Wake Adds Familiar Face to Coaching Staff

Mike Wills gets ready to steamroll an ECU defender in a 2008 game

Mike Wills, '10, will join the Wake Forest coaching staff in the fall as an assistant coach. Wills was an All-Star player for Wake from 2006-2010, but his career was marred by injuries, including two ACL tears. He will be returning to Wake to pursue a Masters in Accounting.

Team Officers Named for 2011-2012

The Wake Forest Men's Rugby Team has named its team leadership for the 2011-2012 Academic Year:

President: Ben Cohen
Treasurer: Bryce Lambert
Vice-President Marketing and Publicity: Nick Conte
Vice-President Recruitment: James Watson
Vice-President Field Management: Drew Mehrmann
Vice-President Equipment Management: Steve Hemric
Vice-President Philanthropy: Brandon Turner
Vice-President Social Events: Chris Ryan

Gonzaga Rugby in Washington Post

Gonzaga, alma mater of former Wake rugger Mike Wills and current standout Johnny McMurray, is featured in the Washington Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/highschools/a-good-old-fashioned-scrum-at-gonzaga/2011/05/05/AFgJl10F_gallery.html#photo=1

Year-End Awards Banquet

Last night the Wake Forest men's rugby team held its annual year end awards banquet. The following awards were presented:

Rookie of the Year: Ryan Tacon
Most Improved Player: Robert Kelly
Most Valuable Back: Ben Cohen
Most Valuable Forward: Brendan Shea
Most Valuable Player: Johnny McMurray
Marcum Scholarship: Brandon Turner

The team also honored departing coach Brad Havins, who leaves the team after four years. Havins has graduated from medical school at Wake Forest and will now be practicing medicine as part of the United States Army in Washington, DC for the next 4 years. Havins was instrumental in developing Wake's forwards and his expertise in the more sophisticated aspects of forward play will be missed.

McMurray, Pierce, Tacon, and Turner named to All-ACRL Teams

ALL-ATLANTIC COAST RUGBY LEAGUE TEAMS ANNOUNCED

Greensboro, NC -- April 22, 2011 -- Six University of Maryland players, including freshman Matias Cima who was named Atlantic Coast Rugby League Co-Player of the Year, headline the inaugural All-ACRL First Team announced today. Cima is joined by University of North Carolina senior Alex Lee as conference Co-Player of the Year. After Maryland’s six first team selections, North Carolina, Virginia, and Virginia Tech followed with two first team selections apiece. The conference’s head coaches chose the All-ACRL teams. Coaches were permitted to vote for only one of their own players. The conference announced an All-ACRL First Team, Honorable Mention All-ACRL, and an ACRL All-Academic Team.

Former University of North Carolina head coach Mike Groenewald was named the 2011 Atlantic Coast Rugby League Coach of the Year. Groenewald, who wasn’t even on the ballot after having to step away from his coaching role after the first game of the league season, was a write-in vote by six of the conference’s nine head coaches. No other coach received more than one vote. After defeating University of Maryland in the only ACRL match in which Groenewald coached the Tar Heels this season, Carolina ran off five more victories to finish the regular season in first place with a 6-0 record. ACRL Commissioner Patrick Kane said of the conference naming Groenewald Coach of the Year, “I think the other coaches recognized that even though Coach Groenewald wasn’t on the sidelines for most of the season, North Carolina’s success was directly attributable to those kids having been coached by Mike for the last 18 months. He instilled in them the desire and ability to succeed, and the fact that they were able to come together after his unexpected departure and run the table was evidence of how great of a job he had done in molding these young men into a team.”

The 2011 Atlantic Coast Rugby League season will conclude on Saturday, as #6 North Carolina (6-0) rematches with #10 Maryland (5-1) in the conference championship game in Charlotte, NC. The ACRL Championship is presented by World Rugby Shop®, adidas®, and the Charlotte RFC. The game will feature a total of 13 players named to either the All-ACRL First Team or Honorable Mention. The winner will advance to the USA Rugby Division I Round of 16 next weekend in Bowling Green, OH to face #4 University of Florida.

