June 18, 2009 at 8:08 a.m.
In first year, Spartans earn numerous accolades at banquet
In first year, Spartans earn numerous accolades at banquet
The first, and most prestigious, honor for the Spartans that night was the Team Leadership Award from the United States Marine Corp, which is a major sponsor of USA Rugby. The honor was huge given the relative inexperience of the Spartans.
As individuals, Nicole "Coco" Parks received All-State Honors from her second row position. Head Coach Tony Randall said opposing coaches quickly took note of Parks when she scored five trys in the girls' first tournament of the year.
Randall also said Parks added another dimension to the otherwise neutral position. He said that the second row players usually don't score trys too often, but Parks was rarely denied when she set her sights on a try. "It's typically a scrum and busting out-type position," Randall said of the second row. "But Coco is just such a tremendous athlete."
The honor is even more exclusive considering that the All-State selections come from tier one and tier two rugby, so Parks rated as one of the top second row players, regardless of level, in the state.
The Spartans also had two girls nominated for the All-State award that were finalists, but didn't crack the lineup. From the center position, Liz Barrett was a finalist for All-State, as well as Lisa Spehar, who was a flyhalf for the Spartans.
The girls also earned the Best Dressed Award at the banquet. It was a formal affair, and most of the teams decked themselves out in their full prom attire. The Spartans proved that they have the beauty to go with their brawn, knocking out the competition to win the award. "The girls were decked out in their evening gowns, and they looked fabulous," Randall said of his team.
The awards capped off a long, sometimes frustrating, but often blissful, first season for the Chisago Lakes rugby club. Most of the girls went from being completely clueless on rugby rules in the beginning to a band of ruthless rugby warriors at the end who finished the season with a third place finish at the state tournament.
"It was a successful awards banquet," beamed a proud Randall. "I gave them our team photo and they had it up on the screen when we received our awards. It was just really special for us."
Randall wasn't the only one who noticed a transformation in the girls from beginning to end. Judi Barrett, Liz's mother, also raved about how the sport helped the girls in more ways than one. "I have to say that I was a bit nervous about her playing rugby, but it has proven to be such a great thing for [Liz] and really all the girls," she said. "I have seen all the girls just grow in their self-esteem, their confidence and, boy, did they get in shape."
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