Kevin. F-ing. Bruns.
All region frisbee player.
All nation human.
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Illinois coach here.
Yes I take forever to call lines but the team has multiple players and each one has first and last names and it’s kind of a lot for me to handle so I just try my best.
Anyways I’m even worse with names for people from other teams so I’ll only mention the ones I know.
Chicago: very top-heavy but they make it work, which is a testament to the heaviness of that top and their coach. Can confirm that the J-people mentioned above are indeed pretty slick. Would vote Zubair for coty; not every system would work for that team, but his definitely does; also he semi-recently defended successfully, so there’s that too.
ISU: Shanahan and Cam Powers run the show and have really propped their program up.
NUT: Was too busy being disappointed in my team the time they blasted us at Huck Finn so I didn’t catch any of their names. Their top O-line cutter was really roasting us though.
Illinois:
Kevin Lin: O-line handler with a brain for his heart
Ben “Beef” Sabourin: D-line handler with a heart for his brain
Josh Deeman and Jacob “Bert” Cuthbert: O-line cutters, generate the offense, pretty tall
John Kulikowski and Walt Jaskowiak: D-line cutters with very stereotypically Polish last names; John runs real fast, and Walt puts on a devastating mark and sets up the D-line while I’m trying to tweet.
Jacob Komenda: D-line cutter, the other captain along with Josh. Versatile defender and steady hand on the turn.
Reid Martin: rookie who has only played a couple tournaments with A-team. Can play any position (currently O-line handler), getting D’s and resets with aplomb. Doesn’t take no for an answer.
Eric Badger: B-team coach who developed everyone in the fall and over the past few years.
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I would love to talk about a freshman who goes unrecognized from Illinois. That freshman would be Anthony Ruzzo who is a lefty O-line handler. The kid is absolutely nuts. He easily breaks marks and can have big throws when necessary. One reason he goes overlooked is because he does not force throws even if he may have the ability to force such shots as he prefers to run a high efficiency game that leads to success on O-line. While not the most athletic he is much more so than he is given credit for as he often gets open on up lines and plays solid strong D on turns. Everyone prefers the huge hucks and insane D’s which are nice but if you want to talk about how to play winning ultimate look at Anthony’s game.
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Class of twenty-twelve.
It’s been almost six years now.
It’s time to move on.
@Kevin F-ing Bruns
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I’m the Guy with the Mask(Rozo), this was my 5th season, and 4th on NUT and by far the most exciting, fun, and competitive Great Lakes I’ve played in—very excited for this region. I’ll echo a lot of what Kevin Yngve mentioned above and will add some of my own thoughts as well.
U-Chicago:
Jeff Weis – dominant, athletic, it was clear when he returned to UChicago’s roster this season
Jeff Zhao, Judah Newman, Jason Vallee – All incredibly athletic, smart, tireless players who are threats on both sides of the disc
I’d like to nod to Zubair for COTR, but will be voting Yngve on this one.
ISU:
Agree with a lot of what’s said above, this team has developed a ton and is still growing. A few underrated players I’ve seen:
Karl Beck – Agree with Kevin that he is somehow still underrated. Quick and great in small spaces with consistent throws
Puoc An Vo – Smart, athletic, layout monster who is a great handler and great matchup. I was surprised when I found out he’s a rookie.
MSU:
Dex – high talent and athletic level for a rookie, he got worked pretty hard at regionals and will definitely be a force in the coming years
Purdue:
? Knight – skilled handler, well-conditioned seemed like a rock for Purdue with Byerly out
Notre Dame:
Beetle (real name Luke Brennan) – monster athlete, exceptionally skilled handler, hucker, puller, defender, you name it. Incredibly fun player and more than deserving of all-region
Collin Klenke – very athletic, high field awareness, solid handler, high energy and drives their D-line
Buckley and MacGregor – these two are both underrated athletes, they’re both quick and physically dominant, laying out and cutting up a storm
Oliver Hirn – exceptional talent as a sophomore, very consistent and steady player.
Would also like to give a nod to Coach Hoffman, he’s been working hard for this ND program and it’s showing
Northwestern:
Kyle Rutledge and Jeff Holm: I don’t need to say much more, except that these guys will not stop peaking and you can bet next season they’ll come back stronger
Jay Valdillez, Max Moore, Matt Niemer – senior class that keeps on elevating their games to a new level. I believe all 3 are more deserving of all-region than I am. They have been anchors this season and fantastic role models for our young players. All 3 are incredibly athletic, skilled in the air, great defenders, and have very consistent throws.
I’ll echo Yngve on all 4 of our rookies as well, they work incredibly hard and have all grown exponentially as throwers this season.
COTY: Kevin Yngve
I started my rookie season on BOLT in 2014 during Kevin’s first year coaching. It was clear then that his mindset fit the team – developmental and process-oriented. Kevin started coaching NUT in 2017 and elevated our program further. He dedicates a significant amount of personal time to film analysis, personal player development, and practice planning. Every practice is focused on learning and growth, and every player has the opportunity to do so in the 2 or 3 hours we have. He brought a new level of conditioning, mentality, and throwing to NUT as well. He challenges every player to throw daily and to complete our biweekly pod workouts – and he’s doing this alongside us.
