College Women
Three stellar matches occurred in the Ivy League this weekend, as the victors won by a combined 21 points.
The 2014-15 season was an unforgettable one for Life University, which competed in its first DI season and finished third at the national spring championships. The Running Eagles then followed with a debut performance at the CRC 7s and sent a representative to the first-ever Women’s Collegiate All American 7s team, which won the Elite City 7s.
The National Collegiate Varsity Women’s Rugby Association (NCVWRA) voted a national championship into existence this fall. A five-person tournament committee composed of three athletic department administrators and two varsity coaches will name and seed the top eight varsity programs. The quarterfinals will occur on Nov. 14, and the higher-ranked team will host.
There are many familiar notes in Bloomsburg’s recent past. The program wanted to be more competitive, so it hired a tested coach, Kevin Castner from East Stroudsburg University. He injected structure and discipline, and while there was some resistance, the players subscribed to this success-driven culture. The affect was realized on the pitch, and Bloomsburg started winning.
In the Big Ten, it’s Penn State and everyone else, but that race for second-best is always a good one. Indiana has been the traditional runner-up, but after a couple big losses during the friendly season, the competition for #2 might be closer than years previous.