The biggest highlights of the last 10 College Nationals.
May 15, 2025 by Lindsay Soo and Keith Raynor in Video
We getting close to the first pull of the USA Ultimate D-I College National Championships. Our anticipation has us longing for the superplays of yesteryear. We are looking back at 8 of the best highlights from the last 8 years of Nationals.
Here they are in historical order.
2016 John Stubbs
2016 – John Stubbs – Harvard Unlikely Victory
In one of the most iconic single-game performances of modern ultimate, John Stubbs became a legend leading a rag-tag Harvard team past UNC in the D-I men’s semifinals. Stubbs was unstoppable, tallying four goals and six assists — seven of those ten scores came in the first half — in the 13-11 victory.
2017 Ross Barker
What are the odds of a viral highlight occurring during a broadcast manned by Sin The Fields hosts Patrick Stegemoeller and Tad Wissel? Apparently 100%, as Ross Barker’s wild greatest was right for the moment. It even earned a spot on a Sportscenter Top 10, exposing both Hodag ultimate and STF to the world.
2018 Jenny Wei
There’s something so fun about elite players going toe-to-toe, although the body alignment was all out of whack when Jenny Wei went way over the head of fellow All-American Ellen Au-Yeung for this catch back in pool play at the College Championships.
2019 Dena Elimelech
2019 – Dena Elimelech Layout Goal
In a play so legendary that it is often simply called “The Catch”, Dena Elimelech threw herself into history with a dramatic game-winning layout grab perfectly positioned for UltiPhotos to immortalize it. Further cementing its legacy is that it led to UC San Diego’s incredible edge-of-your-seat upset in the final to clinch the championship over Dartmouth.
2021 Liam Searles-Bohs
2021 – Liam Searles-Bohs Layout Callahan
Callahans have a special impact on a game and place in fans’ and players’ hearts, even though most are simple clip catches on missed throws. But this one was every bit the highlight — a tectonic-shifting layout stab from one the division’s stars in a big matchup.
2022 Dawn Culton
Just one of many classics from Dawn Culton, the GOAT of the college game showed the refinement of her athletic game with this touch, a combination of technique and physical prowess, on her way to a second consecutive college title.
2023 Fiona Cashin
2023 – Fiona Cashin Layout Block
This game may not have mattered much in the grand scheme of the tournament but it was a standout play for its explosivity, and showed that Georgia is full of DAWGS.
2024 Alex Nelson
Make sure the sound is on, as the roar of the crowd and the call of Evan Lepler helps to convey the energy of Alex Nelson’s sky to give Cal Poly SLO the lead over big bad UNC in the D-I men’s semifinals. Storming back from a major deficit, all seemed possible in the moment Nelson pulled in this huck.
