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Published on August 18th, 2015 | by benjitheGREAT

21

Meet Team North America: 2015 Edition

Hey everyone! The 2015 World Championships are right around the corner, and this year, it’ll be bigger than ever before. The North American circuit kicked off right after last year’s tournament, and we’ve seen twelve months of fierce battling since. In a very competitive season, 41 players emerged at the top and will represent North America in Boston in late August. So just who are these 41 players? Well, here they are!

Wolfe Glick (Wolfey)

naworlds15_wolfe

Age: 19
Past Worlds Appearances: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Accomplishments: Top 8 Worlds 2011, 2nd Worlds 2012, 2-time US National Champion, 3-time Regional Champion
Favorite Pokémon: Scrafty

Wolfe is one of the most accomplished active players, and he’s widely regarded by many as one of the top contenders to take home the trophy this year. He’s always done well, even placing top 8 in 2011, his very first year at the event! Outside of Pokemon, he’s a busy man: he runs, he sings, and he’s going to be an RA at Virginia Tech, where’s he’s a sophomore. Wolfe’s autoqualified for day two, so look out for him at the top of the standings!

Toler Webb (Dim)

naworlds15_toler

Age: 17
Past Worlds Appearances: 2012, 2013, 2014
Accomplishments: 1st Worlds 2012 (Seniors), 1st US Nationals 2015
Favorite Pokémon: Swalot

Toler’s the current national champion, and he’ll be looking to break the curse of US Nationals (no one has ever won US Nationals and Worlds in the same year). When he’s not playing VGC, Toler loves to sing, eat at Romano’s Macaroni Grill, run cross country, and always eat his vegetables. He’s no stranger to the world stage, having won the tournament in the Senior Division in 2012. He’s definitely a guy to keep your eye on this weekend.

Aaron Zheng (Cybertron)

naworlds15_aaron

Age: 17
Past Worlds Appearances: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Accomplishments: 3rd Worlds 2013, 2-time US National Champion (Seniors), 3-time Regional Champion
Favorite Pokémon: Rotom–W, Scizor

Aaron is the face of the community. He’s got an incredibly successful YouTube channel that he uploads to nearly every day, and he’s definitely got the skill to back it up. Aaron’s about to start his freshman year at Claremont McKenna, where he plans on studying economics, engineering, and how to properly use a washing machine. With all of his experience and skill, nobody would be surprised if we saw a deep run out of Clash Tournaments’ own Cybertron.

Raphael Bagara (rapha)

naworlds15_rapha

Age: 20
Past Worlds Appearances: None
Accomplishments: 2nd US Nationals 2015
Favorite Pokémon: Heracross, Azumarill

Rapha’s an up and coming player, hailing from Surrey, British Columbia. He’s one of the reasons that this article is titled Team NA and not Team USA, but we still love him anyway. Rapha just came off of a huge underdog Nationals run, and he managed to follow it up with a win at the BC Invitational. While his Nationals performance came as a surprise to most, I’m sure that everyone’s expecting him to do well at Worlds. Outside of Pokemon, Rapha studies civil engineering at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

Blake Hopper (Bopper)

naworlds15_blake

Age: 19
Past Worlds Appearances: 2014
Accomplishments: 11th Worlds 2014, Top 4 LCQ 2014, Top 4 US Nationals 2014
Favorite Pokémon: Phanpy

Blake has been around since 2011, and he’s improved massively every year. He proved his worth this season by dominating his difficult region, becoming the only player to win five Premier Challenges in Texas. He followed that up with a top four finish at Nationals, giving him a day two invite, where’ll he’ll look to continue his performance. When’s he not demolishing the competition on the battlefield, Blake studies mechanical engineering at Texas Tech University. He’s also an Eagle Scout!

Collin Heier (TheBattleRoom)

naworlds15_collin

Age: 18
Past Worlds Appearances: 2014
Accomplishments: 3rd Worlds 2014, 2-time Madison Regional Champion, 12th US Nationals 2015
Favorite Pokémon: Mawile, Cresselia, Jellicent

Collin’s no stranger to the spotlight, and he’s certainly made a name for himself over the past few seasons with strategies such as Trick Room (which is why his nickname is “TheBattleRoom”). He’s originally from Wisconsin, but he’ll be attending Baylor University (Sic ‘Em) in the fall. When he’s not playing Pokemon, Collin likes to hang out with his friends and to play League of Legends and Splatoon.