He also knows all of his players on a personal and athletic level. He is cognizant of what is going on in our lives, where our injuries are, and encourages team bonding because the overall goal is fun and development in this program. We have no expectations except that we will perform and play every point in the moment. This team now goes on an annual retreat, organizes dinners, and throws every single day and the culture shift has undoubtedly been guided by Kevin Yngve these past few years.
I’d also like to mention that I would have voted for Yngve even if we followed NUT tradition and finished fifth in the region this year. Yngve’s coaching and process-orientation bought me in for my fifth year and I am incredibly humbled to be his student, player, and teammate.
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Should be a lot of Michigan all-region representation, considering that team was too good to play any consolation games following their quarterfinals loss in the first game Sunday morning. Maybe they wanted to get a head start on the long drive from Ann Arbor to the other side of Ann Arbor. I’m sure Purdue was thrilled to drive four hours each way for a tournament where they only get to play one game on Sunday.
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Illinois Captain:
Chicago: Judah and Wets. Superb ultimate players and really hold down the fort for UChicago. Both super great dudes too.
ISU: Shanahan is a beast. Cam Powers is a beast. I personally hate that guy Jeremy but the man has game and I respect it. Plays with a lot of heart.
NIU: Jerry Kelly and Michael Armstrong drive the success of this team.
NUT: Congrats on making Natties. I don’t know anybody’s names but Yngve should be in the talks for Coach of the year because he built that program over the last few years which finally culminated in qualifying, so I think he deserves it.
Now my biased part
Illinois:
Josh Deeman - Other captain and unstoppable O-line cutter. Didn’t get to see him burn defenders at regionals due to an injury at sectionals, but he is very deserving of a nomination.
Jacob Cuthbert - Started on D-line this year, but ended up on O-line for his ability to make space, and earn long incuts on some pretty respectable defenders. Also has improved his decision making a ton. Great on defense as well.
Kevin Lin - O-line handler who runs the offense. Has throws to reach anywhere on the field and great vision downfield.
Ben Sabourin - Plays on both sides of the disc, tough to guard, and plays with a different level of intensity than most.
John Kulikowski - D-line cutter and the fastest on the team. Scores many, many points.
Reid Martin - Freshman, insane defender. Steady hand with the disc. I would define him as a playmaker.
For freshman nominations, I really think all three of our freshman are deserving and would put them up against anybody’s freshman because they would toast them.
Reid Martin again: He is deserving of FOTY for the impact he has on the field and off the field. Not too many people rally around a rookie, but when he talks people listen and when he gets in the zone and he makes the people around him better.
Anthony Ruzzo: Mentioned on here one other time. A lefty with a huge backhand. Solid decision maker, and always hits the open throws. Was an O-line handler for us because he is so reliable and efficient with the disc. Likes the NY Giants so that is a negative.
Asa Bowen: Freshman that was an O-line cutter for us. Never sat back and let the older guys cut and get the disc. Always attacked and is someone who is consistently open and always reliable with the disc in their hands. Will be a force in the coming years.
Lastly, shout out Eric Badger Illinois-B coach for developing most of the players on Illinois and leading Illinois-B to a sectional championship and regionals bid. If there were a developmental coach of the year (is there?) he would win for sure.
Purdue captain here. We had some players who stepped into bigger roles for us this year and really shined:
Lowell Knight: Last year he was a secondary D-line handler, this year he was our O-line’s center handler. Good throws, incredibly quick, great defender, very valuable for us all year.
Sam Ellison: Didn’t start for us last year, this year he was our O-line’s biggest playmaker. Seems to always get open, great in the air, reliable with the disc.
Elliott Eve: Freshman who started the year as an O-line cutter and finished as a D-line handler. Incredibly versatile and smart player. Certainly deserves All-Freshman.
Chicago:
I agree with what everyone else has said. Wets is a stud and maybe the best player in the region. Judah Newman, Jeff Zhao and Jason Vallee are also great players.
Indiana:
Lots of solid players. Clark Barco is a great O-line handler. Conner Henderson is one of their best players as a freshman.
Northwestern:
Fantastic all-around team top to bottom. Very well coached. Kyle and Rozo stood out.
Notre Dame:
Another well-coached team that excels in the fundamentals. Beetle is an outstanding player who killed us all 3 times we played them. Klenke and Buckley are great cutters as well.
Michigan:
Wish I could say anything, but we didn’t play them this year.
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I am going to try and be as unbiased as possible. I’m also only going to talk about the teams we played this year.
Indiana:
Connor Henderson #14 very athletic playmaker and has huge throws. Was one of their best players this year and only a freshman. Strong FOTY candidate and definitely all freshman team.
Northwestern:
Kyle Rutledge #12 elite defender and great college thrower. Helped lead them to nationals(congrats).
Mask kid: I don’t know your name but you are a freak athlete that we had difficulty guarding.
