HOUSTON, TX – In about a month, four members from the Wayne State College women’s rugby program will make their way down to Texas for an All-Star match.
Following a series of tryout sessions in Kansas City this past weekend along with careful consideration of coach recommendations and videos sent from players, a 14-women roster has been selected for the Mid-America Rugby Women’s Collegiate All-Star Team.
The National College Rugby (NCR) Collegiate 7s All-Star Team has been chosen and will include seniors Isabelle Robinson (Brisbane, Australia) and Lauren Nelson (Fort Calhoun, NE) as well as junior/senior Selma Taylor (Kansas City, MO) and sophomore Phienix Svajgl (Omaha, NE) of WSC.
The All Star tournament features the best NCR women rugby players from across the country. The conference-based competition will include separate divisions for Division I and Small College as well as including up to ten teams per division. Held over two days, the teams will compete in a standard 7s-style tournament structure.
The 2022 7s All Star tournament will be the fourth edition of the event with the previous three tournaments held in Florida. Previously capped at 12 teams, the 2022 tournament will expand to include NCR’s new member conferences.
For the first time, the All Star tournament will include a military select team that includes players from military academies and ROTC programs.
The All Star tournament is used as a platform for selection to the NCR Women’s Select 7s Program which most recently competed in the 2021 Falcon 7s Tournament hosted by the American Rugby Pro Training Center.
Angela Smarto, NCR Women’s Director, said, “This tournament is the keystone of our competitive calendar. We want to continue the spirit of this event as we expand our membership. We are excited to showcase the depth of talent in our women’s divisions.”
Coaches making the selections were Katie Scott (Drury University) and Oksana Goretaya (Benedictine College).
The 2022 NCR Women’s Collegiate All Stars 7’s National Cup will be held in Houston, Texas January 22 – 23 from the Houston Sabercats’ facility.
Complete team:
Sadie Rodriguez–Sophomore, The University of Kansas
Bianca Wollmeister–Freshman, Kansas State University (
Rachel Beymer–Junior, University of Central Missouri
Aubrey Townsend–Freshman, Kansas State University
Kaelyn Kovarik–Senior, University of Missouri
Sam Weiss–Junior, University of Missouri
Madison Genge–Junior, University of Missouri
Christa Griffith–First Year Grad Student, University of Arkansas
Amari Williams–Freshman, University of Arkansas
Mia Balderas–Freshman, University of Arkansas
Isabelle Robinson–Senior, Wayne State College
Lauren Nelson–Senior, Wayne State College
Selma Taylor–Junior/Senior, Wayne State College
Phienix Svajgl–Sophomore, Wayne State College
