NEILLSVILLE GRAD COMPETES IN NATIONAL RUGBY TOURNEY
Tuesday, June 21st, 2005 -- 6:41 AM
She may be the best rugby player to come out of Neillsville.Amanda Hanuszczak was a high school softball standout when she graduated from Neillsville in 2001.
When she started college at UW-Eau Claire in the fall of 2001, Hanuszczak knew rugby existed, but didn?t know much about it. But, the rugby team was looking for players and Amanda was looking for something athletic to do, so she joined.
This year, she was a major part of the UW-Eau Claire women?s team that won the state Division I collegiate rugby championship and she recently made a regional women?s rugby team that won the national championship this weekend.
What is rugby? Amanda says it?s hard to explain. It?s a bit like football with no pads.
"It looks a lot like football, but everytime there's a tackle the play doesn't stop. You have to pass the ball backwards all the time," Hanuszczak says.
By winning the Division I State Championship, UW-Eau Claire can claim superiority over larger schools, such as UW-Madison and Milwaukee.
Her performance must have caught the right people?s attention.
"I was invited to try out for the Midwest team, which is made up of nine states. They had about 60 girls come try out for this team and I made the team," Hanuszczak says.
Unfortunately, a bout of heat stroke limited Amanda?s playing time, but she played long enough to score a ?try? ? the rugby equivalent of a ?touchdown? ? and pick up two souvenirs: a black eye and championship medal at the National Championship in Blaine, Minnesota.
"I got an elbow to the eye. I was just going into a "ruck" - which is something that forms over the tackle to try to get the ball back."
Amanda has more year of college eligibility remaining.
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