Middlebury's steady quarterback and architect of much of their success becomes the Pranksters' first Donovan winner
July 3, 2024 by Zack Davis in Awards, News with 0 comments
Middlebury’s Keziah Wilde was named the 2024 Donovan Award winner on Wednesday night. The three-time D-III champion becomes the first Middlebury Pranksters women’s division player to win the award.
Truly a student of the game, Wilde has been playing ultimate since middle school and hasn’t slowed down. She’s graced the rosters of a lot of teams since then, but none so successful as the Middlebury Pranksters, a team that promotes and thrives off of good vibes, silly dances, and community. Mixed into those team-defining traits, though, is a deep-seated desire to win. Wilde is the embodiment of these traits, and she has not only continued those traditions but helped to build them for both Middlebury and the D-III women’s division as a whole.
Wilde, perhaps best known for her big smiles and bigger hucks, is a bit of an outlier. In a division that’s evolving more and more to reward hybrid style players with mobility and raw athleticism, Wilde has found success with patience and poise from the handler spot. Wilde’s style, referred to as “Kez ball,” might not be as flashy as other’s, but it’s just as effective. Where others would spend hours trying to untie the Gordian knot of a tough defense, Wilde is able to cut through it with a single move. No one needs 10-20 throws when a single well-placed huck does the trick.
This isn’t to say Wilde is only influential on the field; she is also a huge part of her team’s chemistry. As a captain this year, she ushered her team to a semifinal appearance despite graduating enough talent that the 2023 class could have made a top-four run of their own.
Wilde’s resume, ability, leadership, and spirit are all what makes her the 2024 Donovan Award winner.
