Toshihiro Nagase

Year: Freshman

nickname: Toshi, Haruki, Hero

hometown: Bellevue, Wa

past teams: Lakeside High, Seattle YCC

Toshihiro "Hero" Nagase was born in the hills of Washington State, destined for a life of greatness. Toshi had been bred for one purpose: to play chess (or so he thought). By the age of 3, Toshi was the best chess player in the state, soon rivaling the likes of Bobby Fischer and other world class chess stars. By age 9, the once lauded chess prodigy had burned out and didn't know where to look. Having been recruited to the prestigious Lakeside Lions for chess, he was ready to move on. He began to run track, and three years later he started Ultimate Frisbee where it took him a while to stop calling the frisbee "the top of a rook" or "the discus." 

As he finally began his frisbee journey, a young Toshi realized there was so much to learn. Obi-Wan John Randolph decided to take Toshi under his wing and teach him everything he knew. These lessons led Toshi to have unnatural jukes and the speed of a Lion… a Lakeside Lion. Unfortunately, once his master moved on, he needed to find something, or more aptly, someone to fill this void. His girlfriend became the center of his life and he realized that frisbee was dumb, taking almost a one year hiatus before returning to the pitch. When Toshi finally stepped back on the field at the start of college he regretted all the big macs he had eaten and his time spent on the couch, but he knew he was home. 

It wasn't until college that the chess/track/frisbee prodigy added a new word to his vocabulary: "fun." For two months Toshi spoke fewer than 50 words to anyone in the frisbee program, but soon he broke out of his hard shell. Toshi discovered the wonders that college can offer and began to have fun with the frisbee team, some may even say too much fun. He discovered the allure of four square, flong, and what Sam's Somerville friend can bring to training camp. With his girlfriend, frisbee, and fun on his mind Toshi grew into a beast in many respects, although not in flong. He often remarks that he is "the same speed [he] was in sixth grade" but he is still "better than every u20 worlds player, they all suck." His confidence and trash talking ability show on the field, although not in the gym where even Shaps can out lift him. Core workouts are his kryptonite, but that doesn't stop him from crossing Harvard defenders who, while smarter than him, have no shot at guarding him.

toshi.jpeg