Who are the best players in the Southeast region? This is an open thread to discuss All-Region nominations, All-Freshman nominations, coaching awards, and more. Stay positive and keep it civil.
You have your obvious players like Marie Perivier or Cami Lamont, but one of the most overlooked players in the region is Auburn Ares’ Anna Kate Graham. Nightmare matchup for any teams D-line players, and turns right around and locks up their best players. Has to play virtually every point due to lack of numbers on Auburn’s women’s team, but still consistently performs and has the stats to prove it. There’s a reason her boyfriend’s (captain of the men’s team) paper plate award was “most likely to have a girlfriend that is better than him at Ultimate”.
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Anna Kate (AK) Graham #2 and Stephanie (Steph) Peters #1 on Auburn Ares both deserve shoutouts.
AK carries years of experience at only 20 years old and led Auburn’s team offensively this year. Extremely athletic and quick. Can lay out and save a disc on a dime. Breaks her mark without breaking a sweat. She can send the disc basically anywhere needed and sees the field like a pro.
Steph is a huge threat defensively. With her height and athleticism, she can almost get a D on command and racked up a good number of hand blocks this year. She’s not afraid to put pressure on the disc and made a big difference is Auburn’s season this year.
Obviously, Marie Perivier.
Lindsi and Wilson on FSU
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Lily Gullet FSU
Cam Curvey FSU
Hannah Grimes FSU
Kinsey Kuhlman FSU
Willy (Natalie Wilson), Cami Lamont, and I (Lindsi) do a lot but these others aren’t mentioned frequently yet are part of the 7 that overcame Tufts and Pitt at Centex. Kinsey is big and athletic. They dominate on defense and both in the deep and under cutting space. Lily is an amazing mid cutter with sticky hands, a knack for getting open, and has one of the longest throwing ranges on the team. Hannah is an integral deep look. Willy obviously is fast and knows exactly where to be and when to be there. Also seems taller than she is bc of her disc reading. Cami Lamont is a big deal. They are a centerpiece of our team and everyone knows that. People often forget about Cami and my third handler Cam Curvey. Cami and I (to a lesser extent) do more of the flashy stuff but Cam is the rock of our offense. Cam holds the fort down and bails cami and I out of sticky situations. She’s responsible for opening up the zones that have been used against us and positions herself well to be there whenever we may need it. Her throws are sure and she’s careful and steady which is integral to our often impulsive offense.
I think UGA is amazing and those players deserve a lot of recognition ofc but some others I’ve noticed:
June and Lindsey on UCF both are incredibly strong players esp given the small roster they often play with.
Natalie B at UF is a pain in the butt to guard. She’s fast, athletic, and isn’t afraid of anything.
Tori at UF also is a phenomenal reset handler.
Alabama also had a player that impressed me I think her name was Corrie but I’m not sure. Came down with some nice catches over our tallest gals.
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UGA
Paige Robinson would be my nominee for all-freshman. She already fits right in as a starting handler on our o-line, letting other players flex into downfield positions (like me, thank you paige hehe). I’d watch out for her in future years too because imo she will be our next main handler. Anna Gustafson is graduating, but I would also put her as deserving a rookie award. Coming from a soccer background, she’s a huge force in the cutting space and got like 5 (sky) D’s in one point at Regionals.
Then there’s obviously Marie Perivier and Martha Wilber, who help run our o-line and are SOOOO deserving of all the awards I can think of. But I hear less said about Emma Jones, our center handler and captain. She’s recovering from a knee injury which put her at a disadvantage in the past few years, but she is essential for our zone defense and handler offense.
FSU
Willy, Lindsi, Cami, and Kinsey all stand out. Cami has an arsenal of throws that they aren’t afraid to showcase at any given moment. Kinsey and Willy are SO intimidating to guard when cutting. Lindsi I think is a flex player, and super super well rounded with throws, field presence, etc.
UCF
I don’t know any names from UCF, but they all deserve some recognition. They were savage at regionals and are one insane group of athletes. Gave us a run for our money for sure, and I can’t wait to see what they bring next year.
