Breaking down every region as bids to Nationals are decided this weekend!
September 24, 2026 by Alex Rubin, Josh Katz, Rhea Patney, TJ Lee and Graham Gordon in Preview
Ultiworld’s 2026 coverage of the club division 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.
The club 2026 postseason is here! After teams battled all summer to earn bids for their regions, it’s time to figure who gets to go to the Big Show and try to win it all. We’ve got you covered with the favorites, challengers, and top storylines of every region.
Women’s Division Preview | Men’s Division Preview
Great Lakes
Competition Schedule
Dates: September 26-27
Location: Lebanon, OH
Number of Bids: 2
Favorites: #1 Ann Arbor Hybrid, #20 Toronto UNION
Challengers: Indianapolis Spectre
Excitement Level: 🔥
The story for Great Lakes Sectionals can more or less be told by the USAU ratings of the region’s teams — we’ve got two-time defending national champions Hybrid, then a biiiiig gap ahead of second bid-earners Toronto UNION, and then a similarly-sized biiiiig gap until the next ranked team, Indianapolis Spectre, who don’t even really have anyone in striking distance behind them.
Hybrid have, amidst a couple stumbles, been very much the same caliber of team and in years past. The offense looks a little different, now led on the MMP side by Dalton Smith and Abe Coffin alongside a truly devastating trio of WMPs in Rachel Mast, Maketa Mattimore, and Laura Gerencser. Their defense is intimidating as ever, and we haven’t even seen them with a full strength Nathan Champoux yet in 2026. They have turned it on at the most important moments, like in a huge comeback against Tiefseetaucher in the bracket at WUCC, then romping through the rest of the tournament with little resistance. They did drop a game in the Pro Championships final to Austin Disco Club, but time will tell if that was indicative, and regardless, there are no teams of Austin’s caliber playing in Ohio this weekend.
Union had a relatively strong regular season, winning all the games they should by reasonable margins, but aside from two respectable losses to Slow and Sprocket to start the year, we haven’t gotten to see them much against Nationals-level competition. Brianna Prentice and Jordan Atchinson were stars for them at WUCC, where they made a strong bracket run — it’ll be exciting to see them tested against Hybrid and other strong teams in USAU play.
Spectre are also interesting — they’ve collected a lot of strong talent from Indiana and Kentucky, but they don’t have the results yet to show they can punch above.
Postseason X-Factors
Rachel Mast (Ann Arbor Hybrid) – Mast is a one-of-a-kind player. She drops into the handler set with aplomb, can make the important throws consistently, and is probably the division’s scariest threat in the end zone — I haven’t seen anyone effectively guard her in the small spaces.
Dalton Smith (Ann Arbor Hybrid) – Almost 15 years after he first broke out in the Texas ultimate scene, Smith is still an incredibly composed center handler at the top of his game. His backhand hucks are picture-perfect, he give-and-gos with ease, and he plays strong defense in the case of a turn.
Eileen Bequette (Ann Arbor Hybrid) – Bequette’s height and athleticism bring a new dimension to the Hybrid defense. She’s shown the ability to take opposing deep cutting WMPs completely out of the game and stretch the field on a turnover, where few can guard the former NCAA track athlete.
Jacob Felton (Indianapolis Spectre) – As we’ve seen in the college division with Davenport and in the UFA, Felton is a very dangerous thrower and reset handler, with incredible touch and power on his hucks. If Spectre are to find an upset, it may well be on the back of his takeover ability.
Mid-Atlantic
Competition Schedule
Dates: September 26-27
Location: Frederica, DE
Number of Bids: 2
Favorites: #5 Philadelphia AMP, #11 Washington DC Rally
Challengers: #19 Pittsburgh Port Authority, Charlottesville Spice
Excitement Level: 🔥🔥🔥
Were it not for Elite-Select Challenge, the Mid-Atlantic would be a very straightforward region. AMP and Rally spent much of the season comfortably within range to earn a bid and successfully avoided entangling themselves in any last-second bid drama, finishing eighth and ninth in the final USAU rankings.
But along the way, a very peculiar result occurred. In the third place game at ESC, Rally fell 15-13 to Pittsburgh Port Authority, who also happen to be in this very region. It’s impossible to know how locked-in Rally were in a consolation game, and they had a shorthanded roster due to WUCC, but that result exists all the same. Heading into Regionals, Port Authority have proof that they can pull off an upset and make their first ever Nationals appearance.
