For 2024, the Vetting Committee includes Women’s division Peer Pool (PP) co-leaders  (HoF ’18),  (HoF ’21),  (HoF ’22),  (HoF’21), and  (HoF’22). Coordinating the Open PP is  (HoF’22) and  (HoF ’14). Leading the Contributors is  (HoF ’21) in collaboration with an Advisory Committee.  (HoF ’17) co-leads the Mixed division with ��(��ǹ�’22),�� (HoF’22) and  (HoF’23). The Vetting Committee is joined by HoF board president,  (HoF ’17), and HoF Administrator and committee chair, (HoF ‘04). 

The Peer Pool leaders are currently working to update the respective peer pools for the 2024 campaign and are focused on those who competed at the highest levels of the sport from 2006 to 2014. The updated lists will be posted when available later in July. Another key update to the selection process is that the eligibility age for Hall candidates was lowered to 40 for Open and male-matching Mixed competitors and to 38 for Women’s division and female-matching Mixed competitors.

An additional key update for 2024 includes a specific focus in the Contributor category on Organizers in our sport who have made their mark through innovation in organizing significant play-related activities. This could include founding, establishing, developing, and fostering the growth of significant leagues, divisions, and/or tournaments that defined the sport in their time.

Check out the  page on the Ultimate Hall of Fame website for all the Hall of Fame updates and candidate forms. The  and the Hall of Fame  documents provide key information and time-sensitive details; nominations are due June 16, 2024 for player and contributor candidates.

We encourage you to read all the posted documents as we’ve made several important updates!

Please feel free to reach out to Suzanne Fields, the Peer Pool coordinators, or email ultimatehalloffame@gmail.com with any questions.

For 2023, the Vetting Committee includes Women’s division Peer Pool (PP) co-leaders  (HoF ’18),  (HoF ’21), and  (HoF ’22). Coordinating the Open PP is (HoF ‘17 ),  (HoF ’14), and  (HoF’22). Leading the Contributors is  (HoF ’21) and &�Բ�����;(��ǹ�’22).&�Բ�����; (HoF ’17) leads the Mixed division in collaboration with  (HoF’22) and  (HoF’22). The Vetting Committee is joined by  (HoF’21), HoF board member,  (HoF ’17), and HoF Administrator and committee chair, (HoF ‘04). A member of the 91����U Board may be named as the 91����U board representative to the committee. 

The Peer Pool leaders are currently working to update the respective peer pools for the 2023 campaign and are focused on those who competed at the highest levels of the sport from 2004 to 2012. The updated lists will be posted when available later in July. Another key update to the selection process is that the eligibility age for Hall candidates was lowered to 41 for Open and male-matching Mixed competitors and to 39 for Women’s division and female-matching Mixed competitors.

Check out the  page on the Ultimate Hall of Fame website for all the Hall of Fame updates and candidate forms. The  and the Hall of Fame  documents provide key information and time-sensitive details; nominations are due May 28, 2023 for player candidates and June 4 for contributor candidates.

We encourage you to read all the posted documents as we’ve made several important updates! Above details and documents will be posted at a later date in the Hall of Fame Resources section of the 91����U website.

Please feel free to reach out to Suzanne Fields, the Peer Pool coordinators, or email ultimatehalloffame@gmail.com with any questions.

The 2022 Class includes Women’s division inductees Cara Crouch, Anja Haman, Miranda Roth Knowles, Alex Snyder, and Alicia White. These new inductees are joined by the Open division inductees Mike Caldwell, Sam Chatterton-Kirchmeier, Mike Namkung, Alex Nord, and Bart Watson. Also inducted with the Class of 2022 is the Mixed division Starting Class; Emily Smith-Wilson, Scotty Conway, and Mixed Contributor, Joey Gray. Added to this illustrious class is Contributor Joe Seidler, as well as the Special Merit induction of The MOB and Downtown Brown.

“We are thrilled to welcome these phenomenal new members to the Ultimate Hall of Fame,” said Suzanne Fields, UHoF Administrator and Vetting Committee chair. “We are inspired by the accomplishments and competitive excellence of the inductees. We look forward to honoring them, in partnership with 91����U, at the next Hall of Fame Induction ceremony to take place during the 2023 National Championships.”

To be inducted into the Ultimate Hall of Fame, candidates must complete three steps. The first stage involves “peer voting,” where player candidates are reviewed and ranked by a group of players from their own playing era. For 2022, the playing era time frame was 2002 to 2010. The second stage involves winnowing the field to a slate of up to 20 player candidates through a review of the peer voting results and written applications solicited by the 11-person Vetting Committee. The Mixed division Starting Class nominees were identified by the Mixed division Task Force, and the Contributor and Special Merit candidates were nominated by Hall members. The slate of 20 players, the Mixed division Starting Class, the Contributor candidate, and the Special Merit candidate were announced in the Call to the Community, which requested input from the ultimate community at-large. The final stage involves two rounds of voting for all the candidates by the full voting committee comprised of the Vetting Committee and the eligible player and contributor members of the Ultimate Hall of Fame. Since 2018, voting has been segmented by division for player candidates, with women’s division Hall members voting on women’s division player candidates and open members voting on open player candidates. When contributor and special merit candidates are on the ballot, all eligible Hall members cast votes for those candidates. For the Mixed division Starting Class, all eligible Hall members cast their vote for these first-ever Mixed division candidates who were voted in as a group. Inductees in the player and contributor categories must receive an affirmative vote by at least two-thirds of the voters; the special merit candidate must achieve a super majority of 90 percent affirmation to be selected.

“I am proud of the efforts of the ultimate community and Hall of Fame members as we strive to improve and advance the selection process. We had an incredible class of nominees this year, all worthy of consideration,” said Hall of Fame Board President, David Blau. “We are proud to welcome these new Hall of Fame player and contributor members, as well as our Special Merit inductees; The MOB, representing a Look Back to the early ‘80’s and Downtown Brown, representing a legacy institution for players of color.”

The Class of 2022 is the 19th class inducted into the Ultimate Hall of Fame, which was established in 2004 to honor exceptional ultimate players and contributors whose accomplishments are worthy of recognition and merit acknowledgement by their peers. The 2022 Class will be officially inducted into the Ultimate Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the 2023 National Championships where we will honor the 2019 through 2023 inductees. 

HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2022

WOMEN’S DIVISION

Cara Crouch (Austin, TX)

According to her teammates, Cara “doesn’t know how to take it easy; she only knows top speed.” This attitude, combined with her work ethic and focused determination, led Cara to become one of the top women’s players of her generation while helping the teams she led reach national and international success. 

On the field, Cara was dominant and multifaceted; cutting short or deep, placing the disc anywhere on the field, and playing shutdown defense with equally punishing ability. Her ultimate career began at the University of Texas at Austin, where she helped build the fledgling program into a semi finals team and won the 2005 Callahan Award. She appeared at 11 Club Nationals Championships, culminating in semi-finals appearances with Showdown in 2012 & 2013 and also won a Master’s Nationals championship in 2019. She competed in three World Championships, resulting in two semi-finals appearances. Cara was selected to represent the United States in World Games 2009 and 2013, winning gold both times. She relished the challenge of a challenging match-up while playing with integrity and respect for the game and her opponents.

Cara’s belief that ultimate can drive important social change has inspired her to coach youth ultimate for the past 15 years at the middle and high school level in Texas and at coaching camps and tournaments all over the U.S.A. and world, including Ultimate Peace camp in 2017. 

Cara lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and two daughters. 

