http://www.rugbymag.com/index.php?o...merican-list&catid=42:all-american&Itemid=198 USA Rugby Releases All American List BOULDER, Colo. – USA Rugby is proud to announce the 2011 Men’s Collegiate All-Americans. These student-athletes exhibited excellence on the rugby field during their respective seasons and are recognized, as such, as the best men’s collegiate rugby players in America. The All-American selectors had a pool of over 20,000 men’s collegiate players in the United States to choose from and spent nine months of player identification and monitoring to narrow that down to just 40 All-Americans and 41 honorable mentions. In July, 30 All-Americans will be selected to the All-Americans Touring Side. The Touring Side will have a three-match series with the New Zealand Universities this summer and will train at the Olympic Training Center (OTC) in Chula Vista, Calif. to prepare for the series. For more information about the series, click here. In addition to the honor of recognition for excellence at the collegiate level, All-Americans often ascend to the senior national teams (both sevens and fifteens). Cal standout and current All-American, Blaine Scully, exemplifies the All-American pathway as he joined the USA Eagles in the UK last week for their match against Russia on Saturday in the final match of the 2011 Churchill Cup. Scully will start at fullback in that match. Five of Scully’s fellow 2011 All-Americans; Ryan Roundy (BYU), Cam Dolan (Life University), Thretton Palamo (University of Utah), Taylor Mokate (University of Oklahoma) and Peter Tiberio (University of Arizona) have all competed at the senior international level in either fifteens or sevens. PLAYER SELECTION All-American selectors have been surveying the crop of current collegiate athletes since the All-Americans returned from their UK tour last summer. The selectors include Don Ferrell (Penn State), Kevin Battle (University of California – Santa Barbara), Kimball Kjar (BYU), Matt Sherman (Stanford), Luke Gross (USA Rugby) and All-Americans Head Coach, Alex Magleby (Dartmouth). The launch of the College Premier Division (CPD) in March of this year marked a new era in college rugby, and selectors were able to use the new CPD video-sharing system to scout players from all of the 31 CPD teams. As for the non-CPD teams, a network of scouts attended regional championships and tournaments around the country reported to the selectors and contributed significantly to the selection process. The All-American staff attended the Emirates Airline USA Rugby 2011 Men’s Collegiate All-Star Championships in Glendale, Colo. last weekend to see the top players from each Territorial Union (TU) in action. Fourteen All-Americans and 13 honorable mentions were selected due to their performance in that tournament. Magleby notes that a number of players made a statement during their seasons and were able to edge out former All-Americans who were active during the college season, reflecting parity in the selections. “Coaches and players at the college level have been elevating their standards of play for the last few years, which makes our job of selecting the top student-athletes more of a challenge. But having an ample pool of quality players to choose from is a good problem to have,” said Magleby. The coach went on to thank all the college coaches and players who are helping to move the sport of rugby forward in the United States. 2011 Men’s Collegiate All-Americans Forwards James Besser (University of California - Berkeley) Matt Crawford (St. Mary’s College of California) Jeremy Deterding (University of California – Berkeley) Roan Farr (Arkansas State) Zach Fenoglio (Loyola Marymount) Ray Forrester (BYU) Nick Mostyn (University of Utah) Mike Su’a (BYU) Andy Cooke (St. Mary’s College of California) Nardus Wessels (Arkansas State) Mark Bonham (BYU) Nate Brakeley (Dartmouth) Nick Civetta (Notre Dame) Drew Hyjer (University of California – Berkeley) Chris Parker (Texas A&M) Derek Asbun (University of California – Berkeley) Danny Barrett (University of California – Berkeley) Cam Dolan (Life University) Roland Evans (Arkansas State) Garrett Lambert (Life University) Hynie Leaaetoa (BYU) Taylor Mokate (University of Oklahoma) Shaun Potgieter (Arkansas State) Ryan Roundy (BYU) Backs Shaun Davies (BYU) Don Pati (University of Utah) Chris Saint (Penn State) James Bailes (University of California – Berkeley) J.P. Eloff (Davenport University) Dylan Lubbe (BYU) Pat Sullivan (Arkansas State) Will Holder (Army) Seamus Kelley (University of California – Berkeley) Thretton Palamo (University of Utah) Jared Whippy (BYU) Kyle Grossheider (Life University) Ben Leatigaga (Army) Dustin Muhn (University of California – Berkeley) Blaine Scully (University of California – Berkeley) Peter Tiberio (University of Arizona) 2011 Honorable Mentions Forwards Scott MacDonald (Life University) Nick Wallace (St. Mary’s College of California) Neil Barrett (University of California – Berkeley) Jamie Gregory (Kutztown University) Chase Burge (Navy) Brendan Daly (University of California – Berkeley) Jason Law (University of California – Berkeley) Villiami Vimahi (BYU) Jordan Badia-Bellinger (Claremont McKenna) Paul Bester (Life University) Mike Erickson (Penn State) Paul Jarvis (Dartmouth) Apenisa Malani (BYU) Sean Rohrs (Navy) Tom Rooke (University of California – Berkeley) Seamus Siefring (Navy) Dave Martini (UCLA) Backs James Burrows (University of California – Santa Barbara) Chad Clark (St. Mary’s College of California) Derek Fish (Dartmouth) Joe Baker (Penn State) Dave Geib (Army) Nick Viviani (Bowling Green State University) Sean Gallinger (University of California – Berkeley) Benji Goff (Tennessee) Bobby Johns (Louisiana State University) Gareth Jones (Temple University) Duncan Kelm (San Diego State University) Seki Kofe (BYU) Hunter Leland (Texas A&M) Tim Maupin (St. Mary’s College of California) AJ Tuineau (University of Utah) Colton Cariaga (Life University) Joe Cowley (Life University) Chris Downer (Dartmouth) Nick Downer (Dartmouth) Tyler Harrison (University of California – Davis) Sione Lauti (University of Utah) Rocco Mauer (Bowling Green State University) Tim Stanfill (Central Washington) Danie Swanepoel (Arkansas State) Selection Breakdown 2011 All-Americans and Honorable Mentions 21 2010 All-Americans 3 2009 All-Americans 16 first-time All-Americans 7 two-time All-Americans 6 Men’s Eagle Sevens internationals 2 Men’s Eagle Fifteens internationals 9 2010 Honorable Mentions 30 first-time Honorable Mentions 18 former USA Under-20s (Junior All-Americans) 4 Division I student-athletes 2 Division II student-athletes
For Immediate Release June 28, 2011 2011 MEN’S COLLEGIATE ALL-AMERICANS TOURING SQUAD ANNOUNCED BOULDER, Colo. – USA Rugby is proud to announce the 2011 Men’s Collegiate All-Americans Touring Squad. The team consists of the top men’s collegiate rugby players in the country and will assemble for a training camp at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. in early July to prepare for a three-match series with the New Zealand Universities team. The 30-man squad has players from the roughly 22,000 men’s collegiate rugby players in the country. The matches against the New Zealand Universities are to be held in San Diego (July 9), Santa Barbara (July 13) and Stanford (July 16). “The players we selected for the Touring Squad are athletic and experienced. There are some exciting players who earned their spot in this squad through their outstanding play this season and will get to experience in an Olympic training environment, take on the challenge of representing their country against a formidable international opponent, and have the opportunity to put their hand up for future selection into the senior national teams,” said All-Americans head coach, Alex Magleby. The coach also noted that many of the players at this camp will be Olympic hopefuls for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The All-American pathway, beginning with the High School All-Americans, is a proven route to playing for the Eagles. In fact, four of the players on the touring squad; Cam Dolan (Life University), Ryan Roundy (BYU), Blaine Scully (University of California – Berkeley) and Peter Tiberio (University of Arizona) have all represented the USA at the senior international level. Nine players on the 2011 All-American Touring Squad have played for the High School All-Americans (Under-17s) or the Junior All-Americans (Under-20s). Scully and Dolan are also included in the USA’s 50-man preliminary squad that Eagles Head Coach Eddie O’Sullivan submitted last week to the 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC) organizers. Nineteen of the of the 50 RWC hopefuls named in that squad are former Collegiate All-Americans. 