- Performance squad named for USA Women's Under-20s
- Hawk Eye player group named
- Players in both groups will receive priority attention from Women's High Performance staff
Following the announcement of an annual age-grade plan, USA Rugby has named 28 players to its U20 Women’s Performance Squad in fifteens and another 15 to its Hawk Eye Player group in sevens.
As key development groups of Women’s High Performance, athletes within the U20 Women’s Performance Squad and Hawk Eye player group will be prioritized; receiving individual attention from national team coaches and staff to help accelerate growth.
Through the U20s Performance Squad, the program will mirror its senior national team process to prepare emerging athletes for the next stage of international sport. Similarly, the Hawk Eye Development Program functions as a stepping stone to the senior Women’s Sevens Residency Program as a support to players who show the potential to compete internationally.
USA Rugby General Manager for Women’s High Performance Emilie Bydwell said: “Having a U20 Performance Squad allows the national team to better support our top tier developing age grade players and providing them with additional resources to maximize individual growth and team performance in the annual summer competition. The model that we are currently implementing has a large net at the GHSAA level, the pool is narrowed at the U20, and then widens again at the Collegiate level, where U20 athletes not involved in the U20 Performance Squad, selection camp and competition can still participate.
“The Hawk Eye program is a pilot Long Term Athlete Development program that allows us to really invest in a focus group players over multiple years without the constraints of specific age groups. Both programs align with the core principle of investing in players year round holistically, and moving away from event based planning and development, maximizing time between assemblies.”
Selections for the U20 Women’s Performance squad were made from prior year age-grade assemblies, nominations, scouting and Regional Cup Tournaments. Four players in the senior Women’s National Team’s Performance squad are U20 eligible and have thus also been named including twins Tiana and Tiara A’au, McKenna Strong and Mary Jane Pasioles.
As a part of the U20s Performance Squad, athletes receive individual development plans, regular monitoring by coaches and access to the senior Women’s Eagles 15s Regional Training Program. A strength & conditioning regimen is also incorporated to maximize time between events.
Athletes within this group have either already been selected for an international competition in July, or have the potential to be selected from a preparation camp in June. Under-20s eligible players outside the Performance Squad — who were identified through nominations or scouting — will also be invited to camp to compete for selection in the summer competition.
NOMINATE A PLAYER FOR THE USA UNDER-20s
Six players selected to the Hawk Eye Playing Group are eligible for the U20s program and four are eligible for the High School All-American program. Two have already debuted with the senior national team including Kayla Canett and Lauren Thunen and Emily Henrich. The Hawk Eye program is fluid in age-range.
Players will receive annual plans which include Hawk Eye specific, age-grade and senior assemblies, as well as apprenticeships at senior events. Development plans, daily monitoring and a customized strength & conditioning program will also be incorporated to supplement the current training environment. From the Hawk Eye program, which is fluid in age-range, players can graduate to senior team programs.
USA U20 Women's Performance Squad
| PLAYER NAME | POSITION | CLUB/SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|
| Tiana A'au* | Prop | Central Washington University |
| Tiara A'au* | Prop | Central Washington University |
| Ubaida Ahmed | Back Three | Mount St. Mary's College |
| Destiny Arena | Hooker | Lindenwood University |
| Megan Bird | Fullback | Davenport University |
| Mckenzie Borchers | Center | Army West Point |
| Naomi Collins | Back Row | Army West Point |
| Moira Dillow | Second Row | Lindenwood University |
| Morgan Freeman | Hooker/Scrum half | Lindenwood University |
| Natalie Gray | Second Row | Lindenwood University |
| Sophia Haley | Back Row | Dartmouth College |
| Erica Jarrell | Second Row | Harvard University / Beantown Rugby |
| Tori Jones | Prop/Hooker | University of Notre Dame |
| Allison Koenig | Flyhalf / Fullback | Quinnipiac University |
| Jessica Laughlin | Flyhalf / Fullback | Lindenwood University |
| Gio Ferguson-Lewis | Back Row | Army West Point |
| Alex DiMarco | Flyhalf | Army West Point |
| Mary Jane Pasioles* | Scrum Half / Flyhalf | Central Washington University |
| Karissa Postula | Center | Oregon Sports Union |
| Julia Riekena | Back Row | Army West Point |
| Darina Roe | Flyhalf/ Fullback/ Center | Penn State |
| Jojo Skucek | Prop | Lindenwood University |
| Mckenna Strong* | Second Row | Lindenwood University |
| Sam Tancredi | Recond Row | Lindenwood University |
| Noehea Ulaeva | Center / Fullback | Lindenwood University |
| Nicole Wantlin | Second Row / Back Row | Army West Point |
| Elizabeth Wilson | Back Row | NOVA Rugby |
| Glory Woolley | Second Row | Oklahoma State |
*Part of the senior Women’s National Team 15s Performance Squad.
Women's Hawk Eye Playing Group
| PLAYER NAME | CLUB/SCHOOL |
|---|---|
| Susan Adegoke * | Life University |
| Ina Bailey ** | Kona Bulls High School |
| Cassidy Bargell * | Harvard University |
| Clara Lemal Brown * | Quinnipiac University |
| Kate Buzby ** | Scottsdale HS |
| Kayla Canett (joins Women's Sevens Residency May 2019) |
Penn State |
| Lilly Durbin* | Dartmouth College |
| Emily Henrich* (senior Women's Eagles Performance Squad) |
Dartmouth College |
| Taylor Marasco * | Grand Canyon University |
| Ariana Ramsey* | Dartmouth College |
| Taina Scott ** | Kahuku Rugby Club |
| Alex Sedrick | Life University |
| Samantha Sullivan | Army West Point |
| Salote Tausinga ** | SacPal Amazons |
| Lauren Thunen | University of California, Santa Barbara |
*U20 Eligible
**High School All-American eligible
About the USA Under-20s
Under-20s or U20s (formerly known as Junior All-Americans) are athletes ages 19-20 years old who participate in a club or collegiate level rugby program. Unlike the High School and Collegiate All-American programs, there is no requirement for U20s to be attached to a scholastic program; athletes can compete with a senior club, professional team or university program. The U20s participate in formal international competitions such as the U20 Women’s Tri-Nations Cup and U20 Men’s World Rugby Trophy. The U20 program is primarily 15s, but expected to expand into 7s as World Rugby offers additional opportunity for competition.
If you are an athlete who currently competes in a club or collegiate level rugby program and have questions regarding selections and upcoming assemblies for USA U20s, please contact Anna Kunkel at akunkel@usa.rugby.
About the Women's Hawk Eye Program
The Women's Hawk Eye program is a development initiative for all of Women's High Performance with assemblies held through the year to develop and test the nation's top up-and-coming athletes. Focused on exposing a new generation of players to increased levels of training, the program will host assemblies alongside senior high performance training camps to help pathway players accelerate their growth and bridge the gap to senior national teams. The program sits within USA Rugby's overall plan of building roster depth for upcoming Olympic and World Cup events on the women's side.
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