Biography

Jean Russell began playing ultimate her junior year at Lakewood High School. When she came to the University of Colorado, she made Kali her freshman year and is finishing her 5th year at Boulder this spring. As a second-year captain, Jean’s leadership, dedication and passion for the team have been crucial in Kali’s success. She has been a driving force in bringing the team to Nationals for the past four years, and she is working hard for a successful walk to Milwaukee this season. Both on and off the field, Jean personifies what it means to be a phenomenal teammate. She makes it known to everyone on the team they are valued and fully embraces the Kali weird. Additionally, Jean prioritizes aspects of ultimate outside of play. She is a pillar of Kali’s strong mental toughness and has led gender equity conversations for the Colorado Ultimate men’s and women’s teams. In 2016, she was a camp counselor for the National Ultimate Training Camp, and locally, she has coached Grass Roots Ultimate youth leagues. In 2016, Jean was selected for Second Team All-Region. Shortly after, she had double ankle surgery as a result of long-term ankle problems. However, she prioritized returning to the team as soon as she could and proved her resilience by doing so. She came back and has been an unbelievable role model for the rest of the team in throws, athleticism, commitment and as a leader and teammate. Jean Russell will always be Kali’s gritty, aggressive machine.