Kevin Yngve: NUT is a real faceless army. A team that works really well together and has great roll players that fit the system. Yngve is a fantastic coach that took control of these great roll players and a year after graduating 14(?) seniors led the team to nationals. Hard to top that COTY resume.
UChicago:
Wets: excellent cutter that is the driving force of the team, very good throws and excellent down field. Strong POTY selection. Definitely first team.
Judah: crafty handler that is very consistent and very confident.
Jeff zhao: crafty handler that is very consistent and very confident
(Yeah I know I have the same description, they are basically the same players)
Zubair: excellent coach, better person.
Illinois:
Josh deeman: never got to play against him this year cause he hurt his knee at sectionals but he’s good. Trust me.
Kevin Lin. Center o line handler for a very good O line. Has an unstoppable flick. We had a very hard time defending against his break throws.
Ben Sabourin: d line quarterback. Very athletic big body with huge throws.
Reid Martin/Anthony Ruzzo: both freshman that started on the O line with Kevin. Not afraid to take shots and had huge rolls on the team distributing the disc. Both all freshman team in my mind.
Northern Illinois:
Michael Wagner: very athletic cutter, was a hard cover for us and consistently burned us deep.
Jerry Kelly: extremely talented thrower and distributor that makes plays on D and O.
Michael Armstrong: very fast and consistent player on a very underrated team.
Grand Valley:
Mark whitten: one of the best players in the region. Had awesome throws, awesome skies. Very very talented.
Notre Dame:
Beetle: played every point against us in semis and went every other for all of those points. We didn’t have anyone that could stop him from getting the disc back. His break throws and deep throws made our defenders look silly (you can’t d a perfect throw). Also very athletic and made some big plays on d. Strong POTY candidate.
Michigan:
Jake steslicki* and Daniel lee will make the region teams from name recognition. Lost a lot of respect for the team cause they didn’t play their consolation games on Sunday after getting knocked out in quarters.
Illinois state:
Jack Shanahan: the driving force for his team. Huge throws, huge skies. One of the best offensive and defensive playmakers in the region. Strong POTY candidate.
Jeremy Burril: one of the cockiest people I have every met. But he sure does back it up. He is one of the hardest workers on the field and anyone who has guarded him knows how much of a nightmare matchup he is. Extremely quick, huge vert, catches everything. Not to mention he has one of the best flick hucks I’ve seen in college.
Alex Jacobson:
Freshman who was the center handler on the o line for the Gnomes. He has amazing break throws and has the best hammers I have ever seen. For a freshman to come on to a team and have such a huge impact on their succes speaks volumes to how great of a player they are.
Blake Seegers: a true rookie that didn’t play in highschool and was the BEST defender on the Gnomes. It was completely insane how quickly he picked up the game and how big of an impact he had on our d line. It was unfortunate he didn’t get to play at regionals due to injury. We sure could have used him.
My first team:
Jack Shanahan
Wets
Kyle Rutledge
Jeremy Burril
Beetle
Mark whitten
Jake steslicki*
All freshman candidates:
Reid Martin (illinois)
Anthony Ruzzo (Illinois)
Alex Jacobson (isu)
Phuoc An-Vo (isu)
Connor Henderson (indiana)
Dex (MSU’s Guy) didn’t play them but I’ve hear he’s good
COTY:
Jack Shanahan:
“But he’s not a coach, he’s a player” -everyone
Illinois state is not fortunate enough to have anyone in the area coach us because no one lives in Normal, Illinois. Jack has taken the responsibility of not only captaining, but coaching a team that has made semis at regionals two years in a row. Previously we, as a program, have never made quarters at regionals before. Jack has literally built this program from nothing and turned it into a team that consistently battles with the top team in the region/country.
Jack Shanahan has the Karl Beck stamp of approval for COTY and POTY
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Michigan player here: first off apologies for not playing our consolation games, we wanted to be able to support Flywheel in their game to go.
As for all-region players, it’s tough when we don’t see in-region teams during the regular season and we have to base all our judgement on one weekend (especially when some guys miss the regular season, or are hurt for regionals, when I think we should be honoring players that showed themselves the whole year). Most names seem to have been said already.
Illinois State: #99: didn’t catch his name, but great defender and good lefty thrower, I thought he was running their D-line and thought he was maybe he was one of their top 3 players, definitely underrated.
Chicago: Wets, Judah, Jeff, this is pretty obvious. All 3 are very smart, skilled players.
Notre Dame: Beetle
Northwestern: Didn’t get a chance to play them this year, but props to them for winning the region and best of luck at natties. Kyle for sure has been having a great year, Rozo is a great player, and I’m sure any other names that have been mentioned are worthy.
Michigan: Daniel Lee, Jake Steslicki are both incredible players and played well against top teams in the country all year.
Freshmen for us this year: Jeff Gao stepped up as a handler defender for us, super quick, excited to see what he does in the future. Ashwin Pothukuchi played well as an o-line cutter and tried out for U20 this year.
