Madeline Lydon and the Golden Eagles Snag the Golden Snitch

2011 Nov 16

Madeline Lydon, a freshman Biomedical Sciences major from Mahtomedi, MN, is one of 16 Marquette University students who played on the university's inaugural club quidditch team this fall. Ranked 11th internationally out of 400 teams, Marquette's squad took 20th place at the national Quidditch World Cup, held in New York City Nov. 12-13.

No longer limited to the young wizards in Harry Potter, real-life quidditch is a combination of rugby, basketball and water polo. Players hold brooms between their legs as they run down the field, avoiding errant bludgers (dodgeballs) as they aim to throw the quaffle (scoring ball) into one of three hoops. All the while, a seeker from each team searches for the snitch (third-party runner), whose capture signals the end of the game.

The athletic Marquette quidditch team had no problems ducking, dodging, shooting and scoring their way through the season. After team captains got the logistics squared away this summer, Marquette took to the field and saw instant success. They finished the season with an 8-4 record and boasted the top ranked offense of any school in the world. While in New York for the World Cup, the team was interviewed by NBC, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal for their play, uniforms and, as team captain Curtis Taylor puts it, "overall awesomeness." Watch for more Marquette quidditch action this spring, when the team hosts a tournament in Racine, Wis., in conjunction with "Harry Potter Day."