Senior/freshman halfback combo of Tennant and Ortiz. /// Photo: Davenport Women’s Rugby •
The DII college fall 15s season is over, and ended with a fantastic final four that placed Davenport at the top once again. But all four teams got to showcase their programs, and some memorable individual performances punctuated the weekend. Selections for the DII College Fall Championship All-Tournament Team focused on one question: Who was the best performer in each position?
Congratulations to all of the teams that advanced to the fall semifinals and for representing their division well.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
1. Allison MIEDZIELEC (Davenport, sr.) – Big, strong and mobile, the prop always gained meters, whether in the front row driving the opposition off its own ball, or with ball in hand powering through would-be tacklers. It was a common sight – defenders ricocheting off the front row.
2. An TRAN (Winona, soph.) – The Black Katts have some talented sophomores who are already big contributors (Amy Scherer, Haley Cederburg, Cassie Schultz), and we like Tran in the front row. She’s got 7s confidence (was part of the 2016 ACRA 7s championship team), high work rate and is good in the breakdown – all 1.5 years’ experience.
3. Mariah GHANT (Vassar, sr.) – When the Brewers unleashed a brutal forwards attack that threw Davenport off its game, co-captain Ghant was at the center of it all. When Vassar needed to go forward, the prop powered a path – one of which led to a try in the semifinals.
4. Hayden SHORT* (Coast Guard, soph.) – The Bears had to play a lot of defense and Short was absolutely relentless in the tackle and on the ground. A couple of games showcased teams attempting to hold up ballcarriers as part of their defensive strategy, and the lock’s decisive, ground-thumping tackles became a welcomed sight. She also scored the only try against Winona in the semis.
(*The original version of this article erroneously listed Cherokee Strickland. There was a jersey switch between the two locks and the change wasn’t logged into the content management system.)
5. Amy PLAMBECK (Davenport, jr.) – The Davenport scrum was the star of the DII fall final, and Plambeck has returned as an integral component of that engine room. The lock also uses her size well around the pitch and has line-piercing power with ball in hand.
6. Nathalie FREEMAN (Vassar, sr.) – The co-captain, much like Ghant, was instrumental in launching a specifically crafted game plan against Davenport, and it nearly worked. She scored an important first-half try against the eventual fall champs, and then two against Coast Guard in the 15-10 3rd place win.
7. Brenna DONAHUE (Davenport, sr.) – The hard-working flanker earned MVP of the DII fall championship but her biggest contribution might have been her work in the air. On a final’s day marred by slippery conditions, the Davenport lineouts were on-point, joining a scrum that could not be beat.
8. Lanoira DUHART (Winona, sr.) – The All-American does it all – she kicks for touch, pummels the defense, passes out of contact into space – but most visibly, steals possession. The captain is so quick to her feet after the tackle and always well positioned for the poach. She made Davenport pay for those isolated breaks.
9. Olivia ORTIZ (Davenport, fr.) – Hesitated with this selection due to the two yellow cards, but the freshman scrumhalf was the best attacking #9 and one of the surest tacklers on Davenport. The Michigan product is petite and unafraid. We’re really excited to see how Ortiz develops.
10. Hannah TENNANT (Davenport, sr.) – Conversely, the veteran was a calming agent. She played both halfback positions, distributed the ball but made good decisions about when to tuck and run. For defense, the wet weather meant more crashes in her channel, and she planted ballcarriers as good as anyone. And as always, her boot was fantastic.
11. Linda DRAKE (Coast Guard, jr.) – Drake is a strong-side winger, but she needed to be on the list. Drake has all the makings of a good wing – has finishing speed, good supporter, protects the sideline – but we especially liked her work in the kicking game. Her diligence in the chase shifted the pressure to the receiving team – important during defense-heavy matches.
12. Lachen ESTERS (Winona, sr.) – We saw the best of Winona in the semifinals, and the connection between Shultz-Esters-Wolff was so fun to watch. Savvy, fast and hard-running, Esters also connected well with Duhart when the No. 8 would pick off the scrum and find extra yardage through the fast-following center.
13. Danielle ORDWAY (Davenport, sr.) – Like Esters, Ordway was more prevalent in the semifinals, but the linchpin played a very important role in the title game. As she absorbed attention, her teammates stepped up their influence. That said, no one beat the captain in terms of being an offensive threat.
14. Madison SPARKS (Davenport, grad.) – The wing is a finisher, but we love her for her physicality. She’s not the type of wing who drags a ballcarrier into touch, but one who nails the tackle, jumps to her feet and starts working again. She works well with Ordway, too, and was always perfectly placed for that final pass into the try zone.
15. Rachel ELSON (Vassar, soph.) – The first time she touched the ball at the fall final four, she took a nice angle against Davenport and scored. She inserted into the backline nicely and injected good speed into the wider attack. Elson’s just a sophomore, too, so we’re looking forward to seeing where she goes.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Fifteen roster spots is not enough to acknowledge all of the talent in the semifinals. Below is an additional nominee from each team:
Hannah GARCIA – Davenport, freshman, flanker
Megan WOLFF – Winona, junior, outside center
Hannah DELGUERCIO – Coast Guard, senior, fullback
Sarah MAWHINNEY – Vassar, junior, flanker