Black Katts throughout the Midwest were celebrating big wins last weekend, as the DII powerhouse won its 8^th consecutive Foolsfest title. The win was a testament to Winona’s depth, as the school had lent five of its best players to the Minnesota U24s for the Midwest LAU tournament in Davenport, Iowa. Those five players – and one recent alum – helped Minnesota to an all-star trophy.

On the home front, the Black Katts defeated UW La Crosse 71-0 and Gustavus 95-0 during pool play, and then blanked Mankato 75-0 in the final. It was a dominating performance, and a couple of players stepped up to keep that winning tradition intact.

“Junior flyhalf Katie Dries continues to keep the backline firing,” Winona coach Josh Krzewinski commended. “No matter the combination of girls I can use at the centers, Dries seems to create space for them to attack. And that’s not to mention her incredible kicking skills. Sophomore prop Lanoira Duhart, who is still settling in as captain, put the weight of her forward pack on her shoulders and demonstrated her speed, strength, and agility all over the pitch. There are so many quality kids on the team, it was great to see them come together the way they did at Foolsfest.”

The team will be playing some 7s in Wisconsin this weekend, and it will welcome back teammates who helped Minnesota to an LAU title. Former Winona coach Roger Riley served as assistant coach for the Midwest Thunderbirds and was evaluating players for invitation to the Midwest select side camp (read more). Riley reported that Winona flankers Amanda Custode and Sam Wilcox were excellent around the breakdown, while the center pairing of Lachen Esters and Megan Wolff created a lot of buzz. Hanah DeMars had a good showing at hooker against Wisconsin, and all five played in the final.Riley is expecting a good Winona showing at the upcoming select side camp.