King 5 Athlete of the Year Presentation on Live TV!

2009 King 5 Male Athlete of the Year Award

Jesse Bolton is a stand-out in the Ultimate Frisbee community, but not just on the field.  He is both well-known and loved, as one of Jesse’s most striking qualities is that he never forgets a name, and once he has met someone—even if only briefly—he greets that person by name and with a smile every time they meet thereafter. 

Having only played Ultimate Frisbee for a little over three years, his list of accomplishments is remarkable.  Of the three medals contended for in the 2009 SUBWAY® Washington Games Ultimate Frisbee Tournament, Jesse won all three gold medals.  In 2008, he did the same and won all four possible gold medals in stunning fashion.  In addition to his success within the state, Jesse also represented Seattle for an elite team this past summer that placed fourth in the country at the National Youth Club Championships.

While his talent is undeniable, his ability to be a leader is just as impressive.  Joe Bisignano, commissioner of the SUBWAY® Washington Games Ultimate Frisbee Tournament, mentioned a specific instance when Jesse showed his true ability.  “This year I made the teams with full knowledge of Jesse’s skills and thus placed a whole lot of talent on the other teams.  I thought I had done my job well when his team went down 10 to 6 in a game to 11 in the first round.  I walked away to check on other games, but when I looked back a few minutes later, his team was celebrating its thrilling comeback—scoring the last five points in a row to win the game.  When I asked what happened, his coach said ‘Jesse was a really good leader…and helped coach the team while still playing.’”

In the midst of a busy competition and school schedule, over the past school year you could find Jesse at Asa Mercer Middle School volunteering his time.  After asking his high school to rearrange his schedule, Jesse volunteered to coach the new sixth graders at his old school every Friday.  “In addition to helping set up drills, demonstrate skills and explain concepts, Jesse’s biggest impact is harder to see.  And that is the simple fact that he is there, as an engaged, focused, motivated young man, staying connected and giving back to his community.  The impact that he has on incoming sixth graders is hard to measure but is profound,” says Sam Terry, coach at Asa Mercer Middle School.

Jesse’s ability, both on and off the field, to positively affect so many lives within the Ultimate Frisbee community is amazing for just a 15 year old.  He is respected by his teammates, coaches and even opponents, and has become a role model for many youth athletes.  It is an honor to present Jesse with the King 5 Male Athlete of the Year Award for the 2009 SUBWAY® Washington Games.

While most kids enjoy their summer vacation relaxing, Cassidy Seidl can be found at Rain City Fencing Center in Bellevue instructing and competing.  Her story begins six years ago and has developed into several national rankings and a level of respect that is uncharacteristic for a 15 year old athlete.  Cassidy started fencing when she was eight and became nationally ranked by the time she was just ten.  She has continued to excel in the fencing arena, often competing against athletes much older than herself.  Competition is not the only thing that brings Cassidy to Rain City Fencing Center, however.

Cassidy has been a teaching assistant in beginning classes and camps at Rain City Fencing Center for the last several years.  She works well with both kids and adults and is true leader amongst her peer group of competitive fencers.  Even as set-up for the 2009 SUBWAY® Washington Games Fencing Tournament took place, Cassidy was consumed with helping instruct a youth fencing class.  Says her coach, Stephen Colton, “Cassidy approaches both situations [instructing and competing] with the same dedication to getting it right.”

At the 2008 US Fencing National Championships in San Jose, California, Cassidy took the bronze medal in the Youth-14 Women’s foil competition and earned her B08 rating (fencers are rated A-E).  She is currently ranked 57th in Junior Women’s foil, 24th in Cadet Women’s foil and 8th in Youth-14 Women’s foil in the United States.  In the 2009 SUBWAY® Washington Games Fencing Tournament, Cassidy won the gold medal in Mixed Open Foil, defeating several highly-rated and older fencers—without losing a single bout.

“Cassidy has always been gracious and generous in both victory and defeat,” says Colton.  “She is highly motivated to win, but as she has started to fence at successively higher levels, she has taken defeat as a challenge to learn new tactics and techniques, and to further her game.  I have been Cassidy’s coaching for six years, and as far as I can tell, she fences for the sheer joy of it.”

Cassidy has a set a tremendous example for so many young fencers—and athletes in general.  It is an honor to present her with the King 5 Female Athlete of the Year Award for her outstanding sportsmanship and accomplishments in the 2009 SUBWAY® Washington Games.

2008 Athletes of the Year