The Boys and Girls of Summer: Trevor Campbell

Credit: Photography by Ali Markus

When you look at Ball State University’s lack of success in major tournaments during the 2013 – 2014 season (their best result being a semifinal finish at the Midwest Regional Championship), it’s easy to pick apart their team and list off all the reasons why they failed to live up to expectations. You could list off any number of reasons as to what went wrong, but one thing is certain: Trevor Campbell absolutely should not be on that list.

Campbell, during only two years of quidditch competition, has already proven himself as one of the best beaters in the Midwest. His high energy levels allow him to play for long stretches of time, while simultaneously pumping up his teammates and inspiring them to do better. Campbell’s endurance is derived from his years as a cross country and track runner in high school, and his aggression and physicality is helped by his background in football, where he played center as one of the smallest members of the team.

Campbell has made quite an impact this summer. At Black Swamp Fantasy, his team went 6-0, giving Campbell a championship in his debut as a GM. Though Black Swamp was done by random draft and Campbell’s team was widely considered to be the team that would walk through the field, they still could not have done it without his excellent beating and eye for good trades. At Midwest Fantasy, Campbell was key in orchestrating a complete turnaround. After going 0-2 on day one, Campbell’s aggressive beating, specifically around the snitch, helped to drag Ball State teammate Melinda Staup’s Can’t Staup Won’t Staup to the finals through the Margo Aleman-led Maximum Carnage.

Campbell also traveled to THE Fantasy Tournament to compete for Stephen Ciccolella’s American Outlaws, where his team managed to reach the quarter-finals and held the eventual champion, Hope Machala’s Star Spangled Hammered, to their second closest game of the tournament. It’s possible that the American Outlaws could have kept their game with Star Spangled Hammered in range if Brittney Ripperger had not gone down with an injury in their first bracket game, but that is only speculation.

Truly, Campbell’s impact comes from his ability to be everywhere on the pitch at once. He is faster than most beaters (helped by his track background) and uses that speed to cover great distances. He has a very solid arm but prefers to track down the quaffle carrier and force a bad pass. In this way, he and Ball State beating partner Staup have become one of the most fearsome beating pairs around. Campbell excels at getting into a quaffle carrier’s face and forcing a hasty, often bad, decision, and Staup excels at getting to receivers and beating them before they can play off the pass.

Campbell pushes for excellence in everything he does, and it is no surprise that he was named an assistant coach and captain for Ball State after just one season; an honor that he will continue to hold this coming year.

Not only is Campbell a true athlete and exceptional beater, he is also incredibly humble and gives recognition to his teammates whenever possible.

When asked about this article, Campbell said, “I truly believe I am only as good as my team…I am truly honored to have people talk about me, and, honestly, I would love to give a shoutout to my teammates.”

In a world where great quidditch players seem to go hand-in-hand with great egos, it’s refreshing to see there are still some down-to-earth greats just waiting to give someone else a chance to shine.

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