Exciting Start for Lindenwood Women
The Lindenwood University women's team is in the mist of the change. The DI program is NOT moving to DII (contrary to a previous report) but has welcomed a new full-time coach – Billy Nicholas from the Bronx – who only accepted the position two weeks ago. The Missouri side has good infrastructure, however, and Director of Rugby JD Stephenson has been leading the transition. So far, so good, as the women finished 2nd at Ruggapalooza (17-10 to DI women’s club Chicago) and defeated Northern Illinois 113-7 in its first Midwest conference match on Saturday.
Player of the Week - Wes Parker
If you research where most top American rugby players come from you will start to see some states mentioned repeatedly; one you won’t see often is Kentucky.
But Wes Parker is looking to be one of those rare Kentuckians that makes it big in rugby, and perhaps boosts the sport in the Bluegrass State in the process.
Parker toured with the High School All Americans this summer, and is now enrolled at Lindenwood University, where he is majoring in Exercise Science. The 6-3 loose forward starred for the Lindenwood ends in their defeat of Indiana this past weekend and was also an effective impact sub for the 1sts in the same fixture.
Warmup Wins for Lindenwood, Michigan
The top two teams from the 2013 season of the Big Ten were in action this weekend against varsity teams, with mixed results.
Michigan, thanks to tries from Jared Bosma, Zach Burns, and Cole Van Harn, defeated Wheeling Jesuit 24-15. WJU did take the 2nd-side game 39-0, but it was a solid effort from the Wolverines 1st side.
Meanwhile, defending Big Ten champs Indiana dropped a 56-27 decision to Lindenwood University.
For Lindenwood, the game was an important bounce-back from a humbling national DIA semifinal loss to St. Mary’s last spring.
“No one was happy with how we ended last season,” said Lindenwood Head Coach JD Stephenson. “St. Mary’s outplayed us - we were outclassed. But we learned a lot after that game, about how we play and how we prepare ourselves.”
