Who are the best players in the Metro East region? This is an open thread to discuss All-Region nominations, All-Freshman nominations, coaching awards, and more. Stay positive and keep it civil.
*Disclaimer: I’m the coach at Princeton, and I haven’t seen much of the Western NY conference. These are the players who stood out to me at this weekend’s conferences.
Amy Zhou - Rutgers Not enough can be said about her. She carries Rutgers on her back with explosive plays and great throws. It’s about time she graduated 
Sophie Hulbert - Columbia Another player who plays as a dominator for her team – she can get the disc every other throw when she decides to, and is the heart of that team.
Leanne Beyel - Stony Brook She was making great grabs and athletic cuts the entire game against us.
Chloe Rotenberg - NYU The NYU offense seemed to work through Chloe, as an initiating cutter and as a deep thrower.
Let me give a little shoutout to the freshmen on our team this year – I find it hard to know who’s a freshman on all the other teams! Also, I wish I could give recognition to our rookies who aren’t freshmen! Anyway, I digress.
Danielle Fortuna - has developed a knack for scoring, as well as playing shutdown handler defense in her first year playing.
Angela Mao She came in with some good throws, and has developed some GREAT throws, with placement and touch
Jo Zhang Plays with as much grit and intensity as anyone on our team.
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Will post a more comprehensive post later on, but I just wanted to give a quick shoutout to our Rutgers coach, Tim Naumovitz. Tim started coaching at the end of last season after we had lost 2 coaches in quick succession due to the fact that apparently there is life outside of ultimate.
In just his first full year of coaching, Tim has led Nightshade to our highest sectionals finish since 2008. He is extremely knowledgeable about the game and creative with drawing up new offensive and defensive schemes for any and all situations.
I’ve been playing at Rutgers for way too long, and I’ve seen us as a team struggle to find stability. Tim has come in and immediately created a safe space to learn the game and push our limits. He is infinitely patient with our pestersome questions… like how do you throw an IO backhand, and can we braid your hair? (There’s a joke in here somewhere about Tim’s long blond hair and Thor’s hammer that I can’t quite nail down at the moment, but I’ll get it eventually)
He only rarely gets animated on the sidelines, and his pep talks can be more talk than pep, but we wouldn’t want it any other way.
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(full disclosure: i play for princeton)
princeton:
lyra olson (#1): no brainer. hardest worker on the field at all times with monstrous defense and precision throwing (including heeeuuuuge hucks, especially of the backhand variety). could probably iron man an entire day of games with little noticeable decrease in on-field intensity. also total embodiment of spirit of the game.
sally yu (#2): never have i ever encountered a faster cutter. massive vertical as well (> 2 ft) and great hands in the air, then patient and reliable with the disc.
annie chen (#6): wow wow! only sophomore yet U line handler who almost never turns the disc over, has great offensive vision and patience, and plays seriously intimidating defense with textbook lay out Ds for days.
danielle “tuna” fortuna (#40): freshman who is super speedy and plays shut-down defense on vastly more experienced handlers. great hands and good patience with the disc, already very difficult to mark up on but will be serious force to be reckoned with in coming years.
jane urheim (#8): okay so injured this year but just remember she’s really good.
columbia:
sophie hulbert (#2): team runs their offense almost entirely through this player, can handle or cut as needed, so dominant that we often mark her man in an otherwise zone defense. honestly can’t evevn remember what she specifically does so well but it’s working.
becca (?) (#64): super fast cutter with big bids
lyra (?) (#20): very speedy, big hucks, intense defense
rutgers:
amy zhou (#12): so so so fast and bids for everything, great throws and handles as needed (but would probably look even more impressive in the cutter stack) with great vision, feels like she’s been on her “last year of eligibility” for the last three years. another player that often has to be covered man in a zone defense.
cornell:
kermit (#8): very fast, runs the offense, huge bids
ottawa:
isabel bedard (#44): seemed to have blacked out our only game against them and may have bungled this name but this person was really good.
uconn:
there’s a handler who always wears a white visor who has great throws (edit: marissa aldieri)
also quick shoutout to kristin franke (princeton) for coach of the year! she has been with us for the last several years and her endless bank of knowledge has been indispensable. she also imbues the team with great spirit, teaching how to be a good teammate as well as the skills to play the game. coach k!