The two favorites, though, are favorites for a reason. Powered by the return of Grace Maroon and the usual heroics of PUL All-Star Lindsay McKenna, AMP have surged up our Power Rankings. After a couple years hanging more around the middle of the pack, the Philadelphia squad are back in their typical spot near the top of the Mixed Division hierarchy. There’s little reason to think AMP won’t make it out of the MA: they haven’t yet lost this season to a team (algorithmically) ranked below them. But their penchant for playing close games (just two of their ten wins were by more than three goals) could come back to haunt them, especially if adverse weather complicates matters.
Rally’s season has been just as impressive, with wins over shame. and Drag’n Thrust showing off their ceiling and, outside of that Port Authority defeat, no “bad” losses. Despite losing Sami Smalling to Scandal in the offseason, DC have held steady in their place in the division thanks to a breakout season from Ethan Ruh and the addition of Jess Sourbeer, who together have led the offense.
In addition to Port Authority, there’s one other team worth noting if you’re wondering who might play spoiler to AMP and Rally’s expected victories this weekend. Charlottesville Spice entered the Series 22nd in USAU’s algorithmic rankings off of a 12-3 record against mostly lower tier competition. They did split two matchups with Port Authority back at SFI East, dropping a pool play matchup and winning the fifth place final, and were able to skip Sectionals thanks to a pair of wins at USAU’s new Pre-Sectionals event. If everything goes according to seed, Spice and Port Authority will get their rubber match on Sunday morning.
Postseason X-Factors
James Pollard (Philadelphia AMP) – The former Philadelphia Phoenix star is finally playing for Philly’s most historic club team, and Pollard is living up to his reputation as a frequent playmaker. Much of the success of AMP’s defense is thanks to Pollard, whether it be from a pull that pins the offense deep in their own territory, a block downfield, or a massive backhand huck to start the counterattack.
Maya Kikuchi (Washington DC Rally) – Kikuchi, one of the most underrated defenders in the sport, can lock even the best players completely out of a game with her motor and her defensive IQ. If Rally are going to win their third straight Regional title, they’ll need her to pull off that feat against one of AMP’s stars.
Alexander Thomas (Pittsburgh Port Authority) – Known as “AT,” Thomas has been a premier fixture of Port since helping found the team in 2023. Formerly of Pittsburgh Temper, the multi-year captain is frequently one of the fastest players on the field, and pairs that with excellent game IQ to pace possessions on offense and come up with clutch blocks on defense. Port have a shot at one of the more monumental upsets the mixed division would see, but they’ll need AT operating at top gear to do it.
North Central
Competition Schedule
Dates: September 26-27
Location: Des Moines, IA
Number of Bids: 1
Favorites: #8 Minneapolis Drag’n Thrust
Challengers: #23 St. Louis Good Company
Excitement Level: 🔥🔥
In this region, the gap between the top and the bottom is significant. The no.1 seed, Drag’n Thrust, is ranked in the top 20 and has scooped up the singular Nationals bid in this region for the past five years. This season, they once again boast a roster full of talent, despite Chagall Gelfand not rejoining the squad. Drag’n Thrust have picked up some decent wins over shame., Space Force, Polar Bears, and Mixtape, but do not have a signature win over a team in the top 5 of our Power Rankings. Despite this, they are far ahead of most of the competition in this region.
Realistically, the only potential challenger to Drag’n Thrust are Good Company out of St. Louis (ranked in the top 40). If you haven’t heard of Good Company, this is honestly super fair. Last year, Good Company formed right before sectionals out of the top players in the St. Louis area. They then proceeded to blow out every team in the West Plains section to take second, and at regionals, lost to Drag’n Thrust in the game to go 15-10 while missing a good chunk of their WMPs and playing even lines. This year, Good Company played a full season and picked up a signature win over Toro (who Drag’n Thrust lost to). In fact, they didn’t even all know each other before that win; they did a name circle and beat Toro on the same day.
From there, the next-best teams are Northern Comfort from Milwaukee, and No Touching!, Minnesota Star Power, and Bird from the Minneapolis area. No other team really has a chance at challenging Drag’n Thrust or Good Company. But the game to go should be an exciting one to watch: the perennial Nationals contender versus the new kids (adults) on the block. And this time, Good Company might actually call set lines or be a tiny bit prepared.
