Who are the best players in the North Central region? This is an open thread to discuss All-Region nominations, All-Freshman nominations, coaching awards, and more. Stay positive and keep it civil.
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Gonna start off the discussion with a story:
Last year (my freshman year), I was diagnosed with Dracunculiasis. This meant I could not play for at least a semester, as I was could barely walk after the treatments. Despite being a freshman who showed no commitment to the team, one player made the commitment to throw with me everyday. Most days this was from a chair, due to the weakness in my legs, and anytime I dropped the disc, this guy had to come pick up any dropped discs and run back to where he was, and had to deal with my imprecise form while seated. That said, he had the patience to deal with me almost every day - all while captaining the rest of the team! He wanted to make sure I felt welcome when/ if I came back from this illness and could feel like a part of something bigger than myself.
One year later and I am back on my feet - I sure am lucky he was one of the regions best throwers, because I now feel so confident in my own throws that it doesn’t matter if I can’t run very fast due to the atrophy, I can make up for it with what he taught me. In my Sophomore year now, I feel lucky to have such a selfless leader and friend in Michael “The Worm” Wormley. Not only is he one of the best on the field, but he embodies the spirit of the game off field, and I might not be here today without him.
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I write this message with a disgusted feeling in the pit of my stomach. The audacity, the nerve, the fact that Ultiworld even dares to once again entertain the idea that there’s contest as to who the best player in the region truly is. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. The ladies squirm… for The Worm.
Unless you’re some chubby-cheeked, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed freshman this spring, this obviously comes as no surprise. Fellow Frisbee athletes, as you know, we are a truly blessed region. Not only because the Nordic Gods gift us all with snow well into Sunday of Regionals, but because Towering at 6’8", with 220lbs of pure muscle, and 142 followers on Twitter, we share in the ultimate prize of living in proximity of The Worm.
When I started playing in High School I heard all about the King of the North. His prowess was unmatched and his rule was firm, but fair. He had a temper, but he wielded it with authority. And it grinds my gears to no end that some pathetic 5th-year all-stars from Carleton or Minnesota or even Wisconsin have the chutzpah to come on here and lay claim to being of the same calibre as The Worm. People fail to realize that he has been, is, and will forever continue to be the best thrower in any section, region, and nation. Any nation. Any timeline. Any universe. The Worm is Firm.
You all are so scared of North Central regionals. “Oh no, what is it rains” cries out Eric Taylor. “It really snows here in April? I’ve never played in mud before” whines Codi Wood. “I’m gonna get dirt on my whites” pouts Joe White. Well you darn well ought to be scared of regionals, of the all-consuming mud, and of the wrath of the Worm. The pull goes up, he catches the pull, centers the disc to himself after bouncing it some dweeby freshman from Duluth’s face. He dives into the soft oozing earth, and slithers his way down field with a disturbingly effective pace after putting up a huck to himself in the endzone. He pops up out of the ground, anticipates Marty Adams whiffing the layout D but barely tipping the disc right into his wormy bread basket. And that’s just the first point of what’s going to be the worst weekend of your life, North Central fellas. 2018: We confirm The Worm.
I look forward to whatever nonsense you frisboys post about anyone other than The Worm on here after your 5pm classes get out and you realize this miserable discussion is once again live.
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For all regional players, I’m not sure exactly where to put a lot of these players, but here is some players I think should be recognized.
Tate Halberg - he’s a dominant cutter, and when he plays defenses often cannot adjust to his offensive capabilities on the field. He’s not just a great player, but also a leader.
Pete Kuenzle - another great cutter that is very quiet, but locks down a lot of teams best cutters and makes them a non factor. He consistently lays out and forces turnovers.
Max Carpenter - he’s led Marquette to a top 50 ranking in the nation, and his defensive IQ is incredible. He often makes offenses change around him. He’s also very good on offense, but from the times we’ve played him, defense seems to be his calling card.
Marty Adams - arguably one of the most consistent players in the region and seems to never make mistakes when we play him. Every disc that can be layed our for he seems to get, and always seems to make the right frisbee play.
David Yu - I haven’t played against him since sectionals in 2016, but even as a sophomore he was great. Very smart handler, and abuses his mark. He also is a lock down defender.
Jeff Maskalunas - Big downfield cutter, smart player too.
Tyler Barrett - When we played him at MLC, he was the main initiator of their offense. The other two Iowa O-Line hands are made exceptionally effective with him on the field.
Unfortunately I don’t know anybody on Iowa State’s name as we often don’t see them.
