Selected out of over 150 nominations based on their skills on the pitch and ability to be a good ambassador for the sport and the United States, meet the 21 first string and 21 reserve players who have been chosen to represent the United States at the Olympic Expo Games in Oxford, England this summer. If any first string player cannot make the trip to England, the next reserve player of the same gender and position will be offered the spot. Congratulations! Athletes will receive instructions soon.

Name: Lawrence Lazewski
Team: Michigan State University
Position: Chaser

Chasing on the Michigan State Spartan Spitfires and being a head referee at official tournaments for over three years, few people in the quidditch world that know the sport better than Lawrence Lazewski. His history as a varsity athlete in track, soccer, and baseball along with his being a volunteer firefighter are no doubt contributing factors to Lazewski’s success. In fact, he is the leading scorer in the history of MSU quidditch. His lightning speed and impressive accuracy as a chaser makes Lazewski  first-string material in every position, bringing his intensity and passion to the pitch.

Name: Jared Sipe
Team: University of Minnesota
Position: Keeper

A member of the quidditch program at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities since his freshman year, Sipe has developed into world class keeper. He is an invaluable athlete on the pitch – his skill and teamwork became key assets in helping the 81st ranked Minnesota Quidditch defy all expectations in its journey to the Final Four at World Cup V. His experience in soccer, basketball, and lacrosse contribute to Sipe’s top-notch athletic ability, strong presence on the pitch, admirable sportsmanship, and great leadership.

Name: Tyler Macy
Team: Ball State University
Position:  Seeker

Participating in official matches all across the Midwest since his team’s creation, Macy has fought for Ball State Quidditch with extreme dedication since 2009. He is also the BSQL President, with natural leadership and effective communication, contributing  a big role in the fundraising for the Midwest Cup. On top of this experience, Macy’s athletic statistics are incomparable. In his career, he has snatched 19 of 23 snitches—a ratio that has been continually improving over time. In conjunction with his extreme speed and intense stamina,  Macy has a recorded 4:58 mile. On the other side of the galleon, he has tried his hand at snitching, where the record-breaking continues: two matches at the Midwest Cup were called by the referees due to time constraints when Macy was uncaught after an average of 60 minutes.

Name: Matthew Ziff
Team: University of Miami
Position:  Beater

They say that a person’s wing-span shouldn’t exceed his height, but Matthew Ziff defies nature. Standing at 5’8″ with a 6’5″ wing-span, and a whip of an arm developed through playing high school baseball, Ziff is naturally built to play beater. While stats for beater aren’t yet measured in the world of quidditch, U Miami probably wouldn’t have gone 4-0 in pool play at the World Cup without some fantastic beater play from Ziff. In addition to his impressive stats on the field, Ziff has earned great success as a young actor, and is currently counted among IMDB’s top 100 actors under 25. He is never afraid to leverage his film success to promote quidditch (an article released by his agent about his World Cup participation was published by over 100 international news outlets online), and a pilot currently being pitched to HBO that he is acting in strongly features his quidditch team. This of course gives him an impressive online following – he has over 117,000 followers on twitter and more than 25,000 likes on his page “Matt Ziff for Team USA.”

Name: Sean Pagoada
Team: USF
Position: Chaser/Seeker

As captain of the USF team, Pagoada has played in over 40 ranked games this year alone and led his squad to the #4 spot in the league this season. His team went 4-0 in pool play at World Cup, averaging over 100 points offensively with Pagoada accounting for an average of more than five goals per game. He organized and led the fundraising efforts to bring his team to World Cup V and even helped set up travel arrangements for more than a dozen fans that flew to New York to support them. Having played football for his entire high school career and basketball his whole life, Pagoada is a natural athlete and a talented leader and organizer.