Postseason X-Factors
Justin Burnett (Minneapolis Drag’n Thrust) — Justin Burnett is in his first year with the team after coming off a solid UFA season. He is super, super athletic, fast, jumps high, and is a gratuitous bidder, which makes him incredibly fun to watch. He could certainly make a big play when you need it, especially against Good Company, which is an experienced team but not the most athletic on the market.
Sarah Mondschein (Minneapolis Drag’n Thrust) — Sarah Mondschein is a defensive talent who had a monster PUL season, winning DPOY in the league, and has carried that momentum into club. She provides valuable offense to go along with her defense, making her a threat on both sides of the disc.
Eliza Hutchings (St. Louis Good Company) — Most frisbee players in the Midwest know Eliza Hutchings. An Indy Red veteran who has played club all over the Midwest, Hutchings is a versatile cutter and incredibly hard worker. She will run you into the ground and is remarkably clutch as well.
Northeast
Competition Schedule
Dates: September 26-27
Location: Batavia, NY
Number of Bids: 2
Favorites: #2 New York XIST, #10 Boston Slow
Challengers: #9 Boston Sprocket, #25 Brooklyn Grand Army
Excitement Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
In the closing moments of Pro Champs, #9 Boston Sprocket could only hope that they had done enough to secure the Northeast a third bid to Nationals. Two 15-14 wins over #10 Boston Slow were certainly confidence building, but losses to all other likely Nationals teams pushed Sprocket below the strength bid cutoff. As a result, Sprocket, Slow, and #2 New York XIST will compete for just two bids, and a top ten team will be watching Nationals rather than participating in the event.
XIST are the heavy favorite to win the region. This season they’ve made the final of every tournament they played in, winning PEC East and falling to #1 Ann Arbor Hybrid in the final of the US Open and World Ultimate Club Championships. Led by the throwing might of Jolie Krebs, offensive wizardry of Sadie Jezierski, and the defensive tenacity of Ben Simmons, XIST are playing the best ultimate in program history this season and should comfortably take the regional title. Dating back to 2024, XIST have won seven of their past eight matchups against Slow and four of their five matchups against Sprocket. They will be searching for their third straight regional title this weekend.
The battle for second place is particularly interesting. For most of the regular season, Slow have looked like the stronger side, however Sprocket beat Slow twice the last time they played. Slow leads the all time series 8-7 and the matchup between these two teams feels as close as ever.
Slow powered their way deep into the bracket at PEC East and US Open. The elite timing and spacing from Olivia Hampton, Ray Tetreault, and Erin Rea allow the panache and speed of Tyler Chan, Yuge Xiao, and Davis Whitehead to shine. Given their success this season, overall skill, and historic performance at Regionals (20 straight Nationals appearances!), Slow will be favored to take the second bid.
However, Slow did just lose twice to Sprocket a few weeks ago, and Sprocket have also had a very strong season. Wins over Hybrid, Minneapolis Drag’n Thrust, and Toronto UNION put Sprocket in a position to clinch a third bid for the region, but the bid battle was close and Sprocket just fell out of the margin. Despite a 4-2 performance at Pro Champs (with the two losses coming by three combined goals), Sprocket did not earn enough rankings points to make a clearer pathway for another trip to Nationals.
Since the team’s inception, Tannor Johnson-Go headlined basically any story about Sprocket. He is a singular force who can change a point with his throws, his defense, or his ability to get open from a variety of spaces on the field. What stands out most though is his unselfish play. Many stars demand the disc, but Johnson-Go picks and chooses the best times to attack while letting his teammates like Wilhemina Graff, Tess Johnson, Caitlin Johnson-Go, and Zach Singer all have their own moments to make plays. As a program, Sprocket have continually outpaced expectations, earning a trip to Nationals in their first year and reaching the national final in 2024. If they can outrun expectations for another tournament, it will be Sprocket booking flights to San Diego as Boston’s lone representative for the first time ever.
Postseason X-Factors
Sadie Jezierski (New York XIST) – Jezierski is truly a one-of-a-kind player. Her throwing bag is deep and her confidence is sky high. Her versatility makes playing defense against XIST something of a guessing game because defenders never quite know precisely how she plans to beat them.
Yuge Xiao (Boston Slow) – On a team built around consistent offense, Xiao stands out for her defensive abilities. Able to lock down opponents’ best handler, Xiao can rip up opponents’ game plans and force them into late-stall bail outs over and over again.
