Frosty winds howled over the pitch as the whistle blew and bodies collided. Yells and cheers drowned out one another during the course of the two-day tournament, but for the athletes involved, it was all worth it.

Grand Valley State University hosted the 2014 Quidditch Midwest Regionals over the weekend. It marked the first time in Midwest collegiate quidditch that a university was chosen to host the regional tournament, which determines which teams qualify for the US Quidditch World Cup.

US Quidditch Events & Gameplay Director Sarah Woolsey said GVSU was chosen to host the tournament because of the convenience of the location.

“It’s a central location which is close for many of Michigan’s teams,” Woolsey said. “The facilities were really impressive too which is why we chose to host it here this year.”

The chance to host the tournament started two years ago when GVSU put in a bid to host the event. Aleia Wright, the quidditch club president, said that it was a huge deal for her and the club, also noting that having the assistance of the school staff made a big difference.

Twenty-eight teams came to Allendale, but only 18 left with a spot secured in the World Cup tournament. Teams hailed from 12 different states such as Kansas, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Iowa hoping they could prove themselves worthy.

The Lakers came out strong on Saturday, and claimed the 11th seed in the tournament allowing them to make it to the US Quidditch World Cup for the second year in a row.

Head coach John Alexander was pleased to be making a return to the national tournament.

Alexander said the improvement from last year was significant and that the team brought forth their best effort over the weekend.

“All our training has definitely paid off,” Alexander said. “The team’s in the best shape I’ve seen them all year and it was really nice going into the second day knowing we would be going to the World Cup.”

Braving the rain and wind, the Lakers’ highlight of the weekend was their match against Ohio University, where they overcame a 70-point deficit. GVSU junior Tyler Nagy said making the comeback was his favorite part of the tournament.

“After being down 70 points we not only tied the game but came back and won, which was awesome.” Nagy said. “That and after qualifying on the first day we were able to go into day two and just have fun instead of stressing out.”

The eighth US Quidditch World Cup will be held in April in Rock Hill, S.C., but until then the Lakers will be training hard.

Alexander said the team would be buckling down, conditioning and trying to squeeze in some indoor tournaments to keep them in shape and ready to go.

With spirits high and sights set higher, the Lakers will be spending the next few months training in the hopes they will claim the coveted US Quidditch World Cup.