A senior rugby player at the University of Maine at Farmington was arrested Monday on a charge of gross sexual assault.

Frank Makuch, 23, of Storrs, Conn., and a current resident of Farmington, remained held on $10,000 cash bail Tuesday at Franklin County Jail in Farmington.

Detective Marc Bowering of the Farmington Police Department said a woman described only as being over 18 made the report.

Bowering said Tuesday, “She is familiar with him. They know each other.”

Makuch was interviewed by police and subsequently arrested. The crime is a class A felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.

Bowering said Makuch was arrested at about noon on Monday. He would not reveal the woman’s age. He said the alleged assault happened in Farmington, but he would not say when or where.

Farmington attorney Walter Hanstein, who is the long-time coach of the men’s rugby team, a college club sport, said he will represent Makuch, beginning with a bail hearing at Farmington District Court he hopes to arrange as early as Wednesday.

“I would say, within the last 25 years I have coached hundreds of college students in the rugby program here,” Hanstein said. “Frank Makuch has to be one of the 10 most outstanding young men I have ever had the privilege to know. As close as I am to him, I think to get things off on the right foot for him, I think I’m going to try to help him with this.”

Hanstein said Makuch has no criminal record and has been “a wonderful and supportive teammate” over the past four years.

The University of Maine Farmington Rugby Football Club is a New England Rugby Football Union Division III club sport.

The Beavers were founded in 1991 by Hanstein.

The Maine College Rugby Championship, or Maine Cup, is scheduled to begin Friday at Deering High School in Portland.

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @Doug_Harlow

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