Tannor Johnson-Go (Boston Sprocket) – The two-time OPOTY winner and three-time POTY podium finisher is still at the peak of his powers. With a combination of throwing touch, accuracy, and power that few players can approach, Johnson-Go can bend defenses in a way that no other player can manipulate to help his team score.
Northwest
Competition Schedule
Dates: September 26-27
Location: Burlington, WA
Number of Bids: 2
Favorites: #7 Seattle BFG, #18 Salt Lake City Sego
Challengers: #17 Oregon Scorch, #22 Seattle Mixtape, Seattle Spoke
Excitement Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
With two bids in play this year, the drama of the backdoor bracket has returned. Seattle BFG enter as the favorite once again, and will surely be hungry to avoid the same mishap as last year. Only one loss this year has been to a team that failed to earn a bid, and with strong wins against bid earners as well sets them up to take the region. Ian Sweeney and Julia Hasbrook have developed a deep ball game that can keep them in matches, while the rest of the team goes to work in regards to receiving said hucks.
Meanwhile, secondhand Pro Champs effects pushed Sego into bid earning range, and opens up the door for them to make a Nationals run. While they lost to BFG 13-7 at PEC West, one flex Sego do have over is a strong Ski Town Classic run and wins over the Southwest’s Polar Bears and Mischief, which helped propel Sego to the final bid. The boost of college youth from the likes of Eva Hayes sets up Sego to make a run at Nationals. But every team in the Northwest is still a long way from the big dance, as the battle for either bid is going to be intense. The odds of this tournament going to seed is just as likely as it is to have both bid earners being eliminated early.
First of the contenders are Oregon Scorch. Constantly nipping at the heels of Northwest contenders, they took their game to the next level when they beat Polar Bears at Fruit Bowl, and stuck close enough to keep Mischief out of bid-earning range. Being on the wrong end of a universe point semifinal against Lotus ended their season-long undefeated Sunday streak, followed up by another loss in Fruit Bowl’s third place game. But with a strong core of players, expect Oregon’s perennial mixed club to make a strong push for a bid. From MMPs like Braque Pike and Aaron Abraham to the WM pair of Jackies in Matonis and Riley, this is a team ready to make their first Nationals appearance.
After Scorch, you have the defending Northwest champions in Seattle Mixtape. Ocean Hines put in the work throughout the regular season; expect him to be leading the upset charge alongside names like Sam Franer and Rowan Lymp as Mixtape aim to steal a bid for the second straight season. The lack of wins against bid earners does not give a lot of hope entering Regionals, but only one loss to non bid-earner Space Force puts the team in a decent position to fight in the game-to-go. Next in line after them is Seattle Spoke who stepped up at Sectionals, taking BFG to universe to show they are a team capable of making a run.
Postseason X-Factors
Ocean Hines (Seattle Mixtape) – After several years working in the men’s division, Hines flipped to mixed and has been a force to be reckoned with. Playing a major role in keeping Mixtape nationally relevant, he will be a key factor if Mixtape want to make it back to Nationals.
Collefas Mot (Seattle BFG) – Mot played a key role in getting BFG to the PEC West final, and will once again be someone needed to step up to get BFG back to Nationals. Her strong defensive play kept BFG in the final against Polar Bears until the very end, and if she can maintain that level of defense in Burlington, BFG will be able to watch her do it en route to a deep bracket run at Nationals.
Naomi Fina (Seattle BFG) – Last year, Fina was part of a college team and club team that fell just short in a championship game. Since then, Fina has bounced back from one of those losses by winning College Nationals. Now, she turns to getting BFG back to Nationals after their early postseason exit from last year. An elite cutter with the throws to match, look for Fina to take over when the game is on the line.
South Central
Competition Schedule
Dates: September 26-27
Location: Arvada, CO
Number of Bids: 2
Favorites: #3 Austin Disco Club, #12 Fort Collins shame.
Challengers: Denver Mile High Trash
Excitement Level: 🔥🔥
Having established themselves as a more of a top contender rather than just the top team in their region, Austin Disco Club look set to cruise through regionals. Madison Cannon and Reese Bowman lead the charge alongside vets like Joe Wylie and newcomers like D-III Women’s POTY Ria Stevens. Disco Club’s latest accolade of winning Pro Champs sets them up to have little worry at Regionals; instead, the challenge will be keeping up the momentum at Nationals and finally making it to semifinals.
shame. should also be able to hold their bid without too much trouble with the offensive prowess of Simon Montague and Sam Goldstein, and the defensive work of Robin Fassett-Carman, Blaise Sevier, and Cole Wallin. The defending semifinalists will have their work cut out for them if they want to return, but have a very strong chance to avoid any real trouble until San Diego.
