Recognizing the next set of top performers of the 2024 season.
June 12, 2024 by Bix Weissberg, Calvin Ciorba and Josh Katz in Awards with 0 comments
Each year, Ultiworld presents our annual College Awards. Our staff evaluates the individual performances of players from throughout the season, talking to folks around college ultimate, watching film, and look at statistics, voting upon the awards to decide those to be honored. The regular season and the college Series are both considered, with extra emphasis for performances in the competitive and high-stakes environment at Nationals.
Our All-American teams recognize the top performers across the division. While previously we have closed our Awards with our First Team and Second Team, displaying the top seven and next seven players who had the best seasons, they have been moved up in the schedule.
- Player of the Year
- All-American First Team
- All-American Second Team
- Offensive Player of the Year Award
- Defensive Player of the Year Award
- Breakout Player of the Year Award
- Rookie of the Year Award
- Coaches of the Year Award
D-III Men’s All-American Second Team
Calvin Ciorba (Richmond)
Let’s be clear: Ciorba’s one true passion in life is providing great reporting on the division. So when competition is looking stagnant, he likes to do us all a favor and spice things up. This year, that meant stepping into the hybrid role formerly filled by Brett Schoppert and leading the Spidermonkeys to upset the division’s top seed in dramatic fashion. Ciorba did what the faceless Spidermonkeys army didn’t do last year: compile stats, combining for a stellar 4G/24A/7D line. Ciorba’s extreme risk-taking is warranted by his exceptional technical skill. “Crafty” doesn’t do it justice.
Eric Crosby Lehmann (St. Olaf)
On a team that featured two superstar talents on the O-line, Crosby Lehmann was the perfect complementary piece and the unsung hero of the D-line, and his play is duly rewarded with a Second Team All-American nomination. His six blocks at Nationals were good for third on the St. Olaf leaderboard, and he made his presence felt in the bracket, including a 2G/4A/1D line against Whitman in quarters and 3A/1D against Williams in the final.
Collin Hill (Berry)
Ever since his ROTY Second Runner-Up nomination in 2021, Collin Hill has dominated the Southeast region, helping to lead Berry to four Nationals in his tenure. Down 8-4 in the game-to-go at Regionals, Hill was the major factor in Berry’s comeback, including a layout score to win on universe point. From there, he proved his place at Nationals, tossing 31 assists, making him an unstoppable force. Hill played with a calm style of ultimate, patient to make the right throws, and delivering the dagger when he did. His leadership for this young Berry team was evident, and even with their lack of success at Nationals, Hill cannot be ignored.
Couper Kerns (Oklahoma Christian)
Sometimes it’s quite hard to know the scope of how good a player truly is in D-III until we see them at Nationals. With Oklahoma Christian missing Nationals last year, this was the first year we really had the opportunity to see Couper Kerns’ defensive prowess. Kerns took the hardest handler matchup every game, and did a fantastic job locking them down, especially in the reset space. Compiling seven blocks on the weekend, Kerns was a menace to deal with offensively, and on the turn he moved the disc well up the field for the D-line.
Ethan Lavallee (Middlebury)
There’s always a spot on an All-American team reserved for a player who just does everything well; this year, that player is Ethan Lavallee. His steadiness on both sides of the disc was a much needed resource for Middlebury, as he tied for the team lead in assists (11) at Nationals while primarily playing on the D-line, and he also chipped in with excellent defense throughout. His defense was so good, in fact, that the opposition rarely threw to his matchup, hence his singular block at Nationals.
Peter Mans (Middlebury)
Sometimes Mans would provide rock-solid handling. Other times he set up in isolation, acting as the Prankster’s first downfield target. He was called over to defense occasionally to take tough matchups. It didn’t really matter which assignment Mans was thrown into because he executed each of them with tenacity and skill. In particular, his quick first step and aggressive cutting prowess helped the Middlebury offense keep possession in stagnant moments. He wasn’t the flashiest on the field, but he did everything expected of a Middlebury veteran, plus a little bit more.
Sammy Roberts (Oklahoma Christian)
We’ve written a lot about the Oklahoma Christian season, and rarely, if ever, has Roberts’ name been absent from our discussion. After the departure of Emmanuel Bilolo, Roberts has assumed the role of spearhead for OC’s offense, shouldering even more responsibility. That’s a tough burden to bear on any team, let alone a semis-caliber squad. But Roberts, as OC’s most dynamic and patient handler, has stubbornly kept OC in the division’s limelight.
