2021 Midseason Awards

July 16, 2021
By Daniel Cohen, Evan Lepler, and Adam Ruffner

Inherently, there are issues with honoring participants of an incomplete endeavor. Through six weeks—the midway point of the 12-week-long 2021 AUDL season, some teams have played four games while others have played eight. Even with access to expanded statistics including yardage numbers, there’s still a shortage of data for thorough evaluation.

At the same time, there have been plenty of marvelous performances through the first month and a half, and we were curious to see what our midseason All-AUDL ballots would look like. To clarify, we are making these selections based upon everything we have seen thus far, not necessarily what we are forecasting the the All-AUDL rosters to look like at the end of the season.
— Evan Lepler

Without further adieu…

MVP

Jonny Malks, DC Breeze
Jonny Malks’ Week 6 performance against Atlanta locked in his first half of the season MVP bid. The most consistent handler on the league’s best offense, Malks’ poise in the backfield is rivaled only by his creative arsenal of throws. 284 throws with only five throwaways is just ridiculous.
— Daniel Cohen

Jonny Malks, DC Breeze
On an offense with so many key pieces, Malks still stands out. His quickness, confidence, and varying release points enable him to manipulate the disc in uncommon ways that defenses have struggled to contain. Some of the angles and edges he utilized against Atlanta’s zone were diabolical, the exact types of throws the zone is meant to induce, but Malks’ magic still left the Hustle frustrated throughout most of the night.
— Evan Lepler

Jonny Malks, DC Breeze
Malks has been money all season long as the centerpiece of the league’s top performing offense, averaging nearly 400 yards and five total scores per game for the Breeze. Whether working small ball weaves with his handler partners, or testing the deep space with the longball, Malks’ throws consistently have the right pace and vision no matter the receiver.
— Adam Ruffner

Rookie Of The Year

Jordan Kerr, SJ Spiders
The reigning D1 men’s player of the year has made a seamless transition into the AUDL, and his versatility—on both offense and defense—has been apparent since the first game. Ranking top three on the team in every major stat, he’s the best all-around rookie in the league and could lead this team to their first winning season since 2017.
— DC

Ben Sadok, Boston Glory
With apologies to Minnesota’s aptly named Roy and a plethora of other strong candidates, Sadok has been a force in nearly every aspect of the game for the Glory. While his turnovers are a bit high and some of his decisions have been curious, I still give him credit for managing massive responsibility, and many of his moments have been spectacular.
— EL

Andrew Roy, Minnesota Wind Chill
After completing 162-of-163 passes and throwing for over 800 yards during Minnesota’s undefeated two-game road trip in Week 6, Roy has asserted himself not only as the top rookie in his class, but one of the best throwers in the AUDL. He leads the league in completions per game (64.7) by a eight-throw margin, and is tenth in the AUDL in throwing yards per game (340) for the first place Wind Chill.
— AR

Coach Of The Year

Miranda Knowles, Atlanta Hustle
Coach Knowles has the Hustle starting their season with surprisingly few growing pains considering their influx of offseason additions, and the weekly second half adjustments have led to several clutch wins. She’s truly maximizing the efficiency of their zone this season with the right personnel, reestablishing the team’s identity as a grind-you-down defense.
— DC

Darryl Stanley, DC Breeze
There cannot be any debate here, right? Stanley was certainly very well-respected prior to the pandemic, but DC’s 2021 season has lended even more evidence to the idea that Darryl is currently the top tactician in the sport.
— EL

Darryl Stanley, DC Breeze
The Breeze are excelling in nearly every aspect of the game, and are enjoying a five-game winning streak as leaders in the league’s toughest division. And that’s all because of the maestro with the clipboard and binoculars who’s been dialing up effective game plans and executing near flawless lineup rotations every week. Stanley’s offensive system in 2021 is performing at historic levels, and its mass-of-roots/hybridized philosophy of play—where every thrower is a receiver, and vice versa—has mowed through every defense that has encountered the Breeze’s offensive machine.
— AR

Best Team

DC Breeze
The Breeze are the hottest team in the league and it’s not particularly close. They’re a Jack Williams buzzer beater away from being 6-0 and have looked dominant offensively since their Week 1 loss. With AJ Merriman leading a hungry, aggressive defense, the Breeze are well-deserving of the top spot at the halfway point.
— DC

DC Breeze
Road wins at Raleigh and Atlanta, home wins over New York and Boston, and their only loss came at the buzzer against the defending champs in literally the first competitive ultimate game in North America in about 21 months. Oddsmakers could still reasonably have New York as a slight favorite to win the title, but the Breeze have unquestionably been the best team through six weeks.
— EL

DC Breeze
Big surprise at this point, I know. But with wins at Raleigh, at Atlanta, and ending New York’s long-standing unbeaten streak as a part of the Breeze’s 2021 resume, it’s impossible to deny them as the league’s top team midway through July. From one game to the next, it’s hard to choose whether they derive their identity from their offense or their defense—they’re that balanced and deep.
— AR

