Hall of Fame
Emily Baugus distinguished herself both academically and athletically during her Norwich career, winning three national championships in women’s rugby. Baugus was captain on the 2012-13 women’s rugby national championship team that is also being inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.
The four-year starter was a dominant player for the rugby program which won national championships in 7’s competition in 2011 and 2012 as well as the 15’s title in 2012. She graduated as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 677 points.
“Emily Baugus knew how to win games,” said then-Head Coach Austin Hall. “She wasn’t the fastest player, or the strongest player, but she was the smartest player on the field in every game she played. She made everyone around her a better player. She led with confidence and produced clutch performances, game after game. Her focus and precision made her the greatest goal and drop goal kicker in the history of college women’s rugby. I’ve never seen a better flyhalf play the game.”
Baugus ranks as the third-leading scorer all-time across both Norwich men’s and women’s rugby, and earned a total of 76 career caps on the pitch. She kicked “the shot heard from California to Vermont” - an extra time penalty kick to defeat Stanford in California to win the Division I Collegiate National Semifinal match in 2013.
She was selected as a member of the Combined Services Rugby Team in 2012- 13, a combined team which contains rugby players chosen from all branches of the United States military services.
Baugus was active in a variety of clubs and causes at school, serving as President and founder of the NU Legacy March Student Club, raising funds for Northfield’s “The Veteran’s Place”. She would also serve as a leader among the Cadets as they rose to help the citizens of Northfield and the surrounding area recover from Tropical Storm Irene.
The Army ROTC member was selected as a Distinguished Military Graduate her senior year. She commissioned into the United States Army as a Second Lieutenant and branched aviation, serving 10 years to date. Baugus was an Assault Aviation Company Commander stationed in the Republic of Korea. Baugus returned to the United States over the summer to begin graduate school at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody School of Engineering.
Her awards and decorations include the Army Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal (2OLC), Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, among others.