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Princeton:
Lyra - Intense and spirited, she’s the main workhorse of a Princeton team that never seems to stop running. Gives 100% every single point of every game. She’s got break throws, give and goes, and hucks for days. You want to stop, watch, and admire her skill - but don’t stare for too long because she’ll beat you upline for the score.
Sally - Super fast and gets up higher than anyone else in the region. Annoyingly comes down with every 50/50 disc.
UConn:
The whole team was ridiculously athletic with good hands and accurate throws. It’s hard to pick only a couple players.
Ariel - Stifling handler defense with some sick layout D’s.
Cassy - Smart player that reads the field incredibly well. Pushes through every point and never stops working.
Columbia:
Becca - She has to be one of the fastest players in the Metro East. Chases down every single disc and is somehow everywhere on the field at the same time. I remember a play where the disc was thrown way out in front of her, and she accelerated from 0 to 100 in about 3 steps to easily catch a disc that no one thought she would be able to get to.
Vso - What’s a Vso? Is that a play? Nope, just an insanely athletic human being. She catches every disc thrown even remotely close to her and has pinpoint throws.
Stephanie - Super squirrelly handler with some of the most consistent break throws I’ve ever seen.
Sophie - Wasn’t always 100% due to injury, but completely changes the dynamic of the game when she steps onto the field. Incredible speed and insane catches.
Ottawa:
Izzy - I don’t think she had a single turnover in the game-to-go. Calm and patient handling as Ottawa meticulously worked it through our zone defense.
Rutgers:
Lastly, I wanted to give a shoutout to my fellow Nightshaders. I wish I could write about every single player, but I’m all out of adjectives.
Angel - She’s always been athletic, but now she plays like a veteran. Has really developed her air game recently and is fantastic at making timely cuts and moving the disc quickly.
Marielle - Ssssick bids all over the field and somehow looks good doing it.
Sarah - Oh my goodness. She’s always been fast, but now she’s got massive ups too. She’s so incredibly quick and her top speed is unmatchable. Had some jaw-dropping skies through big crowds this weekend.
J9 - I can’t think of another player I’d rather have defending the deep space. She spent the whole weekend picking discs out of the air. Her field awareness makes it seem like she’s been playing her whole life. Can’t wait to see J9 and Sarah run the Metro East for another 2 years.
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I think you might’ve merged Lyra Cooper (#23) and Steph Huang (#20) into one person, but Lyra is definitely speedy with some great hucks and crazy handler defense!
Ottawa
25 (I think, has orange cleats) great cutter, great defender
Princeton
Grace Hack – great break throws, excellent mark
Lyra
Cornell:
#8 Lilly Mendoza (kermit) – super quick, shut down D
Rochester:
Michelle Landis – great hucks
Luisa Neves – overall very versitle player
Kate Cowie-Haskell – huge deep threat
Super tall handler from Princeton is Grace Hack 
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Ottawa
Maude Carrier-Laforte impressed me the most. Handlers don’t often appear flashy, but she managed it. She could put the disc anywhere she wanted on the field, with crazy almost no-look break throws and quick releases that opened up the field for her cutters. Against UConn, one of the toughest defensive teams, she always won her matchup and took over at times with her upline cuts. Made few mistakes and never crucial ones.
Corinne Giorgetti was the workhorse of this team, never tiring and, despite her small size, coming down with discs over girls twice her size. Great hands and just never stopped running.
Izzy and Camille Bedard also deserve mentions as super solid in their roles, and both had a calming presence on their team.
UConn
Cassy Hunter never stopped running, whether on defense, cutting under or cutting deep. Another workhorse who puts the team on her back.
Marissa Aldieri is only a sophomore and has monster hucks and break throws. Super aggressive handler that can change the game for her team.
Rutgers
Amy Zhou’s pull probably changed games this weekend, esp. in the rainy conditions. Her hucks to space let her cutters run onto them, and her defense is relentless. Absolute stud for Rutgers.
Columbia
Sophie Hulbert just plays with so much confidence that Columbia looks like a different team without her. She can do everything-- handle, cut deep, break marks, etc.
Veronica So: again, never stops running. Fast and now a force behind the disc. Has some of the best decisions on the team, as well as being one of the most athletic players.
Rochester
Michelle Landis: Another player who can do everything. Shutdown defense, never looks uncomfortable, made some seemingly unbelievable plays in their most intense game versus UConn. Throws her players open with crucial field sense.
Katie Cowie-Haskell: Unstoppable going deep, came down with 50/50 balls every time. Fearless; every team’s dream deep cutter. Struck fear in the hearts of men.
