Ellen Au-Yeung is the Callahan Nominee for the team this year. The Callahan Award was founded by Charles Kerr, and named for Henry Callahan, one of the original founders of Ultimate. Winners of this award show exceptional sportsmanship, leadership and dedication to Ultimate, in addition to on field success.
On paper, the accomplishments of Ellen Au-Yeung are endless. At only 14 years old, she was the youngest member to represent Canada at WJUC in 2010. Four years later, she led the Canadian women to a silver-place finish at the same tournament in Lecco. She was a game-changer in her first season with the UBC Thunderbirds, the 2015 Rookie of the Year, bringing the team to its first semifinals appearance in years at USAU Nationals. 2017 All-Region First Team, 2017 Second Team All-American, TSC Athlete of the Year…the list goes on and on. Now at the end of her fourth year with UBC, she already has an All-Star Tour and two years with Traffic under her belt. No one can deny the fact that she is one of the best players in the college division this year.
But Ellen is so much more. Her continuous humility is admirable considering her extraordinary talent. She not only leads the team by example with her fearlessness on the field, she is one of the best teammates on the sideline as well. You can always rely on her to be there talking and cheering, always the most positive motivational force on the team. She truly exemplifies the principles of Spirit of the Game, treating opponents with respect and honesty at all times. Her off-season is spent coaching junior teams, helping pass on the virtues of ultimate to the next generation. She is truly one of the most selfless, hard-working women you will ever meet, and the most deserving of the Callahan Award this year.
For more information please visit: http://collegechampionships.usaultimate.org/callahan/ellen-au-yeung/