Your guide to the biggest players, teams, and stories of the 2025 D-III college season!
January 31, 2025 by Zack Davis, Raquel Alegria, Theresa Diffendal and Keith Raynor in Coverage, Preview
Ultiworld’s coverage of the 2025 college ultimate 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.
A few weeks after the New Year’s ball drops wrap up, the murmur of the coming college season begins in earnest. By the time it’s nearly February, the whirring of the hype machine is hitting a fever pitch. As the first major tournament weekend approaches, we want to make sure you’re fully prepared for another uproarious college season. Like those that came before it, get ready for the ups, the downs, the thrillers, the stars, the new kids, and all of the wonderful things that make college ultimate so beloved with our annual College Primer.
Major Storylines
Changing of the Guard
Graduation comes for us all, but our college programs persist. This is an acute truth for some of the powerhouse teams in the D-III women’s division this season. The reigning champs Portland are losing their star player Julianna “JJ” Galian; Middlebury lost their centerpiece in Keziah Wilde; Bella Steedly has left Wellesley; Southeast powerhouse Union lost their triumvirate Tori Green, Kathryn Hayes, and Claire Ward; Rowan Dong graduated from Carleton; and Gemma Munck has moved on from Whitman. All these names that filled our headlines in 2024 are gone.
This isn’t to say there’s no talent left in the division; far from it, in fact. This is simply to note the massive amount of turnover this season holds for us. Have no fear — between some breakout players last season, and some promising rookies, there are still plenty of names for us to write about and for you to watch this season. To start, the early POTY frontrunner and Macalester Pursesnatcher star Claire Lee is back for her junior season. Last year she put up absurd numbers at Nationals and this year will certainly find a way to put up more. Portland already has someone ready to fill the big cleats left by Galian: Hayden Ashley. Ashley was a pivotal piece in Portland’s success last season and is a phenomenal talent in her own right. Scout Noble is back for Wesleyan following a ROTY campaign last season, while Lanie O’Niell is back on Davenport’s roster for one last ride.
As for the rookie class, Middlebury will be fielding Seattle Riot’s Ella Widmyer; U24 selectee Milo Brown has decided to take their talents to Wesleyan; and Whitman has picked up the promising Anja Floisand. That’s just scratching the surface. The nature of the division is that it’s always possible a portion of the season’s biggest stars will make themselves known as the season plays out. The People’s Division always finds ways to surprise us.
Can Portland Repeat?
Looking back at last season, there was never a point when Portland was the locked-in pick to be the next Nationals champion. Before that, Middlebury was on a roll, and in 2023, accomplishing a three-peat didn’t just seem probable; it was expected. However, the story changed for a Prankster four-peat. The loss of Claire Babbott-Bryan put the 2024 crown up for grabs and with their impressive semifinal finishes, Carleton and Portland were the favorites. As we all know, UPRoar became the subsequent National Champion. Yet, this year, they seemed to be almost completely counted out from even reaching the semifinals. Why the loss of faith in Portland now? Does Portland still have what it takes to win it all, again?
Taking a deeper look, Middlebury and Portland have similar stories. After 2023, Middlebury lost their biggest player, CBB, yet retained rising star and eventual Donovan winner Keziah Wilde. Portland is facing this same shift. They just lost POTY JJ Galian, yet maintain rising star Hayden Ashley and will continue to have her for the next two seasons. Losing a star player doesn’t automatically prevent any reigning champion from repeating their success. Middlebury maintained its formidable status because it retained vetted players who developed immense chemistry between themselves while being prime examples for their younger teammates. The same can go for Portland.
While a lot of Portland’s 2024 success can be attributed to Galian, the rest of UPRoar’s talent doesn’t leave with her. Portland’s players have exhibited so much trust within themselves, it’s almost as if they can read each other’s minds. They got the timing of their plays down to the T, and set themselves up so cleanly that it’s rare to see miscommunications and collisions occur on the field. This type of chemistry and talent doesn’t disintegrate with the loss of two players, especially when Portland is set up to receive the leadership of Audrey Stineman and Hana Elawady. The depth of their talent runs even deeper with the return of juniors Annalise Korch and Maryanne Maxwell. Having lost only two players from their 2024 roster, Portland returns with 22 players who know the intensity of the Nationals tournament and have a taste of that victory.
