Before we begin in earnest, we should all take a moment to appreciate the collegiate career of Endicott’s Tess Merrill, a three-time All-American and two-time Championship MVP who led all players in scoring in the 2024 playoffs.
And that’s about all the time the Gulls will have to mourn the loss of the talented fullback as they prepare to defend their XV’s title against a hungry field of Division III competitors. But head coach Carly Baker, who recruited Merrill as a freshman, has built a solid program with talent from top to bottom that will keep Endicott in that number one spot in the rankings despite the loss of Merrill. A pair of All-Americans in Chloe Marconi and Laryssa Landmesser are ready to step up and lead the program in their senior seasons. Landmesser had six tries at the CRC’s in the Spring helping Endicott secure both a 15s and 7s National Championship in the same season: a feat that will from now on be termed a 22-skidoo.
The Gulls did not have an easy time of it in Houston last fall as Colorado School of Mines were hot on their heels, pushing Endicott in a close 22-15 contest. The Orediggers are once again right behind Endicott at number two in the preseason rankings as they look to make another run. Mines returns a pair of All-American backrowers in Aliya Lynn and McKenzie Williams to help lead the charge. And young phenom Piper Lee will look to build on a strong 2024 campaign, receiving an All-American nod as a first year.
Despite losing two, two-time All-American forwards in Emma Callaghan and Selena Bodedein, University of Wisconsin - Platteville will be a top contender as always. The Pioneers finished third at Nationals last Fall, defeating East Stroudsburg 34-17. The team will rely on players like Taylor Brink, Violet Lawrence, McKenna Dutton, and Jordan Kamenz to step up in 2025 if they want to maintain their perennial contender status.
The team that lost to Platteville in the bronze medal match, East Stroudsburg, had their best year yet in 2024. Led by All-American Julia Nilsen, the Warriors were one of the only teams to score any points on Endicott after securing a trip to Houston, scoring 24 points in the semifinal to Endicott’s 91. The loss of All-American flyhalf Lindsay Foster hurts, but Nilsen and Ashlyn Mugavero, who tied for the lead in tries scored at the 2025 CRCs with seven, will look to build on that promise in 2025.
Another promising young team hoping to take a leap this season is Wayne State, coming in at number five on the rankings. The Wildcats could have potentially come into the season ranked even higher if they had held onto a multi-score lead against the University of North Dakota in the Regional Finals. But UND turned it on in the last fifteen minutes of the match, ultimately winning 41-40 and sending WSC home with a few valuable lessons learned. Look for the Wildcats to progress even further this season, its third under head coach Bryn Chivers. All-American Mary McKulsky continues to grow as a player. Flyhalf Shae Wiederien scored in every game this 7s season, averaging 10.6 points a game. And flanker Malori Swenson hits hard and is fiercely competitive in the breakdown.
For the final teams on the ranking, keep an eye on rising junior and All-American Tallulah Powers, who will look to propel Siena College forward, while fellow rising junior and All-American Leila Gerry looks to do the same for Colby. These two teams met in an epic clash at Regionals last Fall which resulted in a 66-61 victory for Colby.
