On the ninth day of Christmas Ultiworld gave to me...nine skills which, if Frankensteined together, would result in the perfect college player
December 20, 2024 by Calvin Ciorba 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 ninth day of the 12 Days of College Ultimate, we asked our staff to think of nine of the most coveted skills, throws, moves, or traits when building the ideal college player.
Picture this: a secret lab is hidden deep below Breese Stevens Field… or wherever college Nationals is held this year. Scientists1 are working tirelessly to create the perfect college ultimate player. Test tubes bubble over with layout block potions, and vials brim with the elixir of perfect hucks. The blueprint for this Frankenstein ultimate player greatness is made of the best parts of college ultimate players. If we could assemble the best talents across the divisions, what would the player look like? Let’s dive in and find out.
Louis Douville Beaudoin (Middlebury): Pulls
Let’s start at the start: pulls. Look, as a person who has received Douville Beaudoin’s pulls in a Nationals game, let me tell you, they are terrifying. LDB has the perfect combination of strength and power but also uses the wind to his advantage.
Whether it’s OI’s that match the wind’s direction to go from one side of the field to the other, or an IO drifter that goes deep into your end zone, LDB has it in the bag.
Caroline Stone (Vermont): Hands
It doesn’t matter where the offense throws the disc because Caroline Stone will always come down with it. Between the reach and the concentration, she’s a dream receiver. No throw is too far, too high, or too low for Stone who miraculously seems never to drop the disc.
Oscar Graff (Tufts): Person-to-Person Defense
One of the most physical and toughest matchups in the men’s division, person defense is Oscar Graff’s specialty. He will lock down every move you try and make, and even if you shake him free, he still can get the block with his unreal closing speed. Speaking from my own experience, I don’t know the last time I have been run through blocked like I did from Graff at U24 tryouts.
Leina Goto (St. Olaf): Backhand Huck
There are a ton of people in the ultimate world that can rip the disc far, but not many have the accuracy or timing that Leina Goto has. Goto somehow knows every instance the perfect time to release the disc, and place it perfectly in the breadbasket of her receiver far down the field.
Eli Fried (UNC): Layout Blocks
When watching a UNC game, at first Eli Fried doesn’t stand out as the most flashy player. However, as soon as there is a disc within ten feet of his radius, Fried will leap off the ground, fully extending his body quicker than the blink of an eye.
It must be frightening to see Fried match up on you knowing that with one mistake, he’ll come flying in for the block.
Elise Freedman (Northeastern): Field Awareness
Not all of ultimate is physical. A good chunk is mental – which is what makes Elise Freedman such a talented player, as she can read the field in a way very few can. Offensively, Freedman can direct the offense and knows which spaces to fit into. Defensively, she knows where throws are going, and when to position herself for a poach D.
Scotty Whitley (Georgia): Speed
Imagine guarding your matchup, looking at where the disc is for a split second, and poof – they’re gone. Whitley’s incredible ability to blow past his defenders with lightning speed, whether it’s an in or deep cut, is unmatched.
Clil Phillips (Colorado): Around Backhand
Marks beware! Nothing you can do will stop the magnificence that is Clil Phillips’s around backhand.
The distance with which Phillips can stretch around her defender combined with a quick release create a deadly combo.
Axel Olson (Carleton): Disc Flight Knowledge
Many people claim disc golf ruins your throwing ability in ultimate. I wholeheartedly disagree, as disc golf teaches a person how a disc flies, what edge the disc should be released at, and how the wind affects flight. Because of this, the United States Amateur Disc Golf Champion and high school superstar Axel Olson will most likely be one of the best throwers in the division in just his freshman year.
Okay, really it’s just me in an Ultiworld sun hoodie. ↩
