Wheeling, W. Va. - On Wednesday, the Goff Report released its annual fall awards honoring the Top 150 Forwards in all of Division I College Rugby. The Wheeling University Rugby team had two players make the list with freshmen Rua Karimazondo and Larry Old making the list. They are the first two Wheeling Rugby players to earn this honor since before the 2019 season, and both players helped their team to the National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) Rhino Rugby bowl victory.
The Wheeling Rugby team finished their 15's season with a 7-2-1 record and qualified for the first ever NCR Rhino Rugby Bowl in Houston, Texas. They took on the defending DIAA champions Iowa Central Community College and came away with a hard fought 29-24 victory. Karimazondo and Old both played a big part passing the ball around and making sure to find the open man on scoring opportunities.
"This is a great honor for these guys to be named to the list, especially after only their first semesters in collegiate rugby," said Wheeling Head Rugby Coach Mike Geibel. "As they grow and develop along with the rest of the team in the next few years, we're going to have a very strong lineup."
Karimazondo has been a big contributor on both sides of the ball this season and found himself as part of one of the biggest plays of the year for the team. With four minutes left on the clock against Davenport, Karimazondo scored the try that brought the score to 27-22. Davenport would eventually tie the game as time expired, but Wheeling took a top Division I program down to the wire thanks to Karimazondo's big play.
"Rua is a dominant presence in the forwards for us," said Geibel. "Whether he is playing Lock or in those forwards, we know we can count on him to bring intensity to every match. He has been a huge menace to our opponents in the lineout and doesn't miss many tackles."
Larry Old came onto the scene as a strong Hooker for the Cardinals this season, controlling the outside edge of the field. He did not score on a try this season but was an integral part of passing the ball around the field and managing scrums. Old is one of those role players that takes his role to heart and Geibel was impressed with how he played and what he brought to the table.
"Larry is another really talented player for us," said Geibel. "He's got really good instincts and is always ready to put in the work on the pitch. He gets himself into a good position to steal the ball in rucks and has a ton of enthusiasm for playing Rugby."
The Wheeling University Rugby team now prepares for its spring season, where they will compete in 7's action. Last season, Wheeling qualified for the NCR Nationals event, and has the goal of getting back to Texas once again this coming Spring. They will be playing against some top opponents, including the Pittsburgh Harlequins and the Pitt 7's.
The Wheeling University Rugby team will kick off their spring season on Saturday, February 19th, when they travel to the Pitt 7's Tournament.