Luisa Neves: Fast and aggressive player who never gives up. Really skilled behind the disc and always takes the shots that need to be made.
Gillian Crysler: The player her team turns to when the chips are down. Clutch cutter and monster defender. Can take over at times.
Cornell
Sarah Angle: Super important player for Cornell. Offensive target and playmaker. Hard to stop.
NYU
Haley Enns: Super young handler that already confidently runs NYU’s offense. Nowhere to go but up.
Kelley O’Dell: Seemed to get D’s at will, whether it was a huck deep or a hand block. Huge for NYU this season during a building year.
Denia Viera: Nonstop hardworking cutter with the safest hands on the field. Comes up with big grabs despite her small size.
Just wanted to give a shout-out to our coach:
Coach of the Year: Jennie Lummis. Columbia is incredibly lucky to have two coaches who give their all to the team. They are present at every practice, every tournament, and have given so much more to the team than we could have ever asked for. This year, we brought on a new coach to work with Izzy and she has been incredible. Jennie has helped us find a focus and intensity this year as a program, and has really upped our game. In addition to her ultimate knowledge, she is consistently the loudest voice on the sideline, supporting our players on the field, and off the field she is always available to work on throws or talk ultimate. She knows exactly what to say to refocus the team after a rough point or a disappointing game. Jennie is a source of endlessly intense positivity (or positive intensity?) Without her, we would not have found the success this season that we did.
Also, we hear she has really great abs.
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I’m a captain of the Cornell Wild Roses.
Cornell
Lilly Mendoza (Kermit) - Dominates her match-ups, always bidding for the disc on both offense and defense. Hands down, most aggressive player on our team and she has the speed to match anyone. She truly values the disc and is a dominant cutter on our team.
Sarah Angle (Geo) - She always matches with our opponents most skilled and dominant players. She proves she can handle the challenge. She’s always there for the hucks and has great field sense. Good luck matching up against her.
Kimberly Brown - She is the most versatile player on our team. She can play both as a cutter and handler and is a solid, smart player. She can put the disc anywhere with her hucks.
Raina Kamrat - Freshman on our team this year. So much skill and experience. She is a very solid handler. She makes insane bids and has hops even though she’s about 5’1".
Rochester
Michelle Landis (Mitch) - Solid throws, shutdown defense, very skilled player. Difficult to match up against. She has really carried Rochester this year and has so much spirit and love for the game.
Luisa Neves (Lu) - Very skilled player. Has great field sense, great throws and is quick to get the disc.
Columbia
Sophie Hulbert - Most dominant player on Columbia. Really led the team and proved she can play any position with her skill and athleticism. Bids for everything. Difficult to match up against.
UConn
Cassy Hunter - Solid on defense and can easily get open on offense as one of UConn’s strongest players.
Marissa Aldieri - Bids for everything and really values the disc. Solid player.
Ottawa
Isabelle Bedard - Strong handler, runs the offense with great throws. Great spirit.
Rutgers
Amy Zhou - She bids for everything and is a very well rounded player. Very skilled, smart player, bids for everything.
Princeton
Lyra Olson - Dominant handler, great field sense, great throws, runs the offense for her team.
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Disclaimer: I’m Sarah Angle (Geo #12) and I play for Cornell
Ottawa:
Isabel Bedard - center of the GeeGees offense, really solid player overall. She’s got great handler movement.
Rochester:
Michelle Landis (Mitch) - can’t say enough about Mitch. She plays intense defense and throws some of the best hucks I’ve ever seen.
Louisa Neves (Lou) - super quick handler with awesome break throws.
Kate Cowie-Haskell (Fireball) - somehow always on the receiving end of a deep throw. She’s fast and can out-jump practically anyone on the field.
Columbia:
Sophie Hulbert - seemed to be able to do just about anything her team needed. She got open nearly every other throw with strong cuts, and had great throws to match.
Princeton:
Lyra Olson - brilliant handler and Princeton’s clear playmaker.
Grace Hack - really great behind the disk, and she had awesome spirit.
UConn:
Cassy Hunter - embodies UConn’s whole team, super athletic and very intense.
Rutgers:
Amy Zhou - was nearly impossible to cover on defense. Amy’s quick and can bid for everything. Not to mention that she can throw amazing hucks at any time.
