Thursday, November 3, 2016

CSU Men's Roster - Meet the Team!


Mark Stratford - Captain - 4th Year
Mark Stratford - Captain - 4th Year: Mark played high school ultimate at Cherry Creek in Greenwood Village, Colorado. He blossomed on the Choice City Hops (Fort Collins open club team) O-line over the summer.

Mark is Mr. Consistent, from his fakes to his defensive footwork to his marking. He has brought his big game cool and immaculate fundamentals back to the college team this year, his first year as a captain

Sten Larson - Captain - 5th Year
Sten Larson - Captain - 5th year: Sten played high school ultimate for D'Evelyn in Denver, Colorado. This past summer he honed his skills on AK Pipeline, the open club team out of Akron, Ohio.

Sten is one of Hib's biggest weapons in the air. With his 6'4 frame and 6'8 wingspan, he's a threat to come down with anything. Despite his big play potential, Sten's cool head and calm demeanor are key for the team in his first year as a captain and final year playing.

Easton Archibald - 5th Year
Easton Archibald - 5th year: This Minnesota product has been one of Hib's most consistent players for the past five years. Easton honed his skills over the summer playing for Hops.

Easton is the definition of a multi-faceted threat. He can handle or cut. He is comfortable running deep or working the unders. He'll break the mark with huge insides and employs some of the most brutally effective fakes on the team. This dynamic ability will be huge for Hib in his fifth and final year.

Jordan Trepp - 5th Year
Jordan Trepp - 5th year: Jordan is the most experienced player on the team, having cut his teeth playing youth ultimate in middle school and high school in Oregon. Jordan's high school program, the South Eugene Axemen, has consistently churned out elite players for years.

Dr. Flick, as he's called by his teammates, can launch an 80 yard bomb from anywhere on the field. He has no fear getting off his feet (despite continually dislocating his left shoulder) and consistently plays like the 11 year vet he is, never fazed by the gravity of the situation.


Thomas Theodorescu - 4th Year
Thomas Theodorescu - 4th Year: Thomas came in as a freshman with a soccer background and no prior ultimate experience. In the four years since he began playing he has grown into one of Hib's most consistent players, with an impressive knack and feel for great fills and line cuts. Thomas also gained vital experience over the summer playing for Hops alongside many other Hib teammates.

At Hib's first tournament of the fall in Manhattan, Kansas, Thomas had the distinction of being the only high usage player (40+ touches) without a single turnover, despite 15+ mph winds. His consistency, fundamentals and on-the-field smarts will be huge for Hib throughout the season.

Cody Spicer - 4th Year
Cody Spicer - 4th Year (3rd year Hib): Anyone in the country who has matched up on Cody knows how devastating of a match-up he is. He's a physical defender with insanely quick feet and unbelievable body control. As a captain of Choice City Hops, his handler movement, ability to break the mark and throw-and-goes were the core of the Hops O-line this past summer.

Cody began playing competitive ultimate three years ago when he helped found the college program at the South Dakota School of Mines. After returning to home-town Fort Collins for graduate school Cody has received All-Region honors in both years playing at CSU.

    
Toby Nordhoff - 4th Year (transfer)
Toby Nordhoff - 4th Year (1st year Hib): Toby has been a staple on Choice City Hops for the past three club seasons. After finishing up his studies at Northern Colorado, where he played the past three college seasons, Toby has transferred to Colorado State for his final two years of eligibility.

As the resident 'old man' on the team, Toby brings big hucks and relentless defense. With the threat of big throws, Toby opens up the D-line offense and is consistently tasked with taking the tougher match-ups on defense.

Daniel "Chuck" Crump - 3rd Year
Daniel "Chuck" Crump - 3rd Year: Chuck has the smoothest throws on the team. Making use of his huge wingspan, he easily and consistently breaks the mark with nice extension and a crisp release.

Chuck played high school ultimate at Chatfield High in Littleton, CO.

Another first year of Hops over the summer, Chuck's throws and no-fear attitude when it comes to getting off his feet anchored his role behind the disc both in club and college.

