Who are the best players in the Northwest region? This is an open thread to discuss All-Region nominations, All-Freshman nominations, coaching awards, and more. Stay positive and keep it civil.
Gonna kick things off here with a discussion of some first-year all region nominees. For Lewis and Clark, we had 3 freshman playing substantial minutes at Conferences. Oliver Boal was a defensive beast for us, with amazing conditioning and skies for days. Caleb Denino-Childers was a solid defender with a propensity for picking up trash and knowing where to be on the field. Finally, our FOTY Peter Huizenga was a top-7 player for our team, with 6 assists, 6 goals and 9 Ds at conferences alone. He was a deep threat with hucking potential and deserves recognition… With regards to Player of the Year honors, there are two players who made all-region first-team last year who I believe deserve consideration: Duncan McNally from UP, and Will Beck, from Lewis and Clark. Obviously, I’m a bit biased, but if you’ve ever played against Lewis and Clark, you know how much of a force Will is. He is our offensive juggernaught, always open for unders and good for a nice sky when needed. He is also the best hucker in NW D3. He was the driver of our defense, with 14 (!!) Ds at conferences. Please post liberally in the forums because I’m excited to hear other teams’ perspectives.
Whitworth (Bangarang) would like to nominate our very own Scott Maxa for freshmen of the year. Scott was a huge pick up for our Ultimate Frisbee program and proved to be a strong competitor on the field. This season he came in knowing little about the sport but strived to become better and stronger every day. His pure athleticism has allowed him to become an incredible cutter and deep threat for Bangarang. This year at regionals he stepped up to the plate starting every point on our Defense line. He has become well known for his giant bids and incredible endurance. In our zone he plays the role of the rabbit and does not stop running. He would play an entire game as the rabbit and still be able to out run the majority on the field. He is one that teams will be looking out for in future years.
We are unsure of their names but there were several talented and notable freshmen on Uprise as well.
Regarding the All-Region team, we would like to start off by nominating three individuals from Bangarang, Parker Postlewait, Orion Keller, and Daniel Gimbel…
Parker Postlewait has been a part of our Ultimate program here for 5 years. Over these last few years he has made a name for himself in the Ultimate Frisbee world here in the north west. Over his years with Bangarang he has proven to be strong and tough competitor. He is especially known for his deep presence with the ability to sky just about anyone he pleases. This year particularly he also stepped up to into the handler role, and proved that he had the throws to do so. Parker is also has an incredible presence on defense. In our zone, there is almost nothing that gets past him deep not to mention that he is willing to bid for anything. There is no question about Parkers ability on the field as well as knowledge of the game. His knowledge of the game has allowed him to become one of the best cutters this team has had. This year he also stepped up as a leader and helped our team grow to be the team that we are.
Orion Keller has been apart of Bangarang for 2 years. He was also a captain this year and has improved an incredible amount from when he started. 2 years ago he knew almost nothing about Ultimate and now he has become a huge threat on the field. Orion is mostly known for his defense more specifically his rabbiting. He can run an incredible duration of time without breaking a sweat. His ability to know where the disc is being thrown and to react in time is exceptional. Orion came down with D’s this season from just being in the cup alone. Orion is also a strong cutter on offense and has become a lot more familiar with his timing. Orion’s hard work has helped Bnagarang get to where it is today.
Daniel Gimbel has unofficially been a part of Bangarang for 5 years. Even before he went to this school, he trained with the team until he was old enough to become an official student. Daniel has slowly made a name for himself across the last 2 years alone. This year he became the youngest captain we have ever had besides our very own Bryan Walsh. His speed is unmatched and it becomes abundantly clear once he starts to play. Whether it be a deep or a handler cut, defenders struggle to keep up. He has filled a huge role by becoming our main and go to handler for any play or line. His incredibly large pool of throws from hucks, high releases, and leftys make him very difficult to mark as well as set a force. He quick movements and throws combine for a deadly combination that really sets him apart from others. His give and go like movements are almost impossible to guard and adapt to. If you have every played with or against him before, you would know how quick and skillful of player he is. With his Junior and Senior year left, he will be one to look out for in the future.
Regarding other teams… We would like to nominate Duncan McNally from University of Portlands Uprise, Will Beck from Lewis and Clark, and Number 1 from University of Puget Sound…
Duncan McNally has proved himself to be an incredible player and athlete the last 5 years as a player. His presence on the field alone can turn the tide in any game, and it did so many times. Duncan athleticism has allowed not to just play any position he pleases, but to dominate his competition. He is an annoyingly consistent player who makes very smart decisions with his throws and cuts. This year, Duncan led his team to nationals and it was very well deserved.
Will Beck was a strong competitor last year and has continued to be this year as well. His height and athleticism allows him to grab unbelieve catches in the air. His deep presence is always a threat and can be very hard to guard. He also has exceptional throws and has led his team through great season.
Number 1 (Unfortunately we don’t know his name) on UPS, has proven to be a very skillful handler with the disc. He makes smart throws and good decisions. He ran their offense smoothly without few or minimal errors along the way.