On the seventh day of Christmas Ultiworld gave to me...universe lines for each division!
December 18, 2024 by Ultiworld in Preview with 0 comments
Ultiworld’s coverage of the 2025 college season 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.
It’s time to unwrap some presents as we introduce the 12 Days of College Ultimate. For the next 12 days, we will be releasing one gift per day, though don’t count on getting any holiday fowl: it’s all college ultimate. From highlight videos to player chatter to a season predictions, we’ve got a little something for everyone.
On the seventh day of the 12 Days of College Ultimate, we present the seven players our writers would want on the field if the game was on the line.
D-I Women’s Division
Grace Conerly
- Erica Birdsong (UNC)
- Laura Blume (UC Santa Barbara)
- Abbie Gillach (Colorado)
- Mika Kurahashi (UBC)
- Clil Phillips (Colorado)
- Emily Przykucki (UNC)
- Trout Weybright (Oregon)
I was trying to pick a line that could matchup with any other conglomeration of talent in terms of size, speed, and position. First off, everyone on the line can throw. Birdsong, Kurahashi, and Weybright are elite big space cutters, while Blume and Phillips can connect the offense. Przykucki can anchor the backfield with her elite throwing ability, while Gillach is unguardable in the reset space. All of these folks are tenacious defenders on a turn so I have no doubt they can get the disc back from any team.
Scott Dunham
- Erica Birdsong (UNC)
- Faye Burdick (Colorado)
- Chagall Gelfand (Carleton)
- Mika Kurahashi (UBC)
- Sage McGinley-Smith (Stanford)
- Caroline Stone (Vermont)
- Trout Weybright (Oregon)
Graham Gordon
- Erica Birdsong (UNC)
- Rachel Chang (UC Santa Cruz)
- Mika Kurahashi (UBC)
- Clil Phillips (Colorado)
- Caroline Stone (Vermont)
- Trout Weybright (Oregon)
- Emma Williamson (Colorado)
The best in the division this year are definitely a cutter-dominated group. Chang and Williamson are the lone handlers, both of whom have top-tier break throws and can patiently run the offense. Phillips and Kurahashi can get open under on anyone with their quickness, and then go every-other as needed to help work the disc down the field. Weybright, Stone, and Birdsong can take turns as deep cutters and finishers, with speed and size that few can even try to match.
Keith Raynor
- Erica Birdsong (UNC)
- Tori Gray (UC San Diego)
- Mika Kurahashi (UBC)
- Clil Phillips (Colorado)
- Abbi Shilts (UC San Diego)
- Caroline Stone (Vermont)
- Trout Weybright (Oregon)
Alex Rubin
- Erica Birdsong (UNC)
- Tori Gray (UC San Diego)
- Mika Kurahashi (UBC)
- Clil Phillips (Colorado)
- Emily Pozzy (Vermont)
- Abbi Shilts (UC San Diego)
- Trout Weybright (Oregon)
Good luck trying to stop this collection of offensive talent. I spent several minutes thinking through how I’d design a pull play for this group to score efficiently, and there’s no shortage of options. All seven of these players play with elite athleticism and tenacity; that’s what I want when the game is on the line.
Edward Stephens
- Naomi Fina (Carleton)
- Tori Gray (UC San Diego)
- Emily Kemp (Tufts)
- Clil Phillips (Colorado)
- Abbi Shilts (UC San Diego)
- Caroline Stone (Vermont)
- Ezra Weybright (Oregon)
I’ve taken a chance on the midfielders and goal scorers here. Can a line with exactly zero pure handlers work? Stone, Weybright, and Phillips will have to communicate about who stays back for resets at any given moment, but I think they can handle it – and then Gray joins them when it comes to slinging it deep. (Shilts has been known to drop some dimes, too, by the way.) Once the disc is moving, though, you aren’t stopping these lane beasts.
D-I Men’s Division
Graham Gordon
- Tobias Brooks (Colorado)
- Dexter Clyburn (Cal)
- Ben Dameron (UNC)
- Mica Glass (Oregon)
- Wyatt Kellman (UMass)
- Declan Miller (Carleton)
- Anton Orme (Cal Poly SLO)
Simply, I wanted to build a line of hybrids with size, and the defensive chops to win the disc on a turn (or if they’re pulling)! Any of these players could play any position on the field, but I see Brooks as the primary central handler, with Kellman as the first dump. Dameron, Miller, and Orme can trade off huge unders all day and huck to one another in flow. I envision Mica Glass playing a similar role as he does for Ego, starting off lingering on the breakside until the offense stagnates, and then getting open at will to throw whatever he wants. Clyburn is the defensive ace, able to shut down the other team’s best option or patrol the deep space.
