December 22, 2016

Women’s Eagles National All-Star Competition

Doug Coil

Article based on USA Rugby Release by Chad Wise December 22, 2016

The Women’s Eagles National All-Star Competition to be held at Tigertown Complex in Lakeland, Florida Dec. 29, 2016, through Jan. 3, 2017. More than 90 athletes have accepted invitations with hopes to be among the 35-40 players that will be part of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 pool for Head Coach Pete Steinberg and staff. While international matches may be held domestically prior to the WRWC in Ireland, the national team will be working with the athletes for them to achieve peak form for Ireland.

The start of this process pitted the USA Eagles against France in a two match tour in November that was led by Associate Head Coach Peter Baggetta. Although the team lost both matches, several sevens players and younger players gained valuable experience.

The goal of the NASC is to create an international like environment which will test both players and coaches. The coaching staff will split the roster into teams to bring about a competitive atmosphere where the athletes can fight for roster spots.

The camp will also include an AIG Women’s Collegiate All-Americans portion of the camp for younger players in addition to the senior players. Both the seniors and developmental squad, the WCAAs, will compete in two matches each on December 31 and January 3, creating the ability to shine and move up in the selection process.

The athletes that will be attending camp consist of the top club and college talent and include Olympians, Women’s Premier League players and players that participated in the College National Championships.

Steinberg and Women’s Eagles Sevens Head Coach Richie Walker have identified those in residency at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California with the potential to transfer to the 15-a-side version in a limited timeframe. This provides the opportunity for athletes to play high-level rugby as a condition for improvement and the camp should be beneficial to the 15s and sevens programs.

Steinberg said that “In our attacking structure, we think we took some steps forward. The thing that has consistently plagued us this year is basically skill breakdowns: dropping the ball, not making the right pass or passing effectively, missing the tackle. Those are just individual skill issues that have been hard for us to address, and a reason why we’re changing our approach a bit.”

At the camp, several domestic coaches will participate through the Elite Coach Development Program. They will be able to be evaluate themselves on how to work in a short assembly as opposed to the season- or year-long timetables they may have with a club or college program.

National All-Star Competition – Senior Participants
Adekemi Adewunmi – Black Ice Women’s Rugby
Baylee Annis – Seattle Saracens
Kathryn Augustyn – Berkeley All Blues
Nicole Benedetti – Brandywine Women’s Rugby Club
Catie Benson – Life West Women’s Rugby
Elizabeth Berg – Mayhem Rugby Football Club of Minneapolis
Ida Bernstein – D.C. Furies
T’yara Blades – Texas A&M University
Tia Blythe – San Diego Surfers
Sylvia Braaten – Twin Cities Amazons
Stacey Bridges – Twin Cities Amazons
Kaitlyn Broughton – Life University
Sarah Buonopane – Beantown Rugby Football Club
Nicole Burr – Augusta Women’s Rugby Football Club
Ashlee Byrge – Central Washington University
Gabriella Cantorna – Pennsylvania State University
Ryan Carlyle – Eagles Sevens Residency
Scout Cheeks – Pennsylvania State University
Sarah Chobot – Glendale Raptors
Monique Compito – Atlanta Harlequins
Kate Daley – New York Rugby Club
Cheta Emba – Eagles Sevens Residency
Joanne Fa’avesi – Eagles Sevens Residency
Tess Feury – Pennsylvania State University
Patricia Ford – Glendale Raptors
Megan Foster – Life West Women’s Rugby
Chelsea Garber – Raleigh Rugby Club
Jordan Gray – Eagles Residency
Rachel Griendling – San Diego Surfers
Kelly Griffin – Unattached
Jacqueline Hamby – United States Air Force Academy
Paris Hart – Oregon (Rugby) Sports Union
Nicole Heavirland – Eagles Sevens Residency
Rebekah Hebdon – Brigham Young University
Courtney Hendrickson – Berkeley All Blues
Grace Hovde – Wisconsin Women’s Rugby Football Club
Emily Hranchook – Oakland University
Nicole James – Houston Athletic Rugby Club
Bailey Johnson – Minnesota Valkyries Rugby Football Club
Rachel Johnson – Oregon (Rugby) Sports Union
Alev Kelter – Eagles Sevens Residency
Lauren Kenyon – Life West Women’s Rugby
Brianna Kim – Northern Virginia Women’s Rugby Football Club
Molly Kinsella – Eagles Residency
Joanna Kitlinski – Glendale Raptors
Phaidra Knight – New York Rugby Club
Kimberly Knipe – Atlanta Harlequins
Haley Langan – Harvard University
Rachel Lentsch – Twin Cities Amazons
Darian Lovelace – Life University
Jennifer Lui – Glendale Raptors
Samantha Luther – Beantown Rugby Football Club
Katherine Lutton – James River Women’s Rugby Football Club
Emily Magee – New York Rugby Club
Bulou Mataitoga – Berkeley All Blues
Grace McGurn – University of Notre Dame
Dana Meschisi – San Diego Surfers
Saskia Morgan – Scion Sirens
Marjorie Olney – D.C. Furies
Alena Olsen – University of Michigan
Danielle Ordway – Davenport University
Samantha Pankey – Eagles Residency
AnnaKaren Pedraza – Lindenwood University
Ashley Perry – American Rugby Pro Training Center
Christiane Pheil – Chicago North Shore Women’s Rugby Football Club
Melissa Polheber – Glendale Raptors
Sisillia Puaka – Belmont Shore Women’s Rugby Football Club
Naima Reddick – Seattle Saracens
Jamila Reinhardt – San Diego Surfers
Lauren Rhode – Berkeley All Blues
Hope Rogers – Eagles Residency
Megan Rom – Life University
Kyla Roth – San Diego Surfers
Ashlee Salato – United States Air Force Academy
Francesca Sands – Dartmouth College
Kristen Shalosky – Glendale Raptors
Kristine Sommer – Seattle Saracens
Kelsi Stockert – Seattle Saracens
Hannah Stolba – Glendale Raptors
Nicole Strasko – Atlanta Harlequins
Ashaunte Stroman – Florida International University
Grace Taito – Brigham Young University
Naya Tapper – Eagles Sevens Residency
Kristen Thomas – Eagles Sevens Residency
Elizabeth Trujillo – San Diego Surfers
Abby Vogel – University of California, Berkeley
Danielle Walko Siua – Notre Dame College
Alycia Washington – New York Rugby Club
Brittany White – University of Minnesota
Kayla Williams – Augusta Women’s Rugby Football Club
Jessica Wooden – Unattached
Justine Wypych – Glendale Raptors
Kate Zackary – San Diego Surfers
Kristin Zdanczewicz – Minnesota Valkyries Rugby Football Club

National All-Star Competition | Staff
Coaches
– Peter Baggetta
– Bernie Cantorna
– Martha Daines
– Mel Denham
– Liz Kirk
– Adam Russell
– Pete Steinberg
– Richie Walker
– Sue Whitwell
Coach Advisors
– Rick Humm
– Lisa Rosen
Emerging Coach Development Program
– Nic Benson
– Ryszard Chadwick
– Adam Dick
– Hannah Lockwood
– Billy Nicholas
– Emily Record
– Craig Wilson
Managers
– Carrie DuBray
– Annemarie Farrell
– Jeff Horton
– Roshna Wunderlich
Strength and Conditioning/High Performance
– Ian Gibbons
– Adam Russell
Video
– Caitlin Singletary
Medical
– Terrence Cronin – Team Doctor
– Bri Arsenault
– Gage Berry
– Katherine Henry
– Amie Kern
Referees
– Kahlil Harrison
– Mark Hawkins
– Emily Hsieh