Josh Utter-Leyton

Josh Utter-Leyton
Nicknames wrapter[1]
Residence Rohnert Park, California, United States[2]
Nationality United States American
Pro Tour debut Pro Tour Hollywood 2008
Winnings US$167,000[3]
Pro Tour wins (Top 8) 0 (5)[4]
Grand Prix wins (Top 8) 0 (8)[5]
Median Pro Tour Finish 86
Lifetime Pro Points 296[6]

Josh Utter-Leyton is an American Magic: The Gathering player. Perhaps most well known for his work with Team ChannelFireball, he was the American national champion in 2010 and 2013, and the Player of the Year for the 2012–13 season. He has reached the top 8 of five Pro Tours, losing to the eventual champion each time.

Career

Utter-Leyton started playing Magic in 1994, but remained a casual player until 2005, when he started playing Magic Online.[7] He made his Pro Tour debut at Pro Tour Hollywood 2008, and although his Pro Tour finishes in 2008 and 2009 were unimpressive, he managed to remain qualified for all the events, and he was one of the original members of Team ChannelFireball. His breakout performance was his 5th place finish at Pro Tour San Juan 2010, where he lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa.[8] Three months later, Utter-Leyton won the United States National Championship,[9] and in November he reached the top 8 of a Grand Prix for the first time. Though the US National Team would end up at a disappointing 15th place at the World Championships in Chiba, Utter-Leyton finished 16th individually,[10] and with that earning Level 7 status in the Pro Players Club.

In the 2011 Pro Tour season, Utter-Leyton made two additional Pro Tour top 8s. At Pro Tour Philadelphia he lost in the final to Samuele Estratti,[11] his 2nd place finish there being his best Pro Tour finish to date. It was followed up by a 7th place finish at the very next Pro Tour, the 2011 World Championships.[12] He ended the year tied for 7th on 52 points, and Level 8 in the Pro Players Club.[13]

Utter-Leyton was a part of the inaugural Players Championship in 2012, later renamed the World Championshiop, where he finished 13th.[14] He made a total of five Grand Prix top 8s in 2012, and when he finished 4th at Pro Tour Dragon's Maze in San Diego, Utter-Leyton became the 2012–13 Player of the Year.[15] This also made him the US National Champion for 2013, making Utter-Leyton the first American player to be a two-time National champion.

At the 2013 World Magic Cup, Utter-Leyton once again failed to put up a result with Team USA, finishing 18th.[16] At the World Championship, however, Utter-Leyton reached the semifinals, where he was narrowly defeated 2–3 by Reid Duke. Later in the season, he finished 3rd in his fifth Pro Tour top 8 at Pro Tour Journey into Nyx, and qualified for the 2014 World Championship. Utter-Leyton is one of three players to have qualified for all three World Championships since the 2012 format change, the other two being Reid Duke and Yuuya Watanabe. He finished 11th in the event.

Achievements

Season Event type Location Format Date Rank
2010 Pro Tour San Juan Block Constructed and Booster Draft 28–30 May 2010 5
2010 Nationals Minneapolis Standard and Booster Draft 19–22 August 2010 1
2010 Grand Prix Nashville Sealed and Booster Draft 20–21 November 2010 5
2011 Grand Prix Dallas Standard 9–10 April 2011 6
2011 Pro Tour Philadelphia Modern and Booster Draft 2–4 September 2011 2
2011 Worlds San Francisco Special 17–20 November 2011 7
2012 Grand Prix Nashville Sealed and Booster Draft 17–18 March 2012 4
2012–13 Grand Prix Minneapolis Standard 19–20 May 2012 6
2012–13 Grand Prix San Jose, Costa Rica Sealed and Booster Draft 15–16 September 2012 5
2012–13 Grand Prix Chicago Modern 10–11 November 2012 2
2012–13 Grand Prix Atlantic City Standard 12–13 January 2013 2
2012–13 Pro Tour San Diego Block Constructed and Booster Draft 17–19 May 2013 4
2013–14 Worlds Amsterdam Special 31 July–4 August 2013 4
2013–14 Pro Tour Atlanta Block Constructed and Booster Draft 16–18 May 2014 3
2014–15 Grand Prix Baltimore Sealed and Booster Draft 13–14 December 2014 8

Last updated: December 15, 2014
Source: Wizards.com

Other accomplishments

References

  1. ↑ "Team CFB". ChannelFireball. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
  2. ↑ "Top 8 Players of ProTour Dragon's Maze". Wizards of the Coast. 2013-05-19. Retrieved 2013-05-19.
  3. ↑ "Top 200 All-Time Money Leaders". Wizards of the Coast. 2014-07-15. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
  4. ↑ "Lifetime Pro Tour Top 8s". Wizards of the Coast. 2014-08-07. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
  5. ↑ "Lifetime Grand Prix Top 8s". Wizards of the Coast. 2014-07-28. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
  6. ↑ "Planeswalker Points (requires login)". Wizards of the Coast. 2014-12-15. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
  7. ↑ "2014 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP COMPETITORS: JOSH UTTER-LEYTON". Wizards of the Coast. 2014-11-04. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
  8. ↑ "Paulo Celebrates Six on the Beach in San Juan". Wizards of the Coast. 2010-05-30. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
  9. ↑ "Utter-Leyton Crowned U.S. Champ". Wizards of the Coast. 2010-08-22. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
  10. ↑ "2010 World Championships: Final Standings". Wizards of the Coast. 2010-12-11. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
  11. ↑ "Estratti Starts Modern Revolution in Philly". Wizards of the Coast. 2011-09-04. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
  12. ↑ "Japan Stands Tall at Worlds Again". Wizards of the Coast. 2011-11-19. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
  13. ↑ "2011 Pro Tour Player of the Year Standings". Wizards of the Coast. 2011-11-23. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
  14. ↑ "Magic Players Championship 2012 Round 12 Standings". Wizards of the Coast. 2012-08-29. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
  15. ↑ "Player of the Year: Josh Utter-Leyton". Wizards of the Coast. 2013-05-19. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
  16. ↑ "World Magic Cup 2013 Final Standings". Wizards of the Coast. 2013-08-04. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
Preceded by
Charles Gindy		 Magic US National Champion
2010 		Succeeded by
Ali Aintrazi
Preceded by
Japan Yuuya Watanabe		 Pro Player of the Year
2012–13 		Succeeded by
France Jérémy Dezani
Preceded by
Brian Kibler		 Magic US National Champion
2013 		Succeeded by
Owen Turtenwald