Sol Yanuck - no explanation needed
Joe White - no explanation needed
I believe another player is Henry Fischer, but I’ve personally only watched him play online, and never against him. Also not sure if he’s the right guy I’m thinking of.
Also haven’t gotten to see Minnesota play that much this year, but Wyatt Meckler has been a person that’s been good in the past.
Lastly, Chase Marty - Elite ariel player from whitewater. His impact on the field is incredible, and defenses have to make major adjustments to contain him.
Playing for UW-Milwaukee doesn’t allow us to see a lot of the top tier competition so unfortunately I don’t believe Minnesota, Carleton, and Wisconsin are accurately represented in my list.
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FOTY -
Paul Weisser, he’s a complete player that compliments any line. He originally started as an O-Line player, but has since moved to D-Line. He’s started playing defense at a great level, especially for a freshman, and in practice he’s probably my hardest matchup for me offensively. He always gives 100% and should be recognized.
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Look,
If you had
One shot
One opportunity
To throw the best throw in the region
In one moment
Would you throw it
Or just let it slip?
Yo
His palms are sweaty, throws perfect, frisbee heavy
There’s haters aimed at him already, team’s upsetti
Observers nervous; on the surface he stays calm and ready
To storm off field, but he keeps on forgettin’
What they wrote down, the North Central grows so loud
They open their mouths, but the memes won’t stop now
He’s chokin’, how, everybody’s jokin’ now
Hard cap run out, times up, over, blaow!
Squirm back to reality, Worm defies gravity
Oh, there he throws again, they broke
He’s so mad, but he won’t turn over that easy? No
He so Arthropodic, he knows his whole back’s Clitellum
It don’t matter,
He’s dope, he knows that, and he broke
Every mark, His team so stacked and he knows
It’s only cause he’s back, that’s when it’s
Back to the lab again yo, this whole rhapsody
Worm with me, go capture this moment and hope it don’t pass
You better lose yourself in the wormy, the frisbee
So firmly, you better witness this kid throw
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to know
This Arthropoda comes out once every season
You better lose yourself in the frisbee, it’s spinny
He winny, you never had a chance to go
You only got three bids, do not miss your chance to show
These Nationals belong to the Worm alone.
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Hi,
I’m from Marquette
Tadhg “Tadgh” Scully, Eric “Blais” Blais - Strong handler duo with consistent breaks, great game breaking abilities with their upwind hucks. They both led a team of 11 at Huck Finn to beat FSU 15-6 and Penn State 15-7. A strong showing at Regionals should put these guys in the conversation.
Madison “Badger” Olesen, A player turned coach after a 7th concussion his junior year left him with memory loss. However, don’t let his lost neurons fool ya. As coach the past 2 years he has built a program from 14 returners in 2016 to 54 total players in just 2 years. His organization, knowledge and love of the game has taken Birdhouse to another level.
Marty on Duluth deserves to be first team again. While we played Iowa State at MLC, He had a layout on the adjacent field that made me question what gravity is. The thought of his bucket hat still makes me quiver.
Tate on UWM is a force and well spirited. Super fast, great throws, and fun to play against.
Chase and #10 on UW white water are top level talent. Chase plays for the Radicals and is crazy good. #10 (tyler?) is probably the most underrated handler in the region. His 40 yard no look flick at Meltdown was unreal.
I wish I knew more names.
Worm was a fun guy I played with at Cooler Classic. That was many moons ago, but I dream of those flick hucks often.
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Seeing as Joe White hasn’t played at all this year, I’m not sure if he really deserves to be on the All-Region team.
Otherwise, nice picks and great insider knowledge!
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Ha ha ha nice fresh meme Charlie! Someone’s forgetting that time in 2015 when Klane made 1st region. Big fella didn’t play all season until Regionals in Appleton. Check the archives my good sir.
Also - the Worm didn’t play all last year, yet somehow was the most talked about player in the region, and was able to maintain status as the best thrower in the best region in college ultimate. Again, check the archives. My. Good. Sir.
Otherwise great insider knowledge!
1st team 2018: Worm
2nd team 2018: Joe White, Klane
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This is Madison “Badger” Olesen’s second year as coach of Marquette (Birdhouse). His cool head and discipline set an example for a team that, under his tenure, has improved from a team ranked #186 at the end of the 2016 regular season to our current #53 standing. While that’s impressive on its own, he’s also a full-time student. He’s associated with more academic departments than I can list (2 majors? a minor? AND a certificate??), even though he handles memory loss from concussions that truncated his time as a player! His passion for (alternative pronunciation: “spirit of”) the game and love for this program are unequaled. My love for Birdhouse comes from my love for the men who wear the kit and follow Badger’s philosophy of respectful intensity. This is the house that Badger built. Thanks to him, I’m proud to call this house my home.
