Scobel Wiggins Photography

The Huddle's Mock Draft was a fun way to kick off the club season and a good excuse to spend hours dreaming up great combinations of players. In preparation for the draft, I divided my potential picks into four basic lists: O-line handlers, O-line cutters, D-line handlers, and D-line cutters. I looked over old Worlds stats, browsed the rosters of top club teams, and talked to friends who play elite women's club for their insights.

Based on the number of players I had on each list, I decided that my first pick would be a D-line handler and I narrowed down my choices to Gwen Ambler or Cara Crouch. Underground took Gwen, making my choice of Cara very easy. Cara coached me my last year of college ultimate and is now my captain and teammate, and I can't really even begin to say enough about how amazing she is. Her play on the field speaks for itself, but Cara has a profound ability to make everyone around her a better player by being such a positive teammate. My second pick, Miranda Roth, was also an easy selection for me. I have seen very few women completely take over a game the way Miranda has, and having played in the same region as her for one college season and two club seasons, I've seen play after play worthy of a highlight reel. I chose Nancy Sun next in order to anchor my O-line handler unit, then picked Enessa Janes, Shannon O'Malley, Angela Lin, and Shanye Crawford, four excellent athletes who have all proven themselves as dominant players at the elite club level.

Many of the early overall picks were very West Coast heavy (understandable given that all of the owners have played or currently play in the Northwest and that the Northwest has been such a powerhouse). With my next bunch of picks, I ended up with a heavy Boston contingent (though some of these players now play on the West Coast or have played on the West Coast in the past). As a young player, I saw Dominique Fontenette dominate with Fury, and I played against Lakshmi Narayan at the tail end of her college career. They both left a lasting impression on me as players who created huge opportunities with their throws, no matter where they were on the field. Since I was on a streak of picking Boston studs, I picked up a few veteran players in VY Chow, Maureen McCamley, and Rana Suh Kannan. All three players came highly recommended by friends who've played with and against these players extensively.

One of my selections in the last round was Sarah "Slider" Blyth, who captained Texas my first year on the team and is now a teammate of mine on Showdown. Put simply, I believe she is the best player you may never have heard of. Her break mark throws are unstoppable (yes, even by Cara- there's a picture in a local newspaper to prove it) and her versatility as a cutter / handler make her a valuable asset to the D-line. In my biased opinion, she was a steal for the last round. I also picked up Anne "Pogo" Pogoriler who I've had the privilege of playing against at both the college and club levels. Pogo is someone who always sacrifices her body for the team and she is such a fun player to watch.

Almost every pick made by the other owners had me going, "Darn, I wanted that player!" Two players I really wish I could have selected are Sarah "Surge" Griffith and Andrea "Chowdah" Jung. I was hoping Surge might go unnoticed for another round or two, but Five Ultimate picked her up early, probably realizing how good she is as they get to see her play on a regular basis. I had similarly wanted to bolster my D-line handling unit with Andrea "Chowdah" Jung, but she got picked up by Underground, a regional opponent that features two of Chowdah's former college teammates.

A couple of young players that I was really glad to see get drafted are Kaela Jorgenson and Lindsey Wilson. I had the privilege of playing against both of them during the 2008 college season and watching them play this past college season, and they are both going to keep getting better and better. Kaela will be playing this club season with the Lady Condors and Lindsey is heading up Underground. They both have fantastic ultimate careers ahead of them.

While all of the players selected are outstanding, I was probably most impressed with UltiVillage's picks. The Chelsea Putnam / Eri Hirai selections right off the bat put his team at a huge advantage athletically, and the late pick of Lindsey Hack / Katey Forth was a steal. Also, I am certain that no one talked more trash in the draft room than Rob, so props to him for backing up all of his trash talking.

Thanks to The Huddle for putting this together and to all of the other owners for the friendly banter in the draft room!

Michelle Ng currently plays for Showdown.