Anja Haman (Vancouver, BC)

Anja was a consistently dominant player in Canada, the 91����, and Europe, on grass and beach, in the Women’s, Mixed, and Master’s divisions. She won 6 Canadian and 3 UK Nationals, the European Championships, WUGC (twice), and World Games 2001. In 2004, Anja played with Prime and placed 2nd at the 91����U Club Nationals. In 2011, Anja placed 2nd at Beach Worlds with Canada and won the 91����U Women’s Masters Club Championships with Stick Dog at age 47.

In 1993, Anja saw the potential to build an internationally competitive women’s club team in Vancouver, BC. The idea culminated in GOO winning three consecutive Canadian gold medals, 2000 WUGC, World Games 2001, and as defending champs in 2004 WUGC. Anja’s leadership with another Vancouver team, Prime, resulted in two semis and a finals appearance at the 91����U Club Championships between 2000 to 2004. 

In 2005, Anja moved to England, where she won 3 national titles, placed 1st and 2nd at the European Championships, and coached the British National Team to place 5th at WUGC 2008. 

On the field, Anja was a fast, creative playmaker who was a threat on offense and defense. Her variety of quick release throws frustrated marks; she effectively used her upside down backhand to break defenses. When on defense, she could get the block and convert for a score. She knew how to close games and was on the starting line for offensive and defensive pressure points until her retirement.

Anja was an active advocate for the women’s game, most recently driving the effort to include a Women’s Masters division in WUGC. Her impact and sportsmanship are recognized by her induction into the Canadian, Vancouver, and London Iceni Halls of Fame.

Miranda Roth Knowles (Atlanta, GA)

Already a three-sport varsity athlete in high school, Miranda added ultimate frisbee as another varsity sport in her junior year at Paideia and never looked back. In college, Miranda captained Carleton Syzygy during her sophomore and junior year, but it was her senior year and 5th year at the University of Washington, when she led two different teams to the college finals in subsequent years, including a Callahan-award winning senior season.  

She moved to Seattle with the intention of joining the athletic, exciting style of play of up-and-coming Seattle Riot. As a dominant initiating cutter and defender of top matchups, Miranda helped lead Riot to consecutive national titles in 2004 and 2005. She then captained a rebuilding Riot from 2006 to 2010 making Club Nationals finals in ‘06, ‘07, and ‘08 and semis in ‘09 and ‘10 plus earned a bronze at 2010 WUCC Worlds. Miranda was also Riot’s nominee for the Kathy Pufahl spirit award in 2007. 

Miranda was a great teammate, recruiter, and leader, citing her love for her teammates as the main motivation for the plays she was able to make in the biggest of moments. In 2005, Miranda was selected for the World Games team and helped the team earn a gold medal in Germany. 

After an illustrious career in the United States (two nationals appearances and a WUCC appearance with Atlanta Ozone, one Club Nationals with Minnesota Bait, and seven with Seattle Riot), Miranda continued her playing career based in Shanghai, China. She earned two China National Championships with Shanghai HuWa, helped to start a Women’s division in Asia Ultimate, and began the first youth tournament in China. When she returned to the United States in 2013, Miranda played one last club season for Atlanta Ozone before captain-coaching 4 seasons of Atlanta Outbreak where she helped develop young women’s talent and jump started many on amazing club careers. In her last tournament as a player, Miranda captained her beloved, older Riot teammates on iRot to a Masters World Championship in 2018. 

Miranda began coaching in 2005 and continued her exceptional impact on the sport and its community.  Her teams include Seattle Moho, Seattle Fryz, Lakeside School (Seattle), Seattle Academy of Arts & Sciences, University of Washington, 91���� U20 National Teams, YK Pao School, Paideia School, Atlanta Hustle, Atlanta Chain Lightning, 91���� Men’s National Team, and 91���� World Games National Team.  As part of the 91���� delegation to the World Games 2022, Miranda became the first person to earn a gold medal as a player, a coach, and as the first woman to coach a gold medal team. 

Miranda lives in Atlanta with her husband, Matthew Knowles, and their children, Madeira and Jaksha.

Alex Snyder (Vancouver, BC)

Alex was the consummate teammate, leader, and competitor. Renown for her numerous 91���� National Championships, US National Team gold medals, and her unmatched throwing skills; what stood out about Alex was how she impacted and elevated her teammates. Alex showed unrelenting support as a teammate, exhibited unflappable competitive presence, and had the ability to raise the confidence and play of those around her.

Over a long and successful career, Alex’s demeanor as a leader and on-field center handler skills were in a class of their own and earned her the name “The General” of the San Francisco Bay Area dynasty program Fury. With her mental toughness, strategic knowledge, and refined throwing skill set, Alex commanded the offense, created opportunities with her throws, and compensated for any misfortunes with her outstanding ability to play smart and effective defense. No matter what opponents game-planned or who tried to defend her, Alex dominated the game and dictated its outcome. Her outstanding performances, especially on the windy fields of Sarasota and in the swirling gusts of stadium play, gave Fury the edge in many tightly contested finals matches.

Alex was selected by her peers as the best player in collegiate competition when she won the Callahan in 2006 while playing for Kali at the University of Colorado Boulder. She began her club ultimate career on Colorado’s Rare Air before transitioning to San Francisco Bay Area Fury. In 2006, she won her first club championship with Fury and captained the team to win seven straight (nine total) National Championship titles. She was selected for the World Games 2009 by Team Canada and later was selected for and captained the US World Games 2013 team. Alex competed at 8 World Championships from 2008 to 2018 and earned 4 gold and 2 silver medals. She served as the head coach for Bella Donna, the University of Wisconsin college women’s team, assistant coach of 2015 U24 Mixed 91����, head coach of 2017 U24 Women’s 91����, and assistant coach of 2019 U24 Women’s 91����. She won the Kathy Pufahl award in 2015 and remained one of the most impactful players in the game until she retired after the 2018 season. Alex was born and raised in Vancouver Canada where her family continues to live. She attended University of Colorado Boulder and obtained a degree in kinesiology; then attended the University of California at San Francisco where she received a Doctorate of Physical Therapy. She lived and worked in San Francisco and Oakland for almost 15 years before moving to Freiburg, Germany where she lives with her husband Korby and their son Finley.

Alicia White (Westlake Village, CA)

Alicia, a.k.a. “A1”, was a fierce competitor who combined top-notch athleticism and game IQ with a deep commitment to hard work. She demonstrated the utmost respect for her opponents regardless of the stakes, while her smile and sense of humor brought a lightness to her play as she pushed her teammates to new heights.

Alicia found success at every level. She led UC-San Diego to a College National Championship as a sophomore, won seven Club National titles with teams from both coasts, earned WFDF gold medals at WUCC, WUGC, and the World Games, and won four more National Championships at the Masters and Grand Masters levels. Reflecting incredible longevity at the top, Alicia’s club teams were in the semifinals or finals every year from 2005 to 2016, regardless of whether she was playing with Fury, Scandal, or Molly Brown. “She is hands down one of the best ever to play our game,” Fury’s long-time coach Matty Tsang noted about Alicia. “Her ability to elevate the play of whatever team she was playing for is unparalleled.”

Her speed, explosiveness, coordination, agility, and hops allowed Alicia to make plays on discs all over the field. She picked up ultimate in college and was a mainstay in the UltiVillage highlight reels from the Women’s club division from 2004 through 2010;  the extraordinary was routine for her, especially in the biggest games. A1 was frequently looked to as an initiating cutter who could break down a defender, read space, time her cuts impeccably, and know exactly what pass the thrower was looking for. She was a favorite target of any handler but was no slouch with the disc in her hands. In particular, Alicia used her backhand huck to good effect; exemplified by throwing the game winning deep shot in the double game point win at WUCC 2010. A low turnover, high usage player; her impact on offense was second to none.

