Women’s NASCs Wraps Up

USA RugbyTwo-hundred and fifteen athletes in the Women’s National Team Pathway gathered at Tigertown in southern Florida Monday, Dec. 28, through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, for the National All-Star Competition. The atheltes were broken into four senior women’s teams, two collegiate-level teams, and two U20 teams. Throughout the week, the teams played each of their divisions.

The senior games were all very competitive, including the games earlier in the week that featured open substitutions, while on the collegiate and U20 levels, each level had one very close game and one not-so-close.

The purpose of the week was to look at players who tracked to the national team. This affected selections, as players who are well-known to the Eagle setup didn’t get as much playing time as up-and-comers. The goal of the coaches involved was to get as many players selected to national teams – and thus they tried to showcase players with potential.

USA senior WNT Head Coach Pete Steinberg said he saw good talent all through the spectrum, adding that he was especially impressed with the U20 players considering they are on a two-year cycle and most are actually U19s.

All of the top college players ended up playing with the senior teams, and acquitted themselves well.

The week had a more important, long-term purpose aside from identifying players – it was designed to get players and coaches alike used to the Eagle way of doing things.

“It was sort of an Eagles light assembly,” Steinberg told Goff Rugby Report. “We mirrored the training, preparation, and nutrition that we would have in an Eagle assembly. This was also useful for the coaches. We want to develop players and coaches.”

Ten coaches new to this type of assembly joined ten returning from the last assembly in working with players and understanding what it’s like to work with a group of disparate players at a high level.

“This is our second assembly of 200 players,” said Steinberg, “and the level of player was much higher than last time. Our goals were to put players in a position where they were forced to perform, and we did that.”

Steinberg said the U20 level of play was “very high,” and, he added that senior players who were new to the national team setup last summer returned with a new confidence.

What’s next? An assembly in June for the older players, and a Stars & Stripes assembly for college and U20 players around July 4. Steinberg said this will be the scenario for the foreseeable future.

“Instead of doing things differently every year, we want things to be predictable so the athletes can plan,” said the Eagle coach. “If they know when to make themselves available, and they can plan and budget for it, then it’s easier for everyone.”

