WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Adrian College men's rugby team claimed a 16th place finish at the National Collegiate Rugby Championship 7s Tournament in the nation's capital over the weekend.

The Bulldogs traveled out east for the highly-anticipated CRC 7s national tournament this past Friday, taking part in the two-day event. The Bulldogs competed in the Men's Premier Division, managing to place 16th out of 32 total teams from across the United States.

Adrian grabbed an opening 7-5 win over Walsh University (Oh.) before falling to Iowa Central Community College in the second round of the Cup bracket, ultimately sending them into the Plate bracket to compete for 9th place.

After putting up a strong fight in their remaining three games, the Bulldogs eventually lost out to claim the 16th place finish. Adrian battled Clemson University and Indiana University before falling to the University of Notre Dame in the final match.

Scoring tries for the Bulldogs over their five matches included Broc Buchanan, Petelo Vatuvei, Aspenisa Sailo, Tajay Myles, and Quinn Murray.

Overall, an impressive effort from the Bulldogs illustrated their ability to compete with some of the best teams in the nation, while finishing in the top-16 of the Premier Men's Rugby Division.

Head Coach, Chris Hathaway, shed light on how his team fared at the CRCs, stating, "Obviously it's not the result we were looking for, but the win over Walsh was a great start to the tournament for us. However, once we lost to ICCC it seemed as though the fire the fellas had generated from beating Walsh had been extinguished. The boys did bond over the weekend though, which is always great to see and be a part of. I'm very proud of our group."

The Adrian College men's rugby team concludes their 2024-25 season and will return to the pitch in the Fall of 2025.