Alicia’s skills as a two-way player is what separated her from the pack. She was THE top defender in the Women’s division at her peak and her ability to guard the best player on the opposing team was unmatched, regardless of position. Her ability to tailor her defense to different styles of play directly contributed to her success on the international stage. In addition to her talents as a 1-on-1 defender, she was a true phenom as a point in Fury’s four-person cup. Her mark was the base for the Fury zone that dominated the division as she expertly played the angles to help push offenses backwards, pressure passing lanes, and generate short-field turnovers. Fury’s legendary comeback in the 2008 finals of Nationals (overcoming a 10-1 deficit) was jump started by Alicia’s Callahan goal from the cup that initiated a huge run of defensive breaks. Her teammates voted A1 as the overall MVP that season and in the following year, she went on to earn a roster spot on the World Games 2009 team. Alicia continued to excel at the Masters and Grand Masters level, steadily adding to her trophy case. Playing in the 2022 Grand Masters division at Nationals, A1 was again the best player on the field in the finals; a familiar position for her entire career.

Alicia is a neonatologist and basic science researcher studying how complications of pregnancy alter fetal growth and pancreas development thereby influencing long term health outcomes. Outside of work, she spends her time biking, hiking, gardening, and exploring all the beauty Colorado has to offer. She currently lives in the Denver area with her wife.

OPEN DIVISION

Mike Caldwell (Seattle, WA)

Mike, known as “MC”, was an influential and infectious leader, strategist, and elite player who had an incredible 17 year run with Seattle Sockeye. Mike was a critical part of the Sockeye teams that made Club Nationals 16 times in his 17 years, winning 3 out of 4 championships from 2004-2007. Delivering his best when it mattered most, MC owned the middle of the field as a cutter, initiating for big yards and then quickly and routinely delivering whatever downfield throw was needed. One of his trademark skillsets was his ability to catch and quickly release a deadly throw before his defender could set up a mark. This combination of skills made MC extremely difficult to cover and contain. He was also a highlight reel of incredible plays, completing 2 Greatests and a goal-line block, among many big moments in Club Nationals finals, to help deliver Sockeye victories.

In addition to excellence on the field, MC made huge contributions to his team’s success. He helped refine Seattle’s flat-stack offense and called the Seattle offensive line subs and plays for almost a decade. He was the heartbeat of the team; an emotional leader and captain for many years who was relied upon to boost the team not only with his play but also with his energy. It was not uncommon for MC, often sporting a sharp mohawk, to deliver a critical play at a crucial time and then punctuate it with an emotionally charged and spirited celebration to inspire confidence and lift his team.

Sockeye has long been one of the top, most recognizable teams in ultimate, and Mike is a huge reason why. He owned the downfield cutting space, commanded the top defenders of his era, and delivered his best when his best was needed. The story of the great Sockeye teams in the mid 2000’s cannot be written without MC as a central figure. His legacy in Seattle ultimate is unmatched and he has inspired many to follow him; continuing the exceptional tradition of elite ultimate in the Pacific Northwest.

Sam Chatterton-Kirchmeier (Seattle, WA)

Amongst the most talented players of his era, Sam, a.k.a. “C-K”, was an exceptional 2-way competitor who regularly won his matchups through a combination of incredible skill and work ethic. A relentless and fluid cutter, Sam wore down his defenders with a combination of explosiveness, timing, intelligence, and unmatched endurance. He was equally effective coming under to initiate the offense or going deep to finish plays and score. His physical fitness was better than most and he used it to his advantage, grinding out cuts and points with an endurance that exceeded the level of his defenders. When covering Sam, it was a game of relentless running, often ending in frustration with C-K contributing to a critical scoring play. For those looking to create a blueprint of downfield cutting excellence, it would be perfectly reasonable to start by reviewing Sam’s on-field body of work.

In addition to his exceptional offensive repertoire, Sam was an accomplished defender and leader, as evidenced by his selection as captain for the gold medal winning 91���� World Games 2009 squad. He also captained Sockeye for 5 seasons including their run of 3 championships in 4 years from 2004-2007. He added to his Hall of Fame career with 3 strong seasons in Atlanta with Chain Lightning before returning to Seattle to win multiple Masters titles with Voltron 2020. In every case, Sam’s leadership-by-example set the tone for his teammates to follow. While a fierce competitor, Sam was respected by his opponents for his ability to match intensity with spirit.

Finally, one of Sam’s most important attributes was his incredible consistency. He never took a play off which, combined with his skillset, made him uniquely respected as an opponent. Sam sustained greatness across points, games, and tournaments and played at an extremely high level without exception. At the peak of his career, Sam was one of the truly elite players in the game and is a very deserving member of the 2022 class of the Ultimate Hall of Fame.

Mike Namkung (Portland, OR)

Mike was one of the most physically and mentally dominant athletes in the sport from the mid 1990’s through to his final year of Open competition in 2009. Mike brought an effortless grace to the ultimate field. He made the athletically difficult seem easy through a combination of quickness, speed, agility, and endurance. In his training, Mike focused on both the physical and the mental; training himself to gain advantages on the field both with his body and his mind.

During his career, Mike was a premiere defensive star who matched up with the truly elite offensive players of his generation. He focused on taking away their preferred options, wearing them down, and forcing them to work harder than they normally would over the course of a game. In transition, and quite often in the latter half of his career, Mike leveraged his elite athleticism and array of throws as an excellent downfield cutting threat and scorer on offense.

Mike was a winner throughout his career; a National title in college in 1996 with the UCSB Black Tide, back-to-back National Championships in 2000 and 2001 with the Santa Barbara Condors (along with 2 other finals appearances), a World Championship title in 2002, and in 2008, Mike was a key member of San Francisco Jam when they claimed the National Championship. In addition, as an endorsement of his elite all-around game, Mike was selected to and co-captained the gold medal winning 91���� in World Games 2005. And as great of a winner as Mike was, he was also widely regarded as one of the most humble, genuine players of his time; respected universally by those who played with and against him.

Alex Nord (Seattle, WA)

Alex was a big player who made a huge impact on the field from the moment he started playing the sport of ultimate. In a successful college career, Alex captained Carleton to a National College Championship final in 2000 and in 2001, the team won the National Championship while Alex was named the Callahan Award winner as the top college player.

After an accomplished college career and early in his Open division career, Alex joined Seattle Sockeye and was immediately a critical member of the Sockeye teams that won 3 championships in 4 years from 2004-2007. On those teams, and for most of his career, Alex dominated on the defensive line. His height, length, and athleticism allowed him to guard the most dangerous downfield cutter on the other team. It was impossible not to notice Alex on the field; he was a game-changer who consistently delivered highlight plays that often turned the momentum in Sockeye’s favor. If the situation called for a zone or junk defense, the strategy was simple; put Alex in the deep position and dare other teams to throw it near him. When tested, Alex consistently came up with the stop, often in spectacular fashion.

In addition to his exceptional defensive ability, Alex was a strong offensive cutter and elite finisher, leveraging his physical skills to win his matchups. Alex could easily have played a consistent role on offense but he understood that playing D allowed him to dominate on both sides of the disc; first by stopping the other team and then by converting those turns into scores for his team. Injuries brought Alex’s Open division career to an end in 2011, but not until he had cemented his legacy as a game-changing member of the elite Sockeye teams of the mid 2000’s.