Angel Miranda (CT MikotoMisaka)

naworlds15_angel

Age: 23
Past Worlds Appearances: None
Accomplishments: Top 8 US Nationals 2015, 2x Top 4 Regionals 2015
Favorite Pokémon: Mew, Aegislash

Angel hit the ground running this season, and we consistently saw his name at the top of the tournament standings. He’s played both the trading card game and video game competitively, but this is his first time at Worlds for either. After his amazing run at Nationals, I have no doubt that this veteran will put on a show in Boston. Outside of Pokemon, Angel works for CVS Pharmacy, and loves all things Japan.

Hayden McTavish (Enigne)

naworlds15_hayden

Age: 17
Past Worlds Appearances: 2013, 2014
Accomplishments: 1st Worlds 2013 (Seniors), Top 8 US Nationals 2015
Favorite Pokémon: Machamp

While Hayden’s played in Worlds twice, this is the first time he’s qualified through Championship Points. He ran the LCQ gauntlet in 2013 and eventually won the entire event in Seniors, granting him an invite to 2014. Hayden’s proven he can beat the best of the best, and we have no reason to doubt his abilities. When he’s not being the Machampion, Hayden attends Inglemoor High School in Seattle, Washington, where he runs cross country and plays soccer.

All players below this point will be playing in day one Swiss.

Jeudy Azzarelli (Soul Survivor)

Age: 19
Past Worlds Appearances: 2014
Accomplishments: 2nd Worlds 2014, Top 8 US Nationals 2014
Favorite Pokémon: Pichu

As last year’s runner-up, Jeudy Azzarelli is definitely looking to take that extra step this year and take home the championship. While he’ll be fighting his way through the entire tournament, I know he’s got the skill to make it the hard way. Jeudy’s currently attending Alfred State College, and he enjoys anime and figure collecting.

Demitrios Kaguras (kingdjk)

Age: 15
Past Worlds Appearances: None
Accomplishments: Top 4 NorCal Regionals 2015, Top 8 Oregon Regionals 2015, Top 16 US Nationals 2015
Favorite Pokémon: Beedrill

At only 15, Demitrios is the youngest player competing on team NA. His first season in Masters has been fantastic, winding up just a few CP short of a day two invite. He’s definitely got the talent and drive to make it through, and he’s got many promising years ahead of him. When he’s not punching above his weight, he’s a junior at Monroe High School in Monroe, Washington.

Paul Chua (pwny person)

Age: 16
Past Worlds Appearances: 2012, 2013, 2014
Accomplishments: 1st US Nationals 2013 (Seniors), 2nd Kansas Regionals 2015
Favorite Pokémon: Cradily, Omastar, Armaldo

After demolishing the Senior Division, Paul made a smooth transition to Masters this year and made top cut at numerous events. He’s also one of the top Battle Spot players, and his frequent bouts with Aaron Zheng are all over YouTube. Paul’s a junior at the Academy for Information Technology in New Jersey, and he likes to play basketball and Splatoon.

Nikolai Zielinski (Nikolai)

Age: 16
Past Worlds Appearances: 2014
Accomplishments: 1st Worlds 2014 (Seniors)
Favorite Pokémon: Haunter

Nikolai came out of nowhere to take the Seniors crown last year, and he’ll be looking to do the same in his new division this weekend. I’m definitely curious to see if he’ll be able to break out of the crowded day one field. When he’s not giving great interviews, he’s a homeschooled student in Utah and holds a second degree black belt in taekwondo. He’s always serious and never makes a joke.

David Mancuso (Mancuso)

Age: 17
Past Worlds Appearances: None
Accomplishments: 1st Ft. Wayne Regionals 2015, 2nd Florida Regionals 2015, Top 4 Philadelphia Regionals 2015
Favorite Pokémon: Metagross, Latios

David made quite a splash this season with a trio of great Regionals finishes. Unfortunately, he won’t be in Boston due to family matters.