First team:
Kyle Rutledge (Northwestern)
Rozo (Northwestern)
Beetle (Notre Dame)
Wets (UChicago)
Judah (UChicago)
Jake Steslicki (Michigan)
Daniel Lee (Michigan)
COTY: Zubair Abdulla (UChicago) or Kevin Yngve (NUT). Both are very deserving.
No one’s arguing with the notion that you bailed on the consolation games because it was simply what you wanted to do, without consideration of the other teams you’d be affecting, so I guess we’re all in agreement.
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Sorry if a lot of this is repeated information…
UChicago - Wets, Judah and Jeff are the ones running this team. All three are very talented with the disc and always a tough cover. Wets will beat you on offfense with his quick feet, and will always be a challenge in the air. Judah and Jeff and high IQ handlers who are very quick and shifty. I believe that Wets should be in the running for Player of the Region.
Indiana - #14 on their team was clearly their main guy. Skilled thrower and great athlete. Word on the street he’s a freshman. Probably deserves a spot on the All-Freshman squad.
Michigan - Obvious names here are Jake and Daniel, but want to give a shoutout to #4 who is a force to be reckoned with in the air. Another shoutout to #30 who I thought was a solid piece to this team, made good cuts and showed a nice set of throws.
Illinois - Kevin Lin is their main guy on O, has killer throws and that can find anyone on the field, very dangerous with the disc in his hands. Ben Sabourin is a key player for this team, great pulls, great throws, and plays both ways for their squad. Shoutout to Drake, he’s an athletic freak who is still very young, he will be a tough cover for any team in the future. Reid Martin and Anthony Ruzzo are two standout freshman for this team. Reid was getting big minutes, late, in close games despite playing majority of the season on their B team. For someone to show up that late and have that much respect from his teammates and coaches, thats impressive. Ruzzo is a lefty with great throws and a very high IQ for a freshman. Both are from the Neuqua pipeline and both are deserving of spots on the Freshman team.
Purdue - Didn’t have the opportunity to play them this year, but i’m sure they’ve got some studs on their team.
Northwestern - Two main guys that stand out to me are Kyle Rutledge and Guy with the Mask(Rozo). Kyle was a PP for Machine last summer and was a huge part of this Nationals qualifying squad. Kyle is an elite defender with a well rounded offensive game. Rozo is a crazy athlete who will continuously make ridiculous grabs, always a tough person to guard. Kyle was the best player on the best team in the region, should be a front runner for Player of the Region. Also, big shout out Yngve for coaching this team to a Nationals birth. He should be the obvious choice for COTY.
Notre Dame - Beetle is the best player on this team, he is avery agile handler who has some hard cuts and incredible hucks. Should definitely be in the talks for Player of the Region.
Michigan State - Didn’t get to play them this season.
Time for me to write about my own squad:
Illinois State
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Jeremy Burril - This dude is easily one of the most deserving people to be on the 1st Team All-Region. Jeremy plays with more heart than anyone i’ve ever seen, and is one of the most competitive people I know, who wants to win more than anything, Jeremy is a gritty defender who will straight up outwork you, then let you know that you just got beat. He makes hard saucy cuts and is rarely ever shut down. He is well equipped with a wide variety of throws and has pin point hucks. His hands are some of the most reliable in the game, and he can go up and get it when he needs to. Jeremy’s passion for this sport drives him to try and be the best player on the field at all times, and it’s never surprising to see Jeremy straight up roasting kids.
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Cal Tornabene - Cal just plays hard all the time. It was said earlier, but we call him Mr. 50/50 because he always comes down with party balls. For being 6’3" Cal is extremely agile and is almost always open on his first cut. He has great accuracy with his throws, and is a very reliable receiver no matter how the disc is coming at him. Cals grind and work ethic makes him very annoying for anyone guarding him or being guarded by him.
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Ricky Ramirez - Ricky needs to be getting more recognition. Over his 4 years at ISU he has gone from someone who couldn’t catch anything thrown at him, to being voted captain after two years and who will continuously make crazy catches like this. Ricky is an elite defender who will body you and layout D you without any hesitation, and if a disc is in the air, you know he’s going up for that and getting it. He was unfortunately hurting with a knee injury at regionals, but that didn’t stop him from making incredible defensive plays, and coming in clutch in crunch time. The guy could hardly walk, that’s how hard he worked, even through injury. I think he is very deserving of a spot on at least the 2nd Team, he was an integral part in helping ISU become a program that isn’t taken lightly.
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Joe Cacciatore - He doesn’t like the attention, but this was just an average play for joe.
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Cam Powers - Cam is a freak athlete. He’s not the tallest guy, but throw a jump ball and i’ve got my money on Cam. His hands are absolutely incredible, and he alway comes down with insane grabs. Cam proved that he can keep up with the best, constantly clowning kids at Florida Warm Up. He was easily one of the most reliable receivers on this team and a huge contributor to this teams success this year.
