The McKendree University men's rugby team picked up three wins against the University of Iowa on Saturday by final scores of, 33-14,19-7,12-10.

Trevor Gillen got the Bearcats started in the third minute when he recorded a try and succeeded on the conversation to give the Bearcats a 7-0 lead. Ayemere Oiyemhonlan followed up in the sixth minute with his own try and Gillen would convert. Iowa would answer with a try and successful conversion to make the halftime score 14-7. McKendree came out firing in the second half, with Gillen recording two tries and Oiyemhonlan would add another try to help power the Bearcats to a 33-14 victory.

Dalton Viglasky struck first for the Bearcats in game two when he recorded a try but failed to convert. Sam Griffey would get on the board for the first time in the afternoon and the Bearcats would convert to give McKendree a 12-0 lead at halftime. In the eighth minute, Iowa got on the board and converted to bring the Hawkeyes within one possession. In the 11^th minute Gillen would put the game away with a try and a successful conversion.

Game three was started by Viglasky who would record a try in the first minute but failed to covert. The Hawkeyes would tie the game in the fourth minute but also fail to covert to make the halftime score 5-5. The Hawkeyes would take the lead in the ninth minute with a try but fail to covert. Edgar Galindo would record a try in stoppage time and hit a game winning conversion to give the Bearcats their third straight win.

"Today was another opportunity to test ourselves against a state school with a large roster." Said head coach Joe Lippert, "Iowa has plenty of talent and will win lots of rugby games going forward. We have continued to improve our attacking rugby and it showed today. Trevor Gillen finished a lot of good 'team try's for us and put in a great defensive shift."

The Bearcats return to action on May 29^th when they travel to New Orleans to compete in the National Collegiate Rugby Championships.