The best players in the mixed division in 2024!
December 12, 2024 by Sean Colfer in Awards
This European season was the first with a new structure and had WUC on the other side of the world dropped into the middle of the calendar. That meant some of the timings were a bit strange, and EUCF was just after many of the best players on the continent returned from Down Under. However, the season itself was extremely exciting and saw the continued rise of young stars in every division. Who were the top performers? Here are your winners in the 2024 European Player of the Year awards.
Player of the Year
Jakob Tamm (Tartu Turbulence)
Tamm has had a meteoric rise in the game, winning breakout player last year and jumping all the way up to Player of the Year this term. He is the centre of Tartu’s universe, touching the disc multiple times on every offensive point and operating as both a first cut creator and a strike cut finisher. Teams sent him under, scared of getting beat deep, and he threw it over the top instead. They tried to keep him off the disc, so he just went into the endzone and caught the disc there instead. Sesquidistus, like the rest of Europe, knew that Tamm was the number one threat to try and nullify in the bronze medal game at EUCF and put their best defenders on him. Tamm threw six assists and caught three goals, including the winner, as Tartu took the spoils home. His performance with the Tokay SuperTeam at Windmill also showed he can play a central role even with an embarrassment of riches around him. It’s already intriguing considering what Tamm could do up against competition from around the world, not just in Europe. From what we’ve seen so far, there’s every reason to think he’d thrive.
Runner-Up
Torben Hörnschemeyer (Tiefseetaucher)
Hörnschemeyer has been one of the best players in Europe for a while, playing with teams largely in the open division1. As part of the Munich shift to mixed this year, he took his talents to a new division. The German led the Divers2 to the top overall seed at EUCF and an unbeaten regular season, working with regular partner in the backfield Denis Holzer to make the offense incredibly difficult to stop. In the EUCF final he played both ways, pulling and taking difficult matchups. He couldn’t quite help his team get over the hump and take home the title, but his performances all season meant he’s a more than deserving runner up here.
Offensive Player of the Year
Helen Tera (Tartu Turbulence)
Tera has probably been overlooked as one of the best players in Europe for the last few years. She didn’t make the top European players list last time around3, not receiving the kudos that her talent and consistency has deserved. It’s safe to say that she’ll be on the next version of that list after her performances for Tartu this season. Constantly running and always getting free downfield, Tera offered a release valve when needed and was an effective strike cutter too. The Tamm to Tera combination was one that most teams couldn’t work out all year, and it’s hopefully one we’ll see for a few seasons yet.
Runner-Up
Gaël Ancelin (Sesquidistus)
Ancelin won this award last season and the only reason he’s slipped to second was Tera’s excellent season. Ancelin is at the centre of everything the French team does and pulls the strings brilliantly. His performances for France mixed aren’t being considered here, but he was also fantastic in Australia and showed that he’s one of the best handlers in Europe. Sesqui will hope that after getting back into the big time this season, Ancelin can lead them onto the podium their talent merits next year.
Defensive Player of the Year
Kate Gibson (Deep Space)
Gibson hadn’t played much mixed before this season, playing with Spice in women’s and with the GB women’s team, but took to the division with aplomb. She was one of Deep Space’s pullers, played physical defense on tough matchups all season and routinely got important blocks. Once they had the disc back, she was one of the driving forces of the D line offense. The fact that for the biggest defensive point of the season, the universe point against Tiefseetaucher in the EUCF final, Gibson was on the line alongside superstars Rachel Naden and Leila Denniston tells you what you need to know. When needed, she also crossed over and played on the O line as well, such was the trust that the leadership had in her abilities. Overall, quite a successful switch in division.
Runner-Up
Linnea Seibert (Tiefseetaucher)
There was tough competition with several players for this spot4, but Seibert’s excellent pulling and ability to make things difficult for the best players in Europe meant she takes second place. Helen Tera and Leila Denniston are two of the best players in the mixed division, but both struggled to reach their usually high standards against Seibert in the semi and final of EUCF. She was also an excellent driver of offense once Tiefseetaucher got the disc and helped turn plenty of blocks into breaks.
Breakout Player of the Year
Jack Halkyard (Deep Space)
Halkyard had played EUCF twice before5 and played for GB under-24 mixed in Nottingham last year. This season was his first foray into the EUCF bracket, though, and he showed throughout that the step up to the top level of the mixed division was one that didn’t faze him at all. He started out playing defense but by the end of the year seemed to play both ways when needed, including picking the disc up twice after turns on the universe point against Tiefseetaucher. His throwing ability was important, but his ability to get free and keep the disc moving was what Deep Space really needed most. On a team full of players who’ve played for their countries at senior level, Halkyard emerged as one of the leading figures.
Runner-Up
Marin Raba (Tartu Turbulence)
Another award with a number of candidates6, but Raba’s impact on the Tartu O line was significant this season. Tartu’s offense includes large doses of Tamm, Tera and experienced handler Kristjan Loorits, but the need for more cutters who can generate movement and help keep the disc moving is obvious in the top four at EUCF. Despite her young age7, Raba was able to contribute significantly to Tartu in big games and ended the tournament fifth on her team’s stat board and third in goals, behind only Tamm and Tera.
And with Germany at The World Games in Birmingham last time out. ↩
Tiefseetaucher is German for deep sea diver. ↩
Mea culpa, I didn’t include her in my list. ↩
Shout out to Jakob Dunshirn, Ian Tait and Saskia Beeck who were all in the discussion. ↩
Both times for Smash’D in the open division, finishing 19th at each event. ↩
Another shout out, this time to Constantin Angetter and Arwen Zhang. ↩
Raba is 19. ↩