The Atlantic Coast Rugby League is not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Contact: Patrick Kane
Commissioner
Atlantic Coast Rugby League
acrl@varsityrugby.com

ACRL Co-Players of the Year: Alex Lee, North Carolina; Matias Cima, Maryland
ACRL Coach of the Year: Mike Groenewald, North Carolina

First Team All-ACRL
Prop: Sage Winn, Fr., Maryland
Prop: Jacob Rierson, Sr., North Carolina
Hooker: John Curtin, Sr., Virginia
Lock: Keith Sneddon, So., Maryland
Lock: Ron Pelkey, So., Virginia Tech
Loose Forward: Alex Lee, Sr., North Carolina
Loose Forward: Matt Pace, Jr., North Carolina St.
Loose Forward: Richard Hwang, Sr., Maryland
Scrumhalf: Tyler Thompson, Jr., Clemson
Flyhalf: Matias Cima, Fr., Maryland
Center: Matt Heitzer, Jr., Virginia Tech
Center: Julian Henderson, Jr., Virginia
Wing: Trevor Tanifum, Jr., Maryland
Wing: Matt Reilly, Fr., Maryland
Fullback: Johnny McMurray, So., Wake Forest

Honorable Mention All-ACRL
Prop: Abe Harman, Jr., North Carolina St.
Prop: Ty Pierce, So., Wake Forest
Hooker: Tyler Mattler, Sr., Clemson
Hooker: Nate Young, So., Georgia Tech
Lock: Walter Thorne, Sr., Virginia
Lock: Ben Mohar, Jr., North Carolina
Loose Forward: Robert Whelen, Sr., Georgia Tech
Loose Forward: Greg Moye, Jr., North Carolina
Scrumhalf: John Davis, Fr., Maryland
Scrumhalf: Rory Makhema, Fr., Duke
Flyhalf: Gregor Maclennan, Jr., North Carolina
Center: Evan Rose, Sr., North Carolina
Center: Phil Burcal, Sr., North Carolina St.
Center: Ryan Tacon, Fr., Wake Forest
Wing: Evan Burch, So., Virginia
Wing: Robbie Anthony, Fr., Clemson
Fullback: Brett Keyes, Sr., Virginia Tech

ACRL All-Academic Team
James Landau, Clemson, Jr., Electrical Engineering, 3.78 GPA
Jason Liao, Duke, Jr., Public Policy, 3.68 GPA
Alvin Chen, Georgia Tech, Sr., Mechanical Engineering, 4.0 GPA
Brandon Mosiman, North Carolina State, Sr., Civil Engineering, 4.0 GPA
Alik Belokopytov, North Carolina, So., Mathematics and Economics, 4.0 GPA
Hamilton Craig, Maryland, Jr., Government and Philosophy, 3.92 GPA
Jeff Perkowski, Virginia, Sr., Economics and Financial Mathematics, 3.906 GPA
Dave Wisda, Virginia Tech, So., Aerospace Engineering, 3.95 GPA
Brandon Turner, Wake Forest, Jr., Biophysics, 3.86 GPA

Wake's Final ACRL Game Cancelled

Wake Forest's game against the University of Virgina was cancelled this past weekend when the Virginia administration smartly cancelled all outdoor activities scheduled for Saturday due to the forecast of severe weather. The teams looked at various rescheduling possibilities, but field availability and academic commitments made rescheduling the match not feasible. With Duke's forfeit to Maryland this weekend, UVA's chances of playing in the ACRL Championship game were eliminated, and thus the match will be scored as a "no contest."

Wake Forest thus finishes the inaugural ACRL season with a 1-4 record. Although the results on the scoreboard were mostly disappointing, the team showed good development throughout the season and will be returning 11 of 15 regular starters next year.