ELLENSBURG, Wash. —The Central Washington University women's rugby team is excited to announce the addition of three players for the 2021-22 academic year.

Kerena Tinoisamoa is a 5-foot-5 center from El Camino High School in Oceanside, California.  Tinoisamoa was named the Tai-City Thunder's MVP among backs.

"I chose CWU because of their great rugby program," Tionisamoa said.  "I feel like it's the perfect place for me to grow both as a rugby player and a person."

Coach Richards on Tinoisamoa: "We are thrilled to be adding Tinoisamoa to our program! Kerena will be bringing a great combination of skill, speed and physicality to our midfield next year. With both Jherish Moananu and Mikayla Roberts set to graduate this Spring, Tinoisamoa will be looking to compete right away in the centers and add to an already exciting, young backline. There's no wondering why Kerena has made multiple USA GHSAA camps with the way she plays, but what has impressed us most, is who she is as a person and the impact that she will have at CWU as great student-athlete and ambassador for our sport."

Maleena Mero joins the Wildcats from Breckenridge, Colorado.  The 5-foot-5 hooker helped guide the Summit High School girls rugby program to a state championship.  Mero also earned Academic All-State First Team honors.

I chose CWU because of the location, diversity, and welcoming nature of the college," Mero said of her decision to sign with CWU.  The passion I have for rugby was not going to simply die after high school.  The CWU women's rugby team seemed like the perfect fit for me because I not only love the sport, but I love the place where I will be playing it."

Coach Richards on Mero: "Mero brings much-needed depth at hooker for next season. She has helped her high school program, Summit, become a Colorado powerhouse in both 15s and 7s over the past few years. Mero is a forward with a high work rate on the pitch and has a great rugby mind which will lend nicely to our set-piece. She impressed our staff with her athleticism and her knack for working off the ball and running great lines, all of which will make her a dangerous and dynamic front rower that we are quite pleased to add to our ever-strengthening pack."

Olivia Calton is a 5-foot-2 center from Vancouver, Washington and Lieser Campus.  Calton helped guide the Wildcats to a High School Rugby Championship and tallied a trio of player of the match accolades.  

"I love the campus," Calton said of CWU.  "it felt very welcoming while visiting and I am thankful for the opportunity to play for the women's rugby program."

Coach Richards on Calton: "Calton adds solid depth to our backline. The Rugby Oregon standout jumped off the screen with her line breaks and great confidence in the contact area. Despite Calton being relatively raw as a player, her background in soccer, track, and wrestling has transferred well to rugby and we are confident that she will continue to develop into a great center for us.  It's also fantastic to get more local talent coming through our ranks and Rugby Oregon continues to show it's strength in producing quality student-athletes."