Alberto Lara (Sweeper)

Age: 21
Past Worlds Appearances: None
Accomplishments: 1st SoCal Regionals 2015, 1st Utah Regionals 2015
Favorite Pokémon: Typhlosion, Salamence

As a consistent threat this season, Alberto has definitely upped his reputation. This is his breakout year, and I’m confident he’ll do well on the world stage. When he’s not playing Pokemon, Alberto enjoys In-N-Out, Five Guys, Melee, and Street Fighter.

Patrick Ball (pball0010)

Age: 24
Past Worlds Appearances: None
Accomplishments: Top 4 Ft. Wayne Regionals 2015
Favorite Pokémon: Lapras

Patrick has been around for a while, but he definitely turned some heads this season with some big improvements. I could see him making something out of his Worlds appearance. Patrick graduated from West Liberty University in 2013 with a major in music technology.

Max Douglas (starmetroid)

Age: 23
Past Worlds Appearances: None
Accomplishments: 2nd Oregon & Utah Regionals 2015, Top 8 Washington Regionals 2015
Favorite Pokémon: Umbreon

Along with Raphael, Max will be representing Canada at Worlds this year. He’s been incredibly consistent at Regionals, and he’ll be looking to turn that success into a Worlds win. Max has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Victoria in computer science.

Conan Thompson (conan)

Age: 16
Past Worlds Appearances: 2014
Accomplishments: 1st Oregon Regionals 2015
Favorite Pokémon: He doesn’t have one, he believes they should be used as instruments of war.

In his first year as a Master, Conan has taken down plenty of big names. Not only did he manage to win a Regional, Conan ended the season with 500 CP. Interestingly, Conan represented Japan at World last year, having qualified through Japan Nationals.

Chase Lybbert (I Am a Rookie)

Age: 21
Past Worlds Appearances: None
Accomplishments: Top 4 Utah Regionals 2014, 1st Arizona Regionals 2015
Favorite Pokémon: Linoone

After being the CP leader for the first half of the season, Chase’s play has cooled off in the last few months. However, he’s still a force to be reckoned with, and will definitely be a tough task for anyone he faces at Worlds. His older brother, Colten, also qualified this year. Outside of the game, Chase is a junior at Arizona State University.

Matthew Greaves (picklesword)

Age: 23
Past Worlds Appearances: None
Accomplishments: Top 4 Utah Regionals 2015
Favorite Pokémon: Tyranitar

Matthew had a good season, clinching his invitation by making day two of US Nationals. However, due to unfortunate circumstances, he won’t be competing at Worlds this year. Hopefully we’ll see more of him next season!

Gavin Michaels (kingofmars)

Age: 17
Past Worlds Appearances: 2012, 2013, 2014
Accomplishments: 1st US Nationals 2013
Favorite Pokémon: Granbull

Gavin’s been a mainstay on team NA for a few years now, and he’s definitely one of the favorites to make it out of day one Swiss. After his impressive 2013 Nationals win and top 8 performance last year, he should be on everyone’s radar. Outside the battlefield, Gavin sings and manages a NPA team.

Anthony Jimenez (DarkAssassin)

Age: 17
Past Worlds Appearances: None
Accomplishments: Top 4 SoCal Regional 2015, 1st Nugget Bridge Major 2014, Top 16 US Nationals 2015
Favorite Pokémon: Mega Mawile

Anthony had a solid season, showing his capabilities as a player. Unfortunately, he will not be in Boston; his brother also qualified, and it would’ve been cool to see them competing together. Hopefully the pair will keep up the good work!

Aaron Liebersbach (Arch)

Age: 25
Past Worlds Appearances: None
Accomplishments: 9th US Nationals 2015
Favorite Pokémon: Nidorino, Gengar

Aaron Libersbach probably has team NA’s most complex last name, but don’t let that distract you from his breakout season. After barely missing top cut at Nationals, he will definitely be looking to expand his resume at Worlds. Aaron graduated from the School of Environmental Studies.

Zach Droegkamp (Braverius)

Age: 22
Past Worlds Appearances: 2013
Accomplishments: 4-time Regional Champion, Top 8 US Nationals 2012
Favorite Pokémon: Volcarona

Zach is perhaps the most decorated Regionals player of all time; the smart money is always on him to take him the championship. While he’s never had a fantastic performance at Worlds, this year’s as good as any for him to make a big run. When he’s not polishing his extensive brick collection, Zach attends Western Governors University.

