Magon for Callahan

Iowa State University's Woman Scorned would like to present Magon Liu for the 2012 Callahan award consideration.  As one of two captains on this year's team, Magon's vocal on-field leadership has been an important part of the success of this year's team.  As a player, she has been a tireless underneath cutter/hucker, replacing the void left by last year's Callahan nominee Jessy Erickson.  Magon is typically the initiating cutter in our offense, yet is smart enough to know when to clear to let a teammate take advantage of a mismatch or an out of position defender.  As a thrower, Magon's backhand hucks carried Woman Scorned to a Centex title in Austin, Texas, back in March, even though the sidleines of Michigan in the semis and UCSB in the finals were screaming "No backhand!" every time she touched the disc.  Her quick release huck and field sense skills were on full display that weekend.  Though invaluable as an underneath cutter/hucker, Magon also cuts deep very well.  She isn't necessarily tall, but could write the textbook on legally boxing out her taller defender to take away their best chance at defending the deep throw.  As far as layouts go, she could teach the clinic, they are among the more graceful, effortless looking layouts in the game.  Defensively, she plays the more challenging roles in our different zones, the roles that demand a little more free thinking and are less defined in terms of actual instruction.  As a man-to-man defender, she holds her own against similarly skilled players from opposing teams.  Like most Callahan nominees on the top women's teams, Magon is surrounded by talented and capable teammates.  Not only does her play set the tone as a player, but her leadership drives the team forward.  She stands out among a talented cast of players and yet makes her teammates better by being on the field.

Kevin Seiler;  Coach of Iowa State, #1 CLX 

 Mag has been a leader on Woman Scorned since the day she joined the team. She is always willing to take the time to teach her teammates and serves as a strong leader through her actions on the field. Her love of the game and drive to play her best has been evident since the first time I met her when she was a high school student who came to practice with the college team. She never backs down from a match up and the combination of her superior ultimate skills and athleticism make her a huge threat. As a captain, Mag does a great job of taking input from everyone to represent the entire team in the best possible way. She pushes each player to rise to their potential and inspires others to build their intensity to match hers. Whether it is getting shouty, forcing the D, boosting a huck, or dominating snacks fatty-style, Mag is always there for the team. I am honored to have been her teammate and proud to support her for Callahan 2012.

-Lindsey Gapstur #2 Woman Scorned

Magon Liu has been a leader on Woman Scorned since she stepped on the field when she was a freshman. She has put everything she has into the team. I have gotten to play with her for the last three years. I have seen her excel as both a handler and a cutter. She has the athleticism to play phenomenal defense and the patience to play excellent offense. But she is more then just a player on the field; she is a leader off the field as well. She is one of our co-captains this year and has shown great leadership. She is one of my closest friends and a friend to everyone on our team. She has my vote for Callahan because of her skills on the field, her leadership with our team, and her unending spirit and love for ultimate. 

Sarah Pesch #97 Woman Scorned

Magon Liu is an exceptional ultimate player, and leader. She truly embodies the spirit of the game in the way she plays, and in the way she conducts herself both on and off the field. I am thankful every time I play that Magon is on my team, and not my opponent’s. Her quick feet and experience on defense make her able to shutdown any player, and no one is more fun to play with on offense than she is. Her smart decision making, paired with big throws allow her to throw that big huck when a cutter is striking deep, but she always knows when the under is the right option.
 Magon cares a lot about younger players and works to help players of all skill levels to improve. I have been lucky enough to learn from Magon on both offense and defense. Coming into the team as a freshmen, Magon has helped me since the moment I met her. Personally she pushes me to improve at every practice and game.  She is a work horse, and has gotten where she is today because of many years of hard work. She leads by example; always pushing herself hard during workouts, holding herself accountable for her mistakes, and pushing herself toward perfection. She is a team player and  is always working towards team success not her own glory.  For these reasons and many more I am proud to nominate my teammate and friend for this honor.

Cami Nelson #16 Woman Scorned

Just incase you haven't seen the video.