TUCSON, Ariz. (May 26) – The Central Washington University women's rugby team finished the 2019 USA Rugby Collegiate 7's Tournament on Sunday. The Wildcats took home the first place trophy for the Bowl Final in the women's elite division.
"Today was the performance we've been seeking all weekend," CWU Head Coach Trevor Richards said. "It's just unfortunate that it had to wait until day 2. The team played for each other, were ruthless on defense, and on attack they put a product on the field that they should be proud of."
Central took the win in game one against Penn State by score of 24-10. The big turning point in the game came from Michel Navarro. The Wildcats were struggling to get things going until Navarro was able to kick the ball down the pitch and then chase after it for the try that put Central on top.
"Penn St. is never an easy opponent and the team clearly kept that in mind," said Coach Richards. "We pushed them in all facets and the intensity never let up all game. I was very happy with how they switched on mentally and showed up ready to play."
After the game one win, the Wildcats played Davenport University in a re-match from the day before after Davenport took the win on day one of the tournament.
"The rematch against Davenport was welcomed after our lackadaisical performance of Saturday," Coach Richards said. "We came out of the gates with ferocity and focus. The hits were flying in, the ball moved with ease, and our work at the breakdown made life difficult for our opponents. It was probably our most complete game of the weekend and it was a terrific way to send our seniors off."
The end of the tournament marked the end of the Wildcats season. Central ended the season on a winning note after two straight wins to take the Bowl Championship trophy.
"Overall, I'm really proud of this squad and the growth they've shown," Richards said. "I want to thank our inspirational seniors for their contributions to this program over the years. I also want to thank my wonderful staff; Amy Dehmer, for keeping our student-athletes healthy, Matt Ramirez, for his coaching expertise and support, and lastly Cassidy Meyers, who is departing our program, for her massive contributions to this program as both a player and as a coach. I am forever grateful for them and all that they do."
