In the middle of an exciting Lady Lions basketball victory, something that has frequently happened for many other teams happened for the first time for the Penn State Lady Ruggers.

For a championship that was won on May 1, the Lady Ruggers were recognized for their 24-8 victory over Princeton. For Penn State rugby, this was the first time that any team had gotten to hear applause from a halftime crowd.

"It was a great experience, it's a once in a lifetime thing," senior forward Kathleen Rhoads said.

Penn State, which won championships in 1997 and 2000, and has been in 11 of the last 12 Final Fours, had yet to receive such attention.

Jim Mathias, the assistant head coach for the Lady Ruggers, still cautioned his players to not soak up too much of the limelight.

"This is your two seconds of fame, don't take 10," Mathias said.

Prior to the presentation, the Lady Ruggers got their opportunity to celebrate as long as they wanted. The day began at 9 a.m. with custom mouth guards that were molded with dental alganite, or seaweed --which were to commemorate the championship. While they waited for their turn, a tape of last year's men's rugby World Cup championship match between England and South Africa played on the television. The topic of conversation between players was less on the game and more importantly on their crush on England's captain Jonny Wilkinson.

"[Wilkinson] is so hot when he's focused," fullback Diana Klein said.

The events did eventually get more serious. There was brunch, but one person who was not there to enjoy the festivities was head coach Pete Steinberg, who was coaching the Mid-Atlantic territorial team in Florida.

Last year's honorary assistant coach Charlie Smith, the founder of Penn State women's rugby in 1991, joked about his absence.

"[Pete]'s always churning in the vineyard of rugby," Smith said. "I wonder sometimes if he has anything else to do."

Last year Steinberg coached not only Div. I Penn State to a title, but also Div. II Temple, which was a 15-minute drive away from his home in Philadelphia. Steinberg did not look at the double duty as such a spectacular accomplishment.

"The day was hectic, only because I had to change my shirt a few times," Steinberg said.

Though Steinberg was unavailable for the trophy presentation, he still had a good idea of how his players felt.

"Now they don't just feel like their playing off on the edge of campus and not really feeling a part," Steinberg said. "Penn State has really stepped up to recognize rugby."

On the other hand, some players were happy not to be recognized as much as others.

"I'm just glad [the crowd] didn't see my face on the projector," senior forward Amy Manidis said.