NYSRC Crowns 2003 Upstates Champions - May 30, 2003
Buffalo Captures Premier Men?s Title, Cornell Women?s
ROMULUS, NY -- The New York State Rugby Conference (NYSRC) held its 2003 Upstates Championships on Saturday at Sampson State Park on the shores of Geneva Lake. The conference crowned champions in three men?s divisions (Division I, Division II, and Division III) and three women?s divisions.
Buffalo and Cornell, the respective Premier Division men?s and women?s champions, paced a field of 41 teams, as a record crowd of 450 braved damp and cool conditions.
Buffalo captured the Men?s Premier Division crown after going a perfect 2-0 in pool play, and then topping Brockport State, 14-3, in the championship match. Cornell had a similar match in the Women?s Premier Division final, holding off Binghamton, 13-3. In pool play, Cornell defeated Buffalo State and Union to advance to the championship match. Buffalo and Cornell both won their respective championships in the fall as well.
In women?s Empire action, RPI jumped out to an early lead and held off a spirited rally from Cornell B to win 10-5. RPI, which won the Empire Division II title during the fall season, claimed both Empire championships this season. Le Moyne grabbed the men?s Empire tile after outscoring its opponents by a 45-6 margin, including a 31-0 win over Plattsburgh in the title match.
Oswego, a perfect 3-0 on the afternoon, won the women?s Excelsior championship with a 7-5 victory over Binghamton B in the championship match. St. Lawrence claimed the men?s Excelsior championship with a hardfought 17-6 win over Oneonta.
?This was a great day of rugby which featured outstanding championship play,? said J.C. Whipple, Executive Director of the NYSRC. ?Each of the teams this weekend were quality clubs, and it showed in their play. This afternoon?s tournament caps another outstanding year for our conference, and we look forward to 2003-04.?
The New York State Rugby Conference governs over 70 clubs at the men?s and women?s club, men?s and women?s collegiate, and youth levels.
NOTES: In women?s excelsior play, Binghamton advanced to the title match over Geneseo on kicks ? after an initial round of five kicks, Binghamton nailed two kicks to one for Geneseo to advance ? Buffalo men, Cornell women and RPI women all won their respective division titles at the 2002 NYSRC Championships ? Le Moyne won the 2000 Upstates Empire division title.
Posted Until Apr 26, 2003