Best Offense

DC Breeze
The Breeze wear down opposing defenses with patient, handler-driven offense that leads to opportune downfield looks for J&J Roofing Co. With Rowan, Malks, and the Norrboms all capable of dominating possessions, DC can play the matchups and respond to any defensive look with a next-man-up approach, allowing any 2-3 handlers to take charge any given week.
— DC

DC Breeze
It would be easy to wax poetic for a few paragraphs on all nine core O-line contributors, and frankly it’s tougher to explain succinctly why the Breeze have been so phenomenal on O. But to give it a try, the DC offense functions together brilliantly, with purpose that’s aggressive but patent, and dynamic play-making that’s ever-present but often stays on the backburner. They can beat you in one throw or 100 throws, and it seems they are just as content to do either. Aside from Rowan McDonnell and Jeff Wodatch, the rest of the O-line is super young, which is both accentuates the impressive productivity despite the inexperience along with the reality that DC could be in good hands for many years to come.
— EL

DC Breeze
If their numbers hold, the Breeze will have the most efficient offense in league history, both in terms of their conversion rate (65 percent on holds), and team completion percentage (97.0 percent); of their top six throwers, the lowest completion percentage is 96.90. DC is clicking on every level, and there isn’t a bad fit in any of their rotations.
— AR

Best Defense

Chicago Union
Drew Swanson is the most impactful defender in the league and has led the defense to allow a league-low 16.7 points per game. Swanson and Goff deter most offenses from trying anything downfield, while Graffy, Gibson, and Alanguilan are all capable of locking down their matchups. The Union also throw an underrated amount of double teams, mixing up looks constantly to disrupt opposing offenses.
— DC

Chicago Union
With respect to the Atlanta Hustle’s playmaking prowess that delivered exciting success against Raleigh and Boston, I lean Chicago’s way here because of what we’ve seen from the Union at full strength. Obviously, Drew Swanson, Nate Goff, and Von Alanguilan can produce crazy blocks, but a defense is only as good as it’s ability to consistently convert turnovers into goals, and when Chicago has Peter Graffy and Kurt Gibson anchoring the handler set in search of a break, they rise above the rest of the league. Shout-out also to Tim Schoch, who has six goals, nine assists, and a 99.1 percent completion rate in six games for the Union D-line.
— EL

Madison Radicals
Chicago was right with DC in terms of efficiency rates entering Week 7, and then the Radicals shutdown defense held the previously undefeated Union to a season-low 16 goals, turning Madison’s season around in the process. Yes, Kevin Pettit-Scantling is second in the league in takeaways, but it’s really the counter-attacking pressure that has Madison ranked second in the league in defensive efficiency that makes this unit so imposing.
— AR

Best Thrower

Jonny Malks, DC Breeze
I mean I can just link his highlights from last game, right? At this point I’m convinced his 2021 season reel is going to be a crash course in how all 80 throws belong in the AUDL.
— DC

Jonny Malks, DC Breeze
Since the MVP description already told the story, it seems reasonable to mention Malks’ top receivers, who have consistently made his decisions look good by occasionally making tough, contested catches. Specifically, the J&J Roofing Company, led by Joe Richards and Joe Merrill, have been dominant downfield, but Jeff Wodatch and Jacques Nissen are two other Js who have often been prime targets for Malks’ missiles.
— EL

Jonny Malks, DC Breeze
For being 22 years old, Malks just looks way too comfortable out there. Atlanta’s defense has ensnared a handful of great throwers so far this season, and there was Malks calmly carving up the Hustle for 52 completions and over 300 yards through the air in the win. It’s just another in a series of nearly flawless throwing performances this season, and at this point, expected.
— AR

Best Receiver

Greg Martin, Philadelphia Phoenix
He’s this year’s Quentin Bonnaud. Slightly undersized for a deep threat, Martin consistently burns his matchups downfield and embarrasses them on jump balls. His athleticism shines weekly, and it’s resulted in a league-leading 32 goals.
— DC

Ryan Osgar, New York Empire
Wait, the guy leading the league in assists per game (among players who’ve played in at least three games) is the best receiver? Indeed, a great receiver in ultimate has to do more than just get open and catch the thing. Consequently, Osgar is the most threatening cutter in the league, able to use his speed and elusiveness to get open, but arguably even more dangerous as a distributor when he gets possession. His chemistry with Ben Jagt is borderline unfair, as the two former college teammates and current roommates often dominate as a seemingly telekinetic tandem.
— EL

Ben Jagt, New York Empire
Just in case anyone forgot, Jagt reminded the league why he’s the reigning MVP with a 10-goal, 770-yard show-stopping performance in primetime last Friday. He’s second in the league in receiving yards per game (364), and is tied for 10th in the AUDL in assists (21); Jagt is as versatile as ever, with or without the disc, and is completing a career-best 92.8 percent* on his throws.
— AR
*Jagt played just three games in 2016 and completed 95.6 percent on his throws

Best Defender

Drew Swanson, Chicago Union
The 6’5” former basketball player is relentless in his pursuit of the disc; when he locks on, there’s little standing in his way of getting a layout block. With multiple blocks in every game this season, Swanson generates turnovers at an obscene rate and has a chance at setting the single-season record for blocks per game average (record is 3.3, he’s at 3.4).
— DC

