Since 2016, the annual MA Sorensen Award has sourced the rugby community in choosing the best women’s Division I collegiate rugby player in the U.S. It’s a multi-stage process involving a selection panel and public voting, and then the award winners (along with the men’s the Rudy Schultz Award) are celebrated at the Washington Athletic Club in early June. The pool of 2023-24 MA Sorensen nominees has been announced, and now the public’s vote will (March 31 deadline) determine finalists. [lead photo: John Bang for Washington Athletic Club]
RELATED: Full Release + Voting Form
2023-24 MA SORENSEN NOMINEES
| Amy Brice | Lindenwood Univ. |
| Akilah Cathey | Brown Univ. |
| Ashley Cowdrey | Davenport Univ. |
| Alyssa Cunningham | Sacred Heart Univ. |
| Tessa Hann | Central Washington Univ. |
| Matilda Kocaj | Life Univ. |
| Ember Larson | Univ. Michigan |
| Alivia Leatherman | Notre Dame College |
| Lennox London | Harvard Univ. |
| Nikki Lynch | Brown Univ. |
| Sia Meni | Dartmouth College |
| Tiahna Padilla | Harvard Univ. |
| Kat Storey | Quinnipiac Univ. |
| Kat Stowers | BYU |
| Freda Tafuna | Lindenwood Univ. |
| Cindy Taulava | Dartmouth College |
| Taina Tukuafu | Lindenwood Univ. |
All of the nominees are known entities in the collegiate rugby world. There are capped USA Eagles, USA Age Grade standouts, NCAA varsity and NCR DI student-athletes, championship MVPs, repeat nominees and first-years all making waves. The next step is for fans — both individuals and teams — to vote for a list of finalists by March 31. The list of 17 players will be narrowed to 4-5, and then a selection panel will discuss the winner. On Saturday, June 8, MA Sorensen herself will present the victor with the award during a celebration at the Washington Athletic Club.
Previous winners include (listed in chronological order beginning in 2016): Hope Rogers, Ilona Maher, McKenzie Hawkins, Emily Henrich, Spiff Sedrick, Richelle Stephens, Idia Ihensekhien and Keia Mae Sagapolu. They all hail from DI Elite and NCAA DI programs, and all are capped 7s and/or 15s Eagles (except Ihensekhien, who is Canadian).
For more information, review Alex Goff’s announcement on Goff Rugby Report.