Banquet Photo Gallery (Bart Rettberg, Asst. SID)

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- The Eastern Illinois women's rugby squad officially ended another historic year after completing a second straight 10-0 season in 2009.  Head coach Frank Graziano hosted the squad's annual year awards banquet on Sunday afternoon, which was attended by over 100 friends and family in EIU's MLK Union University Ballroom.

After enjoying a lunch buffet, coach Graziano presented awards to seven well-deserving student-athletes, interspersed with video highlights from the undefeated season and personal messages from all players.

Newcomer Lauren Doyle picked up three awards, including the Freshman Award, Strength & Conditioning Award, and co-Outstanding Offensive Award.  Meanwhile, Chase Cain earned Co-Outstanding Defensive and Panther Award kudos.

Seniors Crystal Jones and Stephanie Militello each garnered Co-Outstanding Offensive and Co-Outstanding Defensive honors, respectively.

Most Improved Awards were presented to junior Emily Harrison and senior Ashley Jenkins.  Finally, earning the final, and most prestigious honor, sophomore standout Narissa Ramirez was tabbed as the Most Valuable Player of the season.

The squad then honored the five seniors, exchanging gifts with them, the athletic training staff and coaching staff, prior to a lengthly photo session.

Below is the full transcript of coach Graziano's award presentation:

FRESHMAN AWARD
Our Freshman Award winner excelled from the moment she walked onto the practice field. She nailed her mile time, was tops on the team in the 40-yard dash, demonstrated outstanding strength and proficiency in the weight room, was our quickest freshman learner, and did not back down to any challenge facing her. In our two toughest games of the season, versus WI-Milwaukee and Northern Iowa, she made several critical plays, scoring in both games, including leading the team in scoring in the Milwaukee game. Her 41 tackles are 2nd all-time for a freshman, her 12 assists are again 2nd all-time, while her 25 trys and 25 ROTS, are 3rd and 2nd all-time for a newcomer.

This combination of stats and performances set a new overall bench mark for freshman within our program. No freshman in the history of our program has garnered such stats, which shows how good this award winner was this season. The challenge facing future freshman,will be how to live up to these new standards.

Our Freshman Award winner – LAUREN DOYLE


STRENGTH & CONDITIONING AWARD
One of the main reasons for our success over the years is our strength and conditioning program. In my opinion the team showed up fitter for preseason camp than in any other previous season, which is a tribute to the commitment of our student-athletes during the summer program.   This fitness permitted the coaching staff to teach a more up-tempo style of play and to open up the game., which is something the coaching staff has been attempting to do for several years, which plays right into our strengths and talents.

Our award winner not only made her mile time, but was also very impressive in the weight room over the course of the season. She excelled in our footwork and agility drills, while also being one of our leaders at our weekly conditioning drills. All this work only leads to good performances on the field and our award winner did just that, by having an outstanding start to her career. The last time this award was given to a freshman, we have to go way back to the 1999 and 2000 seasons.

Our Strength and Conditioning Award winner – LAUREN DOYLE

CO-MOST IMPROVED AWARD
Upper class rugby status brings increased responsibilities, expectations and demands. It's the time when the coaching staff must rely on the veterans to play in positions that are critical to our offensive and defensive game plan. Our first Most Improved Award winner was not only given such responsibilities but performed the entire season beyond expectations.  She was asked to play a key role in our scrum, the right side lock, which is the side that is the hardest to play and requires the best technique. This season, she played that position with two freshmen on either side of her. And this year, our scrum was as good as it has ever been.

She was also asked to play keys positions in our lineout, the Rhino and Blackstar positions, while also making all our lineout calls. Our lineouts this season were very successful and critical to our success and undefeated season. She had her best season in tackles with 27 stops, while her 22 assisted tackles marked a new season high. Plus she recorded her first career assists with four on the season.

In our toughest game of the season, against UNI, she was stellar on defense, having the best game of her career as she made some key lineout plays and calls. With one year remaining in her EIU career, we expect to see these type of performances in every game.

