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Leah Bittner

“The SMSU RN to BSN Program does not have you take a set amount of credits each semester. This flexible scheduling was perfect for me as it allowed me to vary the amount of credits I took each semester. I would have struggled without that flexibility as I am a non-traditional student who is also a wife, mother of four, and worked full time while completing my degree. This program is designed to fit into your life, whether you want to be a full-time or part-time student.”

Leah Bittner, '22 Alum
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Women's Rugby's Places 2nd in Conference Championship

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Posted from Monday, April 14, 2025 through Sunday, May 04, 2025

SMSU Women's Rugby Second Place Finish in Prairie States Conference Championship

SMSU's Women's Rugby team finished its season by placing second in the Prairie States Conference Championship game this past Sunday, April 13th.

SMSU rugby rebuilt its men's and women's programs this year, with the team joining the newly formed Prairie State Conference, a departure from the Northern Lights Conference it previously competed in. The team competed in combination with Augustana Women's Rugby, which is also working to rebuild its program to form what has lovingly become known as SMAUG. SMAUG has been a strong competitor both in its fall and spring seasons.

With strong leadership from Augustana captain Ryland Beutz '27 and SMSU captain Journey Sieg '27, who played rugby together in high school at Becker, the team has overcome the disadvantage of never practicing together to play as a cohesive unit on the field.

The team started its championship title hunt against the Wayne State Wildcats, losing 25-10 against the 13x Nationals Championship-winning team. Tries scored by Sieg and Beutz.

SMAUG's second matchup was against USD Yotes' 3x Nationals competitors. They tied 15-15 with tries scored by Sieg, Beutz, and Macy Mailander '26 of Augustana for her first-ever try.

The team's final game of the day was against the SDSU Jackrabbits, holding the Jackrabbits to 17-0 with two tries and a conversion kick scored by Sieg and one try scored by Beutz.

SMAUG Roster

  • SMSU Captain Journey Sieg '27 Wing
  • SMSU Reese Olson '28 Hooker
  • SMSU Brooklyn Flaherty '27 Scrumhalf
  • SMSU Natasha Valenzuela-Cabrera '28 Center
  • Augustana Captain Ryland Beutz '27 Flyhalf
  • Augustana Macy Mailander '26 Center
  • Augustana Paige Westergren '27 Prop
  • Augustana Reagan Haase '26 Prop
  • Augustana Hayley Anderson '28 Prop

SMAUG Coaches

  • Head Coach Joyce Tofte
  • SMSU Assistant Coach Sierra Puckett
  • Augustana Head Coach Mikayla Schroeder
  • Augustana Assistant Coach Molly Schoenfelder

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