Their ever-so-motivated and growing coaching staff further fuels Portland’s aspiration for continued success. The COTY trio – Dan Young, Elise Hollowell, and Beckie Zipp – is joined by new coach, Kelsey Salvo. The UPRoar players already bring such high spirit and skill to the game, and having such a unique set of coaches with exceptional knowledge can further augment their talent and success. There may not be an easy road ahead for Portland, especially when the NW competition seems to be kicking up, but their 2024 season was so well fought, it’s hard to easily accept UPRoar would let that type of momentum die out so soon.
New Breakthrough Team in Semis
In the past three seasons there have been 12 total slots for national semifinalists, yet only five teams have ascended to those heights. Middlebury is tied for the lead with three semis berths, winning the whole thing in both 2022 and 2023 before finally falling out in semis in 2024. Carleton also has three, making semis in 2022 and then the final in 2023 and 2024. Portland has two, winning it all in 2024 and making semis in 2023, as does St. Olaf with a semis appearance in 2022 and 2024. And Wellesley also has two, making the final in 2022 and semis in 2023. With the hefty turnover of players, it’s hard to imagine all of these teams can keep the stranglehold they have on the bracket. Who, though, will break through?
The case for the Davenport Panthers is a strong one, starting with the fact that it’s hard to argue with a school that goes all in on their athletics and has the easy recruitment pitch of “we can pay your tuition.” The Panthers had their inaugural season last year and though they lost a tight one in prequarters, making the Nationals bracket in their first-ever season is a mighty accomplishment. The reason the ceiling is so high for the Panthers is three-fold. The first is the return of 2024 Second Team All-American Lanie O’Neill, the graduate transfer from Clemson and captain for Davenport, who will be the cornerstone for the team this season. To compliment her veterancy, there’s the new talent Davenport is drawing in, best represented by Leilani Lepe. Lepe was the second runner-up for 2024’s ROTY and will no doubt be a go-to player for the Panthers in 2025. Finally, providing all these players a solid foundation is Coach Jessica Creamer. The former WUL player proved her mettle last season and will continue to propel her fledgling program to bigger and better successes.
The chatter surrounding Haverford/Bryn Mawr starts with phenom Zoe Costanza. The 2024 OPOTY Runner-Up and First Team All-American is in the conversation for Player of the Year this season and will be the centerpiece for the Sneetches. Haverford/Bryn Mawr have made the bracket the past three Nationals and return all but three seasoned vets from their 2024 campaign, including reigning DPOTY Phoebe Hulbert and Clara Morton, a player to watch for BPOTY. Moreover, the Bi-Co have added the talented Erica Collin from St. Olaf. The 2024 second line All-American will likely step into the role of Costanza’s favorite target this season and be a points mill for the team. While Jason Oswald has moved on from the Sneetch sideline, the team retains Linda Morse and gains long-term AMP player Liz Hart and Parcha’s Yara El-Khatib as coaches. With a powerful and efficient offense, it will be hard for any team in the division to find a win against them.
What many in the Ultiworld D-III community are now calling The Claire Lee Effect™ has been igniting the Macalester Pursesnatchers. The 2024 Breakout Player of the Year and first line All-American put up some truly ridiculous numbers at Nationals last season. In a division where a single phenomenal player can take over an entire game, having someone like Claire Lee could be enough to propel you to the top four. That said, Lee won’t be able to do it on her lonesome. Even Juliana Galian, Keziah Wilde, and Claire Babbott-Bryan had excellent support structures around them to help amplify their effectiveness on the field. The Pursesnatchers have understood the assignment and fans of the team should be happy to see the likes of Sophie Diliberti, Zayna Hopkins, Else Gerber, and Dorthea Trelstad Pi-Sunyer on the roster.
The Wesleyan Vicious Circles have made a big change this season. A longtime player-led team, the Circles tapped Ultiworld’s own Keith Raynor as head coach for the 2025 season. Raynor couldn’t have picked a better time to join the team, and while he may be just what the team needs to reach their full potential, Wesleyan already has some incredible talent. 2024 Rookie of the Year Scout Noble is joined by another U20 national teamer from Seattle, incoming first-year Milo Brown. They are part of a veteran group, led by Milo’s sibling Maggie, U24 tryout invitee Natalie Sweet, and senior handler Nora Jacobsen. Vicious Circles lack deep bracket experience, but have the potential to put together their finest campaign yet.
