The 2019-2020 season comes to an end and it is time to announce the Midway Conference All-Region team. Our Midway Conference consists of: University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL), DePaul University, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, (SIUE), Ball State University (BSU) and the University of Wisconsin Platteville (UWP). This list consists of the top 12 in the conference, voted on by their peers. A special thanks to the players that helped me out with this. Let’s take a look at the results and see who impressed this year!
1. Jared Colden – Wisconsin Platteville
Jared Colden was a co-captain this year for UW-Platteville and he showed why. He made a major improvement from his rookie year from his throwing speed, accuracy, and catching. His ability to catch came out during our first tournament against UNL when he seemed to be catching everything. At UWP’s first home tournament, he showed off his improved arm. He seemed to not be able to miss any target he threw at. Improvements like this is why he is one of the top players at UWP. If Jared Colden keeps improving like he did this year, he could be one of the toughest players to play against in this league.
-Written by JT Warren
2. Jacob Sebranek – Wisconsin Platteville
Jacob Sebranek told his team at the start of the year he trained constantly during the summer and it showed. He was one of the few players at UWP to attend every tournament and the knowledge and experience he picked up developed him as a player. His catching improved from last year and it was shown throughout the different tournaments we attended. Hopefully, Jacob can improve just as much as he did last year for this upcoming season so he can show the league exactly what he is capable of.
-Written by JT Warren
3. Joel Luciano – DePaul
Joel comes in at #3 this year after jumping up from from #7 last year. It is easy to understand why as he has been one of DePaul’s most dominate players on court over the years. He is their strongest thrower and one of their best catchers. One can tell the difference when this guy is on the court versus when he is not for DePaul. He never panics and plays patiently when is team is down and has the energy that his team can rally behind. This guy is returning next year and with another good year he could jump up again, but this time take the MVP spot.
-Written by Erik Zander
4. Esmir Karabas – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
I would have been shocked if this individual did not make the list. He is one of SIUE’s best players and brings a lot of energy to the court. Esmir was a playmaker and was always making plays that helped to turn a point around. His best dodgeball attribute was catching, he could make catch after catch with ease. I would say that he was the best catcher in the Midway region. He was an excellent leader on the court, which allowed for his teammates to get behind him. I’m glad I got to meet him as he was a really cool guy and I look forward to seeing him in the future!
-Written by Erik Zander
5. Robert Gabel – Nebraska
This is well deserved for him as his play impacts how his team does. Robert is a great team player that his teammates can count on. He is an excellent leader and does well at keeping his team organized and disciplined. They always had a game plan and they stuck to it. If they lost their cool or needed to slow things down he could get his squad to do it. It is a big part of why UNL was so successful and why the cornhuskers made it such a challenge in every game against UWP. I look forward to seeing what he will do next year to move himself up the list.
-Written by Erik Zander
6. Josh Dale – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
I’m so glad that he made the list this year and it is well deserved. Josh is always fun to be around and is always making people laugh. On the court, it is a different story, he is just as much as a competitor as the next player. He is a very quick and agile individual, which made him extremely difficult to get out. At any point, he would bait 3 to 4 players to throw at him to give his squad an advantage. Josh also sought out the best players on the other team to improve his talent on the court and I look forward to seeing what he will do next year.
-Written by Erik Zander
7. Daniel Skoumal – Wisconsin Platteville
This individual, also referred to as “New Dan” and to some “Better Dan,” is only in his first year. That has not stopped him from making the list and midway teams from noticing his talent. As a former baseball player, throwing a dodgeball has come naturally for him. His ability to learn and adapt has allowed him to improve his game tremendously in just a short time. He is a competitor, loves playing dodgeball, and leads by example on the court. It is part of why his peers voted him as captain next season. Daniel has been a great addition to the team and I can’t wait to see what he does on the court and how he leads the pioneers this upcoming season.
-Written by Erik Zander
8. Colby Chohrach – Nebraska
Colby came into the team with a killer throw. As a former baseball player, we knew he was going to be good. He practiced hard and never took his natural talent for granted. He worked hard at practice, taking the drills seriously and really throwing himself into the team. I am excited to see what these next few years will bring for him. He is a big part of this team, not only because of his skill, but because of the friendships he made with his teammates. Colby already is one to watch and it’s only going to get better from here.
-Written by Gwendolyn Johnson
9. Zachary Jung – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
This individual was one of the best pinch throwers on SIUE and in the Midway conference. He is up one spot from #10 from last year. Zachary was an excellent leader and was able to organize his team effectively to compete in every point. He always looked for catches and was one of the guys that other teams looked to get out first to reduce his impact on the court.
-Written by Erik Zander
10. Dustin Sprunk – Nebraska
When Dustin joined dodgeball, he joined a team that needed some serious work to become competitive. As time went on, he naturally became a leader on and off the court. He helped with retention and when he became Captain, he really learned how to make the team a force to be reckoned with. Dustin created drills and promoted teamwork like no other. We are lucky to have him as our Captain and are excited to see what he does next.
-Written by Gwendolyn Johnson
11. Christian Prato – DePaul
Christian is one of the most lovable people on our team, with a tremendous passion for dodgeball. Despite his warm fun loving personality, underestimating him will definitely lead to your ball being caught. Christian is a beast at catching and is easily one of our best catchers on our team. He has been leading the team as a captain for the last three years and it’ll be sad seeing him leave the team this year.
-Written by Joel Luciano
T-12. Daniel Brogli – Wisconsin Platteville
Dan Brogli (Dirty Dan) was the Captain of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Dodgeball Club for the 2019-2020 dodgeball season. Dan showed great leadership and court vision. Dan gave many inspiring talks before and during matches and consistently raised team spirit. He was one of the best catchers on the team and had a wicked back-handed throw. Dirty, whether it was practice or at a tournament was always giving his all and led by example.
-Written by Jacob Sebranek
Congrats Dirty on making the list on your last year. I would also like to point out that it looks like New Dan (#7 above) was in fact the “Better Dan”, at least according to the Midway Region. Good luck in the future to you!
-Written by Erik Zander
T-12. Jonathan Huebner – Nebraska
In his last year, I’m glad he was able to once again make the all Midway Conference list. Jonathan was always very active on the court and causing problems for UWP. He was an excellent blocker (which is an underrated skill) and incredibly hard to get out. This allowed UNL to stay in every match until plays could be made to turn points in their favor. On the court, he was an excellent leader, always played smart, and patiently waited for his opportunities to attack. It has been a pleasure to get to know Jonathan over the years and the best of luck to him in the future!
-Written by Erik Zander
Honorable Mention
- Damon Huntley (BSU)
- Joe Perez (SIUE)
- Alex Johnson (UNL)
- Katie Cutler (SIUE)
- Casey Crowe (DePaul)
Final Thoughts– A lot of new faces on the list this year, which is nice to see more players be recognized. Most of the teams in the conference where rebuilding as they lost a lot of skill from the previous year, but it did not keep from the overall talent in the conference from increasing. The games were more competitive and the teams were more active than they have ever been before. It will be fun to watch next season as the majority of the teams will be bringing back the same leadership so we should be in for even more exciting matches. Congratulations to everyone on the list and I’m looking forward to seeing most of you next year!