Eagle Flight Camp @Marquette University

Pictured: Coach Jeff Noe instructs campers: #7 Talia Carrasquillo (KM), #23 Julia Hilbert (DSHA), and # 41 Megan Aprahamian (Vernon).

Last week, eighteen Wisconsin high school rugby players attended the u20 Eagle Flight camp at Marquette University's Valley Fields in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin (the home field of the MU women). Mixed in with scores of players who traveled from around the country to attend, the event offered girls a chance to experience other levels of rugby. Braving the heat and humidity of Wisconsin in August, the girls trained for three days and scrimmaged.

Wisconsin's own Jeff Noe helped organize and run the event. One of the true gentlemen of rugby, Noe somehow manages to continue playing for his Division I team, The Milwaukee Harlequins; coach the Kettle Moraine girls; act as conference coordinator for Wisconsin Girls Rugby, AND manage the USA's u20 Women's Rugby Team. He's coached hundreds of girls with great success, and probably doesn't get enough recognition for all the good he quielty does. Where would WGR and all those players be without his selfless class and dedication? Thanks Jeff.

Camp Attendees Included:

Brittany Aprahamian, Vernon
Megan Aprahamian, Vernon
Margaret Armstrong, CMHS

Lauren Becker, KM

Alyssa Blavat, DSHA

Holland Bohlman, CMHS

Talia Carrasquillo, KM

Mari Franzen, DSHA

Julia HIlbert, DSHA

Briana Klein, Brookfield

Erin McCullough, DSHA

Emma Metz, CMHS

Elie Miller, DSHA
Kristy Ruplinger, Fond du Lac
Katie Toshner, Fond du Lac

Emily Van Bibber, DSHA
Kaisee Wiesmueller, Brookfield
Katie Yanke, Vernon

USA Camp in Milwaukee

There is one week left for players to register!

One of WI’s own, Brittany Houston, will be helping at the camp and will speak to her experiences in trying out and finally making the national squad. Danielle Miller, current forwards coach, will talk about her path from a college player, through the select sides and ultimately onto the 2006 World Cup team. It should be fun and interesting with the work on skills, in addition to the stories of how others found success through various levels in rugby. It will be a smaller camp, so the opportunity for a player to have one on one time with the staff will be readily available.

U20 WNT FLIGHT CAMP DETAILS:
Who: Female athletes age 13-19
What: The USA Rugby U20 WNT player development open camp.
Why: This is an open camp designed to give young players of all skill levels an opportunity to
receive coaching from the USA U20 Women’s National Team Coaching Staff.
When: July 29-Aug 1, 2010 (Athletes should arrive by 4 PM July 29 and may depart after 1 PM on the 1st.)
Where: Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI
Contact: Jeff Noe: Jeff.Noe@constellation.com

Wisconsin High School Alumnae Make Good

USA Rugby posted its list of players invited to participate in the U-20 Elite Camps for the Women's National Team (WNT). The approximately 50 players who are invited to the camp are the elite few who will be competing for spots on the U20 WNT. We are proud to announce that two of those players are alumnae from our area high school programs. Maggie Reidy (DSHA) and Brittany Houston (Vernon). Both these players are currently playing at UW-Milwaukee.

Congratulations Brittany and Maggie and good luck!

DSHA Player Gets Capped for South Africa Tour

Here is a press release from USA Rugby about our U20 Women's' National Team. Congratulations to Maggie Reidy of our own Divine Savior Holy Angels, who earned a place as a starting second row for the Eagle's tour of South Africa this past weekend. Below is the press release from USA Ruby, announcing the full lineout for the match and here is a link to Women's Rugby Review's coverage of the the Eagles 37-7 defeat to South Africa.

Thanks to Tom Schmitt for passing along the following press release:

June 20, 2008
USA Under-20 Women’s National Team Select for Lineup
for South Africa Debut
NELSPRUIT, South Africa – The USA Under-20
Women’s National Team announced today the team set to play the South Africa U-20 WNT on Saturday, June 21. The game will be played at the Nelspruit Rugby School at 3 p.m. local time.

“The quality of the players on this team is much higher than previous years and this made selections difficult,” said U-20 WNT Head Coach Bryn Chivers. “The South African side is new this year and while they have played a couple of games in the last month, we know little about them with the exception of the handful of players from their Senior 15s and Sevens squads.”

“We know they will be big in the tight five with and fast in the back three,” added Chivers.

Under-20 Women’s National Team Backs Coach Tasha Bishop thinks the squad will be up for the challenge and this will make for a very enjoyable game of rugby with interesting speed matchups across the backline.

Forwards coach Sue Oldenburg sees at the size of the South African forwards as a potential obstacle in the set, but is confident that the U.S. pack will offer their own challenge with their speed in the open field play.

The U-20 Women are scheduled to play two additional games in Nelspruit, capital of the South African province of Mpumalanga. The team meets another test against the South Africa Under-20 Women on June 28, and also has a match versus the Mpumalanga Senior Women on June 25.

The USA Under-20 Women selected to face South Africa are:

1 Rachel Sommer, West Linn, OR

2 Brittany Woodard, Hyde School, DC

3 Jay Marie Hill, Stanford

4 Anneke Brand, Texas Tech

5 Maggie Reidy, Divine Savior Holy Angels, WI

6 CandaceBarley, Maryville, TN

7 Katie Johnson, Hopkins, MN

8 Alex Hartley, Brown

9 BriAnna Barto, Summit, CO

10 Lisa Henneman (C), Seattle Women

11 Tyra McGrady, Indiana

12 Marie Timm, USMA

13 Catherine Turnerdrown, Riverton,UT

14 Seymi Salami, State College, PA

15 Sadie Anderson, Fort Collins, CO

16 Joanna Kitlinski, Grand Valley State

17 Tayo Mafe, Michigan State

18 Mallory Ives, Colorado State

19 Jozy Gesner, Summit, CO

20 Catherine Parkhill, Armstrong, MN

21 Kayla Morisoli, San Jose State

22 Blaine Martin, Brown