The Daily Gamecock

Full contact, full community: March Badness highlights roller derby culture

In its 13th annual event, March Badness hosted five teams in the Junior Roller Derby Association and four teams in the Women's Flat Track Derby Association from across the East Coast. The teams traveled to St. Andrews Park for the annual tournament to showcase their skills in blocking, jamming and strategic teamwork. Over the course of the weekend, skaters competed in intense matchups that highlighted both young rising stars and experienced veterans.

Rockin City Rockstar skater Clara “Silly Goose” Ashcroft recovers after being hit at St. Andrews Park on March 21, 2026. Roller derby is a full contact sport; however, it has many rules and regulations for where and how contact can occur. “I was crying, but not out of pain. I’m not concussed or anything,” Ashcroft said. "I was just a little scared, and I’ve been angry. I’m not doing my best today.”
Rockin City Rockstar skater Clara “Silly Goose” Ashcroft recovers after being hit at St. Andrews Park on March 21, 2026. Roller derby is a full contact sport; however, it has many rules and regulations for where and how contact can occur. “I was crying, but not out of pain. I’m not concussed or anything,” Ashcroft said. "I was just a little scared, and I’ve been angry. I’m not doing my best today.”
Philly All-Star skater Annaliese “Jack in the Box” Difuntorum flexes her arms before a jam at St. Andrews Park on March 21, 2026. A match consists of two 30-minute periods that consist of multiple jams, which are opportunities for teams to score points. “My friend got into (roller derby), and then they brought me to an open house,” Difuntorum said. “I realized, ‘Oh my God, this is something I could do for my entire life.’”
Philly All-Star skater Annaliese “Jack in the Box” Difuntorum flexes her arms before a jam at St. Andrews Park on March 21, 2026. A match consists of two 30-minute periods that consist of multiple jams, which are opportunities for teams to score points. “My friend got into (roller derby), and then they brought me to an open house,” Difuntorum said. “I realized, ‘Oh my God, this is something I could do for my entire life.’”
Red Stick All Star skater Jamie “BashHer Boze” Sclafani hugs a Chattanooga All Star skater during an intermission for their match for March Badness at St. Andrews Park on March 21, 2026. Roller derby is a sport open to anyone of any identity, shape and skill level. “Roller derby means everything. It’s more than just a hobby,” Sclafani said. “It’s a family. It’s a community.”
Red Stick All Star skater Jamie “BashHer Boze” Sclafani hugs a Chattanooga All Star skater during an intermission for their match for March Badness at St. Andrews Park on March 21, 2026. Roller derby is a sport open to anyone of any identity, shape and skill level. “Roller derby means everything. It’s more than just a hobby,” Sclafani said. “It’s a family. It’s a community.”
Chattanooga All Star skater Abby “Duck” Duckworth pushes to move past Red Stick All Star skaters at St. Andrews Park on March 21, 2026. Jammers are skaters who score points for their team by passing their opponents as many times as possible and lapping the pack. “I mostly jam,” Duckworth said. “They got me really good in those holds, so really anything I could do to bust out, I was trying to do.”
Chattanooga All Star skater Abby “Duck” Duckworth pushes to move past Red Stick All Star skaters at St. Andrews Park on March 21, 2026. Jammers are skaters who score points for their team by passing their opponents as many times as possible and lapping the pack. “I mostly jam,” Duckworth said. “They got me really good in those holds, so really anything I could do to bust out, I was trying to do.”
Raleigh Junior Raven skater Bronwen “Gloom Beetle” McCauley leads a jam against the Columbia Junior Killer B’s pack at St. Andrews Park on March 21, 2026. A pack is the largest number of blockers from both teams on the track. “Roller derby is something really special to me,” McCauley said. “I’ve been doing it for a couple of years now, and it has always helped me feel more confident in myself and my ability to defend myself.”
