On Saturday, Flavet Field was filled with seekers, chasers and snitches for the first UF-hosted Quidditch Swamp Cup since Spring 2012.
This year, nine Florida universities and Florida’s Finest, a team made up of Quidditch players from around the state, participated in the tournament.
UF came in third place after the championship game ended in a draw between Florida’s Finest and the University of Miami.
Elizabeth Norton, a 19-year-old UF biology sophomore, has played for UF for four semesters.
“It’s basically the same as the Harry Potter books, except people are running, not flying, and the snitch is a person,” she said.
Norton started playing after her friend brought her to a practice during her freshman year. She played basketball in high school, to which she credits much of her success as a Quidditch player.
“As a chaser, my favorite part about Quidditch is the team aspect,” she said. “There is always so much going on during a game and we can’t accomplish anything if we don’t work together,” Norton said.
Although the Quidditch sport is based off of J.K. Rowling’s games in the Harry Potter series, Norton said liking the books is not a necessity to enjoy the sport.
“Most Quidditch players like Harry Potter, but people don’t play because of the books,” she said. “Some people haven’t even read them.”
Angel Vergez, a 20-year-old Florida Gulf Coast University communications sophomore, traveled from Fort Myers to play in the tournament. He said he believes that the Harry Potter world and the Quidditch community are separate.
“I hate associating Harry Potter with the sport because it takes away from it,” Vergez said.
Vergez has been playing Quidditch for two years and has competed in seven tournaments on FGCU’s Quidditch team as the seeker.
“When I came to college, I just saw the team playing and showed up at practice,” Vergez said. Now I love it.”
Leigh Jones, a 1967 UF alumnus, came to her first-ever Quidditch tournament Saturday to see her cousin play.
“I’ve enjoyed it. After spending the whole morning asking everyone questions, I feel pretty knowledgeable now,” she said. “The kids have fun and have a lot of enthusiasm when playing. People get really into it.”
Florida Quidditch chaser Nick Zakoske, a 21-year-old geology junior, looks to score during the Gators’ 120-50 win against Rollins College on Flavet Field on Saturday. Read the story online.