North Central Heat
Since resuming bids as normal in 2022, a few powerhouse regions have clearly emerged across the northern portion of the women’s division: New England, North Central, and Northwest. In the past three seasons, these regions have claimed all six strength bids rather convincingly. In 2024, the North Central was the hot region, gobbling up half the strength bids. Is a similar feat in the cards for 2025? It seems so, at least while the horses are still in the stable, with the NC boasting the top three teams in our preseason power rankings: Carleton, St. Olaf, and Macalester.
Carleton Eclipse enter the season as #1 in our preseason Power Rankings and only unanimous way-too-early semifinal pick, incredibly high expectations for last year’s national runner-ups. Eclipse lose six to graduation, most notably the award-laden Rowan Dong, but as will be echoed by the other heavy-hitters, are still stuffed with stars. OPOTY second runner-up Frankie Saraniti, fresh off a season with Minneapolis Pop, looks to lead her team back to the final alongside fellow captains Kyla Christie, Natalie Lang-Ree and Zoe Marquis. Carleton also doubles its coaching staff, adding Yuriko Vaughan and Carleton CHOP coach Chris O’Mara to long-time leaders Cameron Barton and Emma Nicosia. There’s no doubt this is a team looking to capture a gold after back-to-back silvers, nabbing a bid is hardly a question.
St. Olaf Vortex finished the 2024 regular season ranked no.1 overall by USAU and backed the feat up with a semis run at Nationals, blowing out opponents and never allowing double digit goals until they ran into the Portland buzzsaw. While Vortex graduate some serious firepower in the like of All-American second teamer Emily Mulhern and Ellie McDonald, who combined for over half the team’s assists with 31, in addition to losing Erica Collin to Haverford/Bryn Mawr, they retain much of a young core with experience in the deep bracket. Leina Goto, entering her senior hurrah, is the headliner, but Grace Millhaupt, Juliana Eno, Maggie Walsh, and Rachel Katzovitz are the wind that keep this Vortex spinning. Whether they’re title contenders is one question – though it’s hard to count out a team that’s made nine of the last ten Nationals1 and placed seventh or better every time – but earning a bid? Pencil that in.
Macalester was the new kid on the block in 2024 with a lot to say, upending Carleton in pool play at North Central ConfRegionals before handing St. Olaf a universe point loss to claim the region in blustery upwind-downwind conditions. Then all of ultimate was treated to the Claire Lee Show, as her best-in-division hucks found the waiting hands of Else Gerber, Sophie Carpenter, Sophie Diliberti, Zanya Hopkins, and Dorthea Trelstad Pi-Sunyer. All are back in 2025, and many with club experience that should refine the Pursesnatchers’ high-risk high-reward style of play.
Though Michigan Tech earned the region’s fourth bid after clawing their way to ten games, Grinnell was the NC’s final representative in 2024, upsetting the less Superior Ma’s in pool play, and then again in the game-to-go. At their first Nationals since 2015, the Grinneleanor Roosevelts turned a rough start into walk off back-to-back wins over the SW and AC reps. Most of the offensive drivers from their 2024 are back in action, including assist leader Claire Torgelson and top goal scorer Sara Garcia. If they play a full regular season, they might have the firepower to earn their own bid in 2025. But Michigan Tech will have something to say, returning more than a few players who remember the taste of 2021 Nationals in Emma Elliot, Tessa Meyer, Serenity Snyder, Makenna Dawson, and Katy Krieger. After getting frozen out last season, they’ll be hungry to return.
If earning a bevy of bids in the NC seems foretold, the real question is how far the top trio can traverse. Macalester came into 2024 Nationals seeded third but fell to a Middlebury team with something to prove in pool play. Had the Pursesnatchers held seed, semifinals could have featured three North Central teams. Instead, Macalester and St. Olaf reprised the regional final in quarterfinals, with Vortex taking the revenge win. No region has produced more than two semifinalists at a single Women’s D-III Nationals, ever. A lot of bids is one thing, but the North Central teams have the chance to make history in 2025.