Cornell:
Kim Brown (#4) - does it all. Kim is always making smart decisions, and really moves our offense up the field with her hucks and break throws. Also has amazing deep defense, good luck throwing deep to her girl.
Lilly Mendoza (Kermit #8) - fiery cutter with the most insane bids in the region. She’s super comfortable with the disc, and can break any mark with her low throws. She’s always intense and very spirited.
Olivia Olson (Olga #00) - ultra-calm handler who really centers our offense. She can huck, hammer, and throw her teammates open (plus, her throws are pretty.) Also has crazy defense, and somehow makes layout Ds look casual.
All-Freshman: Raina Kamrat (#19) - freshman handler who always plays smart. Raina has super accurate throws and always gets open with her speed. She really values the disc, and is constantly bidding on O and D. She also is incredibly spirited and always smiling.
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Glad to see this thread is picking up again after regionals. A lot of great players mentioned already, I just wanted to note a few who haven’t been mentioned yet.
Stony Brook:
Caitlin Dolan - Last year she showed her prowess reading the disc and came down with pretty much everything you’d throw in her general direction. This year she’s been handling, fearlessly putting up full field hucks to her teammates, who all seem to be quite good in the air as well.
Brigett Echeverria - She has pretty much every throw and great downfield vision to go with it. Her aggressive throws are exactly what this team needs to thrive.
Hofstra:
Erin Hadden - She somehow manages to fly under the radar. Her throws are a huge part of M45’s offense, and she’ll beat your best defender on most cuts she makes. She’s right up there with the region’s best.
-Tim Naumovitz, Rutgers Coach
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Disclosure- Recent Rutgers Alum
Would like to mention a few more names to the prior RU post-
Princeton:
Angela Mao: FOTY/ All-freshmen nominee. From what I saw, she is a poised handler with really good throws. Keep an eye out for this one.
UCONN:
“Tuna”: Apologies b/c I don’t know if this is the correct nickname, but she is very tall and usually wears a visor or hat of some sort. If you decide to guard her deep, she’s gonna be sure to get the disc on the in cut. Giving her the deep? It’s almost always a score. Great layouts as well.
NYU:
Despite it being a rebuilding year for this team, I’d like to bring to your attention a few of their players:
**Tiffani Teng:**Athletic and composed player. Has great grabs and throws. She plays sick D
Chloe Rotenberg: Her presence and voice on the field makes her the heart of the team. Natural height makes her a deep threat. Also is not afraid to put it.
Haley Enns: A very reliable handler that is quick and knows how to value the disc. She is only a sophomore (?), so looking forward to her increasing her arsenal of throws.
Kimberly Tan (Tank): Fast and not afraid to bid. She is a rookie and can only go up from here.
Rutgers:
Amy Hu: FOTY / All-freshman nominee- Hu Master is a master of being a composed handler and player overall. She brings great experience with her from playing at Watchung High School. Hu is athletic and makes grabs that are seemingly out of reach. She will surely be a force to reckon with. She was unfortunately sidelined a lot due to a bad case of shin splints, but there is no doubt in my mind that this girl will make a lot of noise in the future.
Tuhina Bhat: FOTY/ All-freshman nominee- Tuhina, also a Watchung High School alumni, brings her talents to Nightshade as a solid handler. She is quick and you can rely on her to get open on the uplines. Tuhina has some incredible break throws and low releases. She will certainly be a role-player on Nightshade for years to come.
Jessica Uscamayta: Great hybrid player. When handling, you can always count on her to get some uplines or sit back as a reliable dump. She is the greatest threat when in the endzone. She had some incredible grabs (even one-handed ones) under pressure. Also, those knees man.
Amy Zhou: POTY/ 1st Team All-Region Nominee. Z is without a doubt a rock on Nightshade. Whether it’s on O or on D, you can bet on her making amazing plays. Her hucks are bombs! Regardless of a stellar mark, she will find a way to put it. Also, have you seen her hammers thrown with pin-point accuracy? (Hawwwt) You better run through every disc because she won’t think twice about lay out D’ing you. It was great watching her tap into her squirreley-ness and run circles around her dump defenders this weekend. She is a great inspiration and role model for Nightshade.