As a core member of Hib's extremely strong third year class, Chuck will continue to be the backfield rock for the team this year, breaking the mark and running the resets and rotations to perfection.

Jack Hinchsliff - 3rd Year
Jack Hinchsliff - 3rd Year: Don't let his size fool you, Jack is easily one of Hib's biggest play-makers. Not a practice goes by, let alone a full game, where Jack doesn't make a jaw-dropping bid or sky.

Jack played high school at Arapahoe in Centennial, Colorado and received All-State honors his senior year.

Jack spent the past two club seasons rounding out his skills playing with Vertigo and Iso Atmo respectively (Denver/Boulder club open teams). He's quick to get off his feet but just as effective on his feet, as defending his throw-and-go is a brutal task for even the best teams.

Jack's comfort playing at all levels of the disc: deep, mid-field and backfield, make him a really challenging match-up. Put someone his height on him, he'll take them deep (see pic). Put someone taller on him, he'll work the unders and handler movement with his quickness. He's a true 'pick your poison' player and is another huge part of Hib's incredible 3rd year class.

Dylan Johnson - 3rd Year
Dylan Johnson - 3rd Year: Dylan is a big defender and the captain of the 'throw your body around' club. He played high school ultimate at Arapahoe in Centennial with Jack.

Dylan's length and drive make him one of the team's top defenders; consistently making other team's offenses struggle.

Dylan's huge flicks have been the stuff of legend since high school. The triple-helix flick-pulls floating up over the Hib fields at tournaments are courtesy of Dylan's big arm and he's settled into and embraced his downfield position in college.

David Miller - 3rd Year
David Miller - 3rd Year: David Miller is Hib's resident commander of the skies. Since his high school days in Lakewood, Colorado, he has consistently been one of the best deeps on the field, earning All-State honors his senior year.

Against the 'big' teams in the country (Wisconsin, Luther, Texas etc), David has always matched up incredibly well and been a driving force behind the team's success.

David's club season was cut short by a nagging shoulder injury that he finally had surgery for this past summer. Hib is excited for David to be back to full strength for the Spring season and re-establish himself as one of the best big-men in the region.

Jake Servaty - 3rd Year
Jake Servaty - 3rd Year: Jake is the ringleader of the heralded 3rd year class of Hib.

An All-State player in high school from Spearfish, South Dakota, Jake has made a huge impact on the team since he was a freshman, when he won All-Freshmen team honors for the South Central Region.

Jake's rounded out his club resume with Vertigo and Iso Atmo the past two seasons; consistently making big plays for the Denver/Boulder squads.

Jake is deceptively athletic; the fastest player on the team and big ups for his size. Jake's been a top thrower and main-handler for Hib since the day he stepped onto the field and has brought the level of play up around him with his ability to consistently put the disc anywhere he wants.

Jake and Cody (Spicer) together behind the disc form a devastating handler duo and anchor Hib's D-line offense.

Matt Bush - 3rd Year
Matt Bush - 3rd Year (2nd year Hib): Matt is another big, athletic play-maker and yet another guy with no qualms throwing his body around.

He also played high school at Arapahoe and received All-State honors his senior year alongside Jack.

Matt spent his freshmen year at Northern Colorado before transferring to CSU to complete his studies.

This past summer, he played club for Choice City Hops, bringing his defensive prowess and lock-down tendencies to the Colorado club scene. Matt's combination of speed, length and bidding ability make him one of Hib's top defenders and he'll be called on to lock down other team's main threats all season long.

Cole Turner - 3rd Year
Cole Turner - 3rd Year: A Fort Collins native, Cole has been playing disc in FC since his youth. Cole spent the past two club seasons developing his skills on Hops and has become a core offensive and defensive player on Hib.

Cole's devastating straight line speed makes him a brutal match-up. The more space he has to run, the more separation he'll get. He loves running his defender into the ground and on defense he relishes in winning the war of attrition with a combination of physicality and legs. The later in the game or the longer the point, the more Cole wins his match-up and his smiling face after a grueling point brings the whole team up.