Bart Watson (Louisville, CO)

As one of the best athletes of his era, Bart’s resume is that of a champion, winning at every level from college to Open and through to Masters. Bart was an elite two-way player and exceptional athlete best known for his extremely versatile offensive skill set and incredible athleticism. The first half of Bart’s career – the Jam years – saw him dominate downfield as an almost unguardable downfield cutter, thrower, and scorer. The team reached semis or finals in 5 of 7 years at Club Nationals and captured a championship in 2008. His premiere all-around game resulted in selections to 91���� for World Games 2005 and 2009; one of very few players to earn that honor twice.

Following his time with Jam, Bart took his talents to Revolver; it is no coincidence that his arrival resulted in Revolver winning back-to-back National Championships in 2010 and 2011. In 2013, Bart moved to Colorado and joined Johnny Bravo and in 2014, Bravo claimed the National Championship. In sum, Bart was instrumental in bringing 4 National Championships to 3 different teams in 7 years; an amazing run of success. Along the way, while maintaining his elite level of athleticism, Bart transitioned from a nearly unguardable downfield force with Jam and Revolver, to a pivotal player for Johnny Bravo with an elite repertoire of throws. Bart clearly made the teams he played for significantly better and often, the very best.

In addition to his great athleticism, game-breaking skills, and elite fitness level, Bart was a spirited competitor who never let the heat of competition affect the way he carried himself. He is respected by both teammates and opponents for being fair-minded even in the most intense situations. With one of the best resumes in the history of ultimate, it’s easy to see why Bart is such a worthy member of the Hall of Fame.

MIXED DIVISION STARTING CLASS

Scotty Conway (Incline Village, NV)

Scott, a.k.a. “Scotty Rocket”, began playing competitive ultimate in the late 1990’s with the Colorado State University’s men’s team. After moving to Truckee, CA in the Spring of 2000, Scotty captained a newly formed Mixed team, Donner Party (2001 to 2004), that won two National Championships (2002 & 2003), and two World Championships (2002 WUCC & 2004 WUGC). As a small-market team from the North Lake Tahoe area, Donner Party measured success by team cohesion and the synergy that it generated. This would often translate to victory, but never at the expense of the “ain’t no party like a Donner Party” ethos. After Donner Party, Scotty continued competing in the Open and Masters divisions, as well as Mixed, where he had the good fortune to play with Missoula’s Mental Toss Flycoons, adding another Mixed National Championship in 2008.

Scotty has been described as a master strategist of Mixed ultimate; a student of the game and of his teammates. As a natural leader, Scotty was able to coalesce a wide range of personalities and skills into several successful teams by cultivating and applying each individuals’ strengths in unique game plans.

While always the consummate team player, Scotty’s stature and athleticism on the field was demonstrated by huge plays and scores at crucial moments in the biggest games. Described as both lightning quick and smart, this talent combination was hard to stop. A player’s player who brought out the best in teammates and competitors alike; he showcased both the athleticism and the spirit of ultimate.

Scotty remains close to the shores of Tahoe, currently residing in Incline Village, NV with his wife and four children. After two decades of forestry and firefighting with the United States Forest Service, in 2019, he co-founded a climate technology company, Vibrant Planet, with goals of making our nation’s forests more resilient and communities more defensible to wildfire and the effects of climate change.

Emily Smith-Wilson (Bozeman, MT)

Emily, know as “Smitty”, began her storied Mixed division ultimate career in 2004 in Missoula, Montana with a team called Gun Show and capped it off 19 years later with a World Club Championship with Seattle Mixtape in 2022. Along the way, Smitty has competed at Nationals eight times, earning the Mixed division championship in 2008 with Mental Toss Flycoons. Emily has also competed in four other World Championships (2010 WUCC Mixed, 2014 WUCC Women’s Masters, 2017 WBUC Women’s Masters, and 2018 WUCC Mixed), and made the roster of three 91���� National Teams (2017 Women’s Masters Beach, 2020 Women’s division, and 2022 Women’s Masters division).

While Emily’s longevity in the Mixed division is legendary; she is lauded as one of the great competitors of the sport, exemplifying the player who is the game changer. Using her skills, knowledge, and athleticism, Smitty has been known to turn a game around for the better both with her on-field performance and off-field wisdom, making everyone around her a better player. Emily is known for dominating any assigned matchup and had the ability to single-handedly keep a team in any game by outworking those around her. When Smitty was on the field, she stood out by making big plays on defense and offense; especially while under pressure in huge skies, bids, and catches. In the big moments, Smitty stepped up and played even bigger, which is why she was always on the line on universe point.

Emily is a solo mom who resides in Bozeman, Montana where she owns and operates a small business, Bozeman Pilates, serving as a Pilates practitioner, teacher, and teacher trainer. Emily has been a key player in the growth of the ultimate scene in Montana and especially in Bozeman. Throughout her playing career, Smitty coached, ran clinics, organized club teams, mentored young players, and assisted in countless leagues and local tournaments in a variety of locales while living her mantra; #Dlineforlife.

Joey Gray – Mixed Division Contributor (Seattle, WA)

Joey was the driving force behind establishing mixed ultimate locally, nationally, and internationally from 1990 to 2006. As a distance runner, she was drawn to ultimate for its spirit of the game and was the only woman on the University of Washington (UW) team (1988-1989). In 1990, she co-founded Yow Yow, a coed club team that played in open and coed events throughout the Salish region. With her teammates, and as founding DiscNW President and Executive Director (1990-1999), she directed ultimate tournaments, leagues, workshops, and film festivals. She coached the UW men’s team in 1995, established and ran the first district-wide ultimate program in Seattle Public Schools in 1998, and advocated to increase athletic field space throughout Washington State. 

Nationally, Joey created and directed the UPA Innovation Grants program (1997-1999) and chaired the Coed Committee. As the first UPA Coed (Mixed) Director (1996-1999), she facilitated North American Coed Celebrations from 1997 to 1999, founded the Mixed Championships in 1998, and formed the first Mixed 91���� in 1998. As UPA Executive Director (2000-2002), Joey led in restructuring its administration for growth, added full-time positions for championships, youth, communications, and membership, ensured implementation of the Farricker Spirit Award and the 10th Edition rules, and managed the first 91���� in 2001 for The World Games. 

Internationally, Joey established the first Mixed World Ultimate Championships in 1998, oversaw ultimate’s inaugural appearance as a medal-earning sport at the World Games 2001 in Akita, Japan, served as WFDF Treasurer (1999-2002) and Secretary-General (2005-2006), represented flying disc at sport summits (2001-2006), and served on the WFDF Ultimate and Spirit of the Game Committees.

CONTRIBUTOR

Joe Seidler (San Francisco, CA)

Joe singlehandedly organized the collection of data, facts, stories, anecdotes, and all the other elements that comprise the history of the sport of Ultimate. In addition to his self-appointed role as Sport Historian, he also served from 2002 to 2004 on the board of the UPA (predecessor to 91����), and for nearly three years on the board of Ultimate Peace. 

He was motivated to document the sport and write its history because he was so impressed by what he saw on the field, by the people he met who were involved with the sport, and realized while serving on the UPA board that even board members had little sense of the sport’s history. 

He gathered the data on championship records, team rosters, and so much more to create, organize, and manage all the content into an accessible website format for almost 20 years and then, when he retired, found a successor, , to carry on the work. 