Players to Watch
Some of the players we think will define the 2025 college season.
Claire Lee (Macalester)
Claire Lee took the D-III world by storm in 2024, putting up video game numbers as she hucked and poach-blocked the Pursesnatchers to their best finish in program history. Her feats were deservedly recognized with the BPOTY award, and now she’s back for a junior campaign. The Lee name alone is enough to have our staff high on Macalester going into the season, and with another year of learning how to slot key pieces into picture-perfect shape around Lee’s field-warping play, Macalester might be snatching more than just purses in 2025.
Frankie Saraniti (Carleton)
Saraniti possesses all the skills any ultimate player wishes to have. She has vision and exhibits calmness in a handler set, yet she brings unmatched energy as she hustles downfield. On paper, her name is written all over Eclipse’s success at nationals, but her expertise of the game runs deeper than gathering her own assists and goals. She has grown to become a backbone player who conducts her teammates to make powerful plays on the field. With her captaincy underway, she is surely set to pilot Carleton back into the finals and potentially win it all.
Hayden Ashley (Portland)
Ashley was decidedly the number two in Portland’s deadly one-two Galian-Ashley punch that resulted in a championship, but the precise backfield marshal is more than ready to step up as UPRoar’s number one. Her polish and poise under pressure were remarkable for a sophomore, with the slicing throws to dismantle zones and the field awareness to beat opponents to the spot on offense or defense. Portland may have fallen from their lofty perch in our preseason Power Rankings, but Ashley might be the reason they return to pole position by season’s end.
Jamie Eldridge (Mt. Holyoke)
Jamie Eldridge has become one of the most impactful players on Daisy Chain. They have asserted their dominance in the backfield and have been a driving force for Mount Holyoke’s biggest plays. With three National tournaments under their belt, they have collected more assists each year, reaching a new personal best of 20 in 2024. Eldridge’s formidable talents have rubbed off their younger teammates, allowing Daisy Chain to catapult toward success after disappointing setbacks. With one more season left for Eldridge to give it their all, it’ll be exciting to see what Daisy Chain will be able to accomplish under their leadership.
Laine O’Neill (Davenport)
Captain of the Davenport Panthers and purveyor of fine passes O’Neill is back for her sixth season in college ultimate. O’Niell is a true ambassador of the game and on the short list for POTY in 2025. She led the Panthers in assists last year by a wide margin and loves having the disc in her hands. Any team looking to beat Davenport should come prepared with a plan to shut O’Niell down.
Leina Goto (St. Olaf)
Goto may have had a quieter role on the 2024 St. Olaf Vortex roster than she did on the 2023 roster, but don’t let that occlude the fact that she has the ability to absolutely take over any game she’s a part of. Goto’s high powered offensive ability is marked by her skill in the air and her quality throws. St. Olaf’s success may not be defined by Goto, but she will influence the team heavily.
Zoe Costanza (Haverford & Bryn Mawr)
The triple-double factory herself, Costanza has been hovering just on the edge of the division’s greatest just as the Sneetches have been teetering on the precipice of a deeper bracket run. The senior captain and U24 tryout is the epitome of a takeover player, quick to release a field-opening break and even quicker to demand it back as she runs strike cuts every-other down the field. Haverford/Bryn Mawr’s Nationals finish may be uncertain, but another jaw-dropping performance from Costanza seems written in the stars.
Rising Stars
Big contributors to their teams who could make waves in the national spotlight for 2025.
Anna Forbes (Union)
It’s hard to overstate just how much Union lost to graduation, with just one player who recorded a double-digit stat remaining: sophomore Anna Forbes. The imposing rookie was flawless in her 2024 debut, using her height and superior disc-reading skills to absolutely bully the opposition to the tune of 10 goals and nine blocks to zero turns at Nationals. The Jillz may have some rebuilding ahead of them, but regardless of results Forbes will be a problem for any team to handle.
Ella Widmyer (Middlebury)
Few players come into D-III with the proven track record of Widmyer. The decorated handler will be one of the division’s most dangerous backfield generals from day one. She has a fantastic ability to control the pace of play, but teams will first have to stop her from eating them up upline and launching hucks to find that out.
