Rising Stars 2024
Year Established: 2023
In response to overwhelming interest and demand, we announced the inception of Team Celestial Rising Stars in 2023. This new addition to Celestial Discs extends our support network and provides opportunities for a broader spectrum of talent within the disc golf community. The Rising Stars team exhibits significant promise in the realm of disc golf with positive attitudes.
Team Celestial Rising Stars is our attempt to identify and nurture emerging talent, particularly those who have yet to secure sponsorships despite demonstrating promising skills or promotional aptitude. These individuals are prospective candidates for our core team should our capacity for sponsorship expand, and we watch to see if any may be a good fit for any of the manufacturer's teams whose products we sell.
Our Rising Stars team has approximately 40 members from various regions across the United States. At Team Celestial, we believe in fostering a supportive environment conducive to both personal and professional growth. Whether you're a seasoned professional or a rising talent, there's a place for you among the stars.
Rising Stars Team Captains
-
Antonio Rushin Sr #203319
Co-Captain
Out of Texas
Social Media:
Favorite Discs:
Innova Destroyer
Millennium Draco
Discraft Buzzz
Favorite Disc Golf Moment:
"My favorite disc golf moment was when I first introduced my oldest son to the sport. He didn't really understand the mechanics of the sport at the time but after thinking about it he just wanted to hang out with his dad. That moment brought a lot of joy and happiness to me."
If you'd like to support Antonio, any purchase made from the following link will directly help him out:
-
Jared Carr #141699
Co-Captain
Out of Michigan
Social Media:
Favorite Discs:
Discraft Buzzz
Discraft Nuke
Discraft Raptor
Favorite Disc Golf Moment:
"Playing in the 2023 Stony Creek Open at my home courses. B-Tier tournament in which I beat touring pro Reid Frescura in a one hole playoff for my first ever professional tournament victory."
Team
-
Kaleb Marsh #124723
Out of Alabama
Social Media:
Favorite Discs:
Innova Jay
Innova Valkyrie
Innova Charger
Favorite Disc Golf Moment:
"My favorite disc golf story would have to be from this season in my second b tier of the season being down by two going into 17 and talking with my good friend who happened to be the TD he said you need to ace here and sure enough I cashed it and moved on to take birdie on the last hole to seal the win."
If you'd like to support Kaleb, any purchase made from the following link will directly help him out:
-
Jesse Kumpf #85488
Out of South Dakota
Favorite Discs:
Axiom Envy
Discraft Force
Discraft Anax
-
Brayden Oakland #191316
Out of Minnesota
Social Media
Favorite Discs:
Discraft Buzzz
Discraft Zeus
Discraft Zone
Favorite Disc Golf Moment:
"Winning my first tournament, and getting to caddy for Cale Leviska."
If you'd like to support Brayden, any purchase made from the following link will directly help him out:
-
Brandon "Biskit" Hammond #247757
Out of South Carolina
Social Media:
Favorite Discs:
Westside Maiden
Westside Hatchet
Westside Pine
Can catch Brandon on tour this summer with the band "Boondock Kingz".
Favorite Disc Golf Moment:
"Joining my first disc golf team/sponsorship."
If you'd like to support Brandon, any purchase made from the following link will directly help him out:
-
Clayton Askland #250981
Out of Iowa
Social Media:
Favorite Discs:
Discraft Zone
Innova Valkyrie
Gateway Wizard
Clayton is also a member of the band "Claymore".
Favorite Disc Golf Moment:
"Ace at my home course, Ewing park. It was hole 16 at the time, 15 currently. I told my daughter how I had never got an ace there. She said "today Daddy". Sure enough, small flex with a valkyrie sank right in."
-
Tanner Greely #84768
-
Rich Curley #158345
Out of New York
Social Media:
Favorite Discs:
Lat 64 Jade
Lat 64 Fuse
DD Deputy
Favorite Disc Golf Moment:
"I am a partially disabled Navy Veteran who was a in a Veterans for Vets tournament and after 18 holes I was in a 3 way tie for first place! I realized I was the only Veteran in the playoff and confidently said in my head, this is mine to win! 3 holes later and I won my first tournament and I’ll never forget that moment! Positive thinking, confidence, and determination gave me the opportunity to win!"
