Freshman rugby star, Riley Langenfeld, discusses her sport background, her inspirations on and off the field, and challenges along the way. 

The 19-year-old from York New York, in which she mentioned that google often gives her a hard time about that search, is no stranger to hard work. As a biomedical engineering major who balances band and rugby practice, she clearly isn't afraid to go after what she wants. 

"Growing up I played soccer, softball, and tennis. I was a goalie for soccer and a catcher for softball," Langenfeld explained, "Coming to college, I didn't really plan on playing any sports and then Claire [Bawiec] literally carried my mini fridge up three flights of stairs on move-in day and was like, I play rugby. And I was like, I want to play rugby. That's why I play rugby."

Langenfeld admired the fact that she could pursue many of her passions at RMU. She explained that it was just the right fit. "I actually picked RMU because of the band program. I came here for a high school band day and kind of fell in love with the people and so far it's definitely lived up to my expectations," Langenfeld says, "I like being close to the city but not in the city…and the classes are small enough that if I need help, I can get it."

In the short amount of time that Langenfeld has played, she explains that rugby has given her a lot in a variety of ways. "Rugby gave me a sense of people that I felt like I could connect with closely," She says, "I learned throughout the season that mistakes are okay and there's always going to be people to lean on who will support you…even if they're tough on the field, they're there to support you no matter what."

However, Langenfeld hasn't gone without her struggles. The forward opened up about her mental health, which has impacted her significantly throughout her life. "I have really bad anxiety and depression and ADHD. So, especially at late night practices it can be a struggle to focus. But even then, if I'm having a depressive episode, forcing myself to get out of bed and go to practice is something that pulls me out of the rut…," Langenfeld explains. 

Despite this, the Lagenfeld has persevered. And she's had many inspirations along the way.  Langenfeld became bright eyes when discussing who she looks up to. "Off the field, [my inspiration] is definitely AOC, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She's a United States house representative…she's one of the younger ones in the house and she doesn't let the older men bully her around…she claps back and stands up for herself and proves that she belongs there…it's definitely something that inspires me."

In terms of her inspiration on the field, Hope Solo, American soccer goalkeeper, is an athlete she looks up to."She always fought her way onto the field. No matter what else was going on, she focused on her game. Everything shuts down and I focus on my game..rugby forces you to shut your brain off from everything else around you."

Rugby has given Langenfeld a lot and she makes it clear how grateful she is. And she encourages everyone to put themselves out there."The worst thing you realize is that you hate it and try something else. But if you never take that first step and try it, you're never going to know…we need to push ourselves to try new things."