Men's rugby club plays match in honor of missing student Nicholas Garza

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. - The defending national champion Middlebury College men’s rugby club begins its 2008 Division II national championship series this weekend in Albuquerque and has decided to play the opening match in honor of Nicholas Garza, a first-year Middlebury student and Albuquerque native who has been missing since February 5. The Middlebury club plays its first-round match against the University of Northern Colorado on Saturday, April 19, at 10:30 a.m. A full schedule of matches is available online.

“We feel like this is an opportunity to show our support for Nick’s family and friends in his home town,” said Assistant Coach Josh Hendrickson, who graduated from Middlebury in February. “We want people to know we’re thinking about him.”

Garza, a 2007 graduate of Albuquerque Academy, was last seen leaving a Middlebury College residence hall the evening of February 5 while the college was on break between academic terms. Despite numerous searches involving state-of-the-art equipment and dozens of local, state and federal agencies, police have not been able to develop any meaningful leads into Garza’s disappearance. Police continue to pursue their missing person investigation.

Middlebury College Men’s Rugby Head Coach Kevin O’Brien will be available for comment following Saturday’s match. For more information contact Josh Hendrickson at 802-282-2544.