Our first Most Improved Award winner – EMILY HARRISON

CO-MOST IMPROVED AWARD
In a meeting with our second Most Improved Award winner in preseason camp, she was simply told “this has to be your best season or we will not win all our games.” The goal was to earn 15 try and assist numbers, which has only been done twice before in program history, by one of our greatest players, Molly Clutter, who is in attendance today.

I could not be more proud of this player. Not only did she nearly make it to that important 15/15 mark, but she also had her best season in tackles, ROTS, and steals as well. She scored 12 trys to rank third highest on the team this season, and 10th all-time with 22 career five-point scores. She finished with 12 assists to rank third best on the team and finish with 21 career assist numbers. Her 49 tackles, good enough for third best this year, moved her career tackle total to 86 all-time. She also was third highest this season for ROTS, with ten, giving her 25 career ROTS to rank eighth all-time. Finally, she had 12 steals, which ranked as the second highest number this year, which gives her a sixth place career ranking via her 25 total steals.

Two years ago, I moved her from the fullback to center position, and all of you understand the importance of the center position in our offensive and defensive design. So, I would like to say that she has lived up to those expectations as we have not lost a game during those two years.

Our second Most Improved Award winner – ASHLEY JENKINS


CO-OUTSTANDING OFFENSIVE AWARD
Our offense this season was the second best in Panther history, with 618 points, 74 assists, 55 conversions, and a new season record in ROTS with 94. So naturally the team did an outstanding job of executing our game plan, with two student-athletes distinguishing themselves behind fantastic seasons.

Our first Outstanding Offensive Award winner scored 139 points this year, which is the 7th highest season total, and ranks 10th all-time in career points. She scored 25 trys which ranks 7th all-time on the season and career record books. Our first award winner also added 12 assists and seven two-point conversions.

While these stats demonstrate a fantastic season, which is one of the best in our program history, the accomplishment is even more astonishing because it was done by a freshman.

Our Co-Outstanding Offensive Award winner – LAUREN DOYLE

CO-OUTSTANDING OFFENSIVE AWARD
Our second Outstanding Offensive Award winner is no stranger to this award having won it previously back in 2006 as a red-shirt freshman. She has demonstrated tremendous talent, grit, courage, and leadership over the years, while accounting for a big part of our recent success these past two seasons, including the current win streak and back-to-back undefeated squads.  While her numbers this season are once again outstanding – 22 trys, which ranks 9th all-time for a season, coupled with 13 ROTS; it's her consistency over the years, in addition to big plays at critical moments which make her so special, and one of our greatest scorers in EIU rugby program history.

This season, she led her team in scoring versus Ball State, Grand Valley, and Iowa State behind a record setting 6 trys. She also led against Minnesota, Missouri, and ran in the game-winning score with less than a minute remaining in our key victory over Northern Iowa.

With all the great scoring games in our history, she still holds the single-game record in points and trys with 40 and 8, respectively. Her 445 career points ranks 2nd all-time, her 89 TRYS ranks 2nd all-time for career numbers, and with 60 career ROTS, she once again ranks 2nd all-time.  I could not be more proud of what she has meant to this team and I am honored to present her with this award.

Our Co-Outstanding Offensive Award winner – CRYSTAL JONES

CO-OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVE AWARD
Our first Outstanding Defensive Award winner not only had a great season, but has had an outstanding career. As our program concentrates heavily on its defensive approach, the ability to play good defense takes commitment, hard work, and the desire to excel every day. Her ability to hunt the ball and stop the opposition makes her one of the best in the history of our program.

She set a single game steals record this past season with five versus Iowa State and recorded four steals in one of our most critical games of the season, against Northern Iowa. Her 14 steals this year ranks 2nd all-time and equals her steal numbers from last season.  Once again, in our two critical games of the season, against WI-Milwaukee and Northern Iowa, this first award winner was outstanding, earning nine and 10 assisted tackles, respectively in those two victories, both of which rank third and fourth all-time. Her 41 assisted tackles on the season ranks 3rd all-time, while her 112 assisted stops is third highest in the career record books.

