WILMINGTON, N.C. –
Air Force captured their first Armed Forces Women’s Gold Medal after dominate play Saturday, here at Ogden Park in Wilmington, N.C.
After three consecutive championship going undefeated, Army suffered their first defeat Friday night with a 24-5 loss to Air Force in their opening match.
In the opening Saturday match, Air Force and Marine Corps tied 19-19 forcing a potential tie-breaker scenario.
In the second match of the day, Coast Guard opened up on Army scoring early. Army responded immediately registering a try of their own. Coast Guard and Army responded back and forth with a try each.
In the final minute of the match, Army’s Capt. Madison Hovren of Fort Knox, Kentucky drove in the final try for the hat trick, finishing the match with an Army victory 15-10.
Air Force sunk Navy 40-5, followed by a 19-12 Marine Corps win over Coast Guard.
With Marine Corps holding in second place due to point differential, Marines needed a big victory over Army to stay in the hunt for gold.
Marines dominated the first half of play, leading Army 12-0 into halftime. With their medal hopes on the line, Army punched back with three unanswered tries to win the match 15-12.
Air Force finished the day with a 36-7 victory over Coast Guard and secured the gold, their first since the inception of Armed Forces Women’s rugby established in 2019.
Following their victory over the Marines, Army won 41-0 over Navy to ensure they stay on the podium in 2023.
Since 2019, the Armed Forces Women’s Rugby Championship has been held in conjunction with the Cape Fear Rugby 7s Tournament in Wilmington, North Carolina. Cape Fear 7s Tournament featured 65 teams from across the country in multiple men’s and women’s divisions.
Final Armed Forces standings are: Air Force – Gold; Army – Silver; Marine Corps - third; Coast Guard – fourth; and Navy in fifth.
Capping off the tournament was the selection of the Armed Forces All-Tournament Team. The top seven players throughout the championship were chosen by a panel of the Service representatives. This year’s recipients are:
1st Lt Adrienne Yoder (USAF) - Little Rock AFB, Arkansas
PO3 Ra'Shaun Coker (USCG) - Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii
PO1 Mikey Williams (Navy) - NIOC Texas
LTJG Hollis Connick (USCG) - Sector Delaware Bay, Pennsylvania
CPT Madison Hovren (Army) - Fort Knox, Kentucky
LCpl Anastasia Schraff (USMC) – MCAS Miramar, California
1ST Rachel Henley - Fort Stewart/Hunter Airfield, Georgia
Visit www.armedforcessports.defense.gov for complete coverage.