Colorado Springs, Colo. (May 21, 2026) – Today USA Ultimate, the national governing body for the sport of ultimate in the United States and member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, announced the finalists for the prestigious Callahan Award. 

This annual award has recognized the most valuable players in college ultimate in both the men’s and women’s division since 1996. Award nominees display not only superior skill and athleticism — making difficult plays look easy — they also demonstrate outstanding sportsmanship, leadership and dedication to the sport of ultimate. The ten finalists for the 2026 award have been selected by their peers from a field of more than 120 athletes who were nominated by their teams.

The Finalists

The Callahan will be awarded live during the D-I College Championships in Rockford, Ill. this weekend.

About The Finalists

Men’s Division

Adam Grossberg – Georgia Tech

From the team: Over the past four years, Adam has had an outsized impact on our program, fostering a culture of hard work, community, and laughter. His commitment to bettering himself and the team has paid dividends, as he has led Tribe to its first College Championships qualification since 2012. Adam has competed at the highest youth, college, club and semi-pro levels throughout his ultimate career, including appearances on the U-20 and U-24 USA Open National Teams.

National Team Appearances

• 2025 U-24 National Team – Open Division
• 2022 WJUC National Team – Boys

Anton Orme – Cal Poly

From the team: Anton Orme played ultimate throughout high school and at YCC with Oakland OAK. In 2021, he made the trip down south to Cal Poly and began his college career. Anton was named to the 2025 and 2024 Ultiworld All-American first team, 2024 Player of the Year runner up, and 2023 All-American second team. In the club scene, Anton played three years for Revolver from 2022-2024. 

National Team Appearances

• 2025 U-24 National Team – Mixed Division

Miles Grovic – Maryland

From the team: Miles Grovic is a standout ultimate frisbee player for the University of Maryland’s men’s team, where he has developed into one of the most dynamic and impactful players in the college division. Throughout his college career, Grovic has earned recognition for both his athleticism and his versatility. His presence on the field is marked not only by big plays, but also by consistent effort and leadership, setting the tone for his teammates. In addition to his college success, Grovic has gained experience at the club and semi-pro levels, including time with teams like the DC Breeze.

National Team Appearances

• 2025 U-24 National Team – Open Division

Xavier Fuzat – Texas

From the team: Xavier Fuzat’s college career has been defined by resilience. He bookended his first year with two torn ACLs, using rehab time to coach youth (TUSC) and rediscover his love for ultimate. He returned to lead TUFF in goals and assists at Nationals in subsequent seasons. Xavier has served as TUFF’s captain since 2024, focusing on competitiveness and program development. His club career includes three seasons with Doublewide and he plays UFA in his hometown (Houston Havoc) where he is also the team’s Training Programming Director.

Zeke Thoreson – Colorado

From the team: Zeke embodies the culture of Mamabird: one built over years through humility, grit and care for others. As a captain, he elevates those around him, reinforcing the accountability and effort that define our team. He has competed at the highest levels of the sport (college, club, and UFA) and represented the United States on the U-24 Open National Team. A two-time Ultiworld Defensive Player of the Year, Zeke’s impact is undeniable, but it’s how he competes with respect and relentless effort that sets him apart.

National Team Appearances

• 2025 U-24 National Team – Open Division

Women’s Division 

Caroline Stone – Vermont

From the team: Caroline Stone’s leadership began in 2022, when she captained her high school open team to its first Texas State Championship. That following summer, she won her first gold medal with the U-20 Women’s National Team and her second one three years later with the U-24 Mixed National Team. Her dominance continued with Ruckus, where she was named Ultiworld Rookie of the Year Runner-Up her freshman year. Caroline has led Ruckus to their only three national semifinal appearances, back-to-back-to-back. This past year, while recovering from an ACL tear, she has remained fully committed to our team. She is a selfless teammate and an inspiring captain.

National Team Appearances

• 2025 U-24 National Team – Mixed Division
• 2022 U-20 National Team – Girls

Faye Burdick – Colorado

From the team: Faye’s ultimate journey started in Seattle, where she won a high school national title as a freshman at Roosevelt before transferring to Lincoln, where she helped build and captain the girls’ ultimate team to a second-place finish at nationals, then won a YCC Mixed U-20 National Championship with Seven Hills in 2022. In 2024, Ultiworld named her Breakout Player of the Year. At the club level, she has competed with Molly Brown, testing herself against the highest level of play. She represented the U.S. at the U-24 World Championships in Spain, where the women’s team took gold. Across every level – youth, high school, college, club and international – Faye stands out not only for her athleticism, but for her leadership, work ethic and ability to elevate those around her.

National Team Appearances

• 2025 U-24 National Team – Women’s Division

Goodness Nwakudu – UC Santa Cruz

From the team: Goodness, or Goody as we call her, started playing ultimate in middle school and played in high school at Oakland Tech where she captained for two years. Sol has gone to nationals every year she has been on the team. This season Sol has won Stanford Invite, gotten second at Prez Day, just recently won regionals and plans to go far at nationals. Goody is very involved in our team culture leading cheers, connecting with rookies and creating the best environment for us to succeed. Goody adds so much to our team and stays involved in leadership. Her sophomore year she was fundraising chair, then captain junior year and now social chair.

Mika Kurahashi – British Columbia

From the team: Mika has been the heart of the UBC Thunderbirds since joining the team in 2021. She is a dominant force on the field, consistently making big plays and being a key contributor to the Thunderbirds’ recent D-I College Championship in 2025. Her performance on the field has also led to her being named the 2025 Ultiworld D-I Women’s Player of the Year, which has added to previous All-American honours, making her one of the top players in the women’s division. Mika’s incredible skill has also led her to being part of Canada’s 2025 World Games and U-24 Mixed rosters, both of which resulted in second-place finishes.

National Team Appearances:

• 2025 U-24 National Team: Canada – Mixed Division
• 2025 Team Canada World Games Team
• 2024 Team Canada World Ultimate Championships – Mixed Division
• 2023 U-24 National Team: Canada – Women’s Division
• 2019 U-24 National Team: Canada – Mixed Division

Quincy Booth – Georgia

From the team: A tall, versatile handler with an uncanny ability to see plays develop before they happen, Quincy has built one of the most decorated careers in college ultimate. She has finished top three in assists at College Championships every year she’s competed, earning the #1 spot in both 2023 and 2025, and currently sits second all-time (with the top spot within reach). She also ranks among the top ten all-time in defensive blocks at Nationals, a reflection of her impact across the field. As a high school freshman, she became the youngest player ever to compete at Club Nationals with Atlanta Ozone, later representing Team USA at the U-20 level and contributing to Atlanta Soul across four seasons.

National Team Appearances

• 2020 U-20 National Team – Girls (Event Cancelled)