Andrew Burley (Andykins)

Age: I don’t know about you, but he is 22
Past Worlds Appearances: None
Accomplishments: Top 4 Fort Wayne and Madison Regionals 2014, Top 4 Missouri Regionals 2015, Top 32 US Nationals 2013
Favorite Pokémon: Galvantula, Tropius, Tyranitar

Andrew’s an extremely consistent player, and we often see him in the top cut at Regionals. I think he’s got a good shot of making it through the bloodbath of day one Swiss. Andrew’s currently attending college so he can school kids inside and outside the game, and he also enjoys rock climbing, bike riding, and singing the songs of his people.

Colten Lybbert (Rookie Slayer MLG)

Age: 23
Past Worlds Appearances: None
Accomplishments:
Favorite Pokémon:

Even though this is Colten’s first season, he knew it was likely going to be his last. Colten will be starting his engineering career with the U.S. Navy soon, and we wish him the best of luck! It is really cool to see someone come in and make a name for himself, and even cooler to see him qualify for the first time alongside his brother, Chase. They both looked strong this season, and both are definitely capable of making it to Day 2.

Alec Rubin (amr97)

Age: 18
Past Worlds Appearances: None
Accomplishments: 19th US Nationals 2014, 3rd Virginia Regionals 2015
Favorite Pokémon: Unown

Alec is another VGC player that is about to transition into college—he’ll be attending Case Western Reserve in the fall. Alec is a very competent player, and has been featured on stream numerous times. There is a lot of promise for him both at Worlds, as well as in future seasons. Outside of the game, he is a black belt in taekwondo and did many sports in high school, including track and football.

Bridger Snow (squirtwo)

Age: 21
Past Worlds Appearances: None
Accomplishments: Top 4 Utah Regionals 2014
Favorite Pokémon: Sneasel

Bridger Snow is new to the VGC scene; however, Pokemon is no stranger to him, as he used to play the TCG competitively. He is a junior at the University of Utah studying linguistics, with a focus on Japanese. Bridger would like to go from competing this year to possibly translating in the future.

Riley Factura (GENGARboi)

Age: 22
Past Worlds Appearances: None
Accomplishments: 1st Seattle Regionals 2015
Favorite Pokémon: Gengar

Riley is a player that is constantly thinking about the game. He’s the type of player that could sit down and play for hours non-stop. With his dedication, we could easily see him making a name for himself, both in Boston and in the future. He recently graduated from CSU Fullerton, and he enjoys going to the beach and Disneyland.

Gabby Snyder (JTK)

Age: 24
Past Worlds Appearances: None
Accomplishments: Top 4 Kansas Regionals 2015
Favorite Pokémon: Bidoof

Gabby is a fantastic community contributor, creating useful tools such as teambuilders and damage calculators. What many don’t know about her is that she’s a fantastic player as well—her skill resulted in consistent Regionals top cuts this year. When she’s not helping with all things Pokemon, she plays the violin and creates content for YouTube.

Justin Burns (Spurrific)

Age: 19
Past Worlds Appearances: None
Accomplishments: Top 8 Houston Regionals
Favorite Pokémon: Hydreigon

Justin was one of the more consistent perfomers this season, always placing well at the Regionals he attended. He is definitely a solid player, and is looking to make a name for himself with a good rookie run at Worlds. In his spare time, Justin is a lifeguard, and he also enjoys biking. He also enjoys other video games, such as Super Smash Bros.

Ben Irons (Benji)

Age: 18
Past Worlds Appearances: 2013
Accomplishments: 1st Houston Regionals 2013, 1st Kansas City Regionals 2014, 2nd Arizona Regionals 2014, 18th US Nationals 2015
Favorite Pokémon: Scrafty, Growlithe

Ben has been playing VGC since 2011, and snagged his first Regional win in 2013 with some hard work and determination. Afterwards, he’s been steadily improving, qualifying for Worlds in 2013 and placing highly ever since. Outside of the game, Ben is a tutor and studies accounting and finance at Baylor University. He also plays soccer—he was a four-year letterman in high school!

