Norwich's Jeremiah Blankenbaker Shines On and Off the Field

2011 Nov 21

Jeremiah Blankenbaker '13 from Norwich is a member of the club rugby team at Eastern Connecticut State University and is majoring in Business Administration. This fall, the team finished in first place in the south region of the New England Rugby Football Union's Division III men's college standings and qualified for postseason play. They fought hard before losing in the semifinals against Tufts University.

Blankenbaker and his teammates are well known for their volunteerism in the community. Over the past several years, they have refurbished the dining room at the Holy Family Home and Shelter, served meals at the Covenant Soup Kitchen and volunteered in other ways in the community.

Eastern's rugby team just completed its seventh year under coaches Joe Pardee and Ray Aramini. "The New England Rugby Union is the premier club league in the region," said Aramini. "We had a fantastic year, and I am very proud of the team."

Intercollegiate sports at the varsity and club levels are an important component of campus life at Eastern, Connecticut's only public liberal arts university. The University combines a strong liberal arts curriculum with experiential learning opportunities - internships, student research and community service - to prepare graduates for successful careers in a variety of professional fields.

Founded in 1889 as a two-year normal school training elementary schoolteachers for jobs in Connecticut schools, Eastern has grown to become a comprehensive, master's degree-granting institution of more than 5,600 students recognized by such publications as U.S. News and World Report and the Princeton Review.