Name: Kedzie Chase Teller (Yes, his middle name is actually Chase. Coincidence? We think not)
Team: Boston University
Position: Chaser

Teller was recruited to BU for sprints on the BU D1 track team his freshman year. Eventually, he found a spot on the BU quidditch team. He has competed with the team since Fall 2009 (still the era of the capes) and has been a starting chaser since his first competition. He is a 3-year World Cup squad starter and a 2-year World Cup squad captain who, as a chaser, is 100% first-to-quaffle record in all inter-BU competitions. He helped lead the team to 3rd place finish at World Cup III, racking up the highest total number of goals for the team in 2009. He has also led his team toward victories at the First Annual BU Winterfest, Northeast Regionals, and UMass Lily & James Potter Memorial tournament, as well to a sweet 16 finish at World Cup V, losing to Middlebury by a snitch-grab. Teller has worked alongside his sister, founder of BEACON Collaborations (formerly Teller Marketing Solutions), for three years, learning the ins and outs of proper event planning and marketing strategy. For World Cup III, he sat outside the university dining hall to fundraise money to put towards his team’s journey to Middlebury, Vermont. In the end, he earned enough money to help with transportation and to purchase the team’s dinner that night. Teller was also one of the key organizers that ran planning and marketing for the Championship series tournament for the Boston Cannons lacrosse opener.

Name: Allison Gillette
Team: Emerson College
Position: Beater

Allison has been playing quidditch since fall 2009. She has played for three World Cup teams and was captain the latter two years.  She brought Emerson to many Northeastern tournaments and has played a large part in facilitating intercollegiate games in Boston between teams like Tufts, BU, and Brandeis. During Allison’s leadership at Emerson, she created a stat-keeping position for all of their games. As a beater, the drive and heart with which she plays the game brings energy to the entire team. Her strong, clean play allows her to take on the best beaters of either gender, and she has saved countless goals for keepers by knowing where to be with her bludger. As Emerson’s Commissioner from 2011-2012, Allison has been the commander-in-chief of the fundraising effort, as ECQ gets no funding from the university. Thanks to Allison, the IQA was able to host the IQA Champions Series tournament for the Boston Cannons Lacrosse opener in April.

Name: Jessica Klein
Team: NY Badassilisks
Position: Chaser/Seeker

Jessica has played for the Badassilisks since March of 2011, excelling in over 25 matches against many IQA teams including, Yale, Vassar, Stony Brook, Purdue, MaCaulay, NYU, Hofstra, Pitt, Maryland, and Villanova. She is the Badassilisks’ #1 ranked female Chaser, working  as a facilitator on offense and racking up more than 30 assists, 6 goals, and playing a stellar defense. Jessica is often a “starting seeker,” which allows her another chance to shine as she is great at keeping her opposing Seeker at bay. Jessica is a team-player who emphasizes communication with her teammates, whether she’s playing with the Badassilisks or as a mercenary, and understands the values of dedication and perseverance when it comes to fundraising. She has raised funds for many causes, most notably for her own organization – “Raise Your Voice” for Autism. The organization was founded 2 years ago, and she puts on annual “Paint the Town Blue” fundraisers to raise money for autism awareness with all the proceeds going to the Autism Society.

Name: Missy Sponagle
Team: UCLA
Position: Chaser

Missy Sponagle is a badass. With a long history in organized sports, she is not only fearless, but shows an impressive command of strategy and awareness of her surroundings the pitch. Her speed and strength are legend in the West, and she is known for never backing down or missing an opportunity for a score or an assist. Off the pitch, she is relentlessly positive, and a friend and mentor to her teammates. Missy is an active leader on her team, in charge of travel booking, field reservations, and captaincy on the pitch.

Name: Billy Greco
Team: Villanova
Position: Seeker

Billy is one of the Mid-Atlantic Region’s top seekers, with snitch catches too innumerable to list in their entirety. Having played in almost four dozen official matches over the past three years, Billy has lost fewer than a tenth of the snitch catches when it matters (SWIM). In a recent match at the Stony Brook Classic, Billy displayed his tenacity by following a snitch up a tree, broom and all, and making the snatch. A remarkable leader, Billy has also captained the Villanova team for the past three years, including to first place finishes at the 2011 Brotherly Love Cup and the Deathly Hallows Expo Tournament.

