The first-years who have already established themselves among the division's best overall players.
June 22, 2026 by Calvin Ciorba and Josh Katz 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 Rookie of the Year award recognizes players who impressed in their first college ultimate seasons. That includes both freshman and true rookies. Each season, it feels like this group of players becomes more impactful; as the level of youth play and of coaching and development rise, so does the bar for the division’s best rookie. Whether they come to the college game from years of youth experience, a background in other sports, or none of the above, these players made debuts to remember in high-level college play.
- 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 Rookie Of The Year
James Clark (Berry)
There’s a certain level of chaos you need to inspire to be successful in D-III, and Frankie Clark proved that he’s more than capable of that in 2026. Berry as a whole were chaos agents this year, and Clark was a key reason behind their success. It’s not just his 23 assists that earned him the ROTY award (though those certainly helped make his case); it’s how he got them. Clark was never afraid of the moment and never backed down from any challenge. He had the license to take deep shot after deep shot, the talent to hit those shots, and the confidence to keep going when the deep game dried up for him and for Berry. But he also knew when to turn down the heat and work more methodically, especially when energy levels dipped and cuts slowed down.
And he more than put in the work defensively, earning nine recorded blocks at Nationals and generally being a pest to opposing handlers and cutters alike. Following in the footsteps of previous Berry stars, Clark is a prime candidate to lead the continuance of Berry’s Southeast dominance for years to come.
– Josh Katz
First Runner-Up
Harper O’Dowd (St. Olaf)
For a St. Olaf team that faced plenty of turnover and challenges in 2025, it must have been a welcome sight to see Harper O’Dowd show up at that first practice in the fall. O’Dowd immediately impressed with his ability to be a fantastic two-way player for the Zerks. Whether he was reeling in scores or making impressive athletic blocks, O’Dowd consistently found ways to make a sizable positive impact. The Minnesota youth product played with an admirable fearlessness, allowing the St. Olaf coaching staff to trust him in the biggest moments of the season.
– Calvin Ciorba
Second Runner-Up
Henry Horstman Olson (Carleton)
Rarely do freshmen come into a new team and become an O-line anchor the way Henry Horstman Olson did. With Nathan Wang injured, Horstman Olson was thrust into a major role and handled it gracefully, consistently making the right throws and getting CHOP out of jams. He didn’t rack up goals or assists like some of the other players on this list, but he could always be counted on to move the disc where it needed to go. Playing like a fifth-year veteran as a first-year was incredibly impressive to watch, and it will be a joy to see his role develop throughout his career.
– Calvin Ciorba