   
Jake Marrapode - 2nd Year
Jake Marrapode - 2nd Year: Jake is the younger brother of Hib alum Matt Marrapode. Hailing from the ultimate factory that is Neuqua Valley in Naperville, Illinois, Jake took All-State honors his junior and senior years. Jake has been a dominant force in the short time he's be a part of Hib

Jake's performance  at the President's Day Invite in 2016 catapulted him into the discussion for national Rookie of the Year. Unfortunately, nagging injuries plagued the rest of his season. Even with limited action, Jake won south central Freshman of the Year.

This year, the team is excited for Jake to be fully healthy and unleash the barrage of hucks, scoobers and skies he has made his trademarks.

Hudson Martin - 2nd Year
Hudson Martin - 2nd Year: Hudson exploded this past year onto the Colorado ultimate scene with his distinct Texas flavor. He was a member of the Texas All-State team his senior year for Lake Travis High school in Austin.

This past summer, Hudson played for the Texas U19 YCC squad and Riverside Ultimate.

For Hib, Hudson is a consistent handling force offensively, breaking the mark with a brutal quick-release forehand and big cannon hucks. Defensively, his quickness and footwork make him an ideal handler defender, locking up other team's main throwers with consistent pressure.

Hudson was awarded a place on the All-Freshmen team for the south central region for the 2015-2016 college season.

John Miller - 2nd Year
John Miller - 2nd Year: John is another high school ultimate product from the Collegiate Academy in Littleton, Colorado. He played on the Colorado U19 YCC team in both 2015 and 2016 as well as playing with the club team, The Strangers, out of Westminster this past club season.

John is in the conversation for the best all-around athlete on Hib. His speed, quickness and jumping ability make him a tough draw for any defender. Him and Jack together both pose the same challenge: smaller defenders get taken deep, bigger defenders can't move with his quickness.

John has big hucks and by his own admission "only knows power." As soon as he learns to harness that power for good, he'll be one of Hib's biggest contributors in all phases of the game.

Jack McGinnis - 2nd Year
Jack McGinnis - 2nd Year - Jack is one the few guys on the team without an ultimate background. Despite this, in his freshmen year, his track background and natural athleticism carved him out a consistent place on the Hib D lines.

Jack has worked hard developing his ultimate skills and with a full year under his belt, he's opened up his throwing repertoire this season, dropping beautiful flick and backhand hucks like he's be doing it for ten years.

Expect Jack to continue to grow as both an offender and defender and to step up big this year for the team.

Mo Scott - 1st Year
Mo Scott - 1st Year: Mo headlines Hib's stellar 2016-2017 freshmen class with arguably the best pre-college resume of any player in the country,

Mo's high school team, Denver East, won Westerns his sophomore year and Mo earned all-state honors his junior and senior years. Mo captained the U19 YCC Colorado team in both 2014 and 2015. This past club season, Mo played on Inception, the top-select open club team in the south central region.

For Hib, Mo has seamlessly integrated onto the team both as a personality and a player. His arsenal of throws, quick release and confidence make him a key cog in the offense. His defensive fundamentals and internal drive have him already taking the most challenging match-ups both at practice and tournaments.

Will McDonald - 1st Year
Will McDonald - 1st Year: Will is another first year with a strong ultimate background. A product of the elite youth scene in Seattle, Will played four years at Nathan Hale, the 2014 state champs. Will's senior year, he captained the team to a narrow semi-finals loss at Westerns.

Will also played for the U19 YCC Seattle open team, who finished 3rd at the 2016 Youth Club Championships, losing in the semis on universe point to eventual champion, Tri-Force, out of North Carolina.

For Hib, Will has immediately thrived in his role as a defender. His footwork and body control are excellent and he consistently takes tough match-ups on D.

Offensively, there was an early adjustment period for Will, learning Hib's atypical handler rotations, but he has become one of the most consistent players on his line and is quickly becoming an integral member of the D-line offense.