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Haven’t played a whole lot of teams in this region yet, but a few names that pop in my head right away are as follows.
Marquette: Max Carpenter. Most athletic player on their team. Takes over on offense and on defense.
Eau Claire: Sam Welsh. He’s been there best player since he’s been there.
Wisconsin: David Yu. One of the toughest players to defend. Quick thrower and even quicker on his feet. Looking forward for that match up again.
Duluth: Marty Adams. You’ll see him make some crazy athletic plays and it’s not easy to play offense when he’s on the field.
Carleton: Sol Yanuck. I don’t think I’ve seen him throw a bad throw. Great player all around. Excited to hopefully have that matchup again.
Minnesota: Wyatt Mekler. Always gets open and tough to create handler movement when he’s on the field.
UW-Whitewater (sorry I had to): Chase Marty. Freshman year him and I came into this program having the goal of winning a single game at sectionals to now having the goal of going to Nationals. I’ve seen Chase develop and improve every year. He plays for the Radicals and is always forced to guard one of the top players on the opposing team. Going to be an exciting regionals for our final semester here.
Also Freshman of our region.
Wisconsin: Ted Schewe
UW-Whitewater: Dylan Power. If you don’t know him now, you’ll know him at regions. Watch out for him on the Chicago Wildfire as well.
~Tyler Hebert (#00)
UW-Whitewater Sub*Par
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Here’s some guys I’ve come to appreciate this season, and over the years in the NC. BTW, I’m a captain at Eau Claire, and we have not played very many teams from the region this year so my list is short and probably biased ¯_(ツ)_/¯.
Tyler Hebert #00 or #10 - Has been the primary handler on Whitewater for the past three years. Great forehand huck, throw and go’s are on point, breaks for days, and unphased by any situation. Played with him and against him and the dude deserves recognition.
#99 on Marquette - Tall, athletic handler. Super consistent throws, nothing too flashy, but would be a crucial starter on any team.
Cole Petsche - Nebraska. Our team literally nicknamed him scooby because of how many times he shredded our zone with one. He’s also tall and got some nasty hops and plays just about every point for Cornfed.
David Wu - quick, consistent handler on Wisco and dudes a baller…not a lot of explanation needed.
Marty Adams - Duluth, plenty of well deserved praise for the dude already.
Titties on Duluth - Don’t know his actual name or #, something with a T I assume, but his nickname is iconic enough. Athletic, composed, and very competitive flex player. Me and him have butted heads a lot, but game respect game.
Isaac Leonard - Mankato, crazy athletic cutter, started playing for Windchill this winter and is first and foremost a beast.
*Dudes from Eauzone I feel deserve some recognition
Jake Ertz #3 - Easily deserving of All-Freshman honors. Tall, athletic, lefty handler with breaks for days. Plays the game with the composure of a 5th year and has been a rock for our D-line since arriving on campus.
Kristian Johnson #7 - Crazy quick and explosive handler who breaks kids with ease and throws hammers and high-releases without thinking twice. Hasn’t played a ton with our team this spring because of his new role with Windchill, but when he does he shreds kidz and takes our team to another level.
$am Wel$ch #0 - Probably poor form to mention myself right?..aw well, beat me in the air and then you can tell me otherwise ¯_(ツ)_/¯
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Half the guys at Wisconsin, Carleton, and Minnesota likely already have beaten you in the air multiple times, so on their behalf, don’t bother mentioning yourself. Ya being a real Craig Cox right now bud. Sky the Worm and then you can talk.
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My dearest Frankie,
Actually, no one has ever beaten me in the air…ever. Coxey was a great player, I’m honored by the comparison. And deal, my lips are sealed til regions.
Tate of UWM put on a clinic against the hodags at sectionals this past weekend. No Hodag deserves to be all region over Tate. The dude beat them under, deep, horizontal, vertical and helped his team to a downwind offensive possession chance on universe that came up just short. Also, shout out to the many other talented UWM players that nearly pulled off that upset. You guys looked like the best team at sectionals this weekend.
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Im not usually one to say anything in these forums but after actually playing some regional teams this week at sections I was able to get a better look at players rather than read all this talk. I am going to be super biased to just my conference as we havent played many other regional teams. Yet.
(Sorry I don’t know everyone’s name or number)
Wisconsin:
#17 handler with great knowledge of the game and how to use the rules to his advantage. He sets the pace for the game and doesnt crack under any pressure from what I’ve seen.
There are lots of other players that I want to talk about but don’t know names or numbers. Sorry Hodags.
