2018 - Cody Spicer
I'm about a year behind on this specific entry so my apologies to Mr. Cody Spicer, but that doesn't make his induction into the Hibida hall of fame any less meaningful.
Spicer left an amazing legacy at CSU and the impact he continues to have on the Fort Collins and Colorado Ultimate community as a whole can't be understated.
In the Fall of 2014, Cody started his first Masters degree at Colorado State and joined Hibida after playing a single year at the South Dakota School of Mines. It was a transitional time that I've spoken to in previous entries, but that particular year we had a huge influx of talent and Cody was a big part of that core. After rehabbing some injuries and finally getting on the field for us, his impact as a defender, athlete and work-horse was immediate.
I know that labeling someone as a "try-hard" can carry a negative connotation - a backhanded compliment of sorts. That person who maybe isn't as naturally skilled or athletically gifted, but gets by because they put in the work. The person that gets a "nice running" in the high five line at the end of the game. Spicer was and is absolutely a "try-hard." However, he couples the "try-hard" mentality with an amazing athletic talent and high field-IQ. Putting those pieces together has resulted in one of the best players to ever come through CSU.
Spicer's dedication and commitment to fundamentals made of the core of his athletic game: foot-work, body control and positioning. Despite being 6'2, Spicer always dominated all our our quickness drills and sets. He wasn't going to win a 100 yard straight line sprint, but there is nobody who was a more consistent deep defender or deep threat. His ability to process the line of the disc in the air, the match-up with his defender and know exactly where he needed to be to make a play, whether it was on O or D, is one of the most unique and impressive skill-sets I have seen in all my years coaching and playing ultimate. The focus on the little details made all the difference.
Spicer's defense on Chase Cunningham at 2015 Regionals solidified his place in the south central pantheon of top players. His fundamentals, quickness and motor gave him the ability to match up on any player in the country. Throughout his college career he covered the likes of Ben Sadok, Ben Jagt, John Stubbs, Khalif El-Salaam - the list goes on and on. I think the biggest factor that played into Spicer's effectiveness as a defender was that he never gave anyone anything without making them work. Where folks often backed Jagt because he was 6'6 and blazing fast, Spicer forced him out and contested his deeps. On Stubbs, defenders normally had to "pick their poison" of getting beat with his throws or his downfield speed. Spicer locked him up in the backfield and made him cut 2-3 times to get a routine reset - finally forcing Stubbs to push into the downfield. It wasn't that these players were completely shut down or not making plays for their team, but it was always contested - there was nothing free.
Spicer made the south central All-Region Team all four years he played with Hib, taking home Player of the Year honors in 2017. He led the team to our first nationals berth, gained some notoriety with the Ultimate pundits and even has a Callahan video or two floating around on the internet.
Despite all this, what I appreciate the most about Cody, is not what he does on the field - I truly appreciate the person that he is. He's a genuinely good, kind and honest human being. He carries very close to heart his humility and the importance of faith and family. He does things because they are the right thing to do. I don't agree with every view that he holds, but I respect the heck out of the fact that he maintains his integrity across his core values and doesn't let it cross into judgment of others.
-TK
Honorable Mentions: Jake Servaty, Jack Hinchsliff, Dylan Johnson, Cole Turner, Mark Stratford, Toby Nordhoff, Matt Bush
