Christine O’Cleary

Handler on offense and short deep on zone defense.

As a handler, I was able to throw the disc to almost any part of the field, making to very difficult to play defense when I had possession of the disc. Breaking the mark often helped to move the disc more easily downfield, allowing for easier scoring.

Founder of Ozone, participated in the finals of UPA Championships twice and the finals of WFDF Club Championships twice. I also won the PDGA World Championships twice and set two world records in distance and accuracy.

I was not necessarily known for my stellar person to person defense, but interestingly enough, whenever our team kept stats, i was always one of our top defenders in terms of creating turnovers. I was a very tough marker, often getting hand blocks and frequently made my opponent make a bad throw, causing an incompletion. Poaching on defense was also a strength, as I always knew where the disc was and could and would make a play on it. Shutting down passing lanes resulted in higher stall counts, making the thrower have to make more difficult passes, occasionally resulting in turnovers. I was also known for my great pulls, making our opponents start on offense deep into their own end zone. This was particularly important in the women’s game, where moving the disc 80-90 yards to score was very difficult. The other benefit of a good pull was that once a turnover occured, it often happened closer to our own end zone, shortening the distance we had to go to score. Ozone was often stronger starting on defense than starting on offense because of my ability to consistently pull the disc deep into our opponent’s territory.

Beautiful long throws, great decision maker on offense, outstanding pulls, ability to throw the disc almost anywhere on the field, exceptional at marking, intense competitor, field awareness, defensive positioning, spirit and inspirational team leader on and off the field.

Handler, co-captain.

I helped to inspire my teammates to play their best game by praising them for the things they did well and by helping them define their specific role on the team.

The peak of Chris’s career was as a star player and leader on Ozone when they made it to the finals of two UPA Championships and one WFDF Club Championship in the 1990s. This time period also included several semifinal finishes at the UPA Club Championships. Chris retired at the peak of her career.

Chris was the commissioner of the Women’s League in Atlanta from 2002 to 2004. This league’s purpose was to promote women playing ultimate.

Chris has brought ultimate into her elementary school physical education class for decades. Chris is a strong proponent for women’s ultimate and has recruited many new women into the game. Chris has always participated in the Atlanta ultimate leagues and is looked upon as a role model by both the women and the men in the league. As Sectional Coordinator, she helped the Southern region grow to become what it is today.

Chris is worthy of being in the Ultimate Hall of Fame because she founded one of the longest-running and high-achieving club teams in the country. She led that team for 15 years and then went on to found and lead other teams. She has inspired untold numbers of players with her incredible play, her drive to succeed and her sustained athletic ability and skill. Chris played her entire career with Atlanta teams and her entire elite career with the team she founded, Ozone.