Girls U-19 team from Corning Rugby Club rallies for state championship
Corning Rugby Club has helped popularize the sport in the Corning region and several of its players have gone on to compete for college programs.
Now Corning Rugby Club has its first New York state champion, courtesy of the under-19 girls' 22-20 victory over defending champion Orchard Park on June 4 in the RugbyNY title match at Tim Russert Park in Buffalo.
Corning's Lions avenged last year's loss to Orchard Park in the state final.
How Corning secured state rugby title
The Lions trailed 20-10 with less than 15 minutes remaining before hitting high gear in comeback mode.
Corning's Mykaela Reed dove over the line to get her team within 20-15 with less than five minutes to go.
Tori Holmes broke free from two potential tackles and delivered the final five-point try of the match in the waning moments. Julia Gridley's conversion provided the decisive two points.
Kendra Close had two scores for the Lions in the first half.
Quotable
Said Corning's Kathryn Ouyang: "I think our biggest accomplishment during the game was conquering ourselves mentally. Physically, we were more than prepared and able to win, but the majority of the work that paid off pertained to mental toughness: staying calm and collected. I believe that was the best game each of us has ever played because we overcame ourselves."
Said Corning coach Michael Larrabee: "The standard was set day one with this group, with one goal in mind. We put them through a grueling 13-match schedule that saw us playing some of the best clubs on the East Coast. They kept raising the standard, demanding more, and refusing to accept less. That standard was met today. These girls will forever get to say that they are champions."
About Corning Rugby Club
Corning Rugby Club, started in the spring of 2016 with a high school boys team, features athletes from multiple schools. The first high school girls season was spring of 2018. The club currently has high school boys, high school girls, middle school boys and middle school girls teams, with 72 players total.
Registration for next season starts in February. Those interested can visit corningrugby.com or email corningrugbyclub@gmail.com. The club is funded through member dues and fundraisers.
Corning Rugby Club, which is coached by Bob McGee, is part of RugbyNY, the state organization for USA Rugby.
Follow Andrew Legare on Twitter: @SGAndrewLegare. You can also reach him at alegare@gannett.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Girls team from Corning Rugby Club wins state championship