Name: James Hicks
Team: University of Maryland
Position: Keeper

James is a fearsome keeper for the University of Maryland team who was also recruited to play as a member of the Northeast All-Star team at the Champions Series. Hicks seems to block shots as if by magic, and he uses his tremendous wingspan to snatch passes right out of the air. Hicks also possesses the exceptional ability to marshal his chasers for an offensive assault. With a nickname like “Master Jedi,” James is certainly a Force to be reckoned with on both ends of the pitch.

Name: Michael “Yada” Parada
Team: Penn State
Position: Chaser

A former Division 1 runner, Yada uses his speed as well as his strength to excel on the pitch. The only number higher than Yada’s goals per game is the number of “best of” quidditch blogs in which he’s been featured. His ability to weave in and out of defending chasers and beaters leaves him well placed to receive a pass, or to carry the quaffle in himself for a dunk on the keeper. A threat from any part of the pitch, Yada’s agility and energy make him prime candidate to represent Team USA.

Name:  Zach D’Amico
Team: Villanova
Position: Chaser

As well loved off the pitch as he is feared on it, Zach D’Amico is a multi-talented player who will bring all facets of his experience to bear on the US national team. Having competed alongside players from across the country, Zach is familiar with many varied styles of play and is able to use them effectively against even the most formidable defenses. With a reputation that precedes him, Zach will use his skills, experience, and innate quidditch knowledge to score goal after goal in the UK as he has done on this side of the Atlantic.

Name: Brad Armentor
Team: Louisiana State University
Position: Chaser

Brad has been an integral part of the LSU team since joining in his freshman year in the fall of 2009. He has been a leader both on and off the pitch for the past two years after LSU’s Vice-President resigned and Brad step up and filled in the position in Spring of 2011. This past fall, he was elected by his fellow teammates as one of three co-captains of the team and has helped LSU to a pretty successful year. Armentor has always tried to keep friendly with other teams and players throughout the league. Brad has also proven that he has no problem spending money for the sake of quidditch, given that he has traveled to three World Cups, Snow Cup, and Western Cup all out of pocket.  Brad has fundraising and organizational experience through his positions as Vice President and Captain of the LSU squad, as well as through various organizations in high school.

Name: Mollie Lensing
Team: Texas A&M University
Position: Beater

In her three years on the Texas A&M quidditch team, Lensing has grown into one of the best known beaters in the league. She has all the basic necessities of an efficient beater: power, accuracy, timing, agility and speed. However, the quality that sets Mollie apart from most beaters is the intelligence she puts into her position. She sees the risk in every option available to her and always knows when the perfect time is to terminate an offense.  But in all these skills, the thing that makes her the greatest is her teamwork and cooperation. As a beater, she always makes sure her team has double bludger possession, and she always makes decisions that are best for her entire team. Aside from being a player, Mollie has also become a highly intelligent coach. Extracting all the knowledge and experience from the last three World Cups, the last the Texas A&M Classics, the Western Cup, and many other tournaments, she has coached the Texas A&M quidditch team this last year to be one of the fiercest teams in existence. Mollie also acted as treasurer for a year during her time at A&M helping to fundraise and organize several events for quidditch.

Name: Augustine Monroe
Team: University of Texas
Position: Keeper

Augustine is ready to represent the U.S. and the sport of quidditch in a manner that will increase the respect for both on the world stage. Augustine is known for his genuine character from his teammates and works tirelessly to be the best on and off the pitch. Augie is capable of putting on an exciting show, never gets tired, and is a competitor at heart with a well-rounded athletic background. In high school he competed in sports such as football, basketball, ran track, and even dabbled in some pole vaulting his senior year because he wanted to try something new. With his athletic background in team sports, he is a natural team player who knows when to pass the ball off. He is a versatile player that is able to excel at any position, but specializes in the keeper zone. Augustine is also a Dean’s Ambassador for the University Of Texas School Of Social Work, with an officer’s position on the Social Work Council and has helped bring money into the organization through t-shirt sales, donations, and connecting with different bodies of student government.