National All-Star Competition | Athletes

FIRST NAME LAST NAME SCHOOL / CLUB
Adekemi Adewunmi Denver Black Ice
Olufunmilayo Akinlosotu US Air Force Academy
Milla Anderson Dartmouth
Baylee Annis Burlington WRFC
Kathryn Augustyn Berkeley All Blues WRFC
Emily Azevedo Women’s Eagles Sevens
Marcaya Bailous Notre Dame College
Kendall Bedford Princeton University
Lizzie Bellis University of Wisconsin
Nicole Benedetti Northern Virginia WRFC
Catherine Benson Life West WRFC
Sharyn Beodeker Kutztown University
Rebekah Bernheim Colorado Springs RFC
Bria Bohanon Battleship WRFC
Alexandra Borowsky Chicago North Shore WRFC
Sylvia Braaten Twin Cities Amazons WRFC
Rebecca Brafman New York Rugby Club
Stacey Bridges Twin Cities Amazons WRFC
Elizabeth Bristow Chicago North Shore WRFC
Kaitlyn Broughton Life University
Ruth Bryson Berkeley All Blues WRFC
Sarah Buonopane Beantown WRFC
Nicole Burr Augusta WRFC
Ashlee Byrge Davenport University
Elizabeth Cairns Penn State University
Kayla Canett Fallbrook High School
Elena Cantorna Seattle Saracens
Gabriella Cantorna State College High School
Margaret Carly Penn State University
Ryan Carlyle Seattle Saracens
Amanda Carrington Atlanta Harlequins WRFC
Addison Carvajal Bowdoin College
Naiomi Cayo-Nelson Atlanta Harlequins WRFC
Scout Cheeks Penn State University
Sarah Chobot Glendale Raptors WRFC
Kayla Clark AIC
Sadia Crosby Roger Williams University
Gioanna Cruz Lindenwood University
Kathleen Daley At Large
Jacqueline Davisson Santa Monica WRFC
Allyson Day Norwich University
Sheila Decker Norwich University
Amber DeFabio Kutztown University
Amanda Divich Lindenwood University
Brenna Donahue Davenport University
Linda Drake U.S. Coast Guard Academy
Lanoira Duhart Winona State University
Yejadai Dunn Dartmouth
Allison Dykes Little Rock WRFC
Alexandra Eakes Princeton University
Rachel Ehrecke Penn State University
Cheta Emba Beantown WRFC
Laura Enk Lindenwood University
Kristen ‘Jade’ Enright Colby College
Tiffany Faaee New York Rugby Club
Carmen Farmer Severn River WRFC
Deshel Ferguson Atlanta Harlequins WRFC
Frieda Fetu’u Berkeley All Blues
Tess Feury Penn State University
Rachel Fitch Colorado College
Natalie Flaim Kutztown University
Jasmin Folch University of Connecticut
Maxine Fonua Berkeley All Blues
Joycelyn Fordyce US Air Force Academy
Megan Foster Life West WRFC
Alexis Frueh Austin Valkyries WRFC
Bayleigh Gable Grandville Girls RC
Chelsea Garber Raleigh WRFC
Kira Garnett Penn State University
Lara Gartner Atlanta Harlequins WRFC
Amanda Ghannam Little Rock WRFC
Jennifer Glaser University of Wisconsin
Jordan Gray BYU
Rachel Griendling Women’s Eagles Sevens
Abby Gustaitis Women’s Eagles Sevens
Christina Haney University of Virginia
Summer Harris-Jones University of Virginia
Jordan Hartfiel Rockford Lady Raven’s RFC
McKenzie Hawkins Lindenwood University
Shayla Heagy Indiana University
Nicole Heavirland Women’s Eagles Sevens
Rebekah Hebdon (nee Boaz) BYU
Della Hellander Morris Rugby Club
Laura Hetherman University of Connecticut
Atumata Hingano Danville Oaks HS
Sisileti Hingano BYU
Evan Hoese Berkeley All Blues WRFC
Grace Hovde Wisconsin WRFC
Katana Howard Twin Cities Amazons WRFC
Shannon Hustosky Kent State University
Leah Ingold Central Washington University
Nicole James Houston Athletic RC
Bailey Johnson Minnesota State U-Mankato
Cheryl Johnson Philadelphia WRFC
Emily Jones Beantown WRFC
Keren Kabambi Princeton University
Bridget Kahele AIC
Ardia Kelker Berkeley All Blues
Brianna Kim Northern Virginia WRFC
Joanna Kitilinski Glendale Raptors WRFC
Sabrina Kraft San Diego Surfers WRFC
Joie Krahling Philadelphia WRFC
Haley Langan Harvard
Margaret Leonard Glendale Raptors WRFC
Hannah Lewandowski Central Washington University
Shelby Lin New York Rugby Club
Hannah Lockwood San Diego Surfers WRFC
Ophelia Loree University of Minnesota
Katherine Loughran University of Notre Dame
Darian Lovelace Life University
Jessica Lu Princeton University
Jennifer Lui Glendale Raptors WRFC
Kaelene Lundstrum Twin Cities Amazons WRFC
Samantha Luther Beantown WRFC
Aurora Macek Northern Illinois University
Emily Magee ARPTC
Taylor Makowski Northside Dragons HS
Yana (Edna) Manoa Central Washington University
Jaimie McFarlin Washington Furies WRFC
Carlene McPolin Lindenwood University
Allison Miedzielec Davenport University
Laura Miller Glendale Raptors WRFC
Averie Mitchell-Brown University of Minnesota
Stephanie Morande University of Minnesota
Joanna Moreira Central Washington University
Hunter Moreland Davenport University
Saskia Morgan Brown University
Cameo Motley Life West WRFC
Katie Mueller Penn State University
Jochebed Muflam Princeton University
Azniv Nalbandian Penn State University
Michel Navarro Fallbrook High School
Uzoamaka Okoro Brown University
Marjorie Olney Washington Furies WRFC
Danielle Ordway Davenport University
Bianca Ortiz-Pallen Bishop O’Dowd High School
Erin Overcash At Large
Deven Owsiany San Diego Surfers WRFC
Samantha Pankey Washington Furies WRFC
Sara Parsons At Large
Annakaren Pedraza Lindenwood University
Audrey Perez Dartmouth
Ashley Perry Women’s Eagles Sevens
Kristina Perry Penn State University
Nearah Persinger Lindenwood University
Paige Pfannenstiel Bowdoin College
Christiane Pheil Chicago North Shore WRFC
Megan Pinson Sacramento Amazons WRFC
Taylah Pipkin Penn State University
Melissa Polheber Wisconsin WRFC
Kayla Postula Central Washington University
Emily Prentice Kent Crusaders
Sophia Pyrz Penn State University
Katherine Ramage Dartmouth
Naima Reddick Seattle Saracens
Kristen Redmon US Military Academy
Megan Reilly Bloomsburg University
Lauren Rhode New York Rugby Club
Kayla Richardson BYU
Hope Rogers Penn State University
Megan Rom Life University
Becca Jane Rosko Summit High School
Emily Roskopf Life West WRFC
Kimber Rozier Washington Furies WRFC
Kandis Ruiz Glendale Raptors WRFC
Rachel Ryan Glendale Raptors WRFC
Caitlin Rycek Bloomsburg University
Crystal Sain Charlotte WRFC
Monika (Ikuvalu) Sake At Large
Sawyer Salter Minnesota State U-Mankato
Francesca Sands Norwich University
Ravyn Santiago Life University
Haley Schafer Central Washington University
Asinate Serevi Central Washington University
Jennifer Sever Life West WRFC
Kristen Shalosky Glendale Raptors WRFC
Eshe Sherley Yale University
Danesha Shipman University of Texas
Sierra Snapp U.S. Naval Academy
Elizabeth Snodgrass Atlanta Harlequins WRFC
Nicole Snyder Bloomsburg University
Kristine Sommer Seattle Saracens
Ashley Sorensen Columbus/Fort Benning WRFC
Katy Stewart Washington Furies WRFC
Kelsi Stockert Seattle Saracens
Hannah Stolba Glendale Raptors WRFC
Nicole Strasko Life University
Ashaunte Stroman Florida International University
Francesca Suarez Middlebury College
Chelsey Sveinsson Stanford University
Adi (Finau) Tamaivena Kent Crusaders
Stephanie Taylor Montana State University
Danesha Telfair Northern Illinois University
Nia Toliver ICEF
Claire Tomashek Univ of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Supiesi Tongi Hawaii Harlequins
Lauren Trout Chicago North Shore WRFC
Elizabeth Trujillo San Diego Surfers WRFC
Jessica Turner Berkeley All Blues WRFC
Abby Vestal ARPTC
Andrea Villanova New York Rugby Club
Abby Vogel University of California, Berkeley
Jacie Vonada Twin Cities Amazons WRFC
Danielle Walko Siua Notre Dame College
Alycia Washington Hartford Wild Roses WRFC
Carly Waters Penn State University
Frances Wehrwein Berkeley All Blues WRFC
Caroline White Seattle Saracens
Abigail Williams Milwaukee Scylla WRFC
Courtney Williams Penn State University
Dazjanique Williams West Shore United RC
Kayla Williams Augusta WRFC
Megan Wolff Winona State University
Kassidi Wynter Atlanta Harlequins WRFC
Adriana Zeiders West Chester University