UWW:
Tyler Hebert- played with and now only against him but has solid throws, great nonverbal and verbal communication, as well as being a great dude. He can take over a game and make what he wants out of it.
Chase Marty- great defensive player and just watch a Radicals game and you’ll understand why he’s listed.
UWM:
Not a fan of talking about my own team as I think everyone plays an important role.
Look to other peoples posts for the representation of our team, but everyone should be nominated from our team.
Marquette:
Max Carpenter- Super quick, and has amazing throws. He takes charge in games and can play anywhere anytime. Great knowledge and spirit as well.
Blaise- Very strong defensive player that lays out for almost anything within a 15 foot radius.
Also these 2 Marquette players helped turn their Ultimate program around from having rough past seasons, along with some great coaching from Madison "Badger" Olsen to being in the top 50.
Duluth:
Marty Adams- he may not be the most handsome guy but man can he fly. Crazy layouts, great throws, quickness, and skying abilities for being a smaller guy.
Tyler “Titties”- Him and Marty as a duo is super dangerous. Titties has crisp throws, sick bids, and quick throw and goes. Very strong defensive player that can take any match up. Also has some crazy facial hair designs, looking forward to seeing what he does at regions.
Nebraska-
Cole- this guy does everything for Nebraska. Generates D’s, great throws, quick and can play anywhere. Played him twice this year and he went off both times we played him. The offense is run through him and he’s a lefty. Didn’t kniw he was a freshman but is very deserving of FOTY.
There are a lot of players from the Northwoods section, and Iowa’s section that I am keeping out due to lack of exposure to them. Im sure they have players that should be listed in here though.
Lastly, Bucks in 6!
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I posted before, but here is my post-sectionals write up. I want to mention these guys.
UW-Eau Claire: Jake? I believe is his name. If he is a freshman he should definitely be mentioned in the all freshman team for our region. I would say he is one of the strongest handlers on the team already.
UW-Milwaukee: Tate Halberg: most dominant player on Milwaukee and helped carry his team to the semifinals almost upsetting the Hodags. Great player to play with and against. You will learn a lot by watching him.
Marquette: Blaise and Tadhg: great handler duo together. Blaise has great handler defense. Tadhg has good field awareness and will expose your zone defense. Great game against those guys in the semifinals this weekend!
Excited to see more talent this weekend at Regionals in Oshkosh. Great playing this weekend and congrats to the other 11 teams who advanced.
- Tyler Hebert (#00)
UW-Whitewater Sub*Par
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I coach for Nebraska. We haven’t seen the top teams in the northern sections much, but here are some observations from our season so far:
- Marty Adams – Duluth. Does everything for Northern Lights and makes it look easy.
- Dylan DeClerck – Iowa. Like watching a human highlight reel.
- Chase Marty – UWW. Phenomenal defender.
- Sam Welsch – Eau Claire. Single handedly gave us fits at Illinois earlier this spring.
And a couple of my players:
- Cole Petsche (All-Region/FOTY). Our big lefty with huge ups and serious throws (loves the scoober in the zone). A huge reason why we went from not even making the game to go to regionals last year to finishing 2nd at sectionals.
- Dan Forsyth. Great initiation cutter and workhorse for our team—always seems to get open and never stops running his guy into the ground.
- Josh Adams (All-Freshman). He never played ultimate before August and he’s already tasked with guarding one of the opposing team’s top players. Most improved throws on our team since the beginning of the year.
Top couple teams from Regions each get a blurb. Individual shout outs after.
Carlton: If you took the top 7 players from this team, and removed them from the roster, these guys still would have won this tournament. That being said Henry Fischer is the most dominant deep in this region, maybe in college right now. Eric Taylor is an ideal d-line player, with the best pulls at this tournament to boot. Tim Schoch Is the most pure hustle defender I’ve ever witnessed, forcing d’s through sheer force of will. Essentially a younger Russell Wynne. Dillon Lanier is for my money the most intelligent offensive player in the region, with the skills to match. Once Stan Birdsong finds a role on this team, he’ll dominate. Both Alex Olson and Joe White are phenomenal talents, but because of their lack of play this year due to injuries, I can’t feel good about putting them on this list.
Wisconsin: Note, I didn’t watch these guys play at regions, but I have watched them earlier in this season. #13 David Yu is a lockdown Handler defender, who runs their d-line offense after the turn. #12 Chris Wilen is the best cutter on this team, without a doubt. Strong continuation throws, and intelligent, athletic cutting. Honestly don’t remember his number, but Jeff Maskalunas is the 2nd best cutter on this team, offering the same things as Wilen, only a hair worse. Ted Schewe, a u20 team USA member, should absolutely be on the all freshman team.
