Central men’s rugby team became the first American school to win the Vikings Sevens Tournament held at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash.

Central accomplished this in the tournament’s fourth year of existence.

Central beat Arizona State University, an NCAA Division I school from the Pac-12, 22-19 to take home the Viking Cup.

“We really only had one day of training and had four All-Americans out with minor injuries,” head coach Tony Pacheco said. “For the guys to grind it out and suck it up, it was good to see and was a good character building type win for us.”

With the four All-Americans not playing in the Viking Sevens Tournament, it really allowed some other team members to get playing time and gain experience on the field.

It was an opportunity for the younger players to show what they can do in a game situation.

Pacheco was very pleased with how the guys played.

“It was great to see some new guys on the field for the first time at Central,” Pacheco said. “For them to do that shows their character.”

Junior Ian Wright led the charge for the Wildcats.

Wright, elementary education major, really impressed Pacheco during the tournament.

During the final game, Wright got to the try zone two times and converted one attempt.

“Everyone was working together and we only really had one practice to get the chemistry going,” Wright said. “Everyone played to their top level and it really opened up gaps for me.”

When asked if Wright was proud of how the guys played, he couldn’t stop smiling.

“I was really proud,” Wright said. “Playing full sprint games with one practice under your belt, it’s great to see guys coming out and showing the heart that we had.”

It is a big deal for Wright and the team to win the Viking Sevens Tournament, as it helps put Central on the map.

“It is a really big achievement for us,” Wright said. “There are some really good sides so it’s nice to see that we can hang with them. It is always nice to beat the Canadians and take that from them.”

Senior Maverick Schirmer, double major in finance and economics, also played a big part in the tournament.

During the final game, Schirmer scored a try to help Central win the tournament.

“I just wanted to play for my team and that is what kept me going,” Schirmer said. “My teammates were supporting me.”

This year is Schirmer’s senior year and last year wearing crimson and black on the field.

“I’m looking forward to playing my last year with these guys,” Schirmer said. “It is going to be real fun and I can’t wait to see what is in store.”

Playing for Central means a lot to Schirmer.

“This team is the next biggest thing to a family that I have besides my real family,” Schirmer said. “They are all like my brothers.”

Junior Cameron Marek, global wine studies major, helped Central win the final game against Arizona State by scoring a try.

“It was huge to beat ASU in the finals,” Marek said. “They beat us last year and to beat them is huge because we have a pretty big rivalry now.”