Rounding out our Top 25 for the 2025 D-III college preseason, it's time for the Top 5!
January 17, 2025 by Ultiworld in Rankings
Ultiworld’s College Power Rankings, presented by the National Ultimate Training Camp!
We are excited to present the 2025 preseason College Power Rankings! As we head into a new season, we’ve looked at past performance, roster changes, preseason results, and more to figure out how we think the team could stack up this season. Take a look at our first rankings set of the spring college season and read up about each Top 25 team.
We will be counting down our rankings in three parts:
The #25 to #16
The #15 to #6
The Top 5
D-III Women’s
1. Carleton Eclipse
2024 Finish: #2 in Power Rankings, 2nd at Nationals, 24-5 record
Eclipse have long been in the hunt for the national title and for the first time in a few cycles are the favored team heading into the season. Having made it to, and lost in, the final in the last two years, they are spoiling for a victory. With the leadership of captain and All-American First Team Frankie Saraniti, perennial COTY listers Cameron Barton and Emma Nicosia, and ROTY runner-up Molly Horstman Olson, Eclipse are poised to secure their fourth national title since the inception of the D-III Nationals tournament.
– Zack Davis
2. St. Olaf Vortex
2024 Finish: #4 in Power Rankings, T-3rd at Nationals, 27-5 record
After their fourth appearance in semifinals in six seasons, St. Olaf looks poised to maintain their position as one of the preeminent programs in the division. They were dominant at Nationals last year prior to running into Portland. With Leina Goto, Grace Milhaupt, and Rachel Katzovitz back, and a sophomore class that showed promise last May, they can replace some of the production lost from Erica Collin, Emily Mulhern, and Ellie McDonald. Vortex will again lean on their programmatic strengths to remain a contender.
– Keith Raynor
3. Macalester Pursesnatchers
2024 Finish: #6 in Power Rankings, T-5th at Nationals, 17-5 record
Talk about the Pursesnatchers will always start with their star, the arguably POTY frontrunner, Claire Lee. But Macalester’s shocking 2024 breakout might have just been a sign of things to come. Some young talent might further blossom — Sophie Diliberti, Zayna Hopkins, Else Gerber, Dorthea Trelstad Pi-Sunyer — to power up the team for a title run. Get used to seeing the Pursesnatchers.
– Keith Raynor
4. Haverford/Bryn Mawr Sneetches
2024 Finish: #7 in Power Rankings, T-5th at Nationals, 25-4 record
This Haverford/Bryn Mawr team has been knocking on the door the semifinals the past few seasons, so far unable to surpass the St. Olafs and Middleburys of the division. But 2025 is as good a time as any for an experienced and well-coached team packed with little turnover to break into the upper echelon. Zoe Costanza could easily play her way into POTY contention, surrounded by fellow playmakers Clara Morton, Phoebe Hulbert and Sonia Nicholson. Add in a transplant in St. Olaf star Erica Collin, and it could be the Sneetches’ year to play D-III’s star role.
– Theresa Diffendal
5. Wesleyan Vicious Circles
2024 Finish: #9 in Power Rankings, 9th at Nationals, 19-8 record
Wesleyan is entering 2025 stacked with talent. Reigning ROTY, Scout Noble, will be joined by sibling duo Maggie and U24 pick Milo Brown. They lost only three players from last year’s prequarters team. Their athletic and free-wheeling style served them well last year and they put up some solid fall results with a similar approach. Accompanied with new coach after years of being player-led, Ultiworld’s own Keith Raynor, the Vicious Circles are equipped to send any team into a whirlwind.
– Raquel Alegria
D-III Men’s
1. Oklahoma Christian Eagles
2024 Finish: #3 in Power Rankings, T-3 at Nationals, 25-7 record
With easily the most stacked freshman class arriving and only four departures from their 2024 roster, Oklahoma Christian is once again a title favorite. The loss of coach Garrett Taylor is unfortunate, but this roster is so talented it may not even matter.
– Calvin Ciorba
2. Davenport Panthers
2024 Finish: #6 in Power Rankings, T-5th at Nationals, 28-8 record
A universe point loss was all that separated Davenport from the semifinals of Nationals in their first-ever season as a team. Now they pick up graduate student stars and increase their depth, making the Panthers a scary team going into 2025.
– Calvin Ciorba
3. Middlebury Pranksters
2024 Finish: #5 in Power Rankings, T-5th at Nationals, 21-3 record
Another year, another loaded Middlebury roster. Headlined by USA U24 selection Louis Douville Beaudoin, the Pranksters enter the year feeling like a lock to extend their Nationals qualification streak to seven years, the longest streak in the division, and are among the favorites to win their third title.
– Josh Katz
4. Whitman Sweets
2024 Finish: #7 in Power Rankings, T-7th at Nationals, 20-3 record
After a strong run to quarters at Nationals, Whitman returns a huge part of their roster in 2025. Headlined by Kai Kirsch, one of the biggest matchup nightmares in the division, the Sweets should definitely contend to be a top seed yet again. We’ll see them in action in a month at the D-III Grand Prix, against lots of good divisional competition.
– Graham Gordon
5. Williams WUFO
2024 Finish: #2 in Power Rankings, 2nd at Nationals, 33-3 record
Williams was dominant in 2024, blitzing past all their opponents in Milwaukee before coming up just short in the final. But Danny Klein, Reed Kendall, and Reece Overholt (and many others) have moved on, leaving some big shoes for WUFO to fill. The good news? They still have the reigning DPOTY and POTY co-first runner up Charles Tantum around to steady the ship.
– Josh Katz