New sport becomes a career for UNI's Stanerson-Edwards

     It started with an informational meeting. It has become a career, and a successful one at that.

     Ciara Stanerson-Edwards, a senior at the University of Northern Iowa, is a prominent member of the women’s rugby club at the Cedar Falls school.

     A winner of multiple awards in her three seasons on the team, she now plays the fullback position, one of the most important on a 15-player side.

     “My job on the field is to stay behind the line of defense and direct where we can fill the space,” Stanerson-Edwards said. “If someone breaks the line, it is also my job to stop them. I am the last line of defense, so my one-on-one tackles have to be the best. While on offense I have the range to insert myself into any play I feel will best help the team.”

     Stanerson-Edwards, a 2017 graduate of Monticello High School, is noticeable on the field. During a recent home match against the University of Minnesota – a lopsided victory for UNI – she put a hit on an opposing player near the sideline, and the player took some time to get back to her feet.

     The tackling part of the game is something Stanerson-Edwards has picked up. She always knew she had the other skills.

     “In high school my junior and senior year during homecoming week, we got to play powderpuff football,” she said. “I enjoyed doing that even though we did not get to tackle people.”

     Still, she didn’t know she might be interested in rugby until a floormate during her freshman year at UNI invited her to check it out.

     “One night, a girl who lived two doors down from me popped into our room asking if we wanted to go to the women’s rugby information meeting,” Stanerson-Edwards recalled. “Once we got there, the atmosphere was just what I was looking for in a team. We learned about the history of rugby and the team we were about to join.”

     At Monticello High School, Stanerson-Edwards enjoyed a highly-decorated career with the Panther girls track team, making it to the state meet three times, all as a sprinter in relays. In her junior year, the Monticello 4x100-meter relay placed fifth in the state, after having earlier qualified for the Drake Relays, and setting a school record.

     She combined her track skills with her willingness to learn about rugby.

     “Once I watched a few rugby games online, I realized I could be very good,” she said. “From my experience in track, I had the speed to run with the ball. I was not sure about the tackling, but we spend a lot of time working on it to make sure no one gets hurt.”

     Stanerson-Edwards said she enjoys the atmosphere around the UNI team.

     “We are a big family,” she said. “Once you join this team you get 20-plus friends. Over the season we do lots of team bonding.”

     Her playing skills have gotten noticed. She was voted the team’s Rookie of the Year in 2017, and backfield most valuable player in 2018.

     In 2019, Stanerson-Edwards was nominated to the Midwest All-Conference team as a fullback, and was selected to play for the under-24 Iowa Women’s Select Side team. She was one of 24 women who were scheduled to play against Canada in New York, but a bout with appendicitis kept Stanerson-Edwards from playing.

     She didn’t get to play at all in 2020, as the season was cancelled due to COVID-19.

     The UNI Panthers are making up for lost time this season, ranked number one in the women’s Division I category. The team will compete in the national Sweet Sixteen tournament, set for Nov. 13-14 in Iowa Falls, Iowa. The goal there is to advance to the Final Four, to be held in Atlanta, Ga. The team is trying to improve upon its 14^th place finish in the nation two years ago.

     Stanerson-Edwards hopes to continue her rugby career after college.

     “I would like to play for a Women’s Premier League team. The closest one is the Twin Cities Amazons,” she said. “I plan to join them in a few practices this summer to get a feel for how rugby outside of college is.

     “I want to continue playing as long as my body lets me. A long-term goal would be to play with Team USA. This is something I can achieve by working hard and taking the right steps to get recruited.”