April 1, 2024 by Sean Colfer in Awards with 0 comments
The European season is about to start, with a brand-new structure and the inclusion of the World Ultimate Championships slap bang in the middle of the calendar. Many of the best players on the continent will be facing campaigns on several fronts and trying to peak for national, European and World titles. At the tail end of last season, Ultiworld ran a list of the top 25 female- and male- matching players in Europe for the first time. We haven’t celebrated the best of last year specifically, though, so with the new season on the horizon it’s time to recognise those who performed brilliantly last year so we can start getting excited about how they’re going to do in 2024. First off we’ll have the women’s awards, followed by open and mixed.
Player of the Year
Charlotte Schall (BFD Shout and Germany)
Schall earned three medals last year – a brilliant bronze with the under-24 German women to go alongside golds at EUC and EUCF. Her ability to keep the disc moving set her apart from everyone else in Europe. Her constant motion was impossible to defend and her ability to contribute with blocks and smothering handler D made her a huge weapon on either line. The all-around nature of her game and her contributions to pushing Shout over the line in the final are what gave her the edge in an extremely competitive race. She’s another who went over to the USA, to play for 6ixers, something that could even further accelerate her development.
Runner-Up
Anna Gerner (jinX and Germany)
Gerner was the engine behind the Germany offense for much of the season, and then after recovering from the knee injury that knocked her out of EUC was excellent again for jinX at EUCF. She’s also a very good defender, a good puller and contributes as a leader as well. Another excellent season for one of the best players around.
Offensive Player of the Year
Kristýna Tlustá (East Block and Czech Republic)
Tlustá’s ability to get free is without equal in Europe. She is always moving, always looking for space and always trying to move the disc. The rapid movement means the defense is never set and means she and her teammates can always find a good option. The speed of her development into such an offensive powerhouse has been amazing given her age, but the Czechs have a group of players to build around for years to come. Tlustá will play a central role in that growth, and if her performances this year are anything to go by it’ll be pretty great to watch.
Runner-Up
Francesca Sorrenti (BFD Shout and Italy)
Sorrenti has been one of Shout’s most effective throwers for years and this season her contributions were particularly noticeable. In the tough conditions at EUC she was one of the only throwers in the division to be able to complete tough, aggressive options downfield and her ability to keep the disc moving in the wind and rain was a lifeline for the Italian offense. Her contributions to Shout were impactful too, leading the team in assists at EUCF including four in the final.
Defensive Player of the Year
Martina Kmecová (Austria1 and BFD Shout)
Kmecová was a first-year Shout player but made a huge contribution to their defense. Her height and ability to go up and win aerial battles made an already phenomenal zone almost impregnable for most opponents. It also helped that she’s able to contribute offensively with big shots, but her four-block masterpiece in the EUCF final showed just how disruptive she can be when teams try to challenge her deep. JinX scored some goals against the zone, but every time a shot went up Kmecová was around the disc making it as hard as it could possibly be.
Runner-Up
Susanna Casarini (BFD Shout and Italy)
It was only fitting that both defensive spots went to Shout. The Italian defense was the best unit in Europe, and Casarini was one of the leaders of the group. She was also excellent at EUC for Italy, playing a key role in the zone and running the offense after the turn. Plenty of other Shout players have arguments here – Gaia Pancotti and Erica Marchesini in particular were also great – but Casarini’s consistency and ability to get blocks gets her the runner-up spot.
Breakout Player of the Year
Amane Babikian (YAKA and France)
Babikian started the season as a promising young cutter for YAKA after a good performance at JJUC in 2022 for France. Her role changed quickly, though, as her performances clearly showed she was capable of more. By the end of the year she was one of the key downfield cutters on both teams, leading France and YAKA in goals at EUC and EUCF respectively. She’s also capable of the spectacular, with some highlight reel-worthy layout blocks last year.
Runner-Up
Nicole Lafiata (Tequila Boom Boom and Italy)
Lafiata ascended into a different group of players this season. She was a talented player that could help a team win before – now she’s a player that opponents need to game plan around. At EUC she was one of the very best players in the mixed division and pushed Italy along many times with her ability to win in the air and complete big throws. She was great at EUCF for Rimini’s Tequila Boom Boom as well, and should be a fixture for Italian teams for years.
Kmecová is Slovakian but played for Austria Mixed at EUC. ↩