In response to a prior comment, she is an absolute dream as a cutter. I had the pleasure of being iso with her when we were underclassmen and I could always rely on her getting open on a continuation cut or in the endzone. Fast forward to after my gap year where I come back and she is the one throwing the goals to me even if I cut breakside. What a workhorse. She’s only gonna go up from here. #genswag
Coach Award: Tim Naumovitz
I would be remiss if I didn’t add on a few more words about him. Tim did a fantastic job of instilling confidence in Nightshade this weekend. They were up against some really hard opponents, but reassured Nightshade that they had it in them to come out on top. He also kept players relaxed so that they could be the best player they could be. Tim is a master of strategy. He cares a lot about the program and Nightshade is lucky to have him.
Disclosure: I coach Columbia.
#12 Amy Zhou - Rutgers: Their offense runs through her. Continually made the big throw or get the block they needed. She was outstanding in all three games against us in the series.
#1 Lyra Olson - Princeton: A work-horse on both sides of the disc for Princeton. Great throws and elite athleticism make her extremely difficult to cover. More importantly, I can’t say enough about how truly she represents Spirit of the Game. Lyra is a great ambassador for our sport.
#2 Sophie Hulbert - Columbia: Dynamic athlete with amazing throws that we rely so much on. Despite being injured for much of the series, she won most of her matchups.
#44 Izzy Bedard - Ottawa: Great all-around player with consistently solid break-throws and good field awareness.
#12 Montana - UCONN: Great cutter with smart throws. Uses her length to her advantage.
#13 Marissa – UCONN: Amazing athleticism and throws. Had a sick catch block in our game against them.
#7 Luisa – Rochester: A tremendous playmaker for Rochester with great throws.
#44? Rachael Van Pelt – Cornell: Unsure of her number. Lefty cutter with great break throws.
#21 Veronica So – Columbia: One of the best defenders in the region (so many run through Ds!). A work-horse for our team that has developed her game with the disc.
#2 Sally Yu – Princeton: Super-fast cutter with sticky hands. Has a knack for getting open in the endzone.
#3 Brigette Echeverria – Stony Brook: Great downfield vision. Stony Brook’s offense ran through her.
#18 Kate Haskell – Rochester: Tall deep cutter with great hands and good timing to catch at her peak. There was no such thing as a 50/50 disc when you threw it up to her.
#18 Cassy Hunter - UCONN: On a team filled with so many good athletes, it can be tough to stand out. Cassy is a hustler on both sides of the disc. Whether it’s running down the pull to stop the first throw or getting open after multiple turns she does not stop running.
Freshman - I was not able to tell who the freshman were on other teams, but I want to highlight a few from Columbia’s rookie class.
#72 Irene Golden: Despite having played only 1 year of ultimate. Stepped into a primary handler role with confidence. Beautiful hucks!
#12 Kat Strong: Girl can get up! Bids for every disc. She does a great job finding open space to attack. Plays with a lot of intensity.
It’s a shame these players were injured during the series. No doubt they would be recognized:
#8 Jane Urheim – Priceton
#8 Tiffani Teng – NYU
#15 Elissa Sutherland – freshman on NYU
Coach of the Year: Jennie Lummis - Columbia
Jennie brought a ton of positivity, confidence and focus in her first year with the program. It was amazing to see how our players responded and grew from her knowledge. Much of Columbia’s success this season was to due her dedication to the team! Whether it was individual player development hours or practice planning, she was ALWAYS available and willing to put in the time. I love what she has brought to the program and am very thankful to have had the opportunity to coach with her.
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I’m AK playing for Rochester.
Rochester:
I play for Rochester so I would like to highlight some really valuable players on the team.
- Michelle Landis (#14): Solid all around player; super aggressive and skilled handler; has all kinds of throws and really has carried the team for the past three years with selfless teaching.
- Luisa Neves (#7) : Outstanding cutter with amazing field sense; will always get open and have all kinds of throws (break, huck, hammer); has great layout forms (catches and Ds); can catch everything; also is a great leader on the team.
- Grace Grande (#15): Solid handler and is very calm on the field; awesome mark who constantly handblocks even top throwers of other teams.
- Kate Cowie-Haskell aka Fireball (#18) : (some has spelled her name wrong) Awesome cutter who can get open basically anywhere; dominates downfield space and catches 50/50 hucks and skying people everywhere.
- Nina Fogel (#29) : Very aggressive cutter; would go for the disc with full effort all the time; very hard to defense. Solid player.
