The 1,050-mile trip was about more than just the competition for Triton head coach Brent Nelson and his players, though. The lone community college qualifier turned the journey to the Washington, D.C. area into a lesson in perspective and appreciation, with the Top-5 finish — against the likes of Maryland, Michigan, Harvard, Notre Dame, Indiana, Alabama, Clemson and South Carolina, to name a few — becoming the the icing on the cake.

“The main focus was the guys’ overall experience,” said Nelson, a Humboldt High School graduate. “What we really saw with this team was the love and the bond they had for each other. Their families come first, but they were an extension of their families for each other.

“I will tell them they won’t remember the match scores years from now, but they will never forget the Madden tournament in the hotel, or riding scooters from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol building, or the ‘United States of Iowa Central’ (a moniker the team used during the tournament). They are making memories together.”

The Tritons were seeded second in the South Region. They defeated Iona, Belmont Abbey and Maryland to capture the regional championship and advance to the national semifinals.

Submitted photo: The Iowa Central rugby team in front of the United States Capitol building.

Iowa Central lost to No. 1 seeds Kutztown University (Penn.) and Babson College (Mass.) in the final four. Wheeling University (W.Va.) won the national crown.

This was the Tritons’ third trip to the CRC. Six years ago, under Nelson’s direction, Iowa Central advanced out of a regional qualifier but was denied the opportunity to play because of its community college status. And in 2022, the team again made the cut, but went 0-4 in the Premier Cup bracket.

“Coach (Joe) Lippert and I vowed to have a better showing if we ever went back,” Nelson said.

Iowa Central did just that last weekend.

“The coaches try to give them the best experience they can that will last a lifetime, and we wanted to show the world there is value in community college. That’s a program thing,” Nelson said. “Watching their joy and even some of the sadness from tough losses gives me purpose.

Submitted photo: Triton rugby players with their "United States of Iowa Central" shirts look at the Washington Monument.

“When they move on from Iowa Central with their degrees, I want them to know what sacrifice and determination can get them.

“With that being said, they won’t always get what they set out to do. Yet there is tomorrow, and that’s another opportunity to be better than the day before.”

The Tritons rallied around their “United States of Iowa Central” theme during the trip. When National Collegiate Rugby hosted a selection show to announce the 2024 field, one of the panelists — Dan Power, a popular rugby broadcaster — predicted the Tritons would prevail in their region. He called them “the United States of Iowa Central” during the live stream.

“It kind of became our battle cry,” Nelson said. “When I told my mom about it, she said, ‘We have to have shirts made.’ She paid for the travelers to each have a shirt, and a local business, Optic Ink, was able to get them made in less than 24 hours.

“They did the design and they turned out perfect.”

The CRC week wasn’t just an educational experience for the Iowa Central players. Nelson called it a “bucket list trip for me.”

“We were able to take the guys to see the memorials and historical buildings of D.C.,” Nelson said. “I was very emotional at the Arlington Cemetery, the World War II Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial in particular.

“My dad used to say, “Don’t worry about the small stuff, and it’s all small stuff until there’s bullets in the air and blood on the ground.’ The sites we were able to see really brought that statement to the forefront of my mind. I think that carried over to the rugby event. I felt a calm I have never really felt before. I was able to be super present in the moment, and got so much joy from watching the boys compete and coaching alongside Joe and Quinton (Gilligan), who I truly respect. I believe it’s so true for all of us to do a better job of being present. Keep in mind our goals, but it’s the day-to-day things that get us there.”

Nelson was pleased with the Tritons’ performance at the CRC, but knows there is always room for improvement moving forward.

“We have been hitting the recruiting trail hard,” Nelson said. “We have our fingers crossed for a couple of local names as well. We’re always recruiting talented, good people here.

“A little further down the line, we want to retain the returners and combine them with incoming freshmen to make a real run at a D1 15s national championship in the fall (of 2024). And we can do better than 4th next year in 7s. I truly feel this is becoming a rugby destination. Not just in Iowa, but in the country. We are so grateful for what we do have here but I just feel that would be icing on the cake.”

Nelson knows it takes a village to continue to build the Iowa Central program.

“We have a top-level coaching staff,” Nelson said. “Joe Lippert is a multi-national champion coach who was a head coach and took the assistant position because he believes in the valuation of what Iowa Central provides. He strives to bring the best possible experience to these young men. Quinton Gilligan is new to the coaching world, but he is extremely passionate and was a high performance rugby player in his playing days. And we have Casey Hansen, who specializes in 7s and travels from Waterloo when he can and is the film analyst. Then there’s my original staff — Skip Reed and Chef Michael Hirst, who have been volunteers since I started the program in 2015.

“This staff is phenomenal, and the boys are fortunate to have them as coaches. Miguel Secor and Alec Crimmins are our strength and conditioning coaches, and they always have the boys at peak performance.”

The Tritons continue to use their underdog status both on and off the pitch to their advantage, thanks in large part to the program’s support system on campus.

“Schools will only be as good as the administration which supports them. Our administration believes in us and backs us,” Nelson said. “That’s the Alpha and Omega of why we can compete. We are considered a varsity program within the college rugby community. Meaning we are sponsored by the athletic department. The other type of college rugby programs are in the club realm. They are allowed to use the school name, but the affiliation is loose.

“Iowa Central made the decision to run the program with professionalism and high standards. We also happen to be very good at athletics. Even the community of Fort Dodge is overlooked at times. There is a pride here that’s hard to explain. I love being the underdog. I love being doubted. I love being bet against. Those things drive me and the coaching staff feels similarly.”

Nelson isn’t just speaking anecdotally about his beliefs.

“Personally, coaching at Iowa Central is a redemption story for me,” Nelson added. “I’m a product of Iowa Central — a proud alum from the Class of ’91. I believe in Iowa Central with every fiber of my soul. They have given me an opportunity I can only seek to repay but never will. There is a stigma about community colleges that I will continue to fight against. Not so much in Iowa, but we feel it across the competitive landscape. We have real value and practical purpose in the education world.”