As NCAA women's rugby moves into their playoffs, a quick overview of WGR alumni experiencing the rigors of varsity collegiate competition is worthy of a few shout outs.
--Melanie Sanchez (DSHA '24) was named a captain of the Quinnipiac Women's NCAA D1 team, this fall. As a freshman, this stands out as truly remarkable, to be so respected that on a roster full of varsity collegiate women, a freshman was named to help lead the program.
--Scout Spadoni (Stevens Point Area HS '24) had a stellar fall, scoring multiple tries for Frostburg St, the new NCAA D2 program that has won several matches already. Every time she's seen playing or interviewed she appears to have a smile on her face. With four tries in her last match it’s easy to understand why.
--Yesenia Morales (DSHA '23) and the Cadets of the United States Military Academy qualified for the final four team playoffs in NCAA Division One. A few days later local Milwaukee Public School students will be able to see her speak to students on Nov 26th at South Milwaukee HS.
--Alyssa Cunningham (CMHS '21) wrapped up a stellar career at NCAA D1 Sacred Heart University this past weekend. The team captain helped lead SHU to their program's first-ever victory over rival Quinnipiac University Women's Rugby with a 43-33 victory. Cunningham scored two tries, kicked two conversions, and kicked a penalty goal (three points) to pace SHU with 17 points. This match was a huge hurdle for the pioneers to leap over after several very tight matches in recent years.
--Congrats to all the other NCAA student-athletes from WGR!
Club Rugby Notes:
--A strong crew of four DSHA and a Hamilton HS alumni helped a young Marquette University women's team knock off ranked UW-Eau Claire in the first round of D2 playoffs up in Oshkosh last weekend.
With Dashers at the key 9 and 10 spots, the veteran WGR grads guided the Golden Eagles' playmaking direction, leading to strong overall team play. The Golden Eagles went on to battle in the final, a close 0-7 loss to the University of Illinois. The win means Marquette advances to another round of playoffs. The young team is ascending and improving with each match they play.
--Elizabeth Pfannerstill (CMHS '21) is wrapping up her career with the UW-Platteville D-3 powerhouse (used to be small-college division). UWP dominated in both their wins in the D3 playoffs held in Oshkosh over the weekend.
