Each year, USA Rugby announces its Collegiate Academic Honor Roll, representing 54 schools nationwide and recognizing 200 students who exemplify a superior ability to balance academics with athletics during their time at college. Fairfield rugby players lead the pack in the number of student-athlete honorees, with 18 Stags listed on the Academic Honor Roll — this is more than double the number of student-athletes recognized from such universities as Yale, Stanford, Princeton, and Georgetown. In order to be considered for recognition, students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher, have competed in their school’s topside, and have started or played as a reserve on more than half of their team’s scheduled matches. 

The Fairfield rugby student-athletes who made the Academic Honor Roll include: Meghan Bruni ‘20, Jenamarie Carella ‘19, Julia D'Innocenzo ‘20, Abigail Dovan ‘20, Salvatore Esposito ‘18, Kaitlyn Foley ‘20, Natalie Gammer ‘21, Sigmund Gusdorf ‘19, Patrick Kerins ‘20, Alexandra Maltbie ‘21, Julie Moser ‘19, Luke Melcher ‘19, Andrew Pearl ‘20, Emily Pepe ‘21, Emma Stringer ‘19, Michael Sweetman ‘19, Kate Welzel ‘20, and Kayla Yaverski ‘21. 

“We are exceptionally proud of these student-athletes and their extraordinary achievement, as we are of all of our rugby players, as they continue to demonstrate the Jesuit ideals of mind, body, and spirit, on and off the pitch,” said rugby director Thomas O’Connor. “The harmony between these principles and the basic requirements for a successful rugby team bear an uncanny resemblance and are, therefore, a necessary requirement for our success.”

For more information about the 2018-19 USA Rugby Collegiate Academic Honor Roll and to see the full list of student-athletes who were recognized, visit usarugby.org.