National All-Star Competition | Staff
Pete Steinberg
Richie Walker
Brandon Sparks
Wil Snape
Sue Whitwell
Bill LeClerc
Christian Carter
Caitlin Singletary
Amy Valenta
Sarah Leslie
Diane Watanabe
Amie Kern
Bri Arsenault
Ashley Cowan
Katherin Henry
Roshna Wunderlich
Annemarie Farrell
Lance Pruett

National All-Star Competition | Senior Team Coaches

Head: Peter Baggetta
Assistant: Katrina Logan
Assistant: James Tesoriero
Head: Martha Daines
Assistant: Ricardo Ramirez
Assistant: Kirstin Hartos
Head: Richard Ashfield
Assistant: Shawn Pittman
Assistant: Katy Dowty
Head; Johnathan Atkieson
Assistant: Sean Cobb
Assistant: Beckett Royce

National All-Star Competition | College Team Coaches

Head: Jamie Burke
Assistant: Trevor Alfred
Assistant: Mel Denham
Head: Bernie Cantorna
Assistant: Andrea Street
Assistant: Holly Iker

National All-Star Competition | Junior Team Coaches

Head: Jon Mooney
Assistant: Sharon Blaney
Assistant: Evi Ashenbrucker
Head: Kitt Wagner
Assistant: Vaughn Mitchell
Assistant: Bill LeClerc

National All-Star Competition | Coach Advisors
Fred Bardot
Brett Burdick
Rick Humm
Lisa Rosen

4 thoughts on “Women’s NASCs Wraps Up”

  1. How does a team playing in the WPL not have a single player selected? I ask the seven teams in the WPL–each who had five to nine players participating in this event–to reach out to USA rugby and share some of your thoughts about the women you’ve battled against from ORSU. Thanks for your consideration, Charles Sanderson

    Reply
      • No complaint with WPL rep totals of: Atl=6, NY=5, DC=5, TC=5, Berk=8, SD=5, Glendale=9.
        I’m completely astonished that ORSU didn’t have a single player.

        Reply
        • Ok, I wasn’t quite clear. Makes me wonder if any of the players did the application process or attended any of the recruitment festivals?

          I’m still not convinced that USAR is finding the best players with just those few recruiting techniques…

          Reply

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