Eight Recognized With Kathy Flores Lifetime Achievement Award
Eight Recognized With Kathy Flores Lifetime Achievement Award
The USA Women's Rugby Foundation has named the 2023 recipients of the Kathy Flores Lifetime Achievement Award.
The award is named in honor of legendary player and coach Kathy Flores, who passed away in 2021. This annual award recognizes those in the rugby community who exemplify the collegial spirit, commitment to lifelong learning, vision, and generosity that defined Kathy Flores.
This award is further distinguished as it is the first award given to leaders in the women’s game by the women’s rugby community. Recipients must have a demonstrated record of extraordinary service to women’s rugby in the US for over 25 years. This year's eight recipients include some of the most iconic figures in the women’s rugby community.
This year's recipients are:
Martha Daines
Nancy Fitz
Barb Fugate
Liz Kirk
Marybeth Mathews
Julia McCoy
Krista McFarren
Karen Onufry
All of these women have had a massive influence on the American women's game either as players or coaches or, in many cases, in both roles. Daines and Fugate were both capped only a small number of times for the Eagles, but built, together and separately, monumental coaching resumes in Minnesota and on the national level. Onufry is the same, playing four times for the Eagles but coaching at Middlebury for over 20 years.
McCoy built the USA 7s program into a national power, often without much help, and remains a huge champion of players and coaching. McFarren was a World Cup winner in 1991 and one of the USA's most dangerous attacking players. Mathews has led the charge for women's rugby to be an NCAA sport, running a superb Bowdoin program for almost 30 years.
Fitz captained the USA and was one of the best, if not the best, second rows the USA ever had (21 caps from 1996 to 2002) and then moved brilliantly into coaching. Kirk is similar—an all-time great (this time at prop) with 23 caps she is essentially the matriarch of women's rugby in the Pacific Northwest.
These women will all be recognized at the UCWRF Conference January 13-15 in Alexandria, Va.
