KAILUA-KONA — What’s better than one national championship? How about three.
That’s what Kealakehe graduate Nika Paogofie-Buyten accomplished this season at Lindenwood University, helping the Lions capture the coveted “Triple Crown” of women’s college rugby.
The historic run for the program included titles at the Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Sevens Championship — also known as CRC — the USA Rugby Collegiate Sevens — which the Lions are now back-to-back champs at — and the USA Rugby Collegiate 15s.
“The past year has been hectic, emotional, crazy and most of all memorable,” said Paogofie-Buyten, who just wrapped up her sophomore year. “We trained hard, multiple times a day, and in the end it all paid off, which made it so much more special to us.”
For those wondering what the numbers mean — 15s and sevens — it refers to the number of players on the pitch during a game. The rules are basically the same, but it results in a different style of game. Sevens is made for the quicker athlete, favoring speed and finesse rather than the brawn required for 15s.
For a program to have national championship caliber squads in both iterations of the sport is rare, but a testament to what Paogofie-Buyten saw as one of the strengths of the squad.
“I believe, firmly, what made our team so special this year was our ability to adapt,” she said. “If you look at our roster throughout this past year, it was constantly changing. Going into the championship for 15s, 7s and CRCs, our lineups had all changed. But because of our team chemistry and athleticism, we were able to pull through and come out on top.”
Coming out on top became the theme during the Lions’ historic season, as the program firmly established itself as a national powerhouse. But for head coach Billy Nicholas, reeling off four national championships in two years hasn’t significantly shifted expectations. Since he took over the program in 2014, Lindenwood has always had its sights set on the top.
But now the Lions won’t be sneaking up on their prey.
“It’s just a change in mentality from being an underdog to an expectation to win,” Nicholas said. “Our goal is just to be better than the year before. If we want to do that we have to focus on each session, give it our best in our planning and execution, and let the cards fall how they will. Our goals off the field are just as important. We will continue to push our presence in our community by helping others and volunteer work, grow the game locally with the youth programs available and in general focus on our individual growth to become prepared to be successful after college.”
The fantastic 15s
For Paogofie-Buyten, the 15s title — which featured a pair of wins during a hectic 24 hours — was the standout memory from the season. It was the first of the three, which all came in less than a month span.
After beating BYU 35-7 in the semifinals, Lindenwood turned around to down rival Life University 36-8 the next day for the school’s first national title in the 15s game.
What made the victory even sweeter was the fact that the Lions had come up just short a year ago, falling to Penn State 28-25 in the 2017 title game.
“After the first game against BYU, our bodies were hurting. But mentally we were strong and eager to play in the final and redeem ourselves after what happened last year when we fell short to Penn State,” Paogofie-Buyten said. “It really gets tough playing 80 minutes, continuously smashing into one another and then having to turn around and play again the very next day and do the same thing. But I was really proud of myself and my teammates on the way we approached the game and executed it.”
Nicholas agreed.
“The 15s championship was a full team effort thanks to every single person in the program pushing each other to be better throughout the year,” Nicholas said. “Each year we have a new mix of people and a new look and attitude for our team. But thanks to some great alumni and current players, we have established a foundation of expectations that have allowed us to achieve the success we have had. This group was a great mix of new players and veterans and provided some great competition within the team.”
She’s a natural
Paogofie-Buyten’s path to becoming a college rugby standout is a unique one. She was a multi-sport star in high school while at Kealakehe — participating in volleyball, soccer, track and field and wrestling — but had limited opportunities to play rugby on the Big Island.
Now playing the sport she loves on a near year-round schedule — sans some precious summer days spent back at home in Hawaii — her progression has been astounding.
“Nika’s natural athletic ability and proficiency in multiple sports helped her success. She is very coachable and has really pushed her rugby IQ over the past year,” Nicholas said. “Nika comes from a great family and a great community. She is one of the leaders on our team both by in which the way she trains and practices and by her charismatic attitude.”
Paogofie-Buyten has described her two years on Lindenwood’s campus in Missouri as eye-opening, both through her adventures in rugby and in the classroom. She hopes her journey can serve as a form of inspiration for local athletes to expand their horizons.
“I feel myself maturing and turning into this new person because of all the lessons that come with rugby and academics,” Paogofie-Buyten said. “Being able to go through this makes me want to push Hawaii kids to go to school and expand their horizons outside of Hawaii. You don’t know if you don’t like it until you go and give it a try. If you work hard in whatever it is you’re doing, you’ll find a path to get there.”
Remembering roots
Before heading back to school, Paogofie-Buyten is slated to spend some time at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. with the USA 15s Junior All-Americans, which consists of the best female rugby players under the age of 20 from across the country.
But as her rugby resume continues to grow at an exponential rate, Paogofie-Buyten makes sure she stays true to her roots on the Big Island, which have been a major motivational factor on the journey.
“I’m extremely grateful for my hometown and all the support that comes with it. I also want to thank my parents. I wouldn’t be who I am today and I would not have accomplished half of the things I have without them,” she said. “I’m looking forward to representing the Big Island and hope this inspires others to want to do more.”
For more information on rugby opportunities at Lindenwood, email coach Nicholas at Bnicholas@lindenwood.edu.