Minnesota: This team also has a ridiculous amount of talent. #12 Codi Wood is a phenomenal talent, my personal pick for player of the region. Lockdown defense, amazing throws, speed, and stamina. #99 Tristan VDM is similar in his skill set, and is tremendously talented. #48 Wyatt Meckler is the center of this offense, and he runs it beautifully. #17 Wystan Duhn is a younger star, amazing throws, good athleticism. Lastly #8 Cole Wallin started his career as a lockdown defender, but has really turned himself into one of the most complete threats on this Grey Duck roster.
Iowa: The obvious name here is #54 Dylan Declerck. Lacks offensive IQ but makes up for it with blinding athleticism, and being maybe the most heads up defender in the region. #0 Tyler Barrett was all region last year, but coming back from a broken foot, he struggled this year to get back that athleticism. #17 Reno Brinn is a great hustle defender, and runs the offense after a turn. He is however, a major dick, and perhaps the least spirited player on this unspirited squad. #23 Matt Murray Is athletically gifted, and has powerful hucks. #18 Steven Tisinai is a fiery young defender, and should be on the all fresh team. A footnote about this team, to this team: Spirit of the game is a major part of this sport. Be better.
Marquette: #22 Max Carpenter and #23 Tadhg Scully were the most noticeable players on this team, both facilitating the offense well. To be completely honest, I think the best thing this team has going for them is their relentless energy, and positivity. Playing them would be absolutely infuriating, because they never stop cheering, and never stop getting hyped up.
Iowa St: #23 Ben Joerger has been a great deep man since he got to the division, and has developed into an all around threat. Absolutely deserving of all region, and a snub last year. #6 Scott Hearne is the best 2 way player on this team, and can bomb throws upwind. Far and away the most impressive thing relevant to this discussion, would be the 2 freshmen starting on offense for this team. #3 Collin Lamb was always open, and I could not for the life of me, figure out why they didn’t throw it to him more. Great continuation throws, and solid IQ. #30 Becker Mathie was often operating out of the center handler role, and did very well. They should both get all freshman honors.
Best of the rest: #20 Marty Adams has been the cream of the crop in this region since he first played with Duluth, and this year is no different. He does it all, and he does it all better than most. Also one of the nicest guys at the tournament. S/o to #14 Tyler Thomgreen on Duluth as well. I don’t think he’s all region, but he’s pretty good. Also #29 Garrett Geib is getting a vote from me for all freshman. Plays great, smart offense. Chase Marty on UWW is stupid athletic, and is going places in this sport. Kristian Johnson on Eau Claire is quite the shooter. Maybe not all region, but definitely the best player on this team. Also, I am here to say that Sam Welsch got roofed at least 2 times that I saw this weekend, Once by Ben Joerger of Iowa state, and another time by some tall dude on Minnesota. Get your head outta you ass kid. Lastly #30 Cole Petsche on Nebraska. I strongly doubt this team would have made regions without this dude. Huge attitude problem, But he’s got mad ups, and great hands. Hucks it away a lot too.
My picks:
1st Team
- Henry Fischer CUT
- Eric Taylor CUT
- Dillion Lanier CUT
- Codi Wood MINN
- Wyatt Meckler MINN
- Chris Wilen WISCO
- Tristan VDM MINN
2nd Team
- Marty Adams DULUTH
- David Yu WISCO
- Dylan Declerck IOWA
- Ben Joerger IA ST
- Jeff Maskalunas WISCO
- Tim Schoch CUT
- Cole Wallin MINN
All-Freshmen Team
- Ted schewe WISCO
- Steven Tisinai IOWA
- Becker Mathie IA ST
- Collin Lamb IA ST
- Garrett Geib DULUTH
- Cash Barber MINN
- Sam Radack WISCO
Best of the rest
- Wystan Duhn MINN
- Chase Marty UWW
- Matt Murray IOWA
- Scott Hearne IA ST
- Max Carpenter MARQUETTE
- Kristian Johnson WISCO E-C
- Cole Petsche NEBRASKA
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1st
Alex Olson (CUT)
Sol Yanuck (CUT)
Eric Taylor (CUT)
Henry Fischer (CUT)
Wyatt Meckler (MIN)
Tristan VDM (MIN)
Codi Wood (MIN)
2nd
Chris Wilen (WIS)
David Yu (WIS)
Tyler Barrett (IOWA)
Dylan Declerck (IOWA)
Marty Adams (UMD)
Ben Joerger (ISU)
Cole Petsche (NEB)