To create the Ultimate History books, volumes I-III, Joe arranged and motivated the various authors to do the primary research and interviews of the individuals and teams who made ultimate’s history before their stories were lost to time, and then obtained the funding to publish two high-quality volumes of the books plus a third volume published as an e-book. While there still would be an Ultimate Hall of Fame in the absence of all this incredible work, there would be so much less context, content, and longitudinal perspective available without Joe’s contributions.

Joe was never an ultimate player; he began his love of ultimate watching his son, Jason, play at UCSB in 1993. Joe commented that “attending tournaments with his family brought them even closer than they ever thought possible.”

SPECIAL MERIT – The MOB & DOWNTOWN BROWN

The MOB

The story of The Masters Of the Bee (MOB) was told by two of the team founders, Jerome Stallings and David Love, in an article published in 2020. In the “Spice of Life”, they shared what so many have experienced through ultimate; how they fell in love with throwing the disc and, through the lessons learned in building a team and competing, gained life-long memories and friends. 

The team of 13 athletes, who grew up on the urban playground playing other sports, became determined and committed to beat the best teams in the Northeast region.  Jerome has shared; “the game changed our lives; we learned that we can enter any environment and be successful. Play hard and be good people.”

The MOB: 

David Blocker, Remme Earvin, Kenneth Hofler, Eugene Jackson, Michael Kidd, 

David Love, Earvin Riddick, James Riddick, Jerome Stallings, Fred Stephenson, 

Larry Sturdivant, Timothy Taylor, and Glenn Williams

In Memoriam – Joe Proud

Downtown Brown

Downtown Brown began as a pickup team of players of color in 1997, and has since evolved and endured as a communal space for players of color to witness, acknowledge, honor, value, celebrate, and elevate each other on and off the field. DTB found its roots on the West Coast as an Open team, then expanded to the Women’s, and then Mixed divisions in the late 2000s. In over two decades of its existence, DTB has connected hundreds of players of color all over the world.

Perhaps best known for the infamous Circle, DTB has made room for players of color to discuss and address subjects such as culture, family, sexual identity, and numerous other topics that have been brought into its sphere. Each iteration of the Circle is unique in its impact and ability to provoke and inspire. By allowing its members to speak and be heard, DTB empowers each other to do the same in all aspects of their lives.

Founders Damon Adlao & Ken Leiserson

Team Leaders Manisha “Slap” Daryani, Jody Dozono, Frankus Flores, & Mike Namkung

And the many others who have continued the legacy of DTB, as well as the hundreds of brown sisters and brothers who contributed to the DTB movement. 

Suzanne Fields (Chair, Hall of Fame Vetting Committee) – Hall of Fame Inaugural Class of ‘04

Jeff Cruickshank (Open Peer Co-chair – Hall of Fame Class of ‘17

Steve Dugan (Open Peer Co-chair) – Hall of Fame Class of ‘17

Jim Parinella (Open Peer Co-chair) – Hall of Fame Class of ’14

Dominique Fontenette – (Women’s Peer Co-chair) – Hall of Fame Class of ‘18

Katey Forth – (Women’s Peer Co-chair) Hall of Fame Class of ‘21

Lori Parham Ewald – (Women’s Division Peer Co-chair) – Hall of Fame Class of ‘19

Pam Kraus (Mixed Division Task Force Leader) – Hall of Fame Class of ‘17

Robert “Nob” Rauch (Contributor Committee Chair) – Hall of Fame Class of ‘06

Chris O’Cleary – (Vetting Committee advisor) – Hall of Fame Class of ‘13

Dave Blau – (President, Ultimate Hall of Fame Board of Directors) – Hall of Fame Class of ‘17

The Open and Women’s division candidates will be considered for up to ten spots in the Ultimate Hall of Fame, and we are seeking to induct the initial Mixed division Starting Class. Candidate-submitted player histories and briefs on the Contributor and Special Merit candidates are included below.

●  Chris Cianfrani

●  Cara Crouch

●  Anja Haman

●  Miranda Roth Knowles

●  Eileen Murray

●  Liz “LP” Penny

●  Chelsea Putnam

●  Alex Snyder

●  Vida Towne

●  Alicia White

●  Mike Caldwell

●  Sam “C-K” Chatterton-Kirchmeier

●  Jared Inselmann

●  John Hasssell

●  Ron Kubalanza

●  Josh “Cricket” Markette

●  Mike Namkung

●  Alex Nord

●  Jon Remucal

●  Bart Watson

• Scotty Conway
• Emily “Smitty” Smith-Wilson
• Joey Gray (Contributor)

• Joe Seidler  

• The MOB
• Downtown Brown

Any member of the ultimate community who is familiar with these candidates is encouraged to provide input and any comments you would like to be considered by the voting members of the Hall in the . This feedback, both laudatory and critical, is an important part of the committee’s consideration. We encourage candid participation from all who have personal experience with the candidates. All feedback will be kept strictly confidential and will be available only to the HoF voters as part of their deliberations. 

Congratulations to these Ultimate Hall of Fame (HoF) finalists. It is a high honor to be selected from the respective Open, Women’s division, and Mixed division player Peer Pools. The Contributor candidate was selected from the Contributors Task Force composed of current Contributor members of the Hall. From this final slate of 20 Open and Women’s division player candidates, the current voting members of the Hall will cast their ballots for up to 5 Open division and up to 5 Women’s division players. As detailed in the Hall of Fame Selection Process, the voting members of the Hall participate in 2 rounds of voting to select those individuals to be inducted into the Ultimate Hall of Fame. The Contributor, Mixed division Starting Class, and Special Merit candidates are included in the final ballot with a required yes or no vote. All final ballot player-candidates must achieve at least a 2/3^rds majority to be inducted into the Hall.

The goal of the Hall of Fame selection process is to induct those player-candidates who competed at their best against the best in their primary division of play during the 2002 to 2010 peak playing years. For 2022, the Contributor category is recognizing a candidate from the PPY time frame. The Mixed division Starting Class is considering candidates from the initiation of that division in 1998 to 2010. For Special Merit, one candidate aligns with the PPY and one is a Look Back candidate whose significance to the sport was from an earlier era.

The  will close on Monday, October 10, 2022.

Thank you,

Hall of Fame Vetting Committee:

Suzanne Fields, Chair, Vetting Committee

Jeff Cruickshank, Open Division Peer Pool Co-lead

Steve Dugan, Open Division Peer Pool Co-lead

Jim Parinella, Open Division Peer Pool Co-lead

Dominique Fontenette, Women’s Division Peer Pool Co-lead

Katey Forth, Women’s Division Peer Pool Co-lead

Lori Ewald, Women’s Division Peer Pool Co-lead

Pam Kraus, Mixed Division Task Force lead

Robert “Nob” Rauch, Contributor Peer Pool Coordinator

Dave Blau, Vetting Committee member

Chris O’Cleary, Vetting Committee member

An exciting announcement shared by the for this year is establishing the Mixed division as a new Hall category. The Mixed division task force led by (HoF ’17) and members of the Mixed ultimate community have been meeting over many months to craft a process that fits the division and is building a Mixed Peer Pool to help select candidates for this division. The first Mixed division inductees will be known as the Starting Class.

For 2022, the Vetting Committee includes Women’s division Peer Pool (PP) co-leaders (HoF ’18), (HoF ’21), and (HoF ’19). Coordinating the Open PP is (HoF ‘17 ), (HoF ‘17), and (HoF ’14). Leading the Contributors is (HoF ’06). (HoF ’17) leads the Mixed division. The Vetting Committee is joined by HoF board members, (HoF ’13), (HoF ’17), and HoF Administrator and committee chair, (HoF ‘04). A member of the 91����U Board will be named as the 91����U board representative to the committee. 