Yet, despite being injured and playing with a cast on her hand and arm, her solo tackles were her greatest accomplishments this year. She set a new single game record for tackles in the UNI game with 28, which allowed her to own a new single season record for tackles with 110. This is the first time an EIU player has recorded 100 or more tackles in a season.

Surely to go down as one of our greatest defenders, our first Outstanding Offensive Award winner – CHASE CAIN

CO-OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVE AWARD
Defense requires a toughness and desire to put your body on the line when your team needs you to. Our second Outstanding Defensive Award winner certainly has the bruises and scars to prove just that. Season after season, her tackling created quite an impression on the opposition, one they probably do not care to remember.

She has led her team in tackles three of her four years, setting numerous records along the way, while also earning the Outstanding Defensive Award winner all four years of her career. She sits 5th all time for assisted tackles with 84 and is listed 5th in steals with 26 all-time. She has notched single game tackle numbers eight different times in her career, including four of the top seven marks.

She set a new single game record for tackles this season, behind 33 stops against Northern Iowa. In addition to her 73 total tackles this season, she now has 348 career tackles, which ranks her 1st all-time. As a pure defender and tackler, no one hits any harder nor has terrorized the opposition more.

Our second Outstanding Defensive Award winner – STEPHANIE MILITELLO


PANTHER AWARD
Our Panther Award represents a combination of several awards and statistical numbers. Including a mix off strength and conditioning, most improved, offense and defense, MVP, dedication and hustle.  Two of our former award winners are with us today, Eileen O'Rourke (our current assistant coach) and Amanda Fromm (our volunteer student coach). Both represent the true meaning of this award as they continue to support our program and the development of our student-athletes.

Our award winner has improved each season and while she has continued to win awards, set records, and help her team to victories, her senior season was not only outstanding but inspirational. If you study her season statistics, it's hard to realize she was hampered by an injury for half the season, even forcing her to miss one game.

She finished with 14 steals, which was second best all-time, while her 34 career steals ranks second highest in school history. She also finished the season with 41 assisted stops, good enough for third highest all-time, as her 112 career numbers also earned her a third place ranking in the history books.
Her 110 solo tackles this year not only shattered the old single-season mark, but her 251 career stops is the second highest in program history. Her performances over the years have certainly set a new standard for defense in the flanker position, and I am extremely honored to have been her coach these past four years.

Our Panther Award winner – CHASE CAIN

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
It would be fitting to recognize several players as being the Most Valuable this season as several players did receive well deserved votes, but I am old school and believe that there should be only one Most Valuable Player.  My plan this year has been to hide her from the media, so that she would rarely be recognized in our numerous news articles. In fact, she has been in my office on several occasions to discuss this. This is a true tribute to her humility, character and acceptance as a teammate, but don't let that fool you, because when it comes to game time she is a tenacious competitor. Part of our offensive game plan this season was specifically designed for her and something I have been trying to do since the inception of this program 11 seasons ago.

I would like to read what I wrote about her at last year's banquet… “Her ability to pass, to kick, to run the offense, to support the defense, to be a leader, to make decisions, to inspire her teammates, and to make key plays at critical times of the game are all qualities of the veteran super star. Yet she is only a freshman in her first season with the program. In my opinion, she is the best freshman in Panther Rugby history and one of the best players in the nation in her position.”

This season she was all that and more. Plus I will add one more characteristic – she makes her teammates better.  In 2008, she scored three trys, while this season she finished with seven. Last year, she finished with 14 assists, and this year she recorded 20. In 2008, she had 29 tackles, while earning 31 stops this year. Last season, she tallied 13 assisted tackles, while recording 33 in 2009. She ran for one in 2009, while scampering for eight runs-over-20-yards in 2009. Finally, she finished with eight steals last year and recorded 10 this time around.

Her 33 career assists ranks her 4th all-time, while her 18 career steals gives her 10th place listing 10th all-time. Alhough she should be recognized as one of our most improved players, it is time to recognize her for what she really is – our Most Valuable Player.

It is my pleasure to honor this year's Most Valuable Player – NARISSA RAMIREZ 

... for more info, contact Bart Rettberg, Asst. SID