The only team to finish close to the bid earners was not too far off of earning a bid themselves, Mile High Trash. What started off as an incredible start to the season — beating BFG in the first game — has since been followed up by a lot of tough losses, including 15-8 and 15-7 losses to Southwest juggernauts Tower and Mischief. Trash appear to be back to their roots of comfortably handling the region until they’re in a game-to-go, where the bid-earning higher seed proves too much. But led by WM stars like Abigail Thorpe and Ari Nelson, and keeping within three points of shame. back at their Colorado Solstice matchup sets up what should be a very interesting game-to-go — should everything go to seed.
The rest of the field has not turned in the strongest of seasons, though teams like Moontower, Flight Club, and Green Chiles are all squads with a chance to knock Trash out early. While it’s more likely the bottom seven teams have more drama duking it out for TCT seeding next year than competing for a Nationals berth, the closer gaps in skill opens up the window for all the chaos that comes with a backdoor bracket.
Postseason X-Factors
Jade McLaughlin (Ft. Collins shame.) – After confidently leading the team in scores at Nationals last year, McLaughlin will be looking to repeat the performance. A larger performance here could prove to be what is needed for shame. to rely less on Simon Montague, particularly as we get closer to San Diego. Should McLaughlin’s nose for the end zone continue this year, shame. will be more than ready to make another deep bracket run.
Myles Armstrong (Austin Disco Club) – It was hard to figure out which athletic blonde hybrid from Disco Club to talk about here, but it’s time for the next generation to get their due. Armstrong has the throws and cuts to work the disc on offense, and a never-give-up mentality on defense that makes him a threat no matter where he is on the field.
Abby Thorpe (Denver Mile High Trash) – I was tempted to repeat the AAA joke I made earlier this year and talk about all three of Abby Thorpe, Air Nelson, and Allysha Dixon. But for now I’ll focus on Thorpe. A deep throwing arsenal backed up with elite athleticism, Thorpe will be one of many needed to step up for Trash if they want to begin a Nationals appearance streak. And if she can step up for her team the way she did last year, Trash can pull it off.
Sammy Roberts (Oklahoma City Armory) – One of the latest club trends in the South Central has been a certain People’s Division star stepping up during the club postseason. Roberts may have only broken seed once in his South Central club career, but he’s always helped elevate his team’s level of play at Regionals, and the one time he did break seed was in an eerily similar position, leading a first year OKC team to a regionals that had two bids up for grabs. Any theatrics he pulls off will more likely push Armory into an 2027 SFI invite than a 2026 game-to-go, but his throws and athleticism could very well create some chaos and see someone exiting the bracket earlier than planned.
Southeast
Competition Schedule
Dates: September 26-27
Location: Bermuda Run, NC
Number of Bids: 1
Favorites: #16 Durham Toro
Challengers: #21 Huntsville Space Force, #24 Nashville ‘Shine, Roma Ultima, Athens Murmur
Excitement Level: 🔥🔥
After being a whopping three-bid region last year, the Southeast has taken a bit of a backseat this year with only one bid. Toro are certainly the favorite to take that bid. Despite their losing record, they played one of the toughest strength of schedules in the division, including playing consensus national champion favorite Hybrid to three-point and one-point games this season. Despite losing, they can certainly hang. They also have close losses to XIST, BFG, shame., Slow and, more damningly, Good Company.
Waiting in the wings are the challengers: Roma, ‘Shine, Space Force, and Murmur. Last year, Conspiracy snatched the third bid from ‘Shine, but they haven’t quite sustained that momentum into this season. Roma have an incredible record at 22-4, but lack the strength of schedule to go with it. They lost to ‘Shine 15-12 at Sectionals and beat Murmur 13-11, so while their record is certainly impressive, they will have to prove they can play up to the top teams in the region when it matters. Murmur’s story is similar: a 20-7 record but no signature win.