- Zenobia Smith (#8) : Very calm player with strong field sense, and catches all kinds of throws even if some were expected to un catchable
- Gillian Crysler (#12): Very very very very athletic player who uses her athleticism well and smart. Although first year playing as a sophomore, she dominates on the field as a cutter everywhere, getting open both as an in cutter as well as in deep field area. She has also developed great field sense and uses her speed well in defense. Will be a much bigger threat in future years.
- Fayth Kim (#4): Freshman handler who has the maturity and calmness of more than any rookie players I have ever seen. It is hard to tell that she has never touched a frisbee until 9 months ago and her consistency on field demonstrates great potential in the future years.
Ottawa
- Isabel Bedard (#44): super aggressive and skilled handler! Super baller.
- C. Bedard (#72) (sorry I did not catch her name): very smart cutter! gets open even being guarded by aggressive defense!!
- #25 (sorry I did not catch her name also): very speedy and skilled cutter also!
- as well as #16, awesome cutter too!
Cornell
- Lily Mendoza (#8): all around player. Calm handler and very smart cutter. Awesome grabs and very aggressive on the field
- #21: Very aggressive cutter
I did not catch a lot of names from other teams we played (Columbia, Princeton and NYU all has very solid players!)
I have seen so much great spirit and great playing this season from these teams. Really looking forward to the next!
Good luck Ottawa in Nationals!
Coach of the Year: Jennie Lummis First year coaching and absolutely rocked it. I am incredibly grateful for everything she has done for this team. We could not have asked for a more dedicated, competitive, and caring coach. She brought an unreal intensity to every practice, in every point she scrimmaged with us there was the inevitable end zone bid, run though D, or crazy sky, which always left the sideline with their mouths open, inspiring us to work harder. Smart coach, smart strategies. Jennie is someone I very much look up to and admire. Really dope person all around. Also, 100% second the great abs thing (for real).
All Region: Steph Huang One of the Columbia’s most consistent and reliable players, catches tricky throws and puts up great hucks with ease. She literally runs our offense. Steph also gets an insane number of run through Ds but makes them look so casual, you may not notice.
All Region: Becca Arbacher Incredibly speedy player, she can chase down just about any throw. Crazy athlete. Legs for days. Columbia relies on her for her shut down D, consistency on offense, and dynamic cutting. Her dedication and intensity is absolutely unparalleled. We will miss her very, very much!
All Region: Lyra Olson Can’t say enough about Lyra, definitely someone to look up to. Insane throws, incredible speed, great grabs, shut down D, very smart player all around. Worlds player, no biggie or anything! Also, by far one of the most spirited player I have played against.
I play for Columbia.
Princeton:
Lyra Olson–this goes without saying. She is one of the most dynamic, powerful, shrewd handlers I’ve played against. She’s agile, has incredible field vision, and her throws are sick. She keeps Clockwork’s offense running as well as generating more than her fair share number of Ds.
Sally (Yu?)–Incredibly quick, I’ve been burned by her more times than i want to count. Though she’s been plagued by some pretty persistent injuries, her deep looks and give-and-gos are almost impossible to defend. She’s got the consistent throws and the pose to complement her speed.
UConn
Didn’t catch names, but the dark-haired girl who often sets stack but seems just as comfortable cutting. She’s got great spirit and is a real anchor to the team.
Rutgers
Amy Zhou–also goes without saying. She is the lifeblood of Rutgers’ squad, with beautiful throws that can reach literally anywhere on the field. She’s incredibly quick and squirelly, taking charge and somehow managing to be everywhere at once. Also devastatingly effective as a wing in Rutgers’ cup–she plays intelligently and manages to shut down offensive flow, while maintaining incredibly good spirit.
Columbia
Sophie Hulbert–has gotten a lot of love already, but she powered through some pretty serious injuries this weekend and still managed to be one of the most dominant players on the field. She’s a deep huck powerhouse and still manages to be one of the fastest people on the team, not to mention playing highly effective defense and skying the bejeezus out of anyone near her.
Stephanie Huang–Steph is so consistent and reliable that I think she gets overlooked a lot. She skies people who are a head taller than her, sets the tone with her pulls, and is the engine behind our offense. Her IO breaks are a vital part of our strategy, and she has not met a mark she can’t throw around. She has incredible hucks, as well as an incredible poise and knowledge of the game.
NYU
Kelly ?–I think she’s a grad student, and NYU was very lucky to have her this year. She’s an incredibly chilly handler, with great throws and a commanding presence on the field, not to mention great spirit. From what I heard, she was dealing with two sprained ankles and was still a force to be reckoned with.
