Issue date: 10/14/09 Section: Sports

Freshman Kelsi Wright played six different sports in high school. In her first year of playing rugby, she has four try's for the rugby team, which has started the season 6-0. (Eric Hiltner/The Daily Eastern News)

Kelsi Wright played six sports at her high school in Cerro Gordo, Ill., but when the chance to play rugby at Eastern arose, she was worried about the change to playing only one sport.

That's when Eastern women's rugby head coach Frank Graziano stepped in and assured Wright that everything was going to be OK.

"I had never heard of rugby until I received a recruitment letter from coach Graziano," Wright said. "At first, I was a little skeptical about coming to EIU or going to another school because I played so many sports in high school and I didn't know if I would like it just coming here (Eastern) and playing one."

She said Graziano helped her with her decision.

"I could tell once I arrived here that (Graziano) was a really good coach and that he would take care of you."

Wright, a freshman, said that she was nervous in the beginning stages of her development on the rugby field, but quickly was able to understand what the game of rugby was about.

"Athletes kind of just know certain things and I was just able to catch on really quickly," Wright said.

Wright, a flanker, credited the coaching staff of the Eastern women's rugby team for her rapid development on the rugby field.

"Everything we do on the practice field, they make sure we are doing it at 100 percent," Wright said. " The reason the way we play the way we do is because of them."

Wright's progress on the rugby field was never more apparent then in Eastern's last rugby game against the University of Northern Iowa, where she scored her fourth try of the season to help the Panthers win by a score of 22-20.

Wright's four try's ranks her third on the team this season.

She also came into Saturday's game tied for fourth on the team in assisted tackles with 11 and second in runs over 20 yards with seven. She also had 14 tackles and one steal at tackle.

Wright admitted that she was not expecting to come in as a freshman and make an impact to the team.

"I really didn't expect to contribute early on. I actually was expecting to be sitting the bench for quite awhile," Wright said. " (Graziano) kind of just through us out there and I think that we have adapted pretty well."

With the win over Northern Iowa, the Eastern women's rugby team has improved it's season record to 6 - 0, which also includes a program best winning streak of 22 straight victories.

Wright said that the women's rugby team's early success is due to their quick development of team chemistry.

" Every time we play I think our chemistry shows through out on the field," Wright said. " We play at a higher level than other teams because we always know where one another is going to be on the field."

Neil Schneider can be reached at 581-7944 or rrschneider@eiu.edu.

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