The Army women defeated defending champion Penn State, 33-29, in the Emirates Airline USA Rugby 2011 Men’s and Women’s Division I National Championships at Steuger Rugby Stadium on the Stanford University campus.
Jessica Sexauer, a 2008 Adairsville graduate, played a major role in securing the championship victory. An article on the Rugby America website said, “Army’s fullback and wing combo of Jessica Sexauer and [Anne] Lee were devastating in the first half and linked up for three tries on the left hand side of the field.” Lee scored all of Army’s points.
Sexauer, one of the top collegiate rugby players in the country, is the daughter of David and Sharon Sexauer of Adairsville. David Sexauer coaches soccer, softball and is the JROTC Commander at Adairsville High.
Jessica Sexauer played softball, basketball and soccer and also was a part of the track and field team at Adairsville High. She was Battalion Commander in JROTC and graduated sixth in her class. Sexauer won the Bobby Bailey Scholarship Award and the Wendy’s High School Heisman Award.
She won her appointment to West Point and walked onto the rugby team as a freshman. As a sophomore, she took on a starting role and has since been a two-time All-American fullback. Sexauer, who is studying for a future career in aviation, has played on the USA Sevens team and has competed in countries like Germany, England, Wales and Russia. She has been asked once again to play for the USA Sevens and Eagle Fifteen teams and also could join the U.S. Olympic Team.
The Sexauers will soon have three children — Amy, Jessica, Ryan — who have graduated in the top 5 percent of their respective classes, been involved in prep sports and JROTC and then gone off to West Point. Ryan Sexauer, who played soccer and ran cross country at Adairsville, makes it to West Point in the fall.