Ultiworld’s 2023 Throw Of The Year Bracket (Round 2)

The top throws we captured in 2023.

February 21, 2024 by Ultiworld in Awards, Opinion with 0 comments

Ultiworld’s 2023 Throw of the Year bracket is presented by Spin Ultimate; all opinions are those of the author(s). Find out how Spin can get you, and your team, looking your best this season.

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 2023.

We watched many hours of game footage and asked for help from the community to hunt down the hucks, breaks, bombs, dimes, and everything else. With so many players making big plays in 2023, it was too tough for us to even cut to a final 16.

This year’s voting tournament introduces two new elements, both of which are exclusive to our subscribers.

First, in our Subscriber Selection, they will cull the initial nomination list down to the final sixteen (eight from MMP and eight from FMP) in this article. If you want to help decide who even makes the bracket and see all of the honorable mentions, plus get a bunch of other sweet benefits for 2024, check out our subscription plans.

We are also introducing the Subscriber Save. During this round, subscribers will vote to select one play on each side of the bracket to save from elimination and send to the semifinals. The semifinals will consist of three plays each. Subscribers should be sure to vote for the save at the bottom!

Time to halve our remaining eight…and then add back two of the eliminated plays. The second round of starts now and closes on Friday, February 23 at noon Eastern.

Female-Matching Players

Matchup 1: Cardenas vs. Sourbeer

Valeria Cardenas – Denver Molly Brown (USAU Club)

Valeria Cardenas

Jess Sourbeer – Washington DC Scandal (USAU Club)

Jess Sourbeer

With nearly identical round one performances — each earned about 2/3 of their respective votes — and mirrored flight paths, this is a fitting matchup. Who blended power, touch, vision, and daring the best?

Matchup 2: Shilts vs. Awadelkarim

Abbi Shilts – UCSD Women’s (USAU College)

Abbi Shilts

Amel Awadelkarim – San Francisco Fury (USAU Club)

Amel Awadelkarim

Shilts turned in the biggest FMP win of the round, taking down 72% of her matchup’s votes, but Awadelkarim eclipsed 60%, as well. While these forehands share a destination — the back of the end zone — how they got there and when they got there is fairly different. Will you choose the clutch play and flat throw from Awadelkarim or the bending take from Shilts?

Male-Matching Players

Matchup 3: Rapottnig vs. Arters

Niko Rapottnig – Austria Open (EUC)

Niko Rapottnig

Paul Arters – Mooncatchers (EUF Club)

Paul Arters

The round’s biggest winner for Rapottnig’s scoober huck, earning 76% of the votes in its matchup. But Arters’ has a ranging upside down throw of his own for the beloved Mooncatchers. Don’t expect a repeat.

Matchup 4: Whitley vs. Stang-Osborne

Scotty Whitley – Georgia Jojah (USAU College)

Scotty Whitley

Jonah Stang-Osborne – UMass ZooDisc (USAU College)

Jonah Stang Osborne

These are both high degree of difficulty looks that both throwers make look effortless. I’m not even sure which one is harder. These two college tosses both have strong cases, but you’ll have to decide the winner.

Subscriber Save

Our subscribers will have the chance to save one of the plays from each side of the bracket that is eliminated to advance to the head-to-head-to-head semifinals!