Alejandro Jimenez (Legacy)

Age: 20
Past Worlds Appearances: None
Accomplishments: Top 4 SoCal Regionals 2015
Favorite Pokémon: Garchomp

Alejandro is another player who made a name for himself this season. He and his brother both made the semifinals at SoCal Regionals, and both eventually were able to clinch their invites. In his spare time, Alejandro plays other games such as Call of Duty.

Cedric Bernier (Talon)

Age: 17
Past Worlds Appearances: 2011
Accomplishments: 3-time Regional Champion, Top 16 Worlds 2011 (Seniors)
Favorite Pokémon: Samurott, Jigglypuff

Cedric is a very experienced player: he’s one of the very few who’ve won Regionals in all three age divisions. After taking a hiatus from the game in 2014, he surprised everyone by winning the stacked Houston Regionals, and he hasn’t slown down since. When he’s not trolling on Twitter, Cedric enjoys sports and Smash Bros. He used to play baseball, but these days he prefers tennis.

Ashton Cox (linkyoshimario)

Age: 17
Past Worlds Appearances: 2014
Accomplishments: Top 16 Worlds 2014
Favorite Pokémon: Charizard

Ashton has made quite a name for himself over the last two seasons by having success with some unconventional picks; you never quite know what to expect when you play him. His creativity could propel him into day two, as he seeks to improve upon his 13th place finish at last year’s event. His younger sister also qualified for the second year in a row.

William Hall (Biosci)

Age: 20
Past Worlds Appearances: None
Accomplishments: 2-time Regional Runner-Up
Favorite Pokémon: Gardevoir

William Hall is a familiar name in the community, as he’s moderated the forums for a long time. He’s proven to be a capable player, and has seen success all over the country. No matter where he’s living, he’s always able to keep up with the best of the best.

Len Deuel (Alaka)

Age: 21
Past Worlds Appearances: 2009, 2010
Accomplishments: 2-time Regional Champion, 2nd US Nationals 2010, Top 32 Italy Nationals 2015
Favorite Pokémon: Foongus

As one of the most decorated and most experienced players in VGC, Len is quite a threat to the rest of the field. While he hasn’t reached the world stage since 2010, he’s done very well every year, including a Regionals win in 2012. Len graduated from the University of Utah last May and is currently residing in Camarillo, California. He’s also one of the community’s best players in deckbuilding games.

Thomas McCready (Tmac)

Age: 21
Past Worlds Appearances: None
Accomplishments: Top 4 Ft. Wayne Regionals 2015
Favorite Pokémon: Latios

Thomas is a player that has flown below the radar the past couple of seasons, but he’s definitely a good player. With a top four Regionals performance as well as a few other solid finishes, Thomas was able to secure his first invite. He is the president of the Buckeye Pokemon League at The Ohio State University.

Evan Bates (Veteran Padgett)

Age: 21
Past Worlds Appearances: None
Accomplishments: Top 16 US Nationals 2014/2015
Favorite Pokémon: Feraligatr

Not many people know much about Evan, but he’s finished in the top 16 at US Nationals two years in a row, so he’s clearly got the skill it takes to compete at Worlds. Evan also led the University of North Texas team to a championship in the first National Collegiate Pokemon Association tournament this year, winning the deciding game in the finals.

James Baek (Jamesspeed1)

Age: 16
Past Worlds Appearances: 2014
Accomplishments: 2nd Madison Regionals 2015
Favorite Pokémon: Kingdra, Clefairy, Sawk

James has put together a solid season while working on his YouTube channel. Interestingly, he was involved in the only tie on day two of US Nationals. James attends Susan E. Wagner High School in New York City, and he enjoys playing chess, reading, and watching anime.

Chance Alexander (Paragon)

Age: 18
Past Worlds Appearances: None
Accomplishments: Top 8 Kansas Regionals
Favorite Pokémon: Jellicent

Chance is yet another newer player that had quite a good season. This was his first full season playing, and he proved could hang with the best. Chance will be a freshman at Purdue University in the fall, and you can often find him sleeping, eating, playing tennis, or complaining about his job.

Jake Muller (MajorBowman)

Age: 20
Past Worlds Appearances: None
Accomplishments: Top 16 St Louis Regionals, 1st Nugget Bridge Major 2015
Favorite Pokémon: Victini

Jake is another Texas player that came out in full force this season. After consistently placing well at both Regionals and Premier Challenges, he was able to clinch his first invite to the World Championships. Jake was valedictorian at his high school, and is currently studying meteorology at the University of Oklahoma (as a Baylor student, boo).

