Three members of Oswego's Oz Roller Derby team traveled to participate in the first-ever Northeast Renegade Tournament in Parsippany, N.J., cinching second place in a wild, fist-clenching championship bout.
Invited to skate with the Boomtown Roughneck Renegade team from Binghamton, Mandy Frantz, Jason Fleming and Phil Gailinas knew they were joining what was considered the underdog team.
"We were expected to be eliminated in the first round and be out of the tournament," Frantz said. "But we won the first game against Seven Hills from Virginia, 38-33."
The team went on to win their second game against South Jersey by a whopping 91-63, bringing them into the championship bout against the Psycho 78's, who were the founders of renegade-style bouts on the East Coast. When it comes to Renegade rules, there really are no rules to this brand of skating. There are no penalties or clock-stops and, according to the Psycho 78's, no mercy.
"They (Psycho 78's) have been around since 2008 and are undefeated," Frantz added.
Their longtime winning streak was almost ended by the Boomtown Roughneck Renegade team and their Oswego counterparts when they found themselves up by one point over the Psycho 78's by the last jam.
"Then as a surprise, they added a bonus jam where they said farewell to one of their original founders and lead jammer, Spooky," Frantz said. "He scored 5 points and we lost by four points (40-44)."
In October, Oz Roller Derby is bringing the fast pace and exciting action of Renegade style to Oswego – for the first time ever – old-time roller derby with no penalties.
Oz Roller Derby will have a Renegade bout at 7 p.m., Oct. 19, at the Oswego Armory. The derby team will also be holding a live auction and recruitment at 1 p.m., Sept. 29, at McEwen Auction Company, 32 Erie St. This is an open recruitment coupled with the Oz Roller Derby first annual auction. No experience is necessary and skaters will be trained to safely play three different styles of roller derby.
Anyone interested in joining roller derby or to donate to the auction, contact Oz Roller Derby at 532-5056.