Eva Taberski (Mt. Holyoke)
Taberski shined brightly in their Nationals debut, leading the roster with 15 points and 10 blocks. They already have a firm foundation of ultimate skills that will only grow stronger in the next few years. Taberski’s steadiness and foresight to produce efficient plays open the path for them to become Daisy Chain’s most reliable and versatile player.
Kali Bate (Wellesley)
Bate’s second Nationals appearance showcased the talent of this emerging star as she led on the scoreboard with 13 goals. Her unmatched endurance, snatching hands, and never-ending willingness to bid for those just-out-of-reach throws are enough to punish every slacking defender. With her growing experience of the game, Bate is certainly en route to becoming Wellesley’s most dangerous player.
Leilani Lepe (Davenport)
Lepe leapt out last year for the Davenport Panthers. She turned heads as she broke marks and ankles alike, racking up enough buzz for a ROTYium nod. Expect to see her name a lot as the season rolls on and Davenport starts to stack wins.
Milo Brown (Wesleyan)
Brown’s versatility is one of their strongest assets as they enter the college game. They are formidable no matter what is asked of them: effective in the air, strong in the lanes, can win in the backfield, or act as a stopper on defense. With experienced teammates, Vicious Circles will have options on how to make use of the younger Brown’s considerable talents.
Molly Horstman Olson (Carleton)
As the 2024 ROTY runner-up and server of hucks, Olson may not be the main ingredient of the Eclipse but she’s certainly the extra dash of spice. Last year as a freshman Olson was able to run with the starters in key situations at nationals and is an easy choice for a leadership role at Carleton. If the team finally wins it all again this year Olson will be a big reason why.
Skylar Yarter (Williams)
NOVA will once again be in the thick of the hunt for Nationals spots. After a 25-assist showing at Nationals in 2023 that helped land Yarter BPOTY Second Runner-up honors, she also got called in as part of the U24 tryout list. New England is as tough a region to play in as it gets, but Yarter has the ability to help Williams get through it.
You’re All Underrating…
Davenport Panthers
Davenport is the future of D-III women’s ultimate. I know it seems obvious, but it’s hard to understate the impact of having scholarship opportunities available. Even if those scholarships are only able to attract 1-2 players a year it’s been demonstrated time and again in the small world of the 7,500 club that one player can make or break a roster. It’s also not just the overwhelming power of the weapon that is scholarships, but the Panthers may have chosen the best person to wield it; Jessica Creamer is a brilliant and passionate person and has already, in a single season has proven her capabilities as a coach.
What most people aren’t mentioning as a major factor in Davenport’s success, that may well be the biggest edge the Panthers have is that their school is an athletics university. This means their on-campus recruits who may not have matriculated to Davenport with the express intention of playing ultimate will already be athletes. They may already have experience not just playing a sport, but a field sport. Having a recruiting pool so flush with athletic people is a massive boon for a D-III program. While many teams are able to find success as a team without ready made athletes and recruit talented individuals that have never played a sport before playing college ultimate, which is a common occurrence, not having to teach the basics of sports in addition to teaching the basics of ultimate will make it a lot easier for Davenport to find continued success year after year. Expect a lot of big names in the ultimate space to come from Davenport.
– Zack Davis
Middlebury Pranksters
We doubted them out in 2024 after the loss of one of the division’s all-time greats in Claire Babbott-Bryan. We doubted them late in the 2024 season, after they failed to earn a bid, dropped a game to Wellesley at Regionals, and had to fight though the backdoor bracket to make it to Milwaukee. Coming into 2025 with a Keziah Wilde-sized hole, we’re once again doubting the three time champs who’ve never placed worse than fifth since they started their current Nationals streak in 2019.
The Pranksters do lose over a line of players to graduation2, but to think the program we’ve called a dynasty will fall short in 2025 is a disservice to long-time grinders like Cece Rhyneer, Makenna Backman, and Liz Crawford, the latter of whom played the 2024 club season with Northeast upstarts Big Rig and deserves a shoutout. And that’s without speculating on how they’ll develop incoming talent like U24 selection Ella Widmyer, who’s fresh off a stint as Mixed USA’s second leading scorer at WJUC 2024. If we also see the return to the field of Luck VanNewkirk, we, the staff at Ultiworld, may once again be staring at Middlebury fighting for a title and wondering just who could have predicted that.