Name: Melissa White
Team: Louisiana State University
Position: Chaser

Better known as Sugar, Melissa is anything but sweet on the pitch. An integral member of the elite LSU team, Melissa has been a critical component in all their victories ever since she joined the team three years ago. What makes Melissa so unique is her deadly combination of intelligence, raw athleticism, and unselfishness. She is able to play all facets of the game: ball possession (or the lack thereof), defense, or in transition. It’s certain you will feel her impact on the field. During intra-team scrimmages the gender rule is often ignored for her team to accommodate the fact that she’s a force to be reckoned with on the pitch.

Name: Sarah “Phantom” Kneiling
Team: Louisiana State University
Position:  Beater

Sarah started playing as an original member of the LSU team that formed in Spring 2008. She has four years of World Cup playing experience having attended each at Middlebury and in New York City.  She has competed in 14 tournaments and mini-tournaments in her time playing quidditch. Sarah’s endurance lasts through several hard games and will still perform well deep into a tournament bracket. Sarah has incredible skill at retaining her bludger and despite her small size can handle taking a hard hit. Sarah’s tenacity is one of her greatest strengths. No matter how sick, tired, or desperate, she will not give up nor allow her team to do so. Sarah ran the LSU club as president from the fall of 2009 until the end of this semester and is also a member of the Rules Council as well as the Gameplay department for the IQA. Sarah has experience in dance, has reached a 2nd degree senior black belt, swam competitively for 10 years, as well as having played soccer in high school.

Name: Vanessa Goh
Team: UCLA
Position:  Chaser

Vanessa Goh has risen to prominence in the quidditch world extraordinarily quickly. As a starting chaser on UCLA’s line, she had a standout performance at Western Cup III, and was soon playing at the Champions Series under the West’s banner. Vanessa uses a quick, aggressive style of play, and is not the largest fan of taking ‘no’ for an answer.

Name: Willie Jackson
Team: Arizona State University
Position: Keeper

When squaring to block Willie Jackson, it is best to reassess where survival ranks on your list of priorities. In the keeper zone, Willie is a formidable defender of his hoops, moving with an agility that doesn’t at all match his size. Outside the keeper zone, where he is frequently found, Willie a steamroller with a volleyball with an impressive ability to block incoming bludgers. Though he has a distinct tendency toward cards of various colors, Willie is a friendly team player with very effective communication skills on the field.

Name: August Danger Lührs
Team: USC
Position: Chaser

August Danger Lührs is more than a top knot and an umlaut. He is a skilled and fleet-footed chaser who makes a habit of leading offenses and acting as the playmaker on his team. August uses his size and
strength to his great advantage, making him a very difficult player to stop-that is, unless you are UCLA rival and Team USA teammate Missy Sponagle. Both off the pitch and on, he goes out of his way to be considerate and friendly, making it really difficult to be angry with him as he scores again and again on you.

Reserve Players

Name: Ronell Sharp
Team: University of Kansas
Position: Chaser

Sharp’s natural athletic abilities developed through playing football translate very well onto the quidditch pitch. He is fast, strong, incredibly agile, has great range and accuracy on his shots and passes, and has terrific athletic instincts and game-smarts. While being an excellent defender, Sharp strives to be the best and play up to his level of competition. Unlike many others in the IQA, he has had the wonderful opportunity to travel and play quidditch with other communities and teams, hailing from Kansas but having played competitively beyond his own region in tournaments such as the Snow Cup and Western Cup, meshing fluidly with his new teammates.

Name: Kody Marshall
Team: University of Texas
Position: Chaser

In fall of 2011, Kody made the UT varsity traveling team and quickly earned the nickname “Fan Favorite.” He traveled with the then unknown and underrated Texas team to World Cup V, where Kody and his fellow Longhorns shocked the quidditch community by finishing 9th overall. This semester, Kody has established himself as an irreplaceable asset to the team’s success, helping lead Texas to first place finishes in two of the three major Southwest tournaments. In high school, he started on the varsity wrestling team all four years, won district twice, and got 4th place at the state wrestling tournament. He has been named Dean’s Ambassador of the School of Social Work, and serves as a representative of the Dean and College to the community. Kody also currently is chairperson to two committees: Bachelors of Social Work and After Work Activism. He holds a position in the University of Texas Senate, where he has been elected to represent the voice of the entire student body. Finally, Kody is the President of Social Work Council, the governing voice of the School of Social Work.