Rookies:
- Blake Seegers - Blake was a true rookie who had very little previous experience playing. Although he’s a sophomore, he deserves the recognition. Blake picked up the flow of the game faster than anyone i’ve ever seen. He proved himself to be a great defender early in the season, and continued to grow until he was arguably the best defender on the team. He’s freakishly athletic, with a fast step, great speed, and huge ups. Blake is going to be hard to stop as he becomes more exposed to the game.
- Alex Jacobson - AJ was one of our higher profile recruits coming into the season (coming from Neuqua) and he definitely lived up to the hype. He was our starting center handler on the O-line, and has some crazy breaks, he can get the disc off anywhere he wants with crazy accuracy. Although he’s small, he is high energy player who is tenacious and sticky on defense. He also brings a high field IQ to every line he’s on, extremely smart for being a freshman AJ should be a front runner for ROTY.
- Phuoc An-Vo - Phuoc was also one of our top recruits, and he was an HUGE pickup for our D-line, he came in and earned his starting job. He is tenacious defender who is not afraid to layout. He has great pulls and a great set of break throws and hucks. Phuoc is extremely fundamental with the disc and plays a very fast paced but balanced game. Phuoc’s impact on our success this season was monumental. He should definitely be on the Freshman Team.
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Hi NUT captain here. This post was written with help from co-captains Jay Valdillez and Matthew Niemer. I’ll keep this as short as possible because most of what I’m saying has already been said before.
UChicago: A fresh UChicago can keep up with anyone in the country due to the dominant play from Jeff Zhao, Judah Newman, and Jeff Weis. Wets is the top cutter in the region and definitely should be considered for POTR. Jeff Zhao also had the best pulls I’ve seen all year at regionals Jason Vallee certainly deserves more recognition than he’s getting and is an excellent defender. Also shoutout to Zubair Abdulla for his work building the Chicago program.
Notre Dame: Luke Brennan (Beetle) is one of the best players in the region and should also be in the running for POTR. He’s a great athlete, plays intelligently on both offense and defense, and has an incredible spirit and energy. Connor Buckley and Colin MacGregor are both dangerous cutters and aggressive defenders that caused us a lot of trouble when we played them. I didn’t know him before, but Stephen Babcock played very well against us and deserves recognition. Finally Collin Klenke deserves a shoutout as a rock-solid defender and D-line handler. Dan Hoffman has done amazing work keeping ND consistently at the top of the Great Lakes for the past few years.
Illinois State: It’s really hard to single out just a few individuals but I’d like to shoutout Jeremy Burrill, Cal Tornabene, Cam Powers, Ricky Ramirez, and all 3 freshmen that ISU players have suggested. Blake Seegers in particular guarded me a lot and is a really good defender. Jack Shanahan should easily be first team and considered for POTR as one of the best athletes and most well-rounded players in the GL. Echoing Karl, his role coaching ISU while also playing and captaining is very impressive.
Michigan State: Dex Dremann is very good and should probably win FOTY
Grand Valley State: Mark Whitton and Justin Perticone are both very talented players
Purdue: Lowell Knight stuck out as a consistent handler and playmaker on offense and defense.
Michigan: Somehow we didn’t see them this year but I trust the hype about both Jake Steslicki and Daniel Lee
Illinois: Josh Deeman and Jacob Cuthbert are great cutters, Kevin Lin is a dangerous thrower, and Ben Sabourin is a devastating defender (and puller). They have a few freshmen (Reid and Anthony) that should be on the all-freshmen team.
Unfortunately didn’t get to see Indiana or Kentucky this year.
From NUT, first and foremost Kevin Yngve should win COTY. Adding to what Rozo said, he’s brought an elevated level or work ethic and intensity to our team. His work developing the entire roster throughout the year has really paid off for us. Since the beginning of last summer, he’s worked tirelessly working in the background to shape this team and its strategy. He keeps us engaged in the moment and while keeping the future in mind. He sacrifices most of his personal time to be with us and provides an insane amount of individual feedback to everyone on the team. Many of our players began on our B-team a few year ago where Kevin laid the groundwork for future success. He’s a very positive person and a friend to everyone on the team, investing in each one of us both as players and as people.
I feel very strongly that our success this year is due to important contributions from the entire roster, as evidenced by many others calling us a “faceless army” and not knowing many of our names. But I really do need to praise my teammates for their commitment and performance this year:
Jay Valdillez, Christian Rozolis, and Josh Venegas are all extremely athletic players that consistently generate blocks on good players and get open all over the field on offense.
Jeff Holm and Max Moore are two of the best cutters in the region who create huge windows for our throwers. Jeff is an underrated thrower, but we haven’t seen as much of that due to injury. When he’s healthy, he’s shown he can anchor an offensive unit on top of his downfield cutting abilities.
Matthew Niemer has always been a great handler defender with incredible layouts who has improved his game to be a powerful, reliable handler who doesn’t turn the disc.
All four of our freshmen mentioned by Yngve have had big contributions this year, but I want to especially highlight Nathan Graber-Lipperman for his defensive work and throwing capabilities.
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Not gonna mention everyone of note in the region just people I have matched up against or played with.