Luke Beal - 1st Year
Luke Beal - 1st Year: Luke is a soccer transplant from Loveland, Colorado. He won the player of  the year honors in 2015 for Thompson Valley High and spent his freshmen year at Adams State playing varsity soccer.

Transferring to Colorado State as a sophomore, Luke immediately found a home on Hib as a big athlete and play-maker.

Despite never having played college ultimate, Luke has a knack for strategy and his understanding of spacing, timing and flow, coupled with his athletic abilities, have turned him into a big contributor and core player.

Dylan Cheever - 1st Year
Dylan Cheever - 1st Year: Dylan is a graduate student who ran varsity track for Carleton. A decathlete during undergrad, Dylan utilizes his all-around athletic skill-set to to play some of the most tenacious defense on the team.

Dylan, like Luke, had mostly casual ultimate experience prior to Hib, but has quickly carved himself out a role on the D-line, consistently getting off his feet to secure blocks and showcasing his jumping ability for big skies.

At Hib's first full tournament of the season, Dylan led the team in blocks - locking down his man against every team played, from the first game of pool play to the finals.

As Dylan rounds out his skills and learns more of the nuance of the competitive game, he will only get better and will certainly continue to be a big contributor for the team in the years to come.

Sean Peskin - 1st Year
Sean Peskin - 1st Year: Sean is another high school soccer star turned college ultimate player. Sean was the 2015 player of the year for Silver Creek high out of Longmont, Colorado as well as an all-state selection his senior year.

The definition of a headache match-up, Sean is the full package with speed, quickness, size and jumping ability.

Sean combines the physical attributes with solid throwing form and a quick-release backhand, and is quickly turning into a very strong player with with a high ceiling.

Dylan Custer - 1st Year
Dylan Custer - 1st Year: Dylan is another great high school athlete from Discovery Canyon in Colorado Springs.

Dylan flies around the field with his significant speed and rounds it out with great jumping ability. He has grown on the team to develop excellent timing and a solid role within the D line as a deep threat.

Another player with a high ceiling, expect to see more and more of Dylan as he develops his skills and learns more of the college game.

Clark Yarbrough - 1st Year
Clark Yarbrough - 1st Year: Clark is another Lakewood product making an impact on Hib as a confident thrower and athletic play-maker.

His senior year, Clark teamed up with big man and fellow Hib freshman, Mason Kiefer, to lead Lakewood to back to back state titles in both mixed and open.

Clark was recognized his senior year with All-State honors.

For Hib, Clark's greatest quality is playing with a confidence beyond his years. He is comfortable with the disc and has no qualms about putting out the more challenging throws (especially if Mason is on the receiving end).

Mason Kiefer - 1st Year
Mason Kiefer - 1st Year: Mason is another player from the extremely talented Lakewood program. With a big 6'4 frame, he was an imposing figure on the field in high school and already has made his presence known in the college scene.

A big part of the two Lakewood state championships his senior year, Mason also earned All-State honors next to his teammate, Clark.

Mason's big frame overshadows the depth of his play. Height on the line generally translates to a deep threat and while Mason certainly can stretch it deep, his knack for timing, his soft hands and consistent throws make him a threat at all levels of the field.

Tim Kefalas - Coach - 9th Year
Tim Kefalas - Coach - 9th Year: TK has been coaching Hibida for nine years, playing on Hib the five years previous to that.

TK captained Hib for the 2006 and 2007 seasons.

He was a member of the the club team, DTL, in 2005 (nationals qualifier) and 2006. A member of Sack Lunch in 2007, Noonan in 2008, and Killjoy 2009 and 2010 (captain). In 2013 TK co-founded Choice City Hops and has been captaining the team for the past four club seasons.

As a member of the the FC Ultimate board of directors, the youth eligibility committee for USAU, as well as tournament director for Fort Collins Summer Solstice, TK's goal has always been the spread of competitive play and has high hopes and expectations for Hib this season.