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.