Skyd is proud to present our Spin Ultimate All-American Team for the 2014 season. The Spin Ultimate All-American Team program awards the top players in each division for their excellence on the field as players and leaders. The recipients will be awarded a special Spin 1/4-zip and will be inducted at the 2014 College Championships in Cincinnati. Congratulations to this year’s selected players.
Abbie Abramovich, Western Washington – Abramovich dominated the west coast this year with her play as a receiver, hucker, and defender. Nobody had more impact on the field for Chaos this year than Abramovich, and as a sophomore she has the ability to establish Western as a Nationals-caliber program for years to come.
Shellie Cohen, North Carolina – Despite losing Lisa Couper to an ACL tear early this season, Cohen kept UNC competitive and in the hunt for a spot at Nationals all year long. She’s a fierce competitor, extremely skilled as a player, and can singlehandedly bring the Pleiades back into a game.
Sophie Darch, Oregon – Darch is the orchestrator of Oregon’s incredibly aggressive offensive scheme, whether starting the point on offense or defense (a new look for Darch in 2014). Her pinpoint forehands have created nightmares for opposing defenders for years.
Mira Donaldson, British Columbia – Another sophomore on the list, Donaldson finally began to assert herself as a dominant player on the field at Northwest Challenge. Her height, speed, and throwing skill opens up new dimensions for UBC’s game, and defenders’ best option is often to prevent her teammates from throwing to her – easier said than done.
Sunny Harris, Central Florida – The Sirens play this year elicits comparisons to the 2006 Florida men’s team – with Harris playing a hybrid Kurt Gibson/Tim Gehret role. She gets Ds, she touches the disc every other throw, and she can put the disc to the endzone where only her receivers can get it. UCF earned their 3rd seed at Nationals behind Harris’s play.
Alika Johnston, Virginia – Johnston is a dynamic handler who is fresh off a Club Championships win with Scandal, and Virginia plays like a quarters-level team when Johnston is getting the disc and distributing it at lightning pace. She’s incredibly quick and difficult to cover, and she keeps all of her teammates involved in the offense and zone defense.
Lisa Pitcaithley, Santa Barbara – One of the most complete players in the women’s college game, Pitcaithley is capable of playing every point and still bursting past multiple defenders to grab a huck on universe point. Her Callahan video is the best of the bunch, and at her best Pitcaithley can single-handedly take UCSB over any team in the country (witness their win over Oregon at Pres Day).
Julia Snyder, Carleton – Following in her sister’s footsteps, Snyder leads last year’s runners-up back to the Championships after a tumultuous season. But Syzygy looked sharp and aggressive at Northwest Challenge, despite playing four games on Friday and having many more games under their legs than their opponents. Snyder was controlling the offense, always able to get the disc when necessary, and using her precision break throws to save her team’s legs and come away with wins.
Paige Soper, Ohio State – Soper was Fever’s Callahan nominee last year, and she’s only gotten better since then. She’s a confident thrower and gets open with ease as a reset, and her willingness to throw her body around the field makes her a standout on both sides of the disc. She’s also one of only two All-Americans without pre-college ultimate experience (with Harris).
Cassie Swafford, Ohio State – Not enough has been said about Swafford’s contributions to the Ohio State program off the field, which have been immense, but she has earned her All-American spot through stellar play on the field. Swafford has always been a star, but staying healthy this year has helped thrust Ohio State into the spotlight and the number one seed at Nationals.
FOTY: Claire Revere, Whitman – The Northwest Region has so many deserving freshmen, but Revere stands out as a two-way contributor who plays big points for Whitman. She’s been playing ultimate since the fourth grade, and she’ll be heading to Italy this summer for her second try at WJUC U-20 gold.
COTY: DeAnna Ball, Ohio State – Ball has helped develop Ohio State into not only the top team in the country, but a true program with top-to-bottom depth. Without a huge influx of juniors players, Fever’s coaches have developed athletic talent into ultimate skill and acumen and unseated Oregon as the nation’s top team heading into Nationals.
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