If you'd like to support Rich, any purchase made from the following link will directly help him out:
-
Steven Gabrielson #77924
Out of Minnesota
Social Media:
Favorite Discs:
Innova Wraith
Lat 64 Trident
Prodigy A5
Favorite Disc Golf Moment:
"One of my favorite moments would be helping Jomez Pro a couple years ago at DDO. There was a rain delay, and Jonathan came over looking for someone to hold an umbrella for their cameraman during the round. I volunteered and ended up running around Jones Gold with the catch cam all round"
If you'd like to support Steven, any purchase made from the following link will directly help him out:
-
Kacie Gallagher #108438
Out of Indiana
Favorite Discs:
Lone Star Texas Ranger
Clash Candy
Innova Wraith
-
Jeff Sellers #87450
Out of South Carolina
Favorite Discs:
Innova Nova
Innova Valkyrie
Lat 64 River
-
Joe Bennett #123885
Out of Minnesota
Social Media:
Favorite Discs:
Lat 64 Grace
Westside Maiden
DD Truth
Favorite Disc Golf Moment:
"My favorite disc golf moment was DDO week in 2021, playing “luck of the draw”with Nikko and Chris Clemons. It was filmed and posted on YouTube."
If you'd like to support Joe, any purchase made from the following link will directly help him out:
-
Jason Hopkins #162350
Out of Tennessee
Favorite Discs:
MVP Shock
Millennium Falcon
Lone Star Harpoon
-
Manny Ortiz #86051
Out of Oregon
Social Media:
Favorite Discs:
Clash Peach
DD Trespass
DD Judge
Favorite Disc Golf Moment:
"Getting tricked into being the announcer at the 2023 DGPT Cascade Challenge!"
-
James East AKA Whistles McGregor #198865
Out of South Dakota
Social Media:
Favorite Discs:
Discraft Nuke
Discraft Buzzz
Discraft Hades
Favorite Disc Golf Moment:
"Probably the first time I went disc golfing at a real course, I started at 12 yrs old when my brother gave me an Aviar Putter and I threw that thing on the farm for about a year, well I guess I was finally ready. I grabbed my putter and prepared for the nearly 1 hour drive to Richmond Lake DGC and boy was I in for a treat, but first we needed to make a pit stop because my Aviar wasn’t the best tool for the course, to my surprise we stopped at a play it again sports and he bought me my first driver. It was a Red 150g Innova Dragon that floated in water *ominous foreshadowing music plays*. Back in this time RLDGC was known for being one of the longest walking courses in the area. It’s also located in a state park so the nature and scenery was amazing, I remember the feeling of first smelling all the pine trees and stepping on that concrete tee pad looking at the basket. My first hole that started this addiction that’s definitely my best memory!"
If you'd like to support James, any purchase made from the following link will directly help him out:
-
David Highlands #147552
Out of Ohio
Social Media:
Favorite Discs:
Discmania FD
RPM Kea
RPM Takapu
Favorite Disc Golf Moment:
"My favorite moment was traveling to Peoria,Illinois for the Discraft Ledgestone Open. Over the course of the week, I played at 7-8 different courses, all unique and beautiful in their own way. To finish the weekend I played in the A tier and finished 1st in my pool of over 180 players! This week will forever stick in my mind as a benchmark for what traveling to play in a disc golf tournament is all about!"
-
CJ Sells #223026
Out of California
Social Media:
Favorite Discs:
Lat 64 Glory
Lat 64 Grace
DD Slammer
Favorite Disc Golf Moment:
"Winning my first sanctioned event"
If you'd like to support CJ, any purchase made from the following link will directly help him out:
-
Riley Rock #191886
Out of Iowa
Social Media:
Favorite Discs:
Discraft Surge SS
Innova Savant
Innova Pig
Favorite Disc Golf Moment:
"Trying new courses. Its great to see the difference between my throws at local courses and on a course Ive never been to."
-
Richard Mann #156556
Out of Minnesota
Social Media:
Favorite Discs:
Lone Star Frio
Innova Firebird
Lone Star Harrier
Favorite Disc Golf Moment:
"There are just so many incredible memories I’ve had through disc golfing but the one that stands out the most is when I sent in a dyed disc for review from Dylan Cease and Paul McBeth. I watched every episode and my disc wasn’t on any of the shows. Being bummed, I kind of just chucked it up to a loss. About a week later, a friend of mine just so happen to be doing some work with Paul McBeth. He was searching through boxes of leftover dyed discs and was able to pick mine out of the bunch in Paul McBeth’s basement! Yes, there was a photo sent to me which was responded in sheer excitement seeing one of the greatest ever posing with one of my creations. Thank you so very much, Blake and Paul."
