The Lakefront 7s has boasted a strong high school girls bracket the last two years and this year offered some nice variety of teams throughout the Midwest.
This year, Michigan's Sparta Rock defeated Hamilton from Wisconsin in the final 50-0.
Also competing were teams the Badger Select girls program, the Carrol Chargers of Indiana, Madison Furies, and the Chiefs of Illinois.
On Saturday June 18th, the Wisconsin Girls Rugby HS All Stars, coached by Jeff Noe traveled north to compete against Minnesota's select program. Playing 15s on a perfectly sunny and 62 degree Saturday, the girls won 60-21. Congrats to all the players who made the commitment to represent their state and to offer our northern neighbors an opportunity to learn and play more 15's. Every girl who attended played and contributed. For those unfamiliar with Coach Noe, he is one of the best and most experienced coaches in the Midwest having coached with Kettle Moraine girls, the USA u20s, Midwest select programs, and the NSCRO 7s All Stars, in addition to Winona St men's rugby.
Many thanks for Rugby Minnesota for playing 15's in an effort to get more kids playing. Much of their league has shrunk the last few years and several teams have been playing 10s.
The "Trophy" is uniquely Midwest:
The Midwest u23 squad, drawing players from colleges and clubs throughout a wide array of states, includes a number of WGR alumni this summer.
The team includes young athletes who have taken a variety of paths to continue playing. One is a college freshman in an NCAA varsity Division 1 program, another is ending a long career at a non-NCAA scholarship program and another played club rugby in college and with an adult women's club. Congrats to each on their success!
Name WGR Team Current Team
Megan Bird Oak Creek HS Davenport University
Aly Cunningham Catholic Memorial HS Sacred Heart University
Areliz Rivera Brookfield Milwaukee Scylla
The 2022 Spring Wisconsin Girls Rugby Spring 7s series concluded this past weekend with Hamilton HS emerging as the series champions in both the D1 and D2 (developmental) brackets.
Congrats to all the student-athletes and coaches from across the state who participated. It's great to see so many young athletes playing.
Hamilton High School (10-1-1) tied with Brookfield (10-1-1) over the course of the three tournaments. Following a tournament series point-system, Hamilton won the tie breaker to take 1st place.
Green Bay finished third with a 6-4-2 record.
Hamiltons JV1 team won the 2nd division (developmental) trophy with an 11-1 record over the three tournaments.
While the class of 2021 ws a big year for NCAA varsity college scholarship athletes from WGR, the Class of 2022 is much smaller, highlighting perhaps how some teams like DSHA, CMHS, and Hamilton have smaller senior classes than some other years.
The only WGR letter of intent in this year's class is also the first WGR athlete to attend Bowdoin College in Massachusetts.
Katie Stomma Catholic Memorial High School Bowdoin College (NCAA NIRA Div. 3)
Stay tuned as there may be another announcement or two at the end of the school year.
Last year's WGR NCAA scholar-athletes can be found here
A few historical notes:
--DSHA won their 9th National Championship in 2022
--Despite playing many times over two decades this is the first time DSHA and Summit HS (CO) had met in the National Championship match. They are two of the oldest programs in the country.
--DSHA is the only team in the country to appear at every National Tournament.
--Eagle HS became the first Idaho team to medal. This was their first appearance at Nationals.
--While Orchard Park has appeared several times in D1, this is their first appearance in D2 and first title in D2.
--This was the first Nationals held in Ohio and three local teams competed.
--This was the first appearance for multiple teams: Eagle, Wando, Hamilton, Watkins, and Highland. They each won at least one match.
Event Notes:
--In addition to being well-coached and talented, one theme that rang true for most of the D1 teams is that teams are also young. Here's a breakdown of how many seniors were starters for each team:
DSHA (3)
Summit (5)
Eagle, CMH, Hamilton (4)
Wando (7)
Grandville (only 1)
While graduