GRR: Penn State
Here’s a spoiler: Penn State is going to win our 2015 Women’s College of the Year. The women celebrated arguably the most successful month of college rugby ever, winning national titles in 15s and 7s, followed by a CRC trophy, during the course of three weeks in May.
Despite Penn State's legacy of dominance in Division I, a national 7s championship has eluded the women's team since the competition's creation. That changed on Sunday, when the Nittany Lions defeated Central Washington 47-26 in the 7s title bout, becoming the first women's team to be both DI 15s and 7s national champion in the same year.
Until the final play of the game, it appeared that Virginia Women’s Rugby (UVA) had orchestrated an impressive upset over Central Washington during the Women's College 7s Championship semifinals. But the Wildcats used their final play of the game to tie it up, and then the ever-dependable Cassidy Meyers converted her try for the 12-10 win.
One side of the women's college 7s championship quarterfinals was exciting; the other saw a couple of lopsided scores. The morning began with Penn State and Stanford, and their traditional rivalry played out wonderfully. Princeton and Lindenwood followed, and that game came down to one try.
One of two things was going to happen today. Either Central Washington was going to cap off its momentous season by upsetting the reigning DI champion, or Penn State was going to win its fourth consecutive (10th total) trophy. The Nittany Lions reiterated why it’s the winningest program in the women’s college game, and posted a 61-7 victory today at Kennesaw State, Ga.