Space Force took a Nationals bid last year, but have struggled this year against top competition and hasn’t really had any close games. They lost to Toro 15-9 at Elite-Select Challenge and will need to find a way to close that gap if they want to make another run at Nationals. ‘Shine, meanwhile, have generally had a down season, but they do have some surging momentum after winning Sectionals as the fourth seed, taking down Roma and Conspiracy in the process. ‘Shine know what it takes to get to Nationals and certainly would love to redeem themselves from last year. If they can carry that Sectionals energy into Regionals, they could make a much stronger case for themselves than their season-long results might suggest.
Toro are definitely the favorite to run away with the Nationals bid, but as we saw last year in this region with Conspiracy, sometimes crazy things can happen.
Postseason X-Factors
Julia Hoffmann (Durham Toro) – Julia Hoffmann is an absolute goal-scoring machine. She is super creative in the end zone and is truly an incredible talent in that space. She has been dominating all year, both in the PUL, where she was the league’s leading goal scorer, and in club. When Toro need a score, Hoffmann is the kind of player who can create something out of nothing, whether that means finding a tiny window in the end zone or making a big play when the offense starts to stall. If Toro want to run away with this bid, expect Hoffmann to be a huge part of that.
Avi Ghitterman (Nashville ‘Shine) – ‘Shine missed their captain when he didn’t play at some tournaments this season, and honestly, some of their struggles could have been due to his absence. His crafty throws and shifty handler movement make him a nightmare to defend, while his no-hesitation layouts give ‘Shine another level of intensity on defense. Add in his leadership, and it is easy to see why his presence makes such a difference for this team. ‘Shine just won Sectionals as the 4-seed, and if they want to keep that momentum going at Regionals, having Ghitterman back and firing on all cylinders could be huge.
Sara Mog (Huntsville Space Force) – When I think of Space Force, I think of Smog. She is a very talented handler who is excellent at the give-and-go, but isn’t afraid to bust deep and will explosively bid for the score. She has a deep throwing bag, can create offense in a bunch of different ways, and is a valuable leader of this team. Space Force struggled against the top competition this season, so they will need their best players to make big plays if they want to challenge Toro. If they can challenge, it’ll be because Smog lights it up.
Southwest
Competition Schedule
Dates: September 26-27
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Number of Bids: 4
Favorites: #4 Sacramento Tower, #6 San Francisco Polar Bears, #14 San Diego California Burrito, #15 Los Angeles Lotus
Challengers: #13 San Francisco Mischief, Arizona Lawless1
Excitement Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Enjoying their best season in program history, #4 Sacramento Tower enter Regionals as the favorite to win their second-consecutive regional championship. The Robyn Fennig-led program won Elite-Select Challenge earlier this season, avenging a loss to BFG along the way. They’ll have a chance to avenge their other two losses, to #13 San Francisco Mischief and #15 Los Angeles Lotus, at Regionals. While Fennig is the headliner, the emergence of Carson Crouch as an offensive mainstay has improved the Tower offense. Crouch’s ability to solve problems on the field and keep the disc moving carefully adds a dynamic to the team that had been missing before.
In addition, Tower were the beneficiary of a mid-season lineup addition, adding Dylan DeClerck who was the recipient of many of Fennig’s hucks back when they played together on Madison NOISE. DeClerck adds an instant-impact defender to a team who haven’t been able to make much of an impact on that side of the disc at Nationals in recent seasons. With a leveled-up offense and defense, Tower are ready to make some noise during the postseason as the team is lined up for their best finish as a program.
Beyond Tower, the region has a lot of unproven contenders. #6 San Francisco Polar Bears are the next highest ranked team, though they have not been to Nationals since 2022 and lost their bid to Nationals the last time they earned one. This is, though, something of a refreshed team. Newcomers like Chagall Gelfand, Byron Liu, Evan Magsig, Lexi Zalk, Sarah Combs and Nick Tolfa have all had success elsewhere and bring a winning know-how to the team. With a 4-0 record already this season against #13 San Francisco Mischief, plus wins over #14 San Diego California Burrito and #15 Los Angeles Lotus, Polar Bears are setting themselves up to take on the region with confidence.