Drew Swanson, Chicago Union
As Pawel Janas told me a couple weeks ago, Swanson is special. It’s exciting to think about the possibility of Swanson matching up with some of the league’s great cutters at Championship Weekend, but of course the Union have to get there first. Through six weeks, though, Swanson has competed with an energy, effort, and effectiveness that puts him in rare air among AUDL defenders throughout the league’s history. In fact, his 41 blocks in 18 career games puts him at number one all-time in blocks per game all-time amongst players with at least 16 games played.
— EL

Kevin Pettit-Scantling, Madison Radicals
As previously mentioned, KPS is off to the best start in terms of takeaways of his already legendary career. But the real reason why the Radicals defensive leader is here is because of his coverage against Pawel Janas in Week 6. By shutting down Chicago’s primary option for long stretches, and securing the Radicals win, Pettit-Scantling’s performance shifted the balance of the division; it had previously seemed decided that the Central was the Union’s to lose. Not so fast.
— AR

Best New Addition

Ryan Osgar, New York Empire
Osgar has put together an extremely productive season in his first year with the Empire, teaming up with the reigning MVP to produce the third-most efficient offense in the league. His 25 assists lead the team, and he’s averaging nearly 500 yards of offense per game while completing a solid 94.0 percent of his throws.
— DC

Paul Lally, San Diego Growlers
Lally has exceeded expectations with how he’s fit into the Growlers offense, becoming a cornerstone O-line handler who made numerous huge plays in San Diego’s biggest win of their season thus far (over Dallas). The former Nashville and Atlanta cutter, Lally has been a handling anchor out west, bringing a productive stability to the Growlers backfield. His statistics are not all that overwhelming, but the performance against the Roughnecks elevates him.
— EL

Ryan Osgar, New York Empire
It’s no surprise to see Osgar immediately slotting into the Empire offense and playing at an All-AUDL level. He’s already fifth in the league in assists (25) through just five games—his five assists per game average trails only Chris Mazur—and is accounting for nearly 500 yards of total offense per game. Most importantly, Osgar is battled tested in big games, and will be another star the Empire can rely on as the Atlantic playoff push turns up.
— AR

Most Improved

AJ Merriman, DC Breeze
No player has made a larger second-year leap than @ajthatfrisbeeguy. The amount of work Merriman put in during the extended offseason to improve in all facets has him positioned as a potential MVP candidate. His throws have improved exponentially, and his athleticism and defensive intensity have led to the third-most blocks in the league.
— DC

Zach Norrbom, DC Breeze
A versatile and dynamic offensive weapon, Norrbom has easily enjoyed the best AUDL season of his career in 2021. In fact, the +20 he’s accumulated so far this season matches the +20 that he produced for his entire career previously in parts of four other seasons. The Breeze noticed a different Norrbom in the preseason, so team leaders were not all that surprised when he lit up the Empire for four goals, four assists, and 45 completions without a throwaway in his season debut. If not for a nagging hamstring injury costing him a couple games, Norrbom might have been the midseason MVP.
— EL

AJ Merriman, DC Breeze
For as good as he was as a rookie in 2019, it’s still hard to fathom the leap Merriman has made in the time since. He’s smarter in coverage, his stamina is among the best in the league, and he’s possibly the most dangerous player in the league off of opponent turnovers, running the Breeze counterattack. DC’s defense entered the season with a lot of questions, and Merriman and company have answered all of them resoundingly with their high level of play.
— AR

All AUDL

Jonny Malks
Ben Sadok
Ben Jagt
Pawel Janas
Travis Dunn
Travis Carpenter
Ryan Osgar
— DC

Travis Dunn
Ben Jagt
Johnny Malks
AJ Merriman
Ryan Osgar
Kevin Pettit-Scantling
Ben Sadok
— EL

AJ Merriman
Jonny Malks
Kevin Pettit-Scantling
Ryan Osgar
Travis Dunn
Ben Jagt
Ben Sadok
— AR

All Defense

Drew Swanson
Ben Lewis
Kevin Pettit-Scantling
AJ Merriman
Dylan DeClerck
Brett Hulsmeyer
Shane Worthington
— DC

Dylan DeClerck
Nate Goff
AJ Merriman
Kevin Pettit-Scantling
Drew Swanson
Ben Lewis
Mick Walter
— EL

AJ Merriman
Kevin Pettit-Scantling
Drew Swanson
Dylan DeClerck
Ben Lewis
Brett Hulsmeyer
Mick Walter
— AR

All Rookie

Ben Sadok
Tanner Halkyard
Jordan Kerr
Andrew Roy
Matt Gouchoe-Hanas
Anders Juengst 
John Stubbs
— DC

Eli Artemakis
Anders Juengst
Jordan Kerr
John Lithio
Andrew Roy
Vinay Valsaraj
Rocco Linehan
— EL

Andrew Roy
John Stubbs
Jordan Kerr
Gus Norrbom
Anders Juengst
Tanner Halkyard
Ben Sadok
— AR