Kyle Rutledge- Dude is quick and clearly ain’t no scrub. You push him out of the handler space he will make some noise downfield. I matched up on him at sectionals and regionals and he was my hardest matchup of each tournament.
Beatle- Dude has throws. hucks breaks you name it and some of the prettiest bids in the region. Despite not being the tallest guy on the field he is big. Also is a really nice guy.
Jeff Holmes- This guy is a huge part of NUT’s offense. Tall guy with some smooth throws. Seems to have everything you want out of an oline cutter. Also seems like a dude you could just kick it with. Surprised he is not mentioned more.
Jay - Also surprised no one is talking about this guy. He is insanely speedy and has good bids. Def deserves some recognition.
Joe Byerly- Purdue player captain. Have not seen him play this year due to injury I believe, but guy definitly deserves a shoutout. He has arguably the best throws in the region, (definitely best in wind) is a work horse and large enough to be dominate downfield. Also, words cannot descibe how much I respect the fact that even though he could not play he was always with his team. At huck finn I saw him on the sideline in miserable conditions cheering and I assume coaching and Regionals he was there too. Major props to this guy. If he was not injured could be in conversation fo POTY.
Josh Deeman- (I’m talking about the guy that got injured in the finals of sectionals). Seemed to be their most dominate force downfield, had great speed and cutting shapes. Also very nice guy from what I can tell.
Ben sabourin (Number 2 on ILL): Wore a orange headband. Seems like a good player, solid throws.
Jeff Zhao-
Whenever he has the disc in his hands he is a threat and everyone is viable. He has some of the prettiest bids in the region, and has the speed of Mercury and wisdom of solomon. He is also an amazing human being and the captain we needed. His pulls are amazing, and Very few people have been able to stop him from going up line when he wants it. This guy is the whole package. Can’t imagine why someone would want to egregiously foul him when the disc is on the ground.
Judah- Judah, Judah, Judah. Started playing ultimate as scrub, someone on the passenger side of their best friends ride and not getting no love from me. Now he’s driving. One of the best players in the region, possibly the best handler defender, great sense of the field and insanely crafty thrower in small spaces and has some BIG throws. Insane stamina, great work ethic and anyone who plays him knows he has a huge impact on whatever game he is in.
Jeff “Wets” Weis-
“literally unguardable” “The most dominate person on the field” True and true. Every game I’ve played with him this year I haven’t seen anyone that can contain this guy. On jump balls w/ wets I either get surprised or it’s Uchicago’s disc and we ran out of surprises a long time ago. Dude also has a pretty good flick inside and out. Respect to all other players, but I firmly believe Jeff “Wets” Weis is the best in the region. Quite frankly I can’t think of anything scarier then playing a team have Wetses, they would win nationals.
Now Gotta give some shoutouts to my bois, #squad. I don’t think everyone listed here should get an all region nod but these guys do deserve recognition.
Kenneth Debbacker - The fact that people in the region do not know his name is a shame. Ken is a goddamn champ, most likely to bid in any game and also most likely to get the D. Guy Can read Frisbees like no one’s bussiness and has some of the best closing speed I’ve ever seen. Ken is what any coach wants when they need a turn. Just sheer power. https://media.giphy.com/media/t8LoTPs4Fs24S4W6NR/giphy.gif
Milan Rivas - Above I said Joe had the best throws in the regoin if anyone is going to give this guy a run for his money it is Milan. Not only does he have the best flick huck on uchicago (it is a canon upwind) but also has something more rare from a handler w/ his arsenal: restraint. He is the most consistent player I’ve ever played with. Milan is the corner stone of whatever line he is on. Might not get all region nod this year but next year I’ll bet anything people gonna dread seeing him on the field.
David Ran- Best hammer fakes in the region hands down. Also, a workhorse with an never ending engine and a great teammate. It’s been a great time playing with this guy.
shit forgot the most important part, to dab up the best coach I ever had. Due to bureaucratic issues I don’t think Zub is eligible for COTY but words cannot describe the sheer brilliance of this man or what he has done for this program. All I am going to say about Zubair Abdulla has all been said before from different players/coaches/almns but how can I not say it after all he has done for me and my school? Zubair is uchicago ultimate. Every year he draws on from a dismal tiny pool of 5,000 undergrads most of whom have no frisbee experience and to be honest, uchicago is not known for its athletic student body so not the best athletes in the game. In the past 5 or 6 years there have only been 2 uchicago students on the freshmen all region team yet zubair produces players to go on to play with machine and/or wildfire every year for the best 5 years (maybe more). When he first came and took his fifth year with junk they did not qualify for regionals, this year Junk won sectionals and beat arguably the best team in region first game on Sunday. He put in work and made uchicago a real program. He is someone that deserves respect and admiration and I am truly thankful I was able to be coached by Zubair Abdulla for the past three years.
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I am David Hoffman, Coach of Notre Dame Papal Rage.
Congrats to Northwestern! I can’t speak enough to how well Kyle Rutledge played in our game but it wasn’t just a one man show. The Northwestern team is good from top to bottom. Very impressed with this team and wish them the best of luck in Milwaukee.
