Biography
Karina Kumar has been a beloved and instrumental player on Texas Melee for the past four years. She first discovered the world of Ultimate her junior year at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, and quickly fell in love with the sport. Karina joined Melee as a freshman and competed at Nationals in the fall of 2021. She served as club President her sophomore year before leading Melee as a Captain her junior and senior years. Throughout her time on the team, Karina played a key role in rebuilding the program and creating a welcoming and supportive environment for new players. On the field, her precise break throws, hucks, and lock-down defense have made her an indispensable center handler. Karina’s leadership culminated in Melee’s appearance at the D-I South Central Regionals Finals in 2025, the team’s first Regionals Finals appearance since 2021. Beyond Melee, Karina has been deeply involved in the broader Austin Ultimate community, competing with Vengeance and Moontower and coaching the next generation at the Texas Ultimate Summer Camp and Westlake High School. Karina is graduating with a Bachelor of Journalism and will be spending her summer interning at the Minnesota Star Tribune as a data journalist. Karina is leaving a huge legacy with the program in her teammates and friends and Melee is proud to nominate her as our 2025 Callahan Award nominee!