Highlighting players who took a leap toward stardom in the division this spring.
June 18, 2026 by Josh Katz and Calvin Ciorba in Awards
Each year, Ultiworld presents our annual College Awards. Our staff evaluates the individual performances of players from throughout the season, talking to folks around college ultimate, watching film, and look at statistics, voting upon the awards to decide those to be honored. The regular season and the college Series are both considered, with extra emphasis for performances in the competitive and high-stakes environment at Nationals.
The Breakout Player of the Year recognizes rising juniors and seniors who made themselves known in a new light this season. While our nebulous definition of “breakout” reflects an evolving set of criteria, rather than celebrating the improvement of those from whom big things were already expected, we aim to use this award to celebrate the emergence of those who previously have not been on the national radar. Whether it be through growth in ability, role, or both, the Breakout Player of the Year and runners-up honor those who rose to the occasion with improved and high-impact performance on a new level this season — putting them squarely in the spotlight moving forward.
- All-American First Team
- Player of the Year
- All-American Second Team
- Offensive Player of the Year Award
- Defensive Player of the Year Award
- Breakout Player of the Year Award
- Rookie of the Year Award
- Coaches of the Year Award
- Full Awards Voting Breakdown
D-III Men’s 2026 Breakout Player Of The Year
Max Resnik (Carleton CHOP)
We’ve written plenty about how good Max Resnik was this year, but haven’t yet quantified just how big of a leap he made. Spoiler alert: it was massive. Resnik increased his scoring output in 2026 by over 700%, from 2G/2A to 17G/16A, and only increased his turnover count from six to 10. If that’s not enough to convince you of his BPOTY candidacy, I’m not sure what will.
As for his play on the field, Resnik epitomized the role of a hybrid for Carleton’s offense. He’d slide into the backfield and distribute as needed, but truly shined working in the intermediate spaces. Whether by finding the soft spot in the zone or getting a step on his matchup, it seemed as though Resnik was always exactly where his teammates needed him to be. And once he and CHOP were in the red zone, Resnik was unstoppable. His quick feet and sheer force of will allowed him to jam himself into even the tightest spaces and get the disc. With two more years of eligibility and plenty of young teammates around him, Resnik and CHOP are well suited to post ridiculous numbers and chase titles in the next couple years.
– Josh Katz
First Runner-Up
Ian Westerberg (St. Olaf)
With no streamed games from last year or this year heading into Nationals, St. Olaf was honestly a mystery to the staff. Whispers from North Central players about the player wearing number 1 had been floating around, but Waukegan was the first real chance to see Ian Westerberg in action. Westerberg flew around the field at all times, using a never-ending motor to consistently dust his matchups. His acceleration and speed were unmatched, and he always seemed to find a way to get open. On a very deep team, Westerberg led the Berzerkers with 10 goals, added the third-most assists with eight, and finished with only two turns on the entire weekend. With two years left in his college career, his trajectory will be an exciting one to watch.
– Calvin Ciorba
Second Runner-Up
Ben Patterson (Elon)
We (mostly) only keep track of four stats in ultimate, and Ben Patterson improved on every single one of them in 2026. His goals were up by six, his assists were up by two, and his turnovers dropped from seven to three. Defensively, he doubled his block total as well. But it was that goal scoring that puts him on this podium. Patterson’s nose for the end zone was palpable, and his teammates were more than willing to trust his instincts and his desire to beat his matchup to a disc in space. His synergy with Brayden Morrison was particularly impressive; with both halves of that pair returning in 2027, could they become D-III’s latest dynamic duo?
– Josh Katz