Ok here is my All Region Team
Luke “Beetle” Brennan (Notre Dame) - The Man from Notre Dame that can do it all. Was so proud of how well Beetle played at regionals and it has been a pleasure coaching Beetle these last 4 years.
Stephen “Babs” Babcock (Notre Dame) - Babs is a leader on the O line for us and is one of the most efficient players I have ever had the privilege of coaching.
Kyle Rutledge (Northwestern) - Kyle is definitely a guy that can do it all. What impressed me most about Kyle in our finals game was how calm and confident he played. That is what any coach wants in a leader. Northwestern played confident as a team the entire game and I saw it was because of their leader Kyle.
Jeff Weis (Chicago) - Just one of those dominant players that everyone wants on their team. An athlete that can match up with any teams best player and is still always open.
Judah Newman (Chicago) - This guy has to be the best thrower in the region. So dangerous with the disc in his hand. His vision with the disc is fantastic.
Jack Shanahan (Illinois State) - An all around player and great leader. His team looks up to him and Jack seems to thrive in big situations.
Jake Steslicki (Michigan) - Another big thrower that plays with so much confidence. Dangerous with the disc but also has some amazing vision on both offense and defense.
Daniel Lee (Michigan) - Big time playmaker. Dangerous in the air, lights out defender and gets open at will. Another great leader for Magnum
Yea I know that is 8 guys. I can’t take one off that list. These 8 guys that I have seen these past few years are just leaders. When their team needs the big play they look to these leaders on their team and these guys just deliver time and again. They are all just fun to watch.
2nd Team All Region
Collin Klenke (Notre Dame) - Klenke and Beetle were my freshman the first year I coached Papal Rage. To see what Klenke grew into as a leader on and off the field this year was amazing too me. Lights out D and led our D line all season! You knew he was going to do big things for Notre Dame Ultimate when he created the “Crab People” cheer (Auburn thinks they started) his freshman year! Such a joy to have on your team and many of our young players consistently talk about how watching Klenke on defense pumps them up to play harder. That is a great leader!
Connor Buckley (Notre Dame) - Buckley dislocated his shoulder on the Thursday practice before regionals. He laughed at the doctor when Doc said 3 weeks in a sling. He played a few points on Saturday to test it out and played as normal on Sunday. It probably hurt but he didn’t show it one bit and played fantastic for us all weekend.
Colin MacGregor (Notre Dame) - MacGregor was a do-it-all cutter for us this year and kept the offense moving. He was also was great in the air for us. MacGregor seemed to always get open even against the best defenders.
Jeff Zhao (Chicago)
Jeremy Burril (Illinois State)
Nathan Shapiro (Michigan)
Jeff Holmes (Northwestern)
Josh Deeman (Illinois)
Lowell Knight (Purdue)
Yea and that’s 9. Too many good players!
Shoutout to MSU and Indiana on their great seasons. Michigan State with their upset of Michigan at conferences and Indiana with their Quarterfinals fight against us. Two teams that have shown a ton of growth, are young, and the region should look out for these two teams in the near future.
Coach of the year: Kevin Yngve (Northwestern)
It has been a pleasure coaching in a region that is loaded with great coaches. Zubair Abdulla from Chicago, Tyler Kinley from Michigan, and Dan Donovan from Michigan State all could be in this conversation for COTY. This year though, I think it has to be Kevin from Northwestern. The man has built a program at Northwestern that has its stars but is more of that faceless army you fear. The entire team is fundamentally sound. The sidelines are engaged and helping. He does a good job at making in game changes. His players play without fear in big situations. That comes with preparation and Northwestern was well prepared because of Kevin.
A close second would be Zubair Abdulla. It amazes me how well that Chicago team has played these last couple years from a smaller school. I thought I had it rough with a smaller Notre Dame school. Zubair coached Chicago in 2015 to 12th, 2016 to 6th, 2017 to 2nd, and 2018 to 4th. That is growth and consistency. Impressive!
Great Lakes, Great Times!
Good luck to Northwestern in Milwaukee!
Hoffman
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Seems like everyone has a good idea about who the top players in the region are. I just wanna echo the support for Kyle, Shanny, D Lee, Beetle, Judah, and Wets for first team - Wets should be POTY imo - before talking a bit about the UChicago guys you probably don’t know too much about.
Jason Vallee - I know his name has come up a few times but I want to emphasize how crucial to our success Jason was this season. He’s an excellent defender, has a great mark, and can sky pretty much anyone. He has by far the best backhand break in the region as well - even when you know it’s coming, he will break you. At sectionals, he singlehandedly got us our first break against NUT by handblocking Kyle on their own goal line and then breaking him around for a score (sorry Kyle). He is the heart and soul of our D line, which broke Michigan 7 times. More than all that, Jason is also a top-notch human being. His only downsides are his love for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and his hatred of fruit.
