Each year, awards are presented to teams and individuals in recognition of their embodiment and advancement of Spirit of the Game. The Callahan Award, as well as team and individual spirit awards are presented at the College Championships.
Callahan Award
Since 1996, the Callahan has been awarded annually to the most valuable players in college ultimate. Award nominees display superior skill and athleticism, making the difficult plays that so many players dream about look easy. But the award goes a step further than that.
In addition to their on-field success, winners of the Callahan Award also demonstrate outstanding sportsmanship, leadership and dedication to ultimate – personifying Spirit of the Game.
The award is voted on by current college players, meaning that Callahan Award winners have also earned the respect of their peers.
Team Spirit Award
At the end of each game at the College Championships, teams are asked to rate their opponents’ spirit, as well as their own, in a number of categories, including communication, rules knowledge and fair-mindedness. The scores are averaged, and the team with the highest score is awarded the Team Spirit Award.
Past Award Winners
| Year | Callahan | Team Spirt Award |
| 2023 | Abby Hecko University of Washington |
Victoria |
| 2022 | Dawn Culton University of North Carolina |
Colorado State |
| 2021 | Jasmine Childress University of California-Santa Barbara |
Colorado |
| 2020 | Anne Worth University of North Carolina |
|
| 2019 | Jack Verzuh Dartmouth College |
UCLA |
| 2018 | Jackelyne Nguyen University of California-Berkeley |
Carleton College |
| 2017 | Angela Zhu Dartmouth College |
Stanford |
| 2016 | Marisa Rafter University of California |
Oregon |
| 2015 | Alika Johnston University of Virginia |
Princeton |
| 2014 | Cassie Swafford Ohio State University |
Whitman |
| 2013 | Claire Chastain University of North Carolina-Wilmington |
British Columbia |
| 2012 | Paula Seville University of Michigan |
Florida |
| 2011 | Leila Tunnell University of North Carolina |
Washington University |
| 2010 | Shannon O'Malley University of Washington |
Washington University |
| 2009 | Georgia Bosscher University of Wisconsin |
Southern California |
| 2008 | Courtney Kiesow University of Wisconsin |
Michigan State |
| 2007 | Anna Nazarov UCLA |
Dartmouth |
| 2006 | Alex Snyder University of Colorado |
Colorado |
| 2005 | Cara Crouch University of Texas |
|
| 2004 | Miranda Roth Carleton College |
|
| 2003 | Chelsea Dengler University of Oregon |
Notre Dame |
| 2002 | Pauline Lauterbach Brown University |
Texas |
| 2001 | Lindsay Goldsmith Swarthmore College |
Swarthmore |
| 2000 | Johanna Neumann Tufts University |
Minnesota |
| 1999 | Jody Dozono University of Oregon |
|
| 1998 | AJ Johnson Stanford University |
|
| 1997 | Dominique Fontenette Stanford University |
|
| 1996 | Val Kelly University of Pennsylvania |
Carleton College |