Closing Remarks

Well, there you have it! Those are the 41 players that will be representing North America at Worlds this weekend. We’ve got a ton of experienced and new players, all of whom are very talented. Perhaps this is the year that North America will bring home the trophy, something we haven’t seen since Ray Rizzo did so in 2012. Good luck to everyone who’s playing, and don’t forget to FIGHT FOR YOUR COUNTRY!

Photo Credits: Doug M.


About the Author

started playing in VGC when he went to the 2011 Arlington Regional. After he lost in the first round, he realized he needed work. He found many online forums including Team Magma and Nuggetbridge and started working alongside his good friend Mrbopper. Since his horrid first VGC experience he finished top 20 in the 2012 Texas Regional, before finishing 5-3 at the US National Championships. Starting VGC 2013 off the right way he won the Autumn Regional in Texas, facing fellow magmas in the semi finals and finals. Outside of VGC, he lives in Texas and is on his way to being a four year letterman in soccer. And yes, the rumors have been confirmed, his favorite Pokemon is indeed Scrafty!



21 Responses to Meet Team North America: 2015 Edition

  1. Paragon says:

    Nice read ben! Can’t wait to represent team NA at worlds!

  2. MajorBowman says:

    FIGHT FOR YOUR COUNTRY!

    BUT ONLY IF IT’S AMERICA!

    USA USA USA

  3. Gramgus says:

    The level of hype for this is unreal. Hope to see the US take home the gold! USA USA USA

  4. LuxrayVGC says:

    i’m excited to watch 🙂

  5. Galvatron says:

    Great article and that washing machine joke was hilarious! :lol:

  6. duffy says:

    … and how to properly use a washing machine.

    made my freakin’ day!

  7. Apollo says:

    An absolutely wonderful and lighthearted article showcasing a fantastic group of young people. Just goes to show that us older players will have to step up our games if we want someone over 25 on the card next year ;).
     
    I hope each and every one of you has a great time. I’ll be watching live from the feeds, cheering each of you on.

  8. ScumbagCaden says:

    Come on Seniors we need America to get the 4 year streak! USA USA USA

  9. vgchut says:

    wait, rapha is 20… i thought james baek and paul chua was older than 16…

  10. masterofthecosmos says:

    Is Andrew Elite?

    rooting for you, Zach and ALL OF THE IMOUTOS (INCLUDING SIR CHICKEN).

    Dont let me down guys!

  11. Rooting for Rapha because Canada ;)

  12. Dawg says:

    Wow… All this time i thought majorbowman was from Oklahoma 😮

  13. iss says:

    AARON YOU’RE SUCH A YAMSTARD
     
    LET’S WASH THE CLOTHES
    LET’S DRY IT UP

  14. rapha says:

    wait, rapha is 20… i thought james baek and paul chua was older than 16…

    I’m not 12 I swear

  15. cgyc says:

    Go Canada!!!

  16. Witchard says:

    Ha ha could you have picked worse pictures for Hayden and Angel? Joking aside great article can’t wait to see these guys face off on Friday!

  17. Gentlefish says:

    I too was a bit surprised by some of the ages… 😛 Really neat for me to finally be able to put faces to some of these names. Good post.
    Man, Worlds is this weekend? Considering I managed to miss the Nationals footage, I guess I should mark my calendar.

    …So how about that brick collection?

  18. Pichupowerd says:

    I never knew Jeudy Liked pichu :O That’s really cool lol

  19. ThunderPunch says:

    Less go Angel!
    And Aaron!
    And Paul!
    And Raph!
    Ah, Detroit, less go everyoneeeee.

  20. Arbol Deku says:

    I think this year’s USA team has big names (wolfe and aaron), and very powerful players such as Angel, Blake or Collin. I think they’re serious tittle contenders and they’ll be looking for that world-champion tittle that has

  21. Arbol Deku says:

    I think this year’s USA team has big names (wolfe and aaron), and very powerful players such as Angel, Blake or Collin. I think they’re serious tittle contenders and they’ll be looking for that world-champion tittle that has been three times on their pockets (on the ray rizzo ones specifically).

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