At the end of the season, the U of M Paintball team placed 28 of 61 in the AA division.
For 2006-2007, competing with two lines, the team placed 5th and 7th in the GVSU Open. Due to a lack of events sanctioned by the NCPA in our region that year and the closing of Atomix Paintball; this would be the team's only college-level event. The rest of the season was spent practicing and playing local, non-NCPA events.
Our 2007-2008 season saw significant personnel changes due to outgoing and incoming classmates. With several new members including many who were new to speedball, the season was considered a building year as we placed 15th at the NCPA Midwest North Event #2 at Stinger in Kewaskum, WI, 17th at Smart Parts' NCPA Frost Bowl, and 16th at NCPA Midwest North event #5. Crossfire and American Paintball Supply (Later to merge with ProCaps Direct) dealer accounts would be acquired, becoming huge assets to our growth throughout the summer practice season in terms of both Draxxus paintballs and especially our access to Planet Eclipse markers.
The 2008-2009 was a tremendous year for U of M Paintball compared to the previous season! After taking 3rd overall at the University of Michigan Open and 4th overall at the NCPA Fall Midwest Inter-Collegiate Tournament, we won the NCPA Midwest North Event #2 and placed 16th out of 54 at the NCPA National Championships. Overall for the season, we finished 13th out of 104!
TEAM GOALS FOR THE FUTURE:
2009-2010 Season:
Starting this year, our club has also begun reaching out to students on campus that may only have interest in woods ball. Observing woods ball participation levels at our practice field over the summer, we see this as an opportunity for the club to grow even larger while promoting paintball in general. This endeavor will also give us another avenue to recruit players interested in exploring the speedball side of the sport thus expanding our tournament player base.
In the off-campus community, we continue to work with young-gun level players and under-18 tournaments in an ongoing effort to promote paintball safety while also promoting education and our university as a future college destination. Starting this season, those efforts have paid off with the addition of new teammates that have entered the University of Michigan.
In these ways, we will continue the University of Michigan's tradition of excellence while fulfilling our commitment to the sport of paintball and its promotion of a safe, fun, and competitive sport. We talk up our sponsors at every opportunity and make an effort to steer new players towards their products, even if they are purchased used off of Ebay.
CURRENT HOME FIELD:
Warzone Paintgames
5340 N. Centennial Rd
Sylvania, OH 43560
www.warzonepaintgames.com
Futureball Paintball and Proshop
9269 E. Michigan State Road 36
Whitmore Lake, Michigan 48189
www.futureball.com
CURRENT SPONSORS:
University of Michigan
530 S. State St.
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
www.umich.edu
National Paintball Supply
75 Mantua Blvd.
Sewell, New Jersey 08080
www.nationalpaintballsupply.com
Allen Paintball Products
34 West Interstate Ave.
Cleveland, Ohio 44146
www.allenpaintball.com
ProCaps Direct
14235 John Marshall Highway
Gainesville, Virginia 20155
www.procapsdirect.com
Crossfire Inc.
2980 Interstate Parkway
Kalamazoo, Michigan 49048
www.crossfireinc.com
CURRENT A-LINE ROSTER:
#55 Sean Thompson (C) PE Etek2, Odyssey Halo B, Crossfire 68/4500 Custom
#09 Nick Sherman PE Etek2, Odyssey Halo B, Crossfire 68/4500 Custom
#17 Mark Leemon PE 06 Vicious Ego, Empire Prophecy, Crossfire 68/4500 Custom
#23 Brian Hopton PE Etek2, VL Vlocity, Crossfire 68/4500 Custom
#31 Ryan Thorwarth PE 06 Vicious Ego, Odyssey Halo B, Crossfire 68/4500 Custom
