CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Ross County has produced some stellar student athletes for many years and this recent graduate of Huntington High School is no exception. Madison Ackley has a lengthy resume from her high school career and is embarking on a new journey at Rio Grande. In August, Rio Grande announced that Ackley will be joining their women’s 7s rugby program.

In a recent conversation with Madison, I learned a great deal about her and I’m excited to watch her compete at the collegiate level. I asked her about her time in high school and she spoke highly of Huntington High School. “One of my favorite moments in high school, I’d have to say, was when I hit my first home run my senior year. It showed that all my hard work and extra time had paid off. I still remember as soon as the ball hit the bat I knew it was going over, and it was probably one of the best feelings in the world…Another moment is when I kicked my first extra point and was the first girl in school history to score for the football team. I think the reason it felt like such a special moment was because I would have never thought that I would have tried or accomplished something like that.” 

At the high school level, Madison played just about every sport she could. She played basketball and softball all through high school. As a freshman and sophomore, she played volleyball. Madison played varsity football her senior year, becoming the first girl in school history to score points in a football game. Corey Mömsen, director of rugby at Rio Grande had great things to say about Madison. He said he was researching on a football recruiting site when he discovered Madison. “What I liked about Madison when recruiting her was that she played just about every sport in high school, which gives her a solid foundation to start her rugby career.” Given Madison’ career interest, Mömsen knew Rio was a great fit. “After looking into what career she was interested in, Environmental Science, I knew Rio was the perfect place for her.”

One of Madison’s favorite things about being a student athlete in high school was that the team was so close. “Some of the best memories I have from high school is how close our teams were; we weren’t just teammates, we all actually liked each other and hung out with each other outside of practice. We were more like a family and I have some amazing memories of all the fun we had together.” This is going to transfer well to playing rugby at the collegiate level. Coach Mömsen said “Our team is very diverse, but rugby culture is unique where the camaraderie brings many people together.”

Madison is ready to get to work and she’s a perfect fit for this new adventure. “The thing I’m looking forward to the most in college is getting back into a busy schedule. This summer I didn’t have any open gyms, practices, or tournaments to go to and I got bored without having something to do all the time.” Madison has a great work ethic and it’s already shining. Mömsen praised her efforts saying, “Madison is a trailblazer and there’s nothing she is afraid of going after. She is already in the weight room with our men’s program getting ready for spring 7s.” Rugby 7s is played with 7 players on each side of the ball, competing for 14 minutes (two 7-minute halves). Both Madison and Mömsen spoke of hoping to see rugby gain a following and grow in popularity in the area.

If you’re like me and you’re excited to follow Madison’s journey, you can follow The University of Rio Grande Rugby on Facebook or find the program on the school’s website.

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