Name: Devin Sandon
Team: University of Rochester
Position: Chaser

Devin has played quidditch for two years, beginning in the fall of his freshman year. Devin is a very athletic individual, with a very strong sports background. Devin, in the last six years, has played soccer, ultimate, track, cross country, quidditch, and wrestled. Prior to high school, Devin tried a number of sports for at least a few years, including basketball, baseball, hockey, and even gymnastics. In high school, Devin worked hard to become a top-notch wrestler, where he took a spot on the high school varsity team, beat the number three in the state in his weight class, and later served as captain in his senior year. Devin may only have a couple years of Quidditch experience under his belt, but he is one of the high scoring chasers for the Thestrals. He plays fairly aggressively despite his size, challenging and tackling far larger players without hesitation. Devin can certainly take a hit, but for the most part he doesn’t have to as he tends to pass opponents without giving them any real chance to make a hit, or simply leaves them leaning the wrong way. Devin is very fast in a straight sprint, but his agility is equally dangerous. He also has experience with event planning, as he was the tournament director that organized the ShamROC Cup at U of R.

Name: Daniel Daugherty
Team: Bowling Green State University
Position: Chaser

Though he is Bowling Green State University’s highest scoring chaser, Daugherty can also block most bludgers, tackle opponents, intercept the quaffle, and help his keepers block shots. In addition to being an exceptional player, he is first and foremost a classy and respectable athlete. Daugherty knows the rules like the bck of his hand and has never been carded in any match, showcasing an extreme dedication and clean sportsmanship that is not common enough in the world of sports.

Name: Sean Snipes
Team: University of South Florida
Position: Chaser

Sean is part of the one-two knockout punch in the chaser game (along with Pagoada) that makes USF such a powerhouse on the quidditch pitch. He has massive speed and agility that allows him to complete unbelievable drives through a thick defense, but he has never earned a reputation as a ball hog. He is known on his team for making particularly smart passes and setting picks to take bludger hits and help his teammates score. Lastly, his strong compatibility with Pagoada is not limited to the field – he also assisted with making the travel arrangements and spearheading fundraising for the Bulls to go to World Cup V.

Name: Chris Morris
Team: University of Texas
Position: Chaser

Chris has a strong work ethic both on and off the pitch. He has led the UT varsity quidditch team as captain since its beginning. He led the practices and planned out each one to cater to UT’s specific weaknesses at the time. Chris works hard to improve as a player every day, constantly reviewing film and creating new strategies and moves to use on the pitch that will keep the opponents guessing. Chris is well-versed in all positions in order to maintain an all-encompassing view of the sport from the perspective of all positions. Chris is an enthusiastic player who always has a good attitude about everything. Chris’s fundraising experience includes creating the Texas Quidditch calendar with Jacob Adlis. They organized the whole team and took pictures and researched websites to find the best price to make the calendars. The calendar is currently selling very well and will be the most profitable fundraiser the UT quidditch team has done.

Name: Patrick Rardin
Team: University of Maryland
Position: Chaser

Always reliable for at least an easy 30 points per game, Patrick “Hat Trick” Rardin has the skills and savvy to be any defending player’s nightmare. Whether he’s deflecting bludgers with the quaffle or powering past opposing chasers, Patrick will rack up the points for his team while proving a nearly impenetrable force on defense. With a serious desire to win and a deep love of the game, Patrick’s position on the Mid-Atlantic All-Star team at Champions Series was well earned, as will be all the accolades he is sure to continue to receive in the future.