If you'd like to support Richard, any purchase made from the following link will directly help him out:
-
Dimitri Lanham #252585
Out of Oregon
Favorite Discs:
Axiom Tempo
MVP Octane
Axiom Pixel
-
Dylan Studier #210250
Out of Minnesota
Social Media:
Favorite Discs:
Discraft Zone
Innova Firebird
Innova Wraith
Favorite Disc Golf Moment:
"My win at The Tournament at the End of the Universe."
-
Cameron Bickle #55831 and Frank the dog
Out of Oklahoma
Social Media:
Favorite Discs:
Innova Mako3
Innova Destroyer
Millennium Draco
Favorite Disc Golf Moment:
2024 Farm Path Tour Valentine Fling
Course: Blackhawk DGC
"While my first round wasn’t off to a hot start, I was able to hit my lines halfway through and finished with an eagle on hole 2 with my Millennium Draco
Round 2 started off hot, and finding chains with my same Millennium Draco for an Ace on hole #6 didn’t hurt!
That combination of good play got me the win and a lot of confidence to start the 2024 season." -
Jim Leslie #101433
Out of Pennsylvania
Social Media:
Favorite Discs:
Prodigy A5
Prodigy M4
Prodigy H3 v2
Favorite Disc Golf Moment:
"My first, and only, ace on hole 14 at Iron Hill."
If you'd like to support Jim, any purchase made from the following link will directly help him out:
-
Andy Dittmar #170958
Out of Iowa
Social Media:
Favorite Discs:
Discraft Athena
Innova Wraith
Discraft Banger GT
Favorite Disc Golf Moment:
"My favorite disc golf moment is my first birdie. It was in my first tournament. I played the tournament after 3 months of playing, with a lucky kick my destroyer landed next to the basket. Ever since then I've been hooked."
If you'd like to support Andy, any purchase made from the following link will directly help him out:
-
Ken Carufel #211740
Out of Wisconsin
Favorite Discs:
Westside Bear
Axiom Pyro
Lat 64 Pure
-
Deric Masten #208298
Out of Lousiana
Social Media:
Favorite Discs:
Prodigy Pa3
Prodigy Archive
Prodigy F3
Favorite Disc Golf Moment:
"Nothing is better than calling a birthday ace! I had the chance to play a doubles round with my friends on my birthday. I told all of them before we started that I was going to ace. I had a certain hole in mind to try my luck on and it wasn’t even close. Come hole 17 my partner completely shanked the drive and all I could think was “throw something better than him”. I took my shot and thought I had given the disc to the trees and to my surprise it smashed right side chains for the perfect end of round birthday ace."
-
Nate Howard #114747
Out of Iowa
Social Media:
Favorite Discs:
Discraft Buzzz
Innova Wraith
Innova Pig
Favorite Disc Golf Moment:
"My favorite disc golf moment has been sharing the sport with my kids, and friends."
If you'd like to support Nate, any purchase made from the following link will directly help him out:
-
Rob Case #28497
Out of North Carolina
Favorite Discs:
Lat 64 Ruby
Lat 64 Jade
Westside Tursas
-
Brendan Smith #108875
Out of Oregon
Favorite Discs:
Prodigy Pa3
Prodigy D2
Innova Teebird3
-
Elliott Hill #261419
Out of Illinois
Favorite Discs:
Discmania FD
Discmania P2
Discmania MD3
-
Cody Miller #167125
Out of Iowa
Favorite Discs:
Innova Boss
Lat 64 Compass
Westside Maiden
-
Noah Miller #215529
Out of Iowa
Favorite Discs:
Axiom Insanity
MVP Reactor
Discmania Rockstar
-
Aidan Olson #191865
Out of Minnesota
Social Media:
Favorite Discs:
Innova Destroyer
Discraft Raptor
Discraft Zone
Favorite Disc Golf Moment:
"Aceing at local course then going to A&W with friends afterwards"
-
Tony Davis #146827
Out of Kentucky
Social Media:
Favorite Discs:
Innova Monarch
Discmania Origin
Lat 64 Jade
Favorite Disc Golf Moment:
"My favorite disc golf moment was watching my daughter throw one in from over 100 ft out. The amount of excitement that came out of her little body was amazing. Those moments are why I play this game."
