Cody Baxter – Page 3 – Dodgeball Club-UWP

September 2023 Rookie of the Month- Bryden Hundt

The Rookie of the Month award is an award given monthly to a player voted on by their teammates to recognize all the hard work they have put into the team throughout the month. This month’s recipient is freshman Bryden Hundt. Here’s what he had to say:

Q: How do you feel about receiving the ROTM award?

A: Honestly, shocked, I was not expecting to get the award.

Q: How are you planning on continuing going forward?

A: Nothing is going to change. I’m going to do what I do best, continuing to put my best effort into everything I do and improve my skill.

The following are some thoughts from our team captains on Bryden as a player.

Caleb Laux-Bryden has made an impressive showing so far. He is an athlete who puts in a ton of effort to succeed and has shown great development in his skills, especially blocking. I’m looking forward to seeing his progress at the end of the season.

Nicholas Stocks– Bryden is a Freshman this year but do not under estimate how quick he will run up on the opposing team. His speed will be an important part of UWP’s play style this year. He along with the other rookies have been picking up the game well and always eager to learn more.

Congrats again to Bryden Hundt! We look forward to see who’s next. Go ‘Neers!

September 2023 Baller of the Month- Caleb Laux

The Baller of the Month award is an award given monthly to a player voted on by their teammates to recognize all the hard work they have put into the team throughout the month. This month’s recipient is senior Caleb Laux. Here’s what he had to say:

Q: How do you feel about receiving the BOTM award?

A: Glad, but excited to see who else steps it up this season.

Q: How are you planning on continuing going forward?

A: My job this year is to be a leader on the court, getting better at communication and having a presence on the court is where I will gain the most from this year.

The following are some thoughts from our team captains on Caleb as a player.

Tomas Zander– Caleb Laux is developing into quite the leader. His teammates clearly trust him on the court. He leads by example and by being a vocal leader. Laux has also developed his accuracy this last season. When he combines his speed with that accuracy he will become a nightmare for teams.

Nicholas Stocks– At the end of last season, Caleb developed his throw to be one of the best on the team and it has transferred to this season. He will be someone to watch out for on the court because along with a hard throw he can run up quick on a player. He’s also the club’s vice president and has been doing a fantastic work for the club behind the scenes. On and off the court he has been a great guy to play and work with.

Congrats again to Caleb Laux! We look forward to see who’s next. Go ‘Neers!

Cyclone Clash Review

On October 7^th we attended the first ever Cyclone Clash. This matchup was UWP vs UNL at an agreed neutral location. This allowed both teams to have an easy drive home as well as give Iowa State a taste of what NCDA dodgeball is like in attempts to bring another club into the league. In the end, we left with an 0-2 record and a lot of work to do.

In the first match we struggled to get going, it was not until about halftime that we started to show some signs of life. Once we were able to start getting our offense going and get more ball control we started to last longer, and we did not give up any short points. We struggled with easy drops and errant throws while also running into numerous shot clock violations. After halftime, we came out in the second half showed at times where we could have gotten a point or two but ultimately took steps backwards and let things get out of hand.

After the intermission, we started game two and once again were off to a slow start. However, some of our rookies started to pick up on some aspects of the game and came out of their initial rookie nerves. UNL’s attacks still managed to get the best of us as we struggled to establish our game. We stayed in points longer than we had in the first game, but we still struggled to work as a team with the shot clock and often times let too many throws get away from us. The second game brought some additional excitement as both teams received a yellow card in the second half.

In the end, we were extremely grateful to Iowa State for allowing us to use their facilities for this tournament and hope to see a team develop in the near future. We also had a lot of fun playing our aerial rivals UNL and would like to thank them for a great tournament. An extended thank you also goes out to UW-Stout for coming down and assisting in the officiating side of things. Going forward we have plenty of room for improvement and hope to see more rust shaken off our veterans and also look forward to see more breakout performances from our rookie players.

Our next tournament will hopefully be at MSU on October 28^th followed by our home tournament on November 11th!

Season Preview 2023-24

Another season is upon us and we are ready to get back on the courts! Last year we told ourselves that we were coming out of the gates guns blazing and biting kneecaps on our way back up if we ever fell. The first half of the season we did just that, we had a few tournaments where we ended above .500 and finished the first half of the season with a lot to look forward to. Unfortunately, the second half did not quite go the way we wanted it to. This year we are looking to put that behind us and to take things one step further. We want to continue to grow the culture we started from the previous season and build ourselves up from the inside out. That being said, here is a look at what we have in store.

Baller of the Year Award- Austin Kurey

This is an award that is given to the best player on the court. This individual throws outs, makes catches, provides pressure, and allows the team to compete. The winner is voted on by their teammates and this year’s winner was Austin Kurey. Let’s take a look at the interview below on his thoughts of winning the award.

Most Improved Award- Nicholas Stocks

This award is given to the indivdual that puts in the work and effort to improve and take their game to the next level. They are always looking for ways to get better and want to make an impact on the court. The award is voted on by their teammates and this year’s most improved player is Nicholas Stocks. Let’s take a look at his interview and what he has to say about winning this award!

Rookie of the Year- Dylan Farby

This is award given to a first year player on the team that has put in a lot of effort and makes an impact on the court. They provide us with throws and catches when it is needed the most. The winner is voted on by their teammates and this year’s rookie of the year is Dylan Fabry. Let’s take a look a the interview below and what he thinks of winning this award!

Team Impact Award- Eli Huntley

The Team Impact Award is given to the player that always gives it his all on the court and brings the energy regardless of the score. They know how to rally the team and keep the mood light when it is needed. This individual was voted on by their teammates and the winner of this year’s team imapct award is Eli Huntley. Let’s take a look at his interview on how he feels about winning this award!

2022-23 End of the Year Recap

Just like that another year is in the books. Through the many miles on the road and the late night practices, many memories were made. Fighting through injuries, snow storms, and the long drives through flat never-ending states; we survived. We laughed, we fought, we had our share of sand kicked in our face, but we kept pushing forward.