Name: Sarah Holub
Team: University of Texas
Position: Chaser

Sarah joined the Texas quidditch team in the spring of 2011. Before she entered the world of quidditch, she mistakenly believed a quaffle was something called a “volleyball” and played an entirely different game with it throughout high school. She received various accolades and was named captain her junior and senior year. Track and general sport conditioning have taught Sarah how to remain in shape and basketball prepared her for the constant motion in quidditch. But no sport prepared her more than softball. For obvious reasons, it gave Sarah a rocket of an arm, aim and precision to accompany it. Sarah hosts a YouTube quidditch show, The Pitch, that was started this semester by herself and fellow teammates Kody Marshall, Jacob Adlis, and Lauren Carter. Together the team spends hours acquiring footage and interviews, monitoring the quidditch world, coming up with content, scripting and filming the show, and forging bonds with other players across the nation to ensure that The Pitch is a complete representation of the sport. Sarah is a Public Relations major, so it is quite literally her job to gain press, recognition, funding, and support for her organization through creative means at no cost. This knowledge will lend itself perfectly to funding a United States quidditch team. She has been able to practice these tactics through her involvement with UTPRSSA and Texas Tower PR. In the past year alone, Sarah was able to fund her own trip to Ireland for a month as well as her journey to World Cup V.

Name: Alexis Bristor
Team: Arizona State University
Position: Chaser

Alexis Bristor is a team player. As a chaser, she focuses on making sure her team gets the point, not that she scores it. In addition to her assists, she is noteworthy for her defensive play, speed, and impressive field positioning. Alexis is also an effective leader and team captain, having founded, spearheaded creative fundraising efforts for, and led ASU for its entire tenure in existence. Finally, AMERICA.

Name: Sara Dugan
Team: University of Pittsburgh
Position: Chaser

Talented and dedicated, Sara makes an ideal chaser in any team’s starting lineup. A member of a mere seven-person Pittsburgh team that placed second out of a field of 14 at the 2011 Empire Classic, and many other tournament teams besides, Sara’s passion for the sport is evident in her playing style. As Pittsburgh’s Operations Manager, Sara helps to lead a highly respected squad both off the field and on, as she did to a second-place finish at the 2011 Midwest Cup, and a sixth-place finish at World Cup V. With her experience and skill, Sara is surely in the upper echelon of the nation’s chasers.

Name: Zac Connelly
Team: University of Maryland
Position: Beater

An immensely talented and experienced Beater, Zac is a regular presence on the University of Maryland’s tournament rosters, where he won’t hesitate to lead a friendly chaser up the field, nor to sit back on defense and take his opponents out one by one. Zac’s specialty is his ability to snipe opposing players by hurling bludgers at them all the way from the other side of the pitch, which almost always find their mark with enough velocity to ricochet and take out multiple players. Crowd-pleasing and effective, Zac’s skills are sure to leave opponents open-mouthed, if only because their jaws hurt too much from bludger hits to close them.

Name: Kody LaBauve
Team: Louisiana State University
Position: Beater

Kody LaBauve is an extremely talented, smart beater. He knows when intimidation will be enough to force a bad pass (in which situation his speed allows him to turn and bludge the player the pass was intended for while the quaffle is still in the air), and his nickname “Sniper” couldn’t be more accurate. Quidditch blogger The Golden Snitchy once said of LaBauve “…his true talent lies in the fact that he is very nearly as accurate from a good ten yards away. And he throws his bludgers with such intensity that if you try to block, you’re losing your quaffle and the bludger is probably still going to hit you on its way down.” Not only is he a very gifted athlete, but he is just as incredible off the pitch. He is friendly and is always willing to help anyone out, even if they are on rival teams. He doesn’t hesitate to share his knowledge of the game in hopes of bettering the sport in general. He has a genuine love for quidditch, and a desire to see it grow which would make him a great representative of this amazing community.

Name: Steven Tindula
Team: UCLA
Position: Beater

Steven Tindula is a strategist. As a captain, he is the mastermind behind his team’s defensive strategy,band is no slouch on offense either. He has incredible field vision, making him as much of an asset on the sidelines as in play. This is to say nothing of his water polo-trained cannon of an arm, his conservative use of bludgers, and his ability to succinctly read his opponents. Steven would be a major part of any Team USA victory, and would be able to teach all players, whether his own or his opponents, something new about the game in Great Britain.