2011 MEN’S COLLEGIATE ALL-AMERICANS TOURING SQUAD Forwards James Besser (University of California – Berkeley), Matt Crawford (St. Mary’s College of California), Zach Fenoglio (Loyola Marymount), Ray Forrester (BYU), Nick Mostyn (Utah), Mike Su’a (BYU), Andy Cooke (St. Mary’s College of California), Mark Bonham (BYU), Nate Brakeley (Dartmouth), Nick Civetta (Notre Dame), Chris Parker (Texas A&M), Derek Asbun (University of California – Berkeley), Jordan Badia-Bellinger (Claremont Colleges), Cam Dolan (Life University), Garrett Lambert (Life University), Dave Martini (UCLA), Shaun Potgieter (Arkansas State), Ryan Roundy (BYU) Backs Shaun Davies (BYU), Chris Saint (Penn State), JP Eloff (Davenport University), Pat Sullivan (Arkansas State), Benji Goff (Tennessee), Gareth Jones (Temple), Seamus Kelly (University of California – Berkeley), Duncan Kelm (San Diego State), Kyle Grossheider (Life University), Dustin Muhn (University of California – Berkeley), Blaine Scully (University of California – Berkeley), Peter Tiberio (University of Arizona) Considered but unavailable: Danny Barrett (University of California – Berkeley), Roland Evans (Arkansas State), Taylor Mokate (University of Oklahoma), Don Pati (University of Utah), James Bailes (University of California – Berkeley), Dylan Lubbe (BYU), Will Holder (Army), Thretton Palamo (University of Utah), Jared Whippy (BYU), Tyler Harrison (University of California – Davis), Ben Leatigaga (Army), Sione Lauti (University of Utah) 2011 MEN’S COLLEGIATE ALL-AMERICANS v. NEW ZEALAND UNIVERSITIES SUMMER TOUR July 9: Little Q (Old Mission Bay Athletic Club) | 3 p.m. July 13: Harder Stadium (UC- Santa Barbara) | 6:30 p.m. July 16: Steuber Rugby Stadium (Stanford University) | 1 p.m. ABOUT THE ALL-AMERICAN TOURING SQUAD The All-American Touring Squad is separate to USA Rugby’s previously named Collegiate All-American and Honorable Mention All-American list, which recognizes players outstanding on field form throughout the collegiate rugby season, playoffs, and all-star representative play. The All-American Touring Team is a specifically identified group of players who are believed to have the characteristics to develop into Senior National Team Players. The All-American Tour is meant to provide a development and competition component to develop those players toward full international honors. In addition to recognizing outstanding rugby players, the All-American program is a development pathway to international honors. The program identifies and develops talent and character in order to prepare athletes for higher levels of rugby and life outside of the game. Beginning with the High School All-Americans, a player may progress to the U20-Junior All-Americans, and finally reach the pinnacle of the All-American program and become a Collegiate All-American. All-American rugby has been in existence for more than a century in the United States. The original Collegiate All-American team, originally titled an “American Universities” team, traveled to New Zealand and Australia in 1910, marking the first ever American rugby tour. The All-American crest, adorned with 13 stars and stripes is the same one those athletes wore on the inaugural All-American tour and the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, a nod to America’s rugby and national heritage. The All-Americans wouldn’t be able to continue the proud tradition without the support of their sponsors. Royall Lyme’s brand of fragrances has had close ties to the beloved sport of rugby, and is currently involved in the sponsorship of several teams and events at the collegiate level. Royall Lyme also aims to recognize exemplary performances. A “Royall Man” is a winner, yes, but more importantly, Royall Men are, by their very nature, role models and natural leaders. They demonstrate exemplary character. Further Information: Jarrod Beckstrom | Communications Manager | USA Rugby | jbeckstrom@usarugby.org