The Peer Pool leaders are currently working to update the respective peer pools for the 2022 campaign and are focused on those who competed at the highest levels of the sport from 2002 to 2010. The updated lists will be posted when available later in July. Another key update to the selection process is that the eligibility age for Hall candidates was lowered to 42 for Open and male-matching Mixed competitors and to 39 for Women’s division and female-matching Mixed competitors.

Check out the page on the Ultimate Hall of Fame website or the 91����U Resources section for all the Hall of Fame updates and candidate forms. The Hall of Fame provides key information and time-sensitive details. We encourage you to read all the posted documents as we’ve made several important updates!

Please feel free to reach out to Suzanne Fields, the Peer Pool coordinators, or email ultimatehalloffame@gmail.com with any questions.

The 2021 Class includes women’s division inductees Gwen Ambler and Katey Forth. These new inductees are joined by open division inductees Dave Boardman, Augie Kreivenas, and Fortunat Mueller. Also inducted with the Class of 2021 is contributor Jennifer JD Donnelly, look back contributors Louie Mahoney Cohn and Frank Revi, as well as the Special Merit induction of the Early Photographers and Videographers.

“We are excited to welcome the newest members of the Ultimate Hall of Fame,” said Dr. Tom Crawford, 91���� Chief Executive Officer. “We are inspired by the phenomenal accomplishments and competitive excellence of the inductees and are proud to recognize these nine new members of the Hall of Fame. We look forward to honoring them, in partnership with the Ultimate Hall of Fame organization at the next Hall of Fame Induction ceremony to take place during the 2023 National Championships.”

The 2021 inductees were selected by the current Hall of Fame voting members from a final slate of 16 players, the contributor and look back contributors, and Special Merit candidates announced in September. The candidates included in the Call to the Community were chosen by the Hall of Fame Vetting Committee from an accomplished pool of athletes and contributors through a review of peer voting results and written applications solicited by the committee. 

To be inducted into the Ultimate Hall of Fame, potential candidates must complete three steps. The first stage involves “peer voting,” where potential candidates are reviewed and ranked by a group of players or contributors from their own playing era. For 2021, the playing era time frame was 2001 to 2008. The second stage involves winnowing the field to a slate of up to 16 player candidates through a review of the peer voting results and written applications solicited by the 13-person Vetting Committee. The slate of 16 players, contributor candidates, and the Special Merit candidate were announced in the Call to the Community, which requested input from the ultimate community at large. The final stage involves two rounds of voting for all the candidates by the full voting committee, comprised of the Vetting Committee and the player and contributor members of the Ultimate Hall of Fame. Since 2018, voting has been segmented by division for player candidates, with women’s division Hall of Fame members voting on women’s division player candidates and open members voting on open player candidates. When contributor and Special Merit candidates are on the ballot, all Hall of Fame members cast votes for those candidates. Inductees in all categories must receive an affirmative vote by at least two-thirds of the voters to be selected.

“I continue to be proud of the efforts of the ultimate community and Hall of Fame members as we strive to improve and broaden the selection process. We had an incredible class of nominees this year, all worthy of consideration,” said Hall of Fame Committee Chair Suzanne Fields. “We are so pleased to welcome these nine new members, including our Special Merit group of early photographers and videographers, into the Ultimate Hall of Fame.”

The Class of 2021 is the 18th class inducted into the Ultimate Hall of Fame, which was established in 2004 to honor exceptional ultimate players and contributors whose accomplishments are worthy of recognition and merit acknowledgement by their peers. The 2021 Class will be officially inducted into the Ultimate Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the 2023 National Championships where we will honor the 2019 through 2023 inductees.

Player Inductees

Gwen Ambler (Seattle, WA)

Gwen Ambler has been a leader on every team with which she’s involved; she has dominated ALL dimensions of the sport; offense, defense, leadership, and intellect both on and off the field. As a tall, lengthy player, she could get open in the handling space, break any mark with ease, throw the game winning huck, and toe the back endzone line. She could hand block players at will, get layout blocks, invent and implement new zone defenses on the fly, sky the pack, AND all the while making friends. After the competition, you would find her in glitter and sequins, and often a wig, on the dance floor with her opponents. Not only was she one of the best players to play our sport, she also dedicated her efforts to helping the sport grow in an equitable manner. She established a women’s league, coached women’s college, coached club, organized competitions, and served as a part of the governing body of our sport.

Gwen captained Stanford Superfly for two seasons, leading to the finals both years – culminating with the 2003 national championship in her senior year. That fall, she contributed to Fury’s national title and was selected as captain for the team the following year, leading Fury to its first WFDF medal with a bronze at WUGC 2004. Gwen was also part of Fury’s strategy committee for the 2006 and 2007 championship teams. She then captained the team in 2008 when Fury pulled off the elusive double-peak to win Worlds and a national title, earning the team spirit award at Nationals along the way. With Fury, Gwen finished as a semi-finalist twice, finalist once, and national champion four times and was a major contributor to establishing Fury as the dominant team in the division for years. During her 8-year tenure on Fury, Gwen was voted by the team as Rookie of the Year (2001), Offensive MVP (2003), Defensive MVP (2005), and Overall MVP (2007). She was also Fury’s nominee for the Kathy Pufahl spirit award in 2007. As her coach, Matty Tsang, puts it, “Gwen is the best deep-deep to ever play the game”. And on a team that relied heavily on in-game adjustments and crafty junk defenses, Gwen was often the most important player on their D line.

In 2009, Gwen was selected for the World Games team, was voted a captain, and helped the team earn a gold medal. She had been an alternate for 91���� in 2005.

Of the 7 years Gwen played with Riot, she was co-captain for 5 seasons—three of which were as captain-coach. She led the team to four semi-finals finishes and three finals at Nationals in that stretch. She also captained the team to a WUCC gold medal in 2014. While playing with Riot, Gwen won the Kathy Pufahl award and was voted the women’s division Club MVP in 2012. After retiring from playing club in 2015, Gwen went on to coach Riot and she continues to be the team’s head coach today.

Gwen lives in Seattle with her husband, Will Henry, and their two little boys.

Katey Forth (Houston, TX)

For the better part of two decades, Katey Forth has been one of the top competitors in the Women’s division. As a complete offensive player, with exceptional hucking skill, ability to get open in the biggest moments, and effective strike cutting, Katey is a classic “pick your poison” player. She’s smart, she’s fast, she’ll beat you deep, she’ll gain the yards under, she’ll throw the big shots for goals, she’ll burn you up the line with her quickness, she’ll shut you down with her mark, and she’ll D you all over the field. This exceptional talent was apparent from the beginning of her career as she was hand-picked to join a team for World Clubs in her first year of playing in 1995, making a strong international impact right away. Katey creates match-up problems all over and is someone for whom your team absolutely has to make big strategic and match-up plans. And, even if you think you’ve got the perfect coverage, she will find a way to beat it. Now, at age 46, her speed, quickness, and playmaking ability continue to be on display in the Women’s division; she has figured out how to grow, adapt, and continue performing at the highest level over the years.

Katey has unwavering confidence as a competitor and has displayed her skills across many teams including DC Scandal, TX Showdown, Houston Zanzara, London Bliss, NoTsuOh, the European All-Star Tour Team (Eurostars), Team Great Britain, 91����, and with Austin Torch in the PUL from 2018 to 2021.

