Sept. 2, 2008

BERKELEY - A convergence of academic achievement, athletic potential and familial legacies at the University has led an unusually large class of 18 new student-athletes to join the California rugby program for the 2009 season.

"This class is larger than most we've had partly because so many of them are outstanding students," said head coach Jack Clark. "Cal is just the right place for them academically."

The incoming class includes what has shown over time to be a typical mix of crossover football players together with a smaller percentage of students with rugby-only pedigrees.

"Their challenge will be in becoming rugby specialists, as most of them have played rugby as a second or third sport. If they can learn to treat rugby as a study, they have a chance to excel," coach Clark said.

"Their immersion in year-round rugby training begins now."

A MOSTLY IN-STATE CLASS

Danny Barrett is a back-rower who joins the program behind brothers Neill, a junior hooker, and Jim, a prop. The youngest Barrett enters the University coming off a successful senior high-school year in both football at Sacred Heart Prep and rugby for San Francisco Golden Gate Youth, collecting MVP honors in both. Barrett attended Cal Rugby Summer Camp in 2006 and '07.

Daniel Bird joins the Bears as a converted flanker after an impressive career at Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento, where he was a rugby standout under head coach Sean Lyon as well as his football team's captain and skipper of the 2008 Optimist All-Star Football Team. The winner of his school's football MVP award from his linebacker position, Bird also earned the U.S. Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete Award and the Varsity Excellence Award in basketball.

Sophomore Adam Anderson is the only transfer student among this year's new players. A graduate of the Singapore American School, where he was his team's MVP in football and rugby, Anderson attended University of Redlands (Calif.) for one year, redshirting in football. His brother currently plays rugby locally for the Marin Highlanders Youth team, and his father, John, played rugby for the Woollahra Colleagues Rugby Club in his native Australia.

Within this in-state class is one East Coast representative, scrumhalf Kyle Caravelli of Ridgefield, Conn., who attended the Cal Rugby Summer Camp for three years and played with the U.S. National U-18 Team in 2008. Kyle, the son of U.S. (Sevens) National Team coach Al Caravelli, was the captain of his high-school rugby team at Fairfield Prep, where he earned cum laude honors as a scholar-athlete and also competed in indoor track.

TRIO FROM JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL

Joining the team from Jesuit High School, where he played rugby under Fred Khasigian (a former national team hooker) and John Shorey is Ryan DeAnda, slated to play prop for the Bears. A member of the National Honor Society who made honor roll all four years at Jesuit, DeAnda was a captain for both his football and rugby teams, with his rugby squad taking home the 2008 national high school championship.

Also from Jesuit is Sam Welch, a two-year attendee of the Cal Rugby Summer Camp following the footsteps of All-America brother Joe Welch, who started at hooker at the 2008 national collegiate championships before being selected to the U.S. National Team this summer. The three-year honor roll selection was a starter for the football team and was forced the miss the 2008 rugby season due to injury. He is slated to play flanker for the Bears.

The third Jesuit graduate in this year's class is Nick Westerman, who attended the 2007 Cal Rugby Summer Camp. Westerman was a starter on both his football team and the 2008 national champion Jesuit rugby team. He is a projected No. 8 for Cal.

OTHER LOCAL POWERS IN THE MIX

De La Salle High School, the 2008 state high school football champion, once again figures into the incoming rugby class at Cal, with Alex Aronson joining the program as a flyhalf. Aronson started for three seasons on its varsity rugby team under coaches Paul Still, a former national team prop, and Brian Serafino. Aronson was also a gridiron defensive back and quarterback for the Spartans.

Nearby Miramonte High School offers four newcomers to the Cal rugby program this season. James Giles arrives at Cal a legacy, with both parents alumni of the University. The winger played rugby for former Cal football and rugby star John Dixon on the Lamorinda Youth Rugby Club as well football at Miramonte, where he was voted team MVP as a wide receiver.

Grant Hyjer joins his brother, Drew, for his first season as a collegian on Witter Rugby Field after spending three years at the Cal Rugby Summer Camps. The Lamorinda rugger and captain of the Miramonte football team was a three-year starter at fullback and middle linebacker. He figures to play hooker for Cal.

Andrew (A.J.) Taylor is a fullback/wing who notched four years of Cal Rugby Summer Camp. With both parents and a grandmother Cal alumni - father Matt was a star winger on the Bears' 1982 national championship team - Andrew was named a member of the California Scholastic Federation, a state academic honors society, en route to continuing the family tradition at the University. He logged five seasons of rugby for Lamorinda.

The fourth Miramonte graduate is Charles Smith, a five-year veteran of Cal Rugby Summer Camp. He traveled to England, Wales, Ireland and New Zealand during his six years with Lamorinda Youth Rugby Club. Also a two-year gridiron starter, Smith will play center for Cal. His mother is an alumna of the University.

Neighboring Campolindo High School sends two of its graduates to the Cal rugby program. Wing Nicholas Mascheroni will carry on the tradition of his father and two uncles, one of whom, Rob, played fullback on Cal's 1986 national championship team for Jack Clark. A gridiron wide receiver, Mascheroni was a two-time all-league choice, MVP and team captain, reeling in 52 catches and 10 TDs his senior season. He chose Cal amidst opportunities from Ivy League institutions.

Joining Nicholas from Campolindo is Mark (Bo) Richter, a two-year Cal Rugby Summer Camp participant with four family members having graduated from Cal, including his father and uncle, both teammates of coach Clark. Richter was a 2008 captain for Lamorinda in rugby and a senior all-league selection in football for Campolindo, notching 900 yards and 15 TDs as a running back. He is a projected flyhalf/center.

From Antioch High School is Josh Prickett, a big framed back-rower who attended the Cal Rugby Summer Camp for two years. He becomes the first member of his Delta Youth Rugby Club, coached by Michael Sagehorn, to attend the University. The honor roll member captained his rugby and gridiron squads.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA A STRONG PRESENCE

The latest addition to the rugby program from Loyola High School in Los Angeles is another projected hooker, Robert Kelley, a 2007 Cal Rugby Summer Camp attendee who captained his L.A. Cougars Youth Rugby Club under coach Chip Howard, a former U.S. international, in 2008. On the gridiron, Kelley was a three-year varsity starter at center and outside linebacker who earned all-league honors.

From St. Francis High School in La Canada comes Anthony Lombardo, also a 2007 Cal Rugby Summer Camp participant who played for the L.A. Cougars as a fullback. The three-year varsity gridiron player was named his team's MVP en route to all-league honors his senior season.

Out of San Marino High School comes wing/fullback John Trawick, a 2005 Cal Rugby Summer Camp attendee who will focus on rehabilitation from knee surgery following a standout high school career in football, where as captain he led his league in scoring and all-purpose yards to earn all-league and team MVP honors, and soccer, in which he was a four-year starter and team captain with all-league honors every season. Trawick's grandfather, Leverette Sacre, played wing for the Rugby Bears in the late 1930s and early '40s, and his twin sister joins San Diego State's rowing program this fall.

DIVERSE TALENTS TO BE TESTED

"As a whole, I would describe the class as athletically talented, but raw from a rugby standpoint. Generally speaking they lack rugby acumen; nevertheless, they have a chance to develop into outstanding rugby players," Clark said. "They were among the most-respected athletes on their high school campuses - captains and MVPs.

"The prerequisites for developing rugby talent are athleticism and character, and this group looks to have met the first standards."

With autumn strength and conditioning training underway, the 127th year of Cal rugby commences in January of 2009.