Meet our Role Models

Take a look into a few exceptional Ultimate players and see what makes them role models for the Frisbee community!

OCTAVIA (OPI) PAYNE

Current Team: San Francisco Fury

She started in track and field then began playing ultimate at the University of Pennsylvania. Known for her speed and long throws, Opi has since been on four different club teams, including Washington, D.C. Scandal (2010-2014) and Denver Molly Brown (2015-2016). She has won two USA Ultimate national titles with Scandal, a championship with the 2013 US World Games team and the US Women’s National Team at the 2016 World Ultimate and Guts Championships in London. She just won the 2017 National Championship with her current team, Fury. In addition to her Ultimate abilities, her status as a minority –half black, half Japanese, and having a long-term girlfriend – makes her a role model for people of all backgrounds.

Twitter: @oapayne

Instagram: @taquitopi

JESSE SHOFNER

Current Team: Denver Molly Brown

Jesse began playing Ultimate at the very end of middle school and played through high school. She then played for the University of Oregon’s team, Fugue, which she captained for two years. She has won two National College Titles. Jesse was selected as the 2016 College Women’s Player of the Year and was the 2015 Offensive Player of the Year. She is known for her unique offensive attack and her intense physical defense. Jesse has played on the Worlds team twice, been a part of the All-Star tour, and played for Portland, Oregon Schwa for 2 years. In 2017, she became the first female player to make a full season AUDL (American Ultimate Disc League, a professional men’s league) roster when she was selected for the team Nashville Nightwatch. She has been a frequent voice for equal representation in the ultimate world, and is a model for Women’s Ultimate everywhere.

Twitter: @JesseShofner

MANUELA CARDENAS

Current Teams: Medellin, Columbia Revolution, Denver Molly Brown

Just at the age of 18, she is already considered to be one of the best players in the world. She played an important part for the Colombian national team at the 2017 summer’s World Games, where they placed second. She then helped Colombia’s women’s club team, Revolution beat Molly Brown to win the title at the US Open International Club Championships. She is known for her dominant athletic play. Recently, she was added to the top-ranked team, Denver Molly Brown’s roster to compete in the 2017 National Club Championships.

Twitter: @manuelacardens

ANGELA ZHU

Current Team: Boston Brute Squad

Angela began playing ultimate for Amherst, one of the best high school programs in the country. At 16, she was selected for the U20 Team USA that won silver in 2012, and captained that team two years later to a gold medal. She began playing for Dartmouth’s team, Princess Layout, in 2013 and was named the Offensive Player of the Year in 2016. As one of the best handlers in Ultimate, she is known for her incredible throws. After her freshman year, she joined Boston Brute Squad and won back-to-back national championships. In 2017, Angela won the Callahan Award for best college Ultimate player and with her team, Princess Layout, won the National College Championships.

JACLYN VERZUH

Current Teams: Dartmouth Princess Layout, Seattle Riot

Jaclyn began playing Ultimate at The Lakeside School where she won Washington State and Western Regional Championships. She also won two YCC titles with the DiscNW U-19 Girls team. In 2014, she won gold with the USA U-19 national team, and she was also the youngest player to ever make Riot. In addition, Jaclyn was also part of the All-Star Ultimate Tour in 2015. Offensively and defensively, she’s an imposing threat on the field. She plays for Dartmouth Princess Layout and helped lead the team to their National College Championship victory in 2017. As just a sophomore, she won the Player of the Year award 2017.

Twitter: @jacverzuh

OTHER NOTABLE WOMEN:

Claire Chastain: @claireyahtzee

Hayley Wahlroos

Sandy Jorgensen: @jorgensensandy

Carolyn Normile: @thisnormilegirl

Hannah Leathers: @hLeath

Alika Johnston

Sarah Griffith