This fall produced fully nine women’s collegiate champions on at least a moderately national level.
NIRA
Three of them were in the NCAA varsity league, NIRA.
Young Bowdoin Forwards Lead Way to NIRA DIII Title
A Classic as Queens Defeats Davenport in OT to Win NIRA DII
Dartmouth Holds On to be NIRA D1 Champions
CRAA
Three were produced at the CRAA Fall Classic.
Lindenwood held off Life 17-15 in the women’s D1 Elite final.
Lindenwood Edges Life for D1 Elite Championship
Navy exploded for 61 points against Utah State, although USU turned thing around a bit in the second half to score three converted tries and finish with 28.
Marissa Meyer was a constant danger in the centers and was game MVP while Megan Leitz, Sadie Eiting, Grace Oliver, Chris Foster, Siena Hall, and Abby Herschner all touched down. Meyer got two.
Utah State, having gone 6-0 in the Rocky Mountain and made their way past UConn in the semis were athletic and produced a lot of good rugby, but the overall team defense and attacking pattern saw Navy win comfortably.
USU scrummed well (surprisingly well given their size and experience) and players such as fullback Sarah Wilkinson and center Abbey Hymas were very dangerous.
Vassar defeated Coast Guard to the tune of 71-24 to win the CRAA D2, but it didn’t start out that way. Wary of Vassar’s ball-control success, Coast Guard wanted to score quickly and they did, winning the ball off the restart and sending it wide to wing Sarah Moore, who raced in. Coast Guard’s desire and ability to send long leading passes wide to their outside backs is almost unique in the D2 arena.
But getting the ball to being with was difficult. Vassar ran pick-and-goes with multiple forwards around the ball, an approach that requires teamwork and fitness. When Coast Guard infringed, freshman scrumhalf tapped quickly and was all kinds of problems.
Bailey scored a try off the back of a series of pick-and-goes, and then added an improbably meandering try. Quick-tapping at the 50 on the right side she weaved left, and when Coast Guard over-pursued just a little, cut back to the right and weaved back to score on the right side again.
Center Caeli Porette led the Vassar defense and scored three impressive tries, including an interception where they seemed to have gecko pads on their fingertips.
The entire Vassar forward pack was impressive.