Ultimate Hall of Fame Class of 2012 Announced

Posted: January 7, 2013 02:57 AM
 
Boulder, Colo. (January 7, 2013) USA Ultimate, the National Governing Body for the sport of Ultimate in the United States, announced today the Class of 2012 for induction into the Ultimate Hall of Fame. The most recent class includes Open division inductees Keay Nakae and Dennis "Cribber" Warsen, as well as Women's division inductees Nancy Leahy Glass and Molly Goodwin.
 
We are really thrilled to announce the latest class of inductees for the Ultimate Hall of Fame," said Dr. Tom Crawford, USA Ultimate Chief Executive Officer. "The Class of 2012 once again represents an impressive variety of outstanding accomplishments and contributions to our sport, and we are proud and honored to recognize these talented individuals and welcome them in to the Hall of Fame.
 
The four newest members were selected by the current USA Ultimate Hall of Fame voting members from the final "Slate of Eight" candidates and comprise the ninth class to be inducted. The finalists were chosen from a highly decorated pool of players and contributors by the USA Ultimate Hall of Fame Vetting Committee as part of an overall selection process that included recommendations from peers and input solicited from the USA Ultimate membership through its fourth annual "Call to Community."
 
"Each year we are presented with the difficult challenge of selecting those who are most deserving of consideration for induction into the Hall of Fame," said Suzanne Fields, Chair of the USA Ultimate Hall of Fame Committee. "This year's class once again embodies the highest level of excellence, as well as the special meaning behind our great sport, that induction into the Hall represents.  "As a fellow Hall of Fame member, I am honored to stand next to each of them."
 
The Ultimate Hall of Fame was established in 2004 to honor the men and women who by their deeds as Ultimate players and contributors, and by the examples of their lives, merit acknowledgement by the individuals involved in the sport. The Ultimate Hall of Fame currently exists as a virtual hall, with a long-term goal to establish a permanent site by 2018 – the 50th anniversary of the sport's founding. The inductees will be honored with a plaque at USA Ultimate headquarters in Boulder and the organization's website, usaultimate.org.

The next Hall of Fame Induction ceremony and celebration will take place at the 2013 Club Championships to honor those inducted in the Hall of the Fame Classes of 2009 through 2013.

 
 

ULTIMATE HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2012:

Open Division
 
Keay Nakae
(Mill Valley, CA)
 


 

A lightning quick all-around player, Keay was one of the few true stars who could be distinguished from the highly athletic and talented players on the Santa Barbara Condors. Feared first as a top notch defender and later as an unstoppable handler, Keay was a master practitioner of his defensive craft. Often referred to as the top defender of the mid-‘80s, Keay was one of those rare players who could dominate a game with his defense, and led the Condors to many victories with countless layout blocks in countless critical situations, and unshakable transition offense.  

From the Hot Sox in the late ‘70s to the Condors in the ‘80s (with a National Championship in 1981) to the Iguanas in the early ‘90s, he was respected and beloved by his opponents, despite the fact that he shut most of them down. Although he was as tough a competitor as they come, Keay was always a champion of Spirit of the Game. He believed that for Spirit of the Game to be relevant, it was the responsibility of the high profile teams and high profile players to exemplify the best of behaviors, which is what he always strived to do.

Keay lives in Mill Valley, CA with his wife Nancy and their two daughters.

  
Dennis "Cribber" Warsen
(Berkeley, CA)



 

Many consider Cribber the best player ever on the best team ever. A lanky lefty 6'5" speedster, he was a key contributor to powerhouse NYNY's unprecedented 6 National and 5 World Championships.

Known as a hard-nosed defender who laid out his long body for blocks with the agility of a gymnast, he struck fear in the hearts of opponents by going deep and scoring at will after a defensive block. Early in his career, he intimidated opponents by pulling down hanging throws that were sitting at 11 feet. Later, he added outrageous throws to his arsenal, including 60 yard hammers, 20 yard scoobers, and looping forehand hucks from anywhere on the field. He ended his career in California playing with Double Happiness and Jam, leading those teams to finals appearances at Club championships and Worlds.

 
Women’s Division

Nancy Leahy Glass
(Chicago, IL) 



 

When you consider the history of Nemesis, Chicago's longstanding women's division national caliber team, THE player associated with this team for over 23 years is Nancy Leahy Glass. Nancy was an original team member, captain and the heart and soul of the team.

She is the only women's player to appear in 16 consecutive Club Championships, including 4 semi appearances in ‘87, ‘95-97  and a finals appearance with Nemaheads ( Nemesis/Fishead combo team ) in 1986.  She enjoyed coaching Northwestern Women's Ultimate and has been an active member of the coaching staff for the Ultimate Peace Organization.  These accomplishments were achieved while raising 3 kids alongside Hall of Fame husband and Windy City Player, Mike Glass.

Nancy's play was emblematic of her approach to the game; while fiercely competitive, she played fair; played tough and played with grit.

     
Molly Goodwin
(Brighton, MA) 

 
 

Molly Goodwin attended UC Berkeley and was a scholarship Division 1 soccer player. She began to play ultimate for Berkeley in 1990 and won a College national title in 1992.  Molly began playing for the Maine-iacs in 1991 & earned her first club national title in 1992.  

In 1994 she played for the National Championship team Felix.  Molly moved to Boston in 1995 to play with Godiva, and contributed to the team's most prolific period of 7 USA Club Championships with a 61-1 record at Club Nationals. Molly went on to win a total of 11 Ultimate Frisbee National & 3 World Championships; the ONLY ultimate player to achieve that many titles.  Molly is considered the most complete ultimate player in the history of the women's game.

      
 
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About USA Ultimate

USA Ultimate serves as the National Governing Body for the sport of Ultimate in the United States. USA Ultimate is a non-profit organization headquartered in Boulder, Colo. and focuses foremost on the needs of its athletes while improving access to the sport and enhancing members’ overall experience. Founded in 1979 as the Ultimate Players Association, USA Ultimate is one of the first flying disc sport organizations in the world and is also the largest with more than 36,000 members and a national volunteer network. Two years ago the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) named Ultimate the fastest-growing team sport in the nation. Internationally, USA Ultimate is a member of the World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF), which is an affiliate of the General Association of International Sport Federations (GAISF) and the International World Games Association (IWGA). USA Ultimate annually fields U.S. National Teams to compete at international events, including The World Games, which operates under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).