All-NCRC Teams Named

Press Release from NCRC,

The Northwest Collegiate Rugby Conference (NCRC) is pleased to announce it's 1st and 2nd team All-NCRC selections. The NCRC just completed it's third season, capped off by the first ever NCRC Championship game which Western Washington University (WWU) won over Eastern Washington University (EWU) by a score of 38-14. The title was the first NCRC Championship for WWU who then went on to defeat Chico State 47-19 and Long Beach State 39-26. The Vikings fell to Lindenwood 38-22 in the Final Four. WWU's postseason marks the first time a college team from the Northwest has advanced beyond the Sweet 16.

This years All-NCRC selections were designed to highlight not just the players that score the points but also the contributors that may not show up in the stat sheet. Teams were asked to nominate players from their own squad or others and each team then voted for players to be selected to the 1st and 2nd team. Highlighting the selections are three unanimous selections, all from WWU. Louie Henson is a freshman lock that played U-19 rugby for the Rainier Plateau Highlanders out of Bonney Lake, Wa and was a solid contributor for WWU, starting every game for the Vikings. Gio Trujillo is a veteran for the Vikings and put together a solid campaign at wing and inside center, he played U-19 rugby for the Valley Joeys out of Kent, Wa. The last unanimous selection, and perhaps the linchpin to WWU's dominance, is freshman Quinton Wilms who played mostly flyhalf for the Vikings along with some outside center. Wilms is a Canada U-20 candidate.

The only multiple time All-NCRC team selection is Eric Populus from EWU. Populus has set the bar high in his final season of play, scoring 18 tries and scoring 128 points this season. He now holds the single season mark in tries and points and the all time marks in tries, points, conversions. He has been a 1st team All-NCRC selection each of the last three years.

Team Selections (1st Team):
BSU: 1
EWU: 3 (2)
UI: 3 (1)
UO: 4 (1)
UW: 4 (2)
WOU: 0
WSU: 5 (2)
WWU: 9 (7)

All-NCRC 1st Team

Prop:
Shay McElvain (UW) 3 Tries, 15 Points
Keila Suka-Siose (EWU)
Hooker:
Kevin Kinloch (WWU) 5 Tries, 25 Points
Locks:
Louie Henson (WWU) 5 Tries, 25 Points*
Tyler Bartlett (UO) 2 Tries, 10 Points
Blindside Flanker:
Josh Rayburn (UW) 3 Tries, 15 Points

Openside Flanker:
Matt Tiscornia (WWU) 6 Tries, 30 Points
8-Man:
Eric Populus (EWU) 18 Tries, 128 Points, 19/35 Combined Kicking (54%)

Scrumhalf:
Matt Jensen (WWU) 10 Tries, 50 Points

Flyhalf:
Quinton Wilms (WWU) 6 Tries, 79 Points, 24/41 Combined Kicking (58%)*

Inside Center:
Nathan Muir (WWU) 5 Tries, 25 Points

Outside Center:
Darion Taylor (WSU) 5 Tries, 25 Points

Wings:
Gio Trujillo (WWU) 9 Tries, 45 Points*
Ian Bailey (WSU) 1 Try, 25 Points, 8/14 Combined Kicking (57%)

Fullback:
Dylan Brown (UI) 4 Tries, 53 Points, 16/28 Combined Kicking (57%)

All-NCRC 2nd Team
Props: Jeff Turner (WSU), Preston Mo (WWU)
Hooker: Michael Taylor (WSU)
Locks: Hunter Dixon (UW), Taylor Krumnei (UO)
Blindside Flanker: Justin Dreyer (EWU)
Openside Flanker: Ian Booth (UW)
8-Man: Casey Smith (WSU)
Scrumhalf: Kyle Mundy (UI)
Flyhalf: Hunter Olden (UI)
Inside Center: Ryan O'Sullivan (BSU)
Outside Center: Joe Cote (WWU)
Wings: Garrett Reynolds (UO), Zach Self (UO)
Fullback: Cameron Bowers (EWU)

Honorable Mention: Austin Alley (UI), Aaron Carr (UW), Jacob Christensen (EWU), Travis Cutler (UO), Paul Gerard (UO), Colby Hall (BSU), Jon Kaimmer (WWU), Corey Kleppe (WWU), Ricky Lang (EWU), Konstantin Rehbein (UW), Jake Romano (WWU), Nick Solimano (WWU), Kyle Trudeaux (EWU), Russel Turpin (EWU), Tom Watson (UO), Connor Williams (BSU)