On Feb. 5, 2026, National Collegiate Rugby announced that senior Mary McKulsky was named an All-American student athlete for the second year in a row.
Each year, the NCR chooses 23 student athletes from a pool of around 20,000 athletes to make up a complete rugby team. NCR released an article on Feb. 5 explaining what made these athletes stick out to them.
“Division I, Division II, and Division III, these athletes stood out over the course of the season for their consistency, impact, and performance at the highest level of collegiate rugby,” NCR reported. “Representing 117 programs from coast to coast, this year’s All-Americans reflect the depth of talent and competitiveness across every division of NCR competition.”
Each year, there is a committee that reviews game footage and stats recorded by each athlete, and out of those athletes, they put together a team that represents the NCR and their competitive values.
“The committee who work on the choosing of the athletes review video that they have from various games, including both the seven All-Stars national championships and any video from the regional championships,” Head Coach Bryn Chivers said. “This is all collected and they create a squad of 23 and they pick a starting 15, which Mary was included, as the starting lock.”
In the past there was an All-American game that featured the All-American athletes, last year there was no game hosted. Whether there will be a game this year or not, McKulsky, who suffered an arm injury during this year’s All-Stars 7’s tournament, will not be able to participate.
“I’m pretty much officially out for the whole spring season, which is a little bit sad, but I will say that receiving All-American again this year was just a happy ending for me and to the end of my college career,” McKulsky said. “Honestly, I can’t say for sure, but I would love to either be part of a club and keep playing or help coach a team anywhere in the Omaha area in some way, shape, or form. I think that would just be great to stay connected to the rugby community, it’s definitely not something I’m ready to part ways with yet.”
McKulsky is the forward captain for the women’s rugby team and has excelled in rugby after starting her journey during her freshman year, back in August of 2022, with her best friend Sophie Spaulding, who is also a senior, as well as one of McKulsky’s roommates. McKulsky grew fond of the sport and met athletes who she says are like “a family”.
Senior and co-captain, Shae Wiederien, played rugby for three years in high school before playing at WSC. Wiederien began her collegiate career alongside McKulsky. Wiederien, Spaulding, and McKulsky now live together and show how close the sisterhood of the women’s rugby team truly is.
“I’m always proud of Mary; her skills are hard to replicate and teach to others, and that’s what makes her gameplay so special,” Wiederien said. “Her kindness, compassion, and drive for the sport is easily spotted in every practice, meeting, and game day. There is no one else more deserving of All-American. She is such a great example of a leader and team player.”
When beginning her first season of rugby, freshman Genevieve Sovereign felt McKulsky was a “friendly face” and felt that it was easy to talk to her. McKulsky has been an amazing figure for the rookies to look up to and is always willing to help and teach her teammates when they are struggling with a new concept or a new drill.
Genevieve made the All-Stars 7’s team as a freshman this year alongside her sister Jillian Sovereign, who is a returning sophomore this past 15’s season. With Genevieve being a freshman, she had never played 7’s rugby before attending the tournament. Genevieve reminisced about a memory of Mary helping her learn how to play 7’s.
“During 7’s in Atlanta, when I had never played a 7’s game before, so I went back with her to her room, and we were watching the old footage from last year, and she was working through the different plays because I had never played and I had to play the next day,” Genevieve said. “She was just teaching me the things that I needed to know, and that was really cool.”
The women’s rugby team is proud and thankful for McKulsky and the dedication and work that she puts into the women’s rugby program. The women’s rugby team will be losing a decent-sized group of seniors this season, leaving a hole in the team that will not be easily filled.
“She is both fast and fit for the position that she plays, which is lock, and she is an exceptionally good lineout specialist,” Chivers said. “She is not necessarily the biggest player in the pack of forwards, but certainly her mobility allows her to play the second-row position, as if she were playing in the back row.”