Raleigh Junior Raven skater Bronwen “Gloom Beetle” McCauley leads a jam against the Columbia Junior Killer B’s pack at St. Andrews Park on March 21, 2026. A pack is the largest number of blockers from both teams on the track. “Roller derby is something really special to me,” McCauley said. “I’ve been doing it for a couple of years now, and it has always helped me feel more confident in myself and my ability to defend myself.”
Red Stick Feral skater Annie “Eagle Eye” Everhart blocks the Rockin City Rockstars jammer from passing on March 21, 2026, at St. Andrews Park. A blocker’s goal is to both stop the opposing jammer to pass them and assist their own jammer to pass the opposing blockers. “Really fast juking jammers ... It’s hard to catch them, but it’s fun,” Everhart said.
Red Stick Feral skater Annie “Eagle Eye” Everhart blocks the Rockin City Rockstars jammer from passing on March 21, 2026, at St. Andrews Park. A blocker’s goal is to both stop the opposing jammer to pass them and assist their own jammer to pass the opposing blockers. “Really fast juking jammers ... It’s hard to catch them, but it’s fun,” Everhart said.
Columbia Roller Derby skater Darby “Bing Bong” MacDonald jumps over the infield and around opposing Chattanooga All Star blockers at St. Andrews Park on March 21, 2026. The jump is an “apex jump,” which allows a skater to cut the inside of the track by jumping over it. “I was wondering if they were going to hit me down again, and they didn’t,” MacDonald said.
Columbia Roller Derby skater Darby “Bing Bong” MacDonald jumps over the infield and around opposing Chattanooga All Star blockers at St. Andrews Park on March 21, 2026. The jump is an “apex jump,” which allows a skater to cut the inside of the track by jumping over it. “I was wondering if they were going to hit me down again, and they didn’t,” MacDonald said.
Red Stick All Star skater Shay “Sass Shay” Sullivan pushes back against a Charlotte All Star skater after receiving a star helmet cover at St. Andrews Park on March 22, 2026. A jammer can transfer their scoring ability through a legal “star pass,” where the helmet cover is handed from the jammer to the pivot. “It’s like I just got to push 20 feet, and it didn’t happen,” Sullivan said.
Red Stick All Star skater Shay “Sass Shay” Sullivan pushes back against a Charlotte All Star skater after receiving a star helmet cover at St. Andrews Park on March 22, 2026. A jammer can transfer their scoring ability through a legal “star pass,” where the helmet cover is handed from the jammer to the pivot. “It’s like I just got to push 20 feet, and it didn’t happen,” Sullivan said.
Columbia All Star skater Paityn “Little Bit” Singleton falls after getting hit mid-jump by a Rockin City Rockstar player on March 22, 2026, at St. Andrews Park. “I was really upset about it because they weren’t calling it. I mean, I really don't care anymore. They play dirty,” Singleton said. “But at the end of the day, look at the scoreboard. We won by 100 points.”
Columbia All Star skater Paityn “Little Bit” Singleton falls after getting hit mid-jump by a Rockin City Rockstar player on March 22, 2026, at St. Andrews Park. “I was really upset about it because they weren’t calling it. I mean, I really don't care anymore. They play dirty,” Singleton said. “But at the end of the day, look at the scoreboard. We won by 100 points.”
Columbia Roller Derby skater Stella “Valentina Massacre” Redner shouts at her team as they block opposing Red Stick All Star skaters on March 22, 2026, at St. Andrews Park. When a skater is pushed out of bounds in roller derby, they must re-enter behind everyone who was in front of them at the moment of exit. “Feeling a little hot, a little sweaty, and I’m saying ‘out’ really loud because we were about to lose it on the out,” Redner said.
Columbia Roller Derby skater Stella “Valentina Massacre” Redner shouts at her team as they block opposing Red Stick All Star skaters on March 22, 2026, at St. Andrews Park. When a skater is pushed out of bounds in roller derby, they must re-enter behind everyone who was in front of them at the moment of exit. “Feeling a little hot, a little sweaty, and I’m saying ‘out’ really loud because we were about to lose it on the out,” Redner said.