Coach of the Year
Jennie Lummis–we were SO lucky to have Jennie join our coaching staff this year. She’s incredibly motivating, athletic, and talented, with an incredible ability to break down skills and strategy in an accessible, useful way. Her drive, composure, and positivity completely transformed our team, and she’s been instrumental in continuing to grow our program. She takes an incredibly cerebral approach to Ultimate, which enables her to provide individualized feedback that really helps each and every one of us improve. She poured so much time and energy into a team she barely knew, and was a truly defining presence.
Edited for freshman props:
Yuge Xiao–one of the most dedicated, intense, competitive people I’ve had the pleasure of playing with. She has put in so much time and effort and makes serious contributions with her speed, throws, and aggressive defense.
A lot of people have already mentioned, but some players I noticed who haven’t really been mentioned yet:
NYU
Kelly (?): All-around very solid player who makes some great plays. I heard she was playing injured during Regionals but she still got some great layout D’s.
Haley (?): NYU’s had to deal with some handler injuries, I believe, but she’s really stepped into a central handler role. Very speedy with some great uplines and hucks.
Hofstra
Lauren (?): Super solid cutter and always works so hard on the field. Also has some big hucks.
Rookies
Amy Hu (Rutgers): Didn’t play a lot in our game against Rutgers at Regionals (injured?) but a super solid cutter, great hands (had some really beautiful layout grabs during Sectionals), and that Amy connection in the endzone was real.
Tuhina Bhat (Rutgers): Didn’t see her at Regionals, but during Sectionals was a pretty solid handler, appeared to be directing the field a lot.
Angela Mao (Princeton): Has some solid break throws, can’t wait to see more from her in the future!
And a shout-out to some of my own rookies:
Irene Golden (Columbia): Has only played for a year, but acts like she’s played for at least three. She has solid throws, easily adapted to zone, and as a handler has been whatever we have needed her to be.
Yuge Xiao (Columbia): Athletic and speedy, bids for everything on offense and on defense has played some shutdown handler defense on the toughest matchups.
I play for Princeton.
Princeton
Lyra Olson - So spirited and a straight up baller. Totally agree with everything said about her already. Works so hard and is super athletic. Should definitely be considered for POTY.
Sally Yu - Amazing cutter with a huuuge vertical and incredible acceleration and top speed. Great hands and somehow makes grabs in the air that seem totally impossible.
Annie Chen - Only a sophomore, but already such a key player for our team. Solid handler with great break throws and ups and bids. Aggressive defense and intense all around.
Grace Hack - Generates tons of handblocks with her huge wingspan. Has super nice deep puts too.
Margaret Wang - Reliable cutter that always gets open and also plays great handler defense. Makes great grabs in the air.
Victo - Super solid handler with great hucks, breaks, and overs (lol).
Tianay Zeigler - Athletic and has an insane vertical. Plays deep deep and generally has great awareness on the field and in the air.
Columbia
Sophie Hulbert - Super athletic and such a key player for Columbia. Does everything they need her to do.
Steph Huang - Great breaks, hucks, and pulls. Speedy handler with great hands and has tons of run through Ds. Don’t think I ever saw her turn a disc.
Becca - Fast and athletic cutter and defender.
Rutgers
Amy Zhou - Always so impressed seeing her play. Great pulls, puts up great hucks, layout ds for days, amazing stamina. Really is the core of the Rutgers game and dominates the field.
Janine - Really athletic and caught a lot of their puts deep.
Marielle - Great cutter with good hands.
Cornell
Kermit - Very fast and a great and athletic cutter. Also had great bids and was very aggressive.
Rochester
Michelle Landis - Really great throws and seemed to be at the core of the Rochester offense.
Freshmen
Amy Hu (Rutgers) - Fast and a great cutter. Great hands and layouts.
Danielle “Tuna” Fortuna (Princeton) - Players great handler shutdown defense and has good hands in air.
Tuhina Bhat (Rutgers) - Has some nice break throws and is a solid handler.
Yuge (Columbia) - Great bids and speed.
Coach of the Year
Kristin Franke (Princeton) - Kristin’s coaching style is super effective and she knows tons about the game! She keeps us all positive and motivates to work hard not just at practices, but also throwing outside, writing up super in depth analyses of our past footage, sending us articles and tips relevant to each player. Spreads not just ultimate knowledge but a deep love for the sport. Really look up to Kristin as a player, coach, and person.