Women’s rugby team captain nominated for top national honor

CWU rugby team captain Tessa Hann is among the nominees for this year’s MA Sorensen Award for the top women’s collegiate player in the nation.

This is the fourth year in a row that Hann has been nominated for the prestigious award, named after World Cup-winner MA Sorensen, who was a pioneer in the sport as a player, coach, and doctor.

Hann’s former CWU teammate, Keia Mae Sagapolu Sanele, became the first Wildcat to win the award last season and now plays professionally in England.

The MA Sorensen Award was introduced in 2016 and is presented by the Washington Athletic Club of Seattle. The current list of 17 nominees will be trimmed to four or five when the Collegiate Rugby Community votes and the winner will be determined by the awards panel which includes Sorensen herself.

The winner will officially receive her award at a gala in Seattle in June. 

“Tessa is absolutely deserving of this honor,” CWU coach Matt Ramirez said on WildcatSports.com. “She's been an ultimate teammate and competitor since the day she stepped foot on campus and has an unmatched work ethic.”

The senior from Denver plays loose forward, and has been integral in the Wildcats’ success this season. Hann has converted three tries this season, with two coming at Grand Canyon in the fall. She is also among the leading tacklers for the Wildcats this season. 

“Her drive to improve not just for herself, but for her team, is admirable,” Ramirez said. “Tessa has been a great ambassador for the program and collegiate women's rugby. I'm extremely proud of her.”