Keith Raynor
- Tobias Brooks (Colorado)
- Dexter Clyburn (Cal)
- Ben Dameron (UNC)
- Aidan Downey (Georgia)
- Mica Glass (Oregon)
- Declan Miller (Carleton)
- Anton Orme (Cal Poly SLO)
Alex Rubin
- Tobias Brooks (Colorado)
- Daniel Chen (Carleton)
- Ben Dameron (UNC)
- Aidan Downey (Georgia)
- Mica Glass (Oregon)
- Wyatt Kellman (UMass)
- Kyle Lew (Cal Poly SLO)
On universe point, I’m looking for a group of people who have the playmaking chops to move the disc against focused, intense defense even if they’re tired and who can be a positive on the defensive side as well. Lew and Downey are the steadiest handing duo I can create, and the other players on here all are skilled and intelligent throwers who will make space for each other downfield. Also, when push comes to shove I want Mica Glass on my team and not playing against me.
Patrick Stegemoeller
- Ben Dameron (UNC)
- Aidan Downey (Georgia)
- Mica Glass (Oregon)
- Miles Grovic (Maryland)
- Wyatt Kellman (UMass)
- Alex Nelson (Cal Poly SLO)
- Anton Orme (Cal Poly SLO)
This isn’t about listing the seven best players in college right now. We’ll have All-American awards to give out later in the season for that. It’s about putting a seven player combination out there that gives you the best chance to win one high pressure, do-or-die point. You need balance, and want to feel good whether you are starting the point on O or D. So I’m leaving some offensive firepower on the sideline and giving the keys to Dameron and Downey when we get the ball. Kellman and Orme are ideal two-way connectors, Nelson is my pick for best target man in college right now, and Grovic has the springs to go make a D happen out of nothing. Which leaves Mica Glass as the X-factor, drawing loads attention on offense and able to go get the rock back if we lose it.
Edward Stephens
- Gavin Abrahamsson (UMass)
- Mica Glass (Oregon)
- Declan Miller (Carleton)
- Zeke Thoreson (Colorado)
- Toby Warren (UC Santa Cruz)
- Scotty Whitley (Georgia)
- Emmett Young (Brown)
This universe point line is an experiment: a group of seven composed entirely of third-years. How would they fare against the other universe point lines in this article? Not too badly, I think. We get two-way handlers, several reliable deep threats, a couple of top-tier defenders, and playmakers of all sorts. Take your Damerons and your Brookses and your Ormes and your Clyburns and see what you can do against this assembly of junior class all-stars. The best part? They’re fresh, since I’ve been using the early parts of the game to play through my depth pieces: Simon Dastrup, Max Dehlin, Sam Freedman, Max Gade, Chris Heron, Owen Smith – and the rest of the stupendous Oregon and Colorado 2022 recruiting classes.
D-III Women’s Division
Raquel Alegria
- Hayden Ashley (Portland)
- Kali Bate (Wellesley)
- Maddy Brown (Carleton)
- Zoe Costanza (Haverford/Bryn Mawr)
- Leina Goto (St. Olaf)
- Claire Lee (Macalester)
- Frankie Saraniti (Carleton)
As thrilling as a universe point is, I can’t deal with the stress of waiting to see who snags the win. For this reason, I have assembled a line of players who would win the game as fast as possible. Ashley, Costanza, and Lee would take the backfield, constantly moving the disc. With Lee’s incredible hucks, Ashley’s high IQ resets, and Costanza’s speedy uplines, this game could be won with just a few touches. For the cutters, I have chosen the players who never seem to run out of gas even on universe point. Bate, Brown, Goto, and Saraniti would be hustling downfield, keeping up with the most zipping throws. Goto would be an excellent first cut, and Saraniti could easily take the continuation, especially since they are both very comfortable shifting into the handler space. Bate and Brown both have a reputation for slipping away from their defender and I can picture either of them catching the game-winning goal. This line is filled with players who play each point as a game point, so I trust that they would be able to win a game efficiently and rather quickly.
Zack Davis
- Hayden Ashley (Portland)
- Leina Goto (St. Olaf)
- Claire Lee (Macalester)
- Laine O’Neill (Davenport)
- Cassidy Recker (Colorado College)
- Frankie Saraniti (Carleton)
- Lucy VanNewkirk (Middlebury)
I’ve assembled a team that will absolutely bury anyone with their throwing capability. No one here is a true cutter, but everyone is willing to move in the downfield space. Recker was the reason for a lot of Zenith’s success last season, and championed her team against some really tough opponents in what turned out to be the group of death at last year’s Nationals. She’s comfortable with the disc in her hands anywhere on the field and is absolutely capable of getting it where she wants it. Saraniti, Lee, Ashley, and Goto are all hybrid threats that would work great in the middle of the field. O’Neill would have the ultimate green light here and her decision making is one of the best aspects of her game. VanNewkirk is the only true cutter here, and with her speed she’d be the deep threat despite her small stature. If you need to score a point then this is the line to do it with.
