Wayne State College junior Mary McKulsky earned All-American Honors from National Collegiate Rugby on Feb. 6.
Mary McKulsky had an outstanding season on the pitch for women’s rugby this past season. Listed as a lock for her position, she really improved on the defensive side of the ball. With improvement in this area and her already outstanding offensive expertise, she was able to receive an invite to Atlanta, Georgia, for the Women’s Rugby All Star Game that helped her case for the All-American honors.
McKulsky said she was stunned to receive the honor.
“It was honestly not really a goal; it was very unexpected, but I feel like I was ready to come into this season and ready to give it my all,” McKulsky said. “We had gone through a lot of changes over the past year or so, and I just wanted to step up and gave everything I had.”
Although she had put in a lot of work in the 2024 off season to better her skillset, McKulsky said she still credits her positive demeanor and supportive team for where she got today.
“The girls really came together this year to support each other given the fact we went through so much change, and I think being confident in my team and myself I was able to translate those changes into abilities,” McKulsky said.
McKulsky accepted an invitation to go down to Atlanta, Georgia, for the Women’s Rugby All Star Game.
McKulsky said she felt as if she learned a lot and was able to better her game just from the short time she was down there.
“It was super cool to watch the other all-stars, and championship matches and just being able to get to see the talent that we don’t always get to see from around the country during our normal season,” McKulsky said. “It’s super cool just to be there and participate and show young fans maybe one day I could do what these girls did. It was cool to experience everyone coming together and showcasing what they had.”
While McKulsky earned her All-American honors, she stated that the bar is even higher now for her senior season of 2025-26.
“Continuing to get more confident on the field and being able to showcase not only on the field but off the field. To keep bringing the same energy and bringing a positive energy towards the team this year,” McKulsky said. “We lost in regionals this past year, and our goals are to make it to nationals next year and we have the team to do it, and we hope that all of you get to experience it.”
Heading into the 2025 off season, WSC Women’s Rugby has a little bit more ammo, with All-American Honors winner Mary McKulsky, and two other All-Stars returning as well. The expectations are high for the Wildcats going towards the 2025-26 season.