Name: Ashley Novitsky
Team: University of Minnesota
Position: Beater

Despite being a freshman, this University of Minnesota beater is already making a name for herself in the quidditch network. One of the most intimidating athletes in the game, Novitsky’s fantastic bludger control and phenomenal beater play at World Cup V even merited recognition from the IQA Head Referee, Chris Beesley. Off the pitch, she is a pivotal member of Minnesota Quidditch’s fundraising efforts. Novitsky is the Design Chair on their Board, which means she is responsible for  creating all artwork from t-shirts to fliers. Because of her, Novitsky’s team was able to engage in effective marketing and execute large-scale fundraising, such as hosting a sold out 800-person Yule Ball which brought in nearly $14,000 in revenue.

Name: Rebecca Der
Team: Emerson College
Position: Beater

‘Becca’ is a fierce competitor on the quidditch pitch. She is always the go-to person for getting and maintaining bludger control, and works with her partner to create a cohesive team of beaters. With two years on the Berserkers (Emerson’s house team), one year on Emerson’s World Cup team (one semester B team, one semester A team), Becca has always stood out on the pitch. Her enthusiasm and commitment to the sport is found in a few players. At Emerson, she left a reputation of being the best defensive beater – her fellow players coined her style the “Becca Der method.” She is supportive of her team, and no matter what, she keeps a positive attitude. She is extremely dedicated to the sport and her teammates and gives it her all when she is on AND off the field. Becca has worked as an intern for the IQA for two years.  She helped organize the World Cup in 2010 by calling and e-mailing companies to raise money and ask for donations for the event. She organizes players from local Boston colleges for film shoots. At Emerson, she was on the Quidditch marketing team, which organized events like a dance, a trivia night, a movie night, and the New England Cup. She also fundraised for Emerson Quidditch by running swag sales.

Name: Kara Levis
Team: UCLA
Position: Beater

Once you’ve seen Kara Levis throw a bludger, you don’t forget it, and not only because of the bruise. Kara’s unorthodox throwing style has made her a fearsome foe and a key ally on the pitch, and her incredible tenacity in unrivaled. Kara has also been actively engaged in the quidditch community, developing relationships with other players and teams as UCLA’s most active ambassador. As a member of the leadership group and the team’s fundraising chair, she has been equally involved in bettering and supporting her team off the field.

Name: Connor Drake
Team: Kansas
Position: Chaser

With three years of experience, Drake has perfected a point guard style of keeping for the University of Kansas. He controls the offense with speed, ball handling ability, and field vision. On top of those skills, Drake is able to read beaters to see how to pace the offense and is hard to stop for anybody playing defense against him because he knows how to lead with his body so as to not be slowed down or be backed down by defenders. After making a splash at the Midwest Cup, Drake impressively helped his team fundraise $10,000 in the span of 4 weeks in order to travel to World Cup V.

Name: Brendan Stack
Team: Boston University
Position: Keeper

Stack is a very capable keeper with experience on varsity volleyball, basketball and crew teams. He has the speed to outrun the opponent’s fastest chasers, as well as the size and the agility to score on the other side of the pitch. His impossibly long arms make him one of the most adept shot-blockers out there. Stack’s understanding of the game has allowed him to push his offense so he can act as a fourth chaser, if needed. Using his position on the pitch as well as his high vantage point, Stack sees the whole pitch, allowing him to direct and assign his defenders when needed. As well as having a presence on the pitch, Stack has proven himself an ambassador of the sport and of BU. He has succeeded in making friends on every team he plays. He also has done fundraising since high school, from annual pancake breakfasts and “Learn-To-Row” days for crew to raising over $1000 for a fun-filled eating competition for his fraternity. Stack has been appointed as his frat’s Athletic Chair to organize and set up the brotherhood’s intramural teams.

Name: James Maska
Team: Ives Pond QC
Position: Keeper

James has been with Ives Pond for two years and has two World Cups as well as numerous tournaments under his belt. James Maska is the Patrick Roy of quidditch. If one cared to look at Ives Pond’s recent scores from tournaments, they’d note that the most a team has scored against, prior to a snitch catch, is 30 points. Nothing gets by this guy easily. He’s tall, quick, aggressive, and also probably the nicest guy you’ll ever met. James also was a huge help with organizing the Ives Pond Invitational this year and has great organizational skills. At the last minute, James took charge of the invitational tournaments as a director to make sure things went over smoothly until he was able to get more volunteers to help out.