Neither California Burrito nor Lotus have ever qualified for Nationals. Burrito earned a bid last season, but were upset at Regionals in the game-to-go after losing the first-place game to Tower. While Khalif El-Salaam is the first name that pops off of their roster sheet, Burrito have plenty of additional players with Nationals experience. Marcel Osborne, Theresa Zettner, Michael Tran, Peter Lenz, Sharon Tseng, Dena Slattery, and Ava Hanna all know what it takes to get to and succeed at the Club Championships. Getting there with this particular group is the challenge at hand, but with four chances at a bid California Burrito have to like their chances. Dare I say they can even book their travel to Nationals…
This is the first season that Lotus have earned a bid. The Los Angeles program has played in several games-to-go since their inception but never advanced past them. With wins already this season over Tower, Drag’n Thrust, and BFG, Lotus can count this season as one of the most successful in program history. A trip to Nationals could cement that title. In Brandon Van Deusen, Lotus have a creative and powerful thrower who forces defenses to respect the entire field when he has the disc. With more offensive versatility, Lotus will enter Regionals believing that finally, this is their year to move on to Nationals.
It would be wrong not to point out that Mischief cannot lose their bid this year. The 2006 champions have earned a bid for the region each of the last two seasons but could not win the games needed at Regionals to make it to Nationals. This year, they’ll need to upset a higher-ranked team2 to make their first appearance at Nationals since 2023. And, such a feat is totally possible. Behind ascendant seasons from Milan Moslehi and Jenny Li, the Mischief offense is fast-paced and dynamic. As expected with any team from the Bay Area, the team has incredibly strong fundamentals top to bottom, and can execute on both sides of the disc. Against a strong Regionals field (the downside to having four bids is knowing that there are at least four Nationals-quality opponents at Regionals), Mischief will have to be at their best for a full weekend in order to return to Nationals. And, if they get there, they certainly won’t be out of place.
Lastly, there is the strange case of Arizona Lawless. As the great Patrick Star once said, “the inner machinations of the USA Ultimate rankings algorithm are an enigma.” Lawless finished this season ranked as the 59th best team in the division with an 0-12 record. Yes, dear reader, you read that correctly. A team that advanced to the quarterfinal round at last season’s Nationals did not win a single competitive game during the regular season. A bye to Regionals robbed the team of the potential to win a game at Sectionals, so Lawless will be hoping for their first win of the year this weekend. It also should be pointed out that Lawless have never won a bid for the Southwest; they made Nationals four times in the last five seasons by stealing bids earned by other teams.
Given the massive roster turnover from last season to this year,3 it is unlikely that Lawless repeat their bid-stealing thievery this weekend. However, given the history and the tendency for the mixed division to cause some non-zero amount of chaos, the team that somehow did not manage to win a single game this season just simply cannot be counted out to win some really important games this weekend.
Postseason X-Factors
Robyn Fennig (Sacramento Tower) – If there’s a single player in the division who needs no introduction, it’s Fennig. The legend has been a staple of the division since the post-COVID restart and carries an incomparable aura when she steps on the field. With a been-there-done-that sense of calm and an array of throws befitting of an offensive centerpiece, Fennig is the kind of player who makes her teammates better and the kind of leader who others line up to play with.
Chagall Gelfand (San Francisco Polar Bears) – Like Fennig, Gelfand is a commanding backfield presence whose skillset paces the team’s offensive play. Despite her young age, Gelfand has plenty of big game experience from previous seasons with Drag’n Thrust and with Carleton Syzygy in the college division.
Khalif El-Salaam (California Burrito) – El-Salaam has been making headlines in the mixed division since before he was Gelfand’s age. The two-time club champion’s diverse array of skills allows him to impact the game as a thrower, receiver, and a defender. As Fennig’s presence enhanced Tower’s competitive capability and ambition, so has El-Salaam’s presence and leadership on California Burrito.
Avalon Igawa (Los Angeles Lotus) – A defensive star, Igawa is crucial to Lotus’s ability to convert break chances into scores. Her positioning and sense of timing helps stifle opponents and her athleticism and tenacity are helpful on the counterattack.
Milan Moslehi (San Francisco Mischief) – A breakout season for Moslehi has enhanced the Mischief offense. His quickness in small spaces and intelligence offers Mischief an always-open option. As they look to get back to Nationals for the first time in three seasons, Mischief will have one new cutter to rely on.
While Lawless are winless on the season and lost a significant amount of talent compared to their Nationals teams of the last half decade, they have a history of upsetting higher-ranked teams at Regionals and, in the typically-chaotic mixed division, they just can never be counted out ↩
by the USAU algorithm–our Power Rankings voters have Mischief ahead of California Burrito and Lotus ↩
A whopping 19 players from last season did not return including key starters like Travis Dunn and Kodi Lippincott ↩