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Agreed, y’all are amazing in general. Emma Jones I agree deserves lots of recognition from the couple times I’ve played her. She’s super intimidating to guard and makes good decisions like every time. Marie is awesome ofc she’s like everywhere on the field at once its insane. Wilber is also fantastic and those deep cuts and the catches are insane. Also Fiona (I think is her name) had some sick bids.
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I’m making a separate thread specifically dedicated to Javid Aceil, UGA Athena’s coach (and I will be writing similar thoughts for top coaches nation-wide). Javid has been coaching Athena since me, Martha, and Marie’s freshman year, and he came into the position with a little coaching experience (but not a ton). Fast forward to this year, when he took a team that is 65% (literally, I calculated that number) people who had never played frisbee before THIS January to winning the Southeast this May with the score in the finals being 13-6.
Leading the team with him, I am constantly astounded by how he thinks critically about the game and keeps up with the latest strategies. He knows how to use the talents and assets that we have, as well as how to push a team that is comprised of some of the newest players and oldest talent in the country. He doesn’t take credit for Perivier (and he shouldn’t), but Marie left one practice this semester saying something along the lines of, “Wow. I feel like I just began to understand the game in a whole different way.”
I would also like to mention that he has turned down coaching the UGA men’s team Jojah several times. As a female who has played sports my whole life, I know this kind of dedication to enriching women’s sports is rare. He sacrifices living in the spotlight for helping a group of women who simply wouldn’t have the same level of coaching expertise without him.
Although he can be blunt, he is also extremely dedicated to each player individually. He picks up players when they are down on and off the field. I’ve been on the verge of tears from injuries or frustration many times, and he is the one who gets my head back in the game. He intentionally fosters a positive, fun-loving team culture that makes our players want to come back again in years to come. He is always available for questions, and takes extensive time out of his week (by the way he is getting his PhD in Biochemistry right now) to talk on the phone about frisbee strategy.
I personally think that Javid is a top 1% coach for women’s college in the country. Change my mind.
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UCFs Lindsey Evans is in the contest for SE Rookie of the Year. She’s only been playing frisbee for less than 9 months and is a key contributor to the women’s program and their 4th place finish at regionals, playing against a field with far more ultimate experience.
Lindsey Evans. Learn the name and don’t misspell it because she’s not done.
June Cera also deserves more credit than she’s willing to petition for. She captained a young, inexperienced UCF team and took them all the way to 4th place on sheer talent, patience and hard work. It’s rare to see such maturity in any athlete.
Natalie Wilson, Lindsi Allman, Cami Lamont, and Lily Gullet from FSU all have my vote for All-Region First Team. They’ll be shaking things up in the club scene very soon (Natalie and Lily are already big shot Pro athletes on Atlanta Soul).
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Katie McCormick from Auburn was crazy fast and had great field presence. Rama Jamma’s Corrie was an awesome captain that led by example, crazy catches and D’s. Fiona from UGA had some incredible layout bids and is crazy fast on UGA. Martha from UGA was also a tough handler mark that ran the field in a very balanced way that made defenders work hard.
And freshman nomination- Abigail Lowrimore from FSU has become part of our handler cycle, working strikes and shaking defenders right alongside Cami Lamont and Lindsi Allman. Chloe from FSU who was injured last semester was a rookie who was the fastest on the team and the hardest worker I have ever seen. Lindsey Evans from UCF is a rookie!!! What? Amazing throws and calmness and awesome attitude.
Coaching award: Taylor Mischler from FSU. Bringing an unranked team to the top 25 in the first semester and top 10 in the second semester, all while being loved by each teammate. Incredibly respectful, kind, and best hypeman i’ve ever met.
I second Elle’s vote for Paige Robinson for all-freshman. She was injured last semester, and I honestly had no idea how good she was. Her first tournament back, she was already making crazy grabs, laser sharp throws, and her frisbee IQ is out the wazoo. I started calling her back in the handler set immediately and she has stayed there for the rest of the season. Excited for the future she gives Athena!
FSU: Willy and Cami were the clear forces to focus on stopping in our finals game at regionals in my opinion.