Katey competed at Club Nationals in the Women’s division from 2001 through 2019, reaching semis or quarters in 8 of those 16 years, and achieved a second-place finish in 2019 with iRot in the Women’s masters division. Internationally, she’s competed in 14 World championships, including 91����’s Women’s division in 2016 at age 41 with 2 children, the World Games with Great Britain in 2009, and has dominated Beach at Paganello with 8 golds, 2 silvers, and 2 bronze, along with strong World Beach performances with 3 bronzes.

Dave Boardman (Minneapolis, MN)

Dave Boardman was instrumental throughout his career in helping his teams reach a higher level of success. An All-American track athlete in college with a 36-inch vertical, Dave’s physical attributes, combined with his ultimate skills (excellent field sense, timing, hands and a potent backhand), allowed him to excel as a cutter, deep threat, and defender. Despite all these innate gifts, Dave was renowned for his rigorous training; he took pride in outworking his opponents’ preparation, enabling him to be a dominating player in the sport at all levels. Dave’s enduring legacy is his involvement in building top level programs at Carleton College, as well as the Sub Zero and Surly club teams in Minneapolis.

At Carleton, Dave was part of an initial wave of top varsity athlete recruiting that helped propel the team from one that just qualified for UPA College Nationals into the most storied college team in the nation. As a starter on O and D and team captain, Dave helped to establish a team culture of high expectations, year-round training, recruiting, tactics, and athleticism, which created the foundation at this small school that has enabled CUT to become an elite college program. Advancing into Open Club competition, Dave made an immediate impact for Chicago Z as an unguardable receiver and lock-down defender, helping that team reach consecutive semi-final appearances in 1996 and 1997 at UPA Nationals. Dave’s tenure on Sub Zero spanned two generations of players, bringing the team from success to rebuilding to success again. Joining the team in 1999, Dave’s experience and defensive skillset helped Sub Zero reach the semi-finals at Nationals for the first time. But once the core of that team departed, Dave also took on the role of O line cutter and captain to lead the second generation of Sub Zero during a rebuilding period from 2003 to 2006. Dave was the guy in the huddle that young teammates looked to for calm and confidence in big moments, and who made game changing plays on the field. He successfully guided the team that climbed from losing nearly all its starters in 2003 to a 6th place finish at Nationals in 2005, regaining its elite level that continues today.

Dave is respected as a person of honor, integrity, and a wide-open heart, both on and off the field. It’s impossible to fully describe the impact Dave has had on upper Midwest Ultimate. Dave ran community-wide track workouts for all the Minneapolis teams for over a decade and helped train players from teams across Open, Women’s and Mixed divisions. Dave was a cofounder, captain, and fixture of Surly Ultimate, leading the team on and off the field to become the most steady and successful Masters team in America, later a Grandmasters team, and now an Ultimate program encompassing five teams competing in four 91����U divisions and routinely winning Championships and Spirit Awards. Dave is now applying his love and knowledge of ultimate as a coach for his sons middle and high school teams.

Augie Kreivenas (Durham, NC)

Augie Kreivenas was a dominant player during the 1990’s and early 2000s. He was also the face of his Ring of Fire team that dominated the Southeast Region during the time he played. Augie was tall, muscular, and quick. He was Ring of Fire’s primary disc mover while also being a downfield and in-the-air threat, making him a difficult matchup problem for opponents. Augie was a quietly fierce, game-impacting player when his team needed it, extremely formidable both offensively as a thrower and receiver, and as a strong-bodied versatile defender.

Augie was one of the founding members of Ring of Fire in 1989; he was the driving force on and off the field that established the team as a perennial contender at UPA Open Club Nationals. Augie was the primary thrower/playmaker for Ring of Fire during their rise to prominence in the 1990s. He was best known for being able to get the disc anywhere on the field, regardless of the mark/defense he was facing. His long forehand and backhand throws could open up the field in a way that few players of the era could match; critical to leveraging the potential of Ring’s athletic cutters and receivers. In his 17 years on the team, including 7 years as captain, Ring qualified for Nationals 13 times, reaching the semi-finals 3 times. His Ring teams also participated in 4 WFDF world championship events with 2 semi-final finishes.

Augie earned the respect of opponents for exhibiting exemplary sportsmanship and fair play in the biggest games. As a player and coach, he taught and demonstrated respect for the game and for opponents, and was instrumental in improving the reputation of North Carolina-based teams. Augie continues to share his talent, success, and work ethic as a youth ultimate coach, having a significant impact on the growth and success of youth ultimate in his local community. He has coached a nationally-ranked high school program for the last 9 years (Carolina Friends School), a small school of only 170 high school students with a strong and fun culture of Ultimate Frisbee. He also coached the University of North Carolina “Darkside” Ultimate Frisbee team to their first 3 UPA College Nationals appearances in the late 1990’s. The continued success of Ring of Fire clearly stems from a culture that was created by Augie and others in the 1990s. Augie’s work ethic was unmatched when it came to training and this had a profound impact on his teams and future generations of Ring of Fire players.

Fortunat Mueller (N. Yarmouth, ME)                     

Fortunat Mueller was unquestionably one of the best players in the sport during the ‘00’s. A versatile all-around player, ‘Fortch’ was best known as an unstoppable primary cutter, who consistently won matchups against opponents’ best defenders. Fast and quick, with good field vision and instincts, Fortunat was always one of the most impactful individual players on the field, while his teams were always title contenders. During his 16 years playing competitive ultimate, Fortunat had success at every level of the sport;  High School, College, Club, Worlds, and World Games.

Fortunat was a prodigy, selected for the 1994 91���� Junior Worlds team in just his second year of playing while in high school. At the college level, Fortunat was the driving force behind Brown University’s transformation from a not-so-serious, Regionals-caliber team when he first arrived, into a nationally competitive ultimate program, reaching the semi-finals at UPA College Nationals in 1998 and 1999, and capturing the 2000 title in his final year. In 1999, Fortunat received the Callahan Award as the top player in the collegiate game. Fortunat’s next stop was Boston’s Death or Glory, the 5-time defending UPA Open Club national champions. Among a roster full of future Hall of Famers, Fortunat quickly established himself as one of the top players on the team; his addition is often cited as the key factor that enabled the aging DoG team to secure a 6th straight UPA championship in 1999, as well as WFDF world championships titles in 1999 and 2000. Fortunat’s immediate impact at the Club level, and his all-around skills, led to his selection as one of just 5 men (along with 5 women) chosen to represent 91���� at the inaugural entry of ultimate in the World Games in 2001. For the next 10 years, Fortunat was a dominant player on the top DoG/Ironside ultimate teams, which qualified for Nationals every year, reaching the semi-finals or finals five times. Fortunat’s role evolved from primary offensive cutter and goal scorer on DoG into more handling responsibilities and deep thrower on Ironside, which he executed with equal aplomb.

Fortunat served as a captain or team leader on nearly every team he played for. Not prone to fiery speeches, Fortunat inspired his teammates through his work ethic at every practice and an infectious confidence. Throughout his career, Fortunat was regarded as a tough competitor, but also a fair one, as evidenced by his many former opponents who are now close friends.

