Alexandria “Spiff” Sedrick has been selected as the winner of the 2019-2020 MA Sorensen Award as the top women’s collegiate rugby player in the United States.

Sedrick is a speedy wing/center who ignited the Life University offense in both 7s and 15s, and who also was named to the USA Falcons team that won the LA Invitational Women’s Elite bracket—Sedrick scored for the Falcons in the final to help secure that win.

Fan and team voting around the country pared the group of nominees down to five finalists. Selecting the Sorensen Award winner was then the task of the MA Sorensen Award Panel, which included: USA Rugby’s head of collegiate rugby Johnathan Atkeison, BYU Head Coach Tom Waqa, Life University Head Coach Rosalind Chou, Quinnipiac Head Coach Becky Carlson, Air Force Academy Head Coach and Commissioner of NIRA Amy Rusert, Editor of The Rugby Breakdown Jackie Finlan, and Goff Rugby Report Editor and Sorensen Award coordinator Alex Goff.

MaryAnne Sorensen herself is also on the selection panel.

Those eight panelists chose Sedrick in a very competitive vote. Sedrick won thanks to her broad range of skills. Not only is she elusive and quick, but she is a smart player with strong passing ability who is excellent on defense. The product of Utah Youth Rugby, Sedrick has also shown great talent in 7s.

The MA Sorensen Award is named after MaryAnne Sorensen, who was a groundbreaking player for College of William & Mary, and was the starting prop for the USA team that won the 1991 Women’s Rugby World Cup. An accomplished player for many years, accomplished rugby coach, and highly respected doctor who is still practicing, Sorensen epitomizes the broad-based contributions college rugby players make to their community. She has also attended all four of the previous awards dinners and her speeches are one of the highlights of the evening.

The MA Sorensen Award is given out by the Washington Athletic Club of Seattle, Wash. every year. It was started in 2016 and Goff Rugby Report has partnered with the WAC each year to help select the recipient. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, there will be no awards dinner this year, but that shouldn't take anything away from the accomplishments of all of the finalists.

“This was a hugely competitive field and any one of these finalists—Spiff Sedrick, Sarah Skinner, Cassidy Bargell, Sui A’au, or Alex DiMarco—would have been worthy recipients of the award,” said Goff in his role as award coordinator. “It was a shame that the season had to end early, but I want to thank the panel for making a very difficult choice. And congratulations to Spiff for this accomplishment.”

Past MA Sorensen Award-Winners:
2016: Hope Rogers, Penn State
2017: Ilona Maher, Quinnipiac
2018: McKenzie Hawkins, Lindenwood
2019: Emily Henrich, Dartmouth