Ultiworld Club Awards 2024: Offensive Player of the Year (Men’s Division)

Whether it’s moving the disc or racking up points, these players were the best at doing it in 2024

November 14, 2024 by Edward Stephens And Patrick Stegemoeller in rewards with comments

Ultiworld is pleased to announce our annual Club Awards. Although we consider both regular season and playoff performances, due to the nature of the Club Division, we prioritize success in the playoffs and national championships above all else. This year, with an uneven regular season, the focus may be more on the playoffs than ever. The Club Awards are voted for by Ultiworld journalists, contributors and editors.

Our rewards continue with the Offensive Player of the Yearrecognizing the individual and two finalists who we believe had the most impactful and productive seasons helping their teams score. They scored goals, completed points and produced yards at consistently high levels against top defenders.

Player of the Year Award
All-club first team
All-Club Second Team
Defensive Player of the Year Award
Offensive Player of the Year Award
Breakout Player of the Year Award
Coach(es) of the Year Award
Distribution of votes for club awards
Snubs and superlatives

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2024 Offensive Player of the Year in the men’s division

Jonny Malks (Washington DC Truck Relay)

Don’t let Truck Stop’s quarterfinal exit spin things: Jonny Malks was the best and biggest offensive force in the men’s division in 2024. Playing an even bigger role for Truck’s O-line this season, he delivered on his promise throughout the regular season and Nationals, showing an even more complete toolset than during his title-winning 2023 campaign.

He led DC’s stunning offensive performance at the US Open.¹ and led the stat line at nationals, the team leader in goals and assists. You can’t put together a team leading a double-double (13B/14A) without some versatility and serious command of the offense.

And he did all this while leading a symphonic offensive in which every piece was able to shine. His ability to place the disc anywhere on the field, whether in a keyhole between two poachers at a distance of seven feet or in a wide space beyond the entire defense at a distance of seventy meters, ensured that everyone ate. And his growing ability to get wherever he wanted, behind the puck or downfield, allowed him to put his fingerprints on every facet of the offense.

The highest level of ultimate is reserved for players who can make a big impact while functioning within a team, players whose greatness reinforces and transcends the structure around them. Malks found that level on offense in 2024, and it was a treat to see.

– Patrick Stegemoeller

First runner-up

Sam Little (New York PoNY)

Sam Little hasn’t added any new tricks to his bag this season. He was the same frantic, hard-hitting, slippery, stubborn cutter he had been for years. The difference in 2024 is that he has taken everything that already made him grow several notches up. He took more initiative, pivoted his throwing angle to counterattack the opposing defense more aggressively, turned the corner more quickly on a cut loop, propelled himself with even more speed. express train towards the open side and reached even further in front of it with its characteristic claw running shape. These increases in intensity and technique, taken together, added up to an incredible performance throughout the national championships. Having him work so reliably on the lanes greased PoNY’s entire offense to the national finals.

-Edward Stephens

Second runner-up

Chris Kocher (New York PoNY)

2024 represented a new chapter in Chris Kocher’s illustrious career. Although he has often been a key offensive asset for PoNY, this season he has taken on far more responsibility than ever before. Virtually every offensive point ran through him as he transitioned from possession manager to give-and-go specialist, deep thrower, power cutter, and finisher. For him, everything was on the table at all times. This great variability – combined with his speed of movement and his keen sense of the terrain – made him even more difficult to defend than in previous years. The stats back that up, as his 15 assists (compared to just three turnovers) easily paced national runner-up PoNY.

-Edward Stephens

1. Edward Stephens
   

   Edward Stephens holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College. He writes and performs Ultimate in Athens, Georgia.

2. Patrick Stegemoeller
   

   Patrick Stegemoeller is a senior editor for Ultiworld, co-host of the Sin The Fields podcast, and also a lawyer who lives in Brooklyn.

TAGGED: USAU Club Men’s, 2024 Club Awards, 2024 Club Men’s Awards, 2024 Offensive Player of the Year, Chris Kocher, Club Awards, Jonny Malks, Offensive Player of the Year, Sam Little

TEAMS: NYC PoNY, Washington DC Truck Stop