Theresa Diffendal
- Hayden Ashley (Portland)
- Erica Collin (Haverford/Bryn Mawr)
- Zoe Costanza (Haverford/Bryn Mawr)
- Leina Goto (St. Olaf)
- Claire Lee (Macalester)
- Laine O’Neill (Davenport)
- Frankie Saraniti (Carleton)
Put Claire Lee on the line and you already have a high chance of scoring against any seven in the division. Maybe you hope she turns it on an ambitious huck, but her ability to read the play and set a well-timed poach is sure to earn a turn in kind. Ashley’s fakes and insides, O’Neill’s lefty throws and Goto’s around backhands can carve up the field and reset the disc ad nauseum.1 Costanza and Saraniti are prime midfield targets, with Saraniti happy to grind unders while Costanza bullies defense with give-gos. Both are fearsome defenders in their own right, with Saraniti going toe-to-toe in last year’s final against POTY JJ Galian. To cap it all off, you’ve got the towering Erica Collin, whose height and field awareness make for a prime target in the end zone or for cleaning up any inevitable universe point craziness.
Keith Raynor
- Hayden Ashley (Portland)
- Maggie Brown (Wesleyan)
- Zoe Costanza (Haverford/Bryn Mawr)
- Leina Goto (St. Olaf)
- Claire Lee (Macalester)
- Laine O’Neill (Davenport)
- Frankie Saraniti (Carleton)
D-III Men’s Division
Calvin Ciorba
- Louis Douville Beaudoin (Middlebury)
- Collin Hill (Davenport)
- Clay Rosselot (Richmond)
- Daniel Snider (Bates)
- Charles Tantum (Williams)
- Oliver Van Linder (Colorado College)
- Max Zwerin (Lewis & Clark)
Here, I tried to find players that could cleanly get the ball up the field into the endzone and then get a huge block if we started on defense. Sorry to guys like Jacob Felton, myself, and Sammy Roberts, but the turn percentage is too high, which is why Hill, Snider, and Van Linder provide an unguardable yet smart handler set. Zwerin provides the necessary height, Tantum is a big block getter, and LDB is one of the most versatile guys out on the field for my cutters. Although Rosselot isn’t one of the most well known names yet, he consistently makes some of the clutchest plays I’ve ever seen on universe – defensively and offensively – which is why I’m slotting him in my lineup.
Jacob Cowan
- Louis Douville Beaudoin (Middlebury)
- Collin Hill (Davenport)
- Kai Kirsch (Macalester)
- Daniel Snider (Bates)
- Kyle Suelflow (Macalester)
- Charles Tantum (Williams)
- Max Zwerin (Lewis & Clark)
This was a much harder task than I anticipated it would be when I started drafting these seven. I had to leave way too many past and future award recipients off my list, and am still second guessing some of my choices. I decided to leave off some of the division’s biggest names from last year’s Nationals in favor of a physically imposing line that could possess the disc for as long as it takes and has the dogs to force turns on defense. I have a lot of faith in Kirsch and Tantum to take away the other team’s best downfield weapons and get some highlight blocks. Douville Beaudoin can be deployed as a versatile defender to take the other team’s best handler or hybrid out of the game. Hill and Snider, who have both proved they can drive a team’s offense by themselves, will be asked simply to reset the disc patiently and take smart shots downfield. Zwerin will earn big chunks with huge unders and Suelflow, the line’s X-factor, will be our finisher, scoring the game-winning goal.
Josh Katz
- Jacob Felton (Davenport)
- Collin Hill (Davenport)
- Couper Kerns (OC)
- Jude Schmiesing (Franciscan)
- Kyle Suelflow (Macalester)
- Owen Suelflow (Macalester)
- Charles Tantum (Williams)
When I build out a universe line, I want a bunch of elite, athletic defenders to get the disc back, and three guys to run the show on offense. In Tantum, Kerns, and the Suelflows, I’ve got a quartet of players who feel like a lock to force a turn. On offense, Hill, Felton, and Schmiesing all have that “I’m getting open, no matter what” quality about them in tight spaces, which they’ll put to great use as they run a three-person weave all the way to the endzone.
Bix Weissberg
- Louis Douville Beaudoin (Middlebury)
- Jacob Felton (Davenport)
- Collin Hill (Davenport)
- Couper Kerns (OC)
- Daniel Snider (Bates)
- Charles Tantum (Williams)
- Max Zwerin (Lewis & Clark)
There were a handful of no-brainers here. Tantum + Kerns = defense. Hill and Snider can dance the handler dance. Put Zwerin and Douville Beaudon anywhere you’d like, they can do no wrong. Felton is the one wild card. He’s outstanding on both sides of the disc, but his trigger-happy ways will have led my fellow writers to question his place on a universe line. To them I can only cite the following biblical proverb “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” If Felton is suddenly put alongside the crème de la crème, he’s going to have a far easier time avoiding turnovers.
Flashback to Goto driving St. Olaf’s offense in the 2024 semifinal against Portland’s zone. ↩