Ken DeBacker is easily our top D generator. He’s good for one or two layout D’s per game, and on a turn, you can throw the disc as far as you can and trust that he’ll chase it down. He absolutely owned his matchup against Michigan, earning 3 D’s and 3 goals, including the insane bookends that Jason posted in GIF form above. It’s a shame that Ken isn’t more well-known because he is truly one of the best and most athletic defenders in the region.
Having Milan Rivas on our team was a blessing in many ways, not least of which was his ability to fill a multitude of roles. At the start of the season, we weren’t sure where we should play him, so we experimented with him cutting on O line and handling on D line and vice-versa, before finally settling on “play every point you can” - he played 19 out of the 24 points in our win against Michigan. His flick huck might be the best in the region and he has incredible composure with the disc. He’s only a sophomore, too, so he will be one of the top players in the Great Lakes over the next couple years.
Here are some freshmen of ours that deserve to be in the conversation for all-freshmen:
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Alex Jeon is the most polished rookie we’ve ever had arrive at this program. He’s extremely fast and explosive, plays incredible handler defense, has excellent throws, and is a very knowledgeable player.
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Alan Countess was an O line cutter for us this season - confident with the disc, great throws, makes great cuts, plays solid defense, has phenomenal instincts. This guy is gonna be one of the best players in the region soon.
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Kaden Han - tenacious defender, huge flick, real Texan sweetheart.
Lastly, Zubair should be COTY. All due respect to Yngve for leading NUT to natties, but UChicago would be fucking trash without Zubair.
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Uchicago:
Alan Kingston - (Fr.) solid O line player who can shoulder a lot of responsibility
Alex Jeon - (Fr.) guarded top handlers and cutters, relentless energy on O and D
Milan Rivas - (Soph.) most consistent deep thrower on Uchicago, fiery and gutsy
David Ran - (Senior) Dline cutter who showed up big against nut and magnum, amazing personality and humor, A+ teammate
Ken DeBacker - (Senior) Somehow still an unknown player. Ken got about 3 D’s on unders against Magnum and bookends for the game, amongst other heroics. Ken stopped celebrating his layout Ds and catches around the middle of his second year, but the rest of us didn’t. He is an incredibly humble, level-headed player who always seems to get overlooked by opponents, but insists on talking with his play rather than his mouth
Zubair - (Coach) great at strategy implementation, in-game adaptations, and huddle talk, Zubair is a true leader on the field. He is an ambassador of spirit (one time nationals spirit award winner, and he won’t let us forget) and teaches us how to come together as “best friends,” which was a motto he brought to the team. Zubair is also a guide in the path of improvement, turning a bunch of Uchicago nerds into serious contenders in college, club, and AUDL
All Region Candidates in Order, from my experience (did not see MSU, Indiana, Notre Dame)
Kyle Rutledge (Poty) - NUT
Beetle - Papal Rage
Daniel Lee - Magnum
Judah Newman - Junk
Jeff Zhao - Junk
Jack Shanahan - Gnomes
Jake Steslicki - Magnum
Ben Sabourin - Illini
Jeff Holm - NUT
Jeremy Burrill - Gnomes
Ken Debacker - Junk
Jason Vallee - Junk
Jay Valdillez - NUT
Max Moore - NUT
Josh Deeman - (injured at regionals) Illini
There should at least be another Notre Dame guy in here, heard good things about Babcock from Beetle and the coach
Yngve and Zubair would be my COTR picks, I think y’all know where my vote lies
Hi, my name is Ben and I play for Illinois.
I believe the following individuals from teams I have played deserve some recognition:
Jeff Weis, Judah, Jeff Zhao, Jack Shanahan, Jeremy Burril, Cal Tornabene, Kyle Rutledge, Jeff Holm, Jay Valdillez, Jerry Kelly, Michael Armstrong.
(why all the Js…?)
All have well rounded games and play with intelligence and consistence.
From what I can tell most of them are nice people too, which may or may not be important to you.
Based on my experiences this season, Jeff Weis is the best player in the region.
There are certainly people who deserve recognition from other teams, but i won’t comment on those I haven’t played against; previous posts do so with more accuracy.
I love all my teammates equally, but some are better at frisbee than most.
(this is the part you skip if you’re not on Illinois)
Kevin Lin throws the disc nicely, as does Cameron Hartman. Josh Deeman cuts nicely, as do Jacob Cuthbert and Frank Dore. Drake Hill and John Kulikowski play great defense, are very fast, and turn my bad throws (hucks) into catches; Walter Jaskowiak does this too, but isn’t quite as fast. Grant Whitman is the best at catching pulls, swinging, and glue.
Reid Martin, Anthony Ruzzo, and Asa Bowen are standout freshmen.
Reid Martin is the best freshman in the region.
Daniel McDonald (Dr. McDonald to you) was too busy making a calculator to create a USAU account, so he can’t be the COTR. He’s pretty good though.
Instead, I’ll be voting for either Yngve or Zubair. Haven’t made up my mind yet.
(Also, shoutout to Badger for his work with Boomland and building the Illinois program generally)
Sorry I probably haven’t contributed much new here, but this is all about egos anyways and it’s nice to read your name again.
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