CJ Stock being given the Arnold Cowmeadow award
Last night’s formal dinner and awards presentation capped a stellar fall for the club. The event, held at Weber’s, offered a welcome break from exams while wrapping up the past season.
Club leaders handed out five awards to honor outstanding performance this fall. The first was to freshman wing Matt Kasten for Freshman of the Season. Kasten, from Dexter, utilized his excellent pace to start every game for the Wolverines this fall. Another local player, Kevin Linder of Brighton, picked up Most Improved. The sophomore wing/fullback showed excellent tackling skills while he looked increasingly comfortable on the pitch.
Next was Jeff Smith taking home the Craig A. Williams Award for heart, courage, and inspiration. Jeff, a sophomore, battled through an ACL injury while supporting the team’s equipment needs. Just before getting back on the field, Jeff suffered another ACL injury, yet his commitment and drive for the team never waned. CJ Stock was awarded the Arnold Cowmeadow Award for top club man. This is an all-encompassing award that highlights camaraderie, dedication, and the rugby spirit, and CJ, a senior fullback, is very deserving.
Last but not least was Joel Conzelmann being named MVP. Conzelmann, a junior, excelled as flyhalf this fall. The team’s leading scorer was also recognized as the D1A Canterbury October Player of the Month and 2nd team All-Big Ten.
The club now looks ahead to the spring with the winter sevens draft upcoming followed by leadership elections.
