Spirit Animal: Red Panda
Favorite article of clothing: Jeans
Ideal vacation destination: Traverse City, Michigan
Matthew Niemer is a tenacious defender and dynamic cutter. His journey began in 2014, arriving from his hometown of Dubuque, Iowa. He lacked ultimate experience, but brought his talents from swimming, track, and to a much lesser extent, football. Matt did not play much for his high school football team, but the one time he got into the game, he made a bone-crushing tackle (think Rudy). His athleticism had an immediate impact for Bolt, cutting on the o-line. His hard work paid off for his sophomore year, moving up to the NUT roster. This past year, Matt broke out, after throwing 10,800 throws over the summer, of which 8,000 were forehand hucks. Matt was a key member of the d-line with huge layout blocks and steady throws. His excellent play earned him the honor of Defensive Player of the Year. In his final season, Matt will be captaining NUT, and hoping to bring his love of BroScience to the rest of the team.
Other than his play on the field, Matt is known for some of his fashion choices. At one practice sophomore year, Matt showed up wearing his favorite blue jeans. Everyone questioned this wardrobe choice, but it worked for Matt. Now, whenever he does something spectacular, NUT shouts, “He’s wearing jeans!” This past year, Matt began watching a Korean game show and was inspired by their fashion sense, particularly their dyed hair. So, Matt’s hair went from black to brown. For a couple of months, Matt resembled something between a K-pop star and a red panda. Nevertheless, it’s back to black, but who knows what next season will bring.
Outside of ultimate, Matt describes himself as having a “deep love” for Tetris. He combos, downstacks, and T-spins his way up the Tetris rankings, which only contribute to the “unhealthy amount” of time he dedicates to the game. Luckily for Matt, he is a computer science major, meaning he can tap away in class unnoticed. Don’t worry Mom, he still pays attention sometimes.
Written by Jeremy Piech