Technical midrange throws in one semifinal, big ol' hucks in the other.
February 28, 2022 by in Awards, Opinion
One of our most popular series to begin each year, it’s time to look back at last year and let our readers decide some of the top plays of the year from 2021.
We watched many hours of game footage and highlight reels to hunt down the hucks, breaks, bombs, dimes, and everything else; believe us, there were more than enough options to fill up this bracket, so even some worthy nominees were left on the cutting room floor. Over the next week, we’re inviting you, Ultiworld readers, to vote for your favorite of the finalists selected.
Check out all of the nominees and vote below, then check back to see which clips advance for another opportunity to participate. The second round of voting starts now and closes on Tuesday, March 1 at 4PM Eastern.
Long vs. Babbott-Bryan
Elijah Long – Raleigh Flyers (AUDL)
The trickery of Elijah Long’s lookaway scoober outpaced Joren Sanders’ behind the back backhand by a comfortable margin, but he’ll be up against an entirely different type of throw this time. It was all Raleigh all the time this year, so the momentum is there.
Claire Babbott-Bryan – Middlebury Pranksters (USAU College)
In a truly remarkable moment in our Play of the Year history, Claire Babbott-Bryan’s crossfield backhand advanced past Alan Kolick’s camera-crossing huck by one single vote. If you’re reading this, and didn’t vote, you missed out on drama!
Throw of the Year 2021 (Round 2, Match 1) (Results)
- Elijah Long (71%, 384 Votes)
- Claire Babbott-Bryan (29%, 157 Votes)
Farren vs. Miller
Nicky Farren – Nashville Shine (USAU Club)
No first round throw had a larger share of the votes than Nicky Farren, who piled up 83% of the votes between he and Alejandra Torres’ forehand huck. As was pointed out on Twitter, that leaves the bracket as almost entirely backhands, but none bigger than Farren’s.
Adam Miller – Georgia Jojah (USAU College)
Adam Miller’s lefty launch, preceded by a clear indication of his intent to all who might challenge this throw, advanced comfortably by Bosscher’s game-saving backhand. So now a head to head of powerful hucks will determine which will be a finalist.
Throw of the Year 2021 (Round 2, Match 2) (Results)
- Nicky Farren (59%, 417 Votes)
- Adam Miller (41%, 293 Votes)