Contributor Inductees

Jennifer “JD” Donnelly (Palo Alto, CA)                  

Contributor                        

Jennifer “JD” Donnelly was one of the early coaches who provided a template for college coaching that would become ubiquitous by the time she stepped down. Jen was the coach of the Stanford Women’s Team 1995 to 2001, with her team qualifying for Nationals in 6 of 7 years and winning in a three peat in 1997-1999. In those championship years, her team was undefeated with a 106-game win streak and produced two Callahan Award winners. She had been an NCAA basketball player and brought the team mindset, focus on technique, and athletic commitment to her teams. After stepping down as the Stanford coach, JD continued to assist various teams with clinics from 2002-2005 and she was called back to be the coach of the gold medal winning 91���� Women’s Master’s team for WUGC 2012 in Japan. Jen also served as a UPA board member from 2000 to 2002. In her playing career, she played with the national and WUCC world champion Maine-iacs in 1993 and, having helped found Fury in 1997, won two more National Championships in 1999 and 2003.

“Louie” Mahoney Cohn (Englewood, CO)                            

Look Back Contributor                   

Mary Louise “Louie” Mahoney Cohn was one of the driving forces behind the introduction of the Women’s division of ultimate. As most women did in the early days, Louie began playing Ultimate with men. She loved Frisbees and all forms of disc games but, being a talented field sport athlete, she was mostly drawn to Ultimate. Boston was an early hotbed of Ultimate activity and Louie was a founding mother of the long tradition of successful Boston women’s Ultimate teams. Before there were critical numbers of women playing, she recruited and taught many of the early women’s players while advocating for a separate women’s division be established within the UPA. Louie was one of the top female athletes on the field playing in the first Women’s division at Club Nationals in 1981 and a huge part of BLU’s (Boston Ladies Ultimate) championship title that year. Women’s Ultimate wouldn’t be what it is today without Louie’s early years of planting the seeds and showing those who followed the potential in the sport and in themselves.

Frank Revi (San Francisco, CA)                       

Look Back Contributor                   

Frank Revi was the long‐time UPA College Director from 1986 to 1994. While Mike Farnham kicked off the formalization of the College Division as its first college director, it was Frank who fully figured out what colleges required in order to treat Ultimate as a full “Club Sport,” including requiring teams to have a roster composed solely of athletes formally registered with the college and also meet reasonable limitations on playing eligibility. Quite frankly, the decision to do away with “ringers” was initially quite unpopular, and the administration of the roster collection was a real grind, especially in the early days, but Frank managed it all in good spirit and with quiet efficiency.  Frank had the staying power to sort out and nurture the College division to become the largest division in the UPA, and it remains so with 91����U today. Frank began playing Ultimate in high school in the late 1970s, captained his MIT teams to College Nationals in 1985 and 1986, and played with Windy City in the late 1990s, competing in three Nationals and at the first World Ultimate Club Championship in 1989, before moving to the west coast and finishing his competitive career in the late 1990s.

Special Merit Inductees

Early Photographers & Videographers

The Special Merit category recognizes there are stories that need to be told to fully describe Ultimate and its history that don’t get captured in an individual award.

• Stu Berringer: Club Nationals 1980‐1985 
• Rick Collins: Club Nationals 1995‐2004 
• Karl Cook: Club Nationals 1980‐86, ‘89‐91, College Nationals 1989 & ‘91, Easterns 1981‐91 
• Dan Hyslop: Club Nationals 1983‐2002, Midwest ’82‐’85, West ‘85‐’02, top teams ‘99‐92 
• Chris Perry: Regionals and other West Coast events 1980-1987
• Scobel Wiggins: 91����U College Nationals 1999-2007, Club and Masters Nationals from 2003-2007, WFDF Worlds in 2002 and 2008, 2009 World Games in Taiwan
• Lee Flynn: hundreds of ultimate games and tournaments videotaped throughout the 1980’s and early ‘90’s
• J.R. Reynolds: Club Nationals video producer ‘90, ’91, ’93, & ’94, UPA training videos and media guides, and WFDF documentaries in ’92 & ’94.

The Vetting Committee Includes:

• Suzanne Fields (Chair, Hall of Fame Vetting Committee) – Hall of Fame Inaugural Class of ‘04
• Keay Nakae (Open Peer Co-chair) – Hall of Fame Class of ‘12
• Steve Dugan (Open Peer Co-chair – Hall of Fame Class of ‘17
• Jeff Cruickshank (Open Peer Co-chair) – Hall of Fame Class of ‘17
• Dominique Fontenette – (Women’s Peer Co-chair) – Hall of Fame Class of ‘18
• Vivian Zayas – (Women’s Peer Co-chair) Hall of Fame Class of ‘20
• Lori Parham Ewald – (Women’s Division Peer Co-chair) – Hall of Fame Class of ‘19
• Pam Kraus (Mixed Division Task Force Leader) – Hall of Fame Class of ‘17
• Chris O’Cleary – (Vetting Committee advisor) – Hall of Fame Class of ‘13
• Bill Rodriguez – (Vetting Committee advisor) – Hall of Fame Class of ‘15
• Robert “Nob” Rauch (Contributor Peer Chair) – Hall of Fame Class of ‘06
• Steve Mooney (91���� Board Liaison) – Hall of Fame Class of ‘06
• Pat King – (President, Ultimate Hall of Fame Board of Directors) – Hall of Fame Class of ‘09

For this cycle, peak playing years span from 2001 to 2008. Candidate-submitted player histories are included below.

Women

• Gwen Ambler
• Chris Cianfrani
• Katey Forth
• Anja Haman
• Johanna “JoJo” Neumann
• Liz “LP” Penny
• Shar Stuht
• Vida Towne

Open

• David Boardman
• Mike Caldwell
• Alex “The Count” de Frondeville
• John Hassell
• Augie Kreivenas
• Ron Kubalanza
• Fortunat Mueller
• Mike Namkung

Contributor

• Jennifer “JD” Donnelly

Contributors – Look Back

• Mary Louise “Louie” Mahoney Cohn
• Frank Revi

Special Merit

• Early Photographers/Videographers
  • Stu Beringer
  • Rick Collins
  • Karl Cook
  • Dan Hyslop
  • Chris Perry
  • Scobel Wiggins
  • Lee Flynn
  • J.R. Reynolds

See the Candidates

Learn More

Congratulations to these Ultimate Hall of Fame finalists. It is a high honor to be selected from the respective open and women’s division player peer pools.

The contributor candidates were selected by the Contributors Task Force, which is comprised of current contributor members of the Hall.

From this slate of 16 player candidates, the current voting members of the Hall will cast their ballots for up to four open division and four women’s division nominees. As detailed in the Hall of Fame , the voting members of the Hall participate in two rounds of voting. The contributor and special merit candidates are included in the final ballot with a required ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote. All final-ballot candidates must receive at least a two-thirds majority vote to be inducted.

Any member of the ultimate community who is familiar with these candidates is encouraged to provide input for consideration by the voting members of the Hall. This feedback, both laudatory and critical, is an important part of the committee’s consideration. Candid participation is encouraged from all who have personal experience with the candidates. All feedback will be kept strictly confidential and will be available only to the voting members as part of their deliberations.

The goal of the Hall of Fame selection process is to induct player candidates who competed at their best against the best in their primary division of play during the 2001 to 2008 peak playing years. For 2021, the contributor category is recognizing candidates from the PPY timeframe, as well as “look back” candidates whose contributions to the sport were from an earlier era.

When appraising a player, contributor or special merit candidate, please reference the What Makes a Hall of Famer qualities and characteristics. This and other information can be found on the Hall of Fame website and on 91����’s resource page.

The seven qualities identified for player candidates include:

• Athleticism
• Dominance
• Leadership
• Longevity
• Team Performance
• Sprit of the Game Under Pressure
• Stature

To provide feedback on this year’s Hall of Fame candidates, please complete by Friday, October 1.