Name: Isaac Salazar
Team: Texas A&M University
Position: Seeker

Isaac has more than four years of quidditch experience since he joined the Texas A&M team when the Howarth twins founded. He was elected Slytherin team captain for 2009 and 2011. Isaac is wicked fast and determined in his position. Though he may not look it, Isaac is surprisingly strong and uses his strength to catch snitches off guard. Despite his already impressive skill set, it is his wily moves that set him apart from others. Isaac has made several leaping, flipping, or behind the back snitch grabs in his career and helped A&M to their impressive semi-final finish at the latest World Cup. Isaac is also known for his perfect tournament at the last Southwest Regional where he went 7/7 in snitch grabs.

Name: David Gutierrez
Team: Texas A&M University
Position: Seeker

David has been a member of the Texas A&M quidditch team for three years, and he has always been a big asset to the team. He was elected president after his first year of joining, and as president, he formed intercollegiate practices with scheduled regimens, conditioning, drills, and scrimmages. During his presidency, he led Texas A&M to scoring the highest point differential in pool play at WC IV, and spearheaded the round of 16 game against an amazing team, Emerson. David also organized the 1st and 2nd Texas A&M Classics and acted as Head Ref Coordinator at this year’s Classic. Unfortunately, he had to resign presidency after a year due to a heavy class load and was unable to make it to a lot of practices last September. Even though he didn’t make the WC team because of it, he organized a community, or secondary, team called the Silver Phoenixes, that competed in the WC and placed 32nd overall. He is now finishing out his last year at Texas A&M playing as chaser on the Texas A&M quidditch team. As far as shape and skill goes, David is in the shape of his life. He is on a semi-pro soccer team in Huntsville and plays on two intramural competitive soccer teams at A&M. His strong suit is definitely his speed and quickness. He can move through or around players with incredible agility. David was also the financial investor for the Silver Phoenixes and single-handedly purchased their uniforms.

Referee

Name: Dan Hanson
Team: Lost Boys

Dan Hanson is widely regarded as one of the best referees in the world of quidditch. He is also one of the most beloved. Dan made his start at Emerson College, where he competed with one of the best teams in the league. After graduating, Dan moved to Los Angeles, California, where he is co-captain of the Lost Boys quidditch team. Dan has three years of playing all non-seeker positions and refereeing all positions. He has been a writer for Quidditch Quarterly for one year, and is also a writer for SnitchCenter; he has also guest reported for SnitchCenter and The Pitch, and was recently named to the Referee Development Team and Rules Council.

Snitch

Name: Bryan Bae
Team: Ringling College of Art and Design

Bryan Bae is one of the most experienced snitches in the Florida Quidditch Conference. He has an average game length of well over 30 minutes, and holds the record for the longest game ever snitched in the FQC at over 48 minutes (between the #1 and #2 ranked teams in the region). He has also snitched the longest of any snitch in the FQC. Bryan snitched during World Cup V, and quickly became one of the most popular snitches due to his athleticism and showmanship. His combination of agility, strength, and creativity make him the perfect snitch for the biggest stages in quidditch. He doesn’t rely on gimmicks or cheap hideaways to evade seekers, but rather uses those sorts of things to entertain more than evade. He frequently uses audience interaction, but still has the stamina and brute strength to grapple and throw seekers away from him for incredibly long periods of time, while still keeping it interesting for those watching.

Reserve Snitch

Name: Mason Kuzmich
Team: Texas A&M University

Mason Kuzmitch has made a name for himself this year due to his outstanding snitch abilities. Mason is widely regarded amongst Southwestern teams to be the best in the region, and also the best in the league. Mason has a very unique style about him that sets him apart from other snitches. Mason uses his incredible strength to maneuver seekers away or force them to the ground. He also has amazing endurance and it is not uncommon for him to snitch more than one hour long game at a tournament. Mason knows how to use the seekers momentum against them, and often times he will use defensive seekers as weapons against each other. He will certainly make the seeker earn their catch.