– Theresa Diffendal
Portland UPRoar
You’re telling me a team that ran completely roughshod over the division’s strongest competition and only graduates two players isn’t in the running for a title? Yes, as I’m sure UPRoar are tired of hearing, 2024 POTY superstar JJ Galian is among the departed, and any player who puts up a triple double3 is going to leave some Shaquille O’Neal-sized shoes to fill. But, as evidenced by only two graduates, this team is young. Hayden Ashley was just a sophomore last year and recorded a triple double of her own, notching the exact same number of goals and blocks as Galian while serving as a steady field general. Audrey Stineman had a borderline breakout 2024 and, as a senior captain coming off a club season, will provide a steadying and experienced presence.
And this team knows how to put in the work. Even with just two players left in their 2024 campaign who remembered the feel of their 2021 final loss, the younger players were eager and hungry to get the reps needed to return to the division’s brightest stage. UPRoar’s fall has been packed with tournaments, scrimmages against NW competition, and attending tryouts for the WUL’s Oregon Soar. Add in the reigning COTYs plus new coach Kelsey Salvo, and there’s every reason to expect Portland will make a triumphant return to the late stages of the bracket.
– Theresa Diffendal
Wellesley Whiptails
Wellesley is coming out of a year that, in no way, went as expected. We can’t ignore that after two years of reaching the semifinals, tying for 7th place at Nationals holds some weight on what we can expect Wellesley to accomplish in 2025. On the other hand, we can’t forget their upset against Middlebury, snagging the win on UP and enabling the Whiptails an easier route to nabbing a bid and the regional crown.
Taking Wellesley’s wins and losses, it’s pretty unclear where they stand against their surrounding competition. The region rivalries between Middlebury, Mount Holyoke, and Williams remain, and now Bates can be tossed into that mix as well. But the crown for the region’s top dog doesn’t seem to fit securely on any team’s head at the moment and Wellesley is for sure eyeing it. It won’t be an easy grab, but Wellesley is at a decent starting point. While calling the Whiptails’ appearance at Lobster Pot a debut may be an overstatement, considering they brought an unfinished roster, a win against Bates is a good start to their season.
The Whiptails will surely have their ups and downs, but the return of Annika Wolberg, and Ella McHugh, and the developing talent of EmmaChaya Lipton-Praver will keep the team grounded. The story for Wellesley changes every year, and it’ll be quite exciting to see what tricks they have up their sleeves and what successes they will muster up.
– Raquel Alegria
Williams Nova
In any other region, Williams would be within the top 10 of our preseason Power Rankings. But in New England, their season ended in early May, after the region earned just three bids, a number any other region would be grateful for but is fewer than NE is used to and deserved. Dynastic Middlebury failed to earn the region a regular season strength bid, but captured one at Regionals.
But much of the team’s talent is back from last year. I sang the praises of Skylar Yarter earlier, and she’s a very real OPOTY threat going into this season. Emily Stanger played the club season with Starling, prepping her for a strong season, and the team believes athletic sophomore Susanna Boberg has the size and speed to be a defensive ace. Losing Coco Rhum and Joanie Cha is not easy, but this program has the strength to handle that better than most. Their solid fall showing at Lobster Pot shows the foundations for a resurgent season. Don’t be surprised if Williams is pushing towards the upper tiers of the division later this year.
– Keith Raynor
The Current Power Rankings
College D-III Women's Power Rankings:
| 1 | Carleton Eclipse |
| 2 | St. Olaf |
| 3 | Macalester |
| 4 | Haverford and Bryn Mawr |
| 5 | Wesleyan |
| 6 | Middlebury |
| 7 | Portland |
| 8 | Davenport University |
| 9 | Whitman |
| 10 | Colorado College |
| 11 | Wellesley |
| 12 | Mount Holyoke |
| 13 | Williams |
| 14 | Lewis and Clark |
| 15 | Bates |
| 16 | Grinnell |
| 17 | Trinity |
| 18 | Michigan Tech |
| 19 | Union |
| 20 | Rochester |
| 21 | Scranton |
| 22 | Lehigh |
| 23 | Richmond |
| 24 | Occidental |
| 25 | Rice |
