Dylan Freechild named College Open’s Most Valuable Player

Originally Posted on Emerald Media via UWIRE

It was clear from the time he started playing that Dylan Freechild, an undergraduate student at UO, was the perfect candidate to win the Heisman Trophy of Ultimate: the Callahan Award. He earned the honor during the Division I championship tournament as a member of Ego, the University’s Ultimate club team.

“It represents something bigger than me, really putting into perspective the things I can achieve if I work hard,” Freechild said. “Playing Ultimate is another thing you can set your mind to and your efforts to which I think is really important in college.”

Freechild started playing the game at a young age with some of his dad’s friends. Starting a tradition, he would visit them every summer, waking up early and going out to play with his older brothers.

He then continued to pursue his love of the sport and joined the Roosevelt Middle School team in eighth grade and continued to play all throughout high school.

“I think that he was the match-up that was the nightmare for every other team but he also was the guy that everyone wanted to hang out with because he was both incredibly humorous as well as a really good friend,” said Luke Johnson friend and former coach to Freechild.

At South Eugene High School, Freechild played on one of the better teams in the nation, going on to win westerns, or half nationals, his senior year. The Western Championships were the first time in Freechild’s Ultimate career that he received recognition as one of the top high school players.

“I like to describe him as a hummingbird, he just never really stops moving,” said Charlie Wilson-Moses, Freechild’s teammate.

Along with other accolades he received in high school, it wasn’t until he joined the U.S. U20 team, the U.S. national team, that Freechild found something to work toward as an individual. After some amazing experiences in high school and deciding to attend the UO, Freechild chose to continue his Ultimate career and joined the local men’s team.

Although the UO Ultimate men’s team had the Callahan Award winner in its arsenal, the No. 1 Ego lost to the University of Pittsburg in the semi-finals, 11-14.

“We’re losing four really good players this year, but I really think we can bounce back. I think we can be back in the semis, and once you get to that point I think anything can really happen,” Freechild said.

“If you play Ultimate at the University you are all friends, as opposed to basketball where there are so many people that they are so many people they are not,” said Freechild. “It’s like a close knit community. It’s kinda like being in a fraternity or in the dorms. You automatically have people you are going to be friends with for four years if not longer.”

Named after the founder of the University of Oregon’s Ultimate team, and early advocate for the sport, Henry Callahan, the award is one of the most prestigious for Ultimate players. Before his passing in 1982, Callahan was known as hard-working, charismatic, and spirited on and off the field.

Read more here: http://dailyemerald.com/2013/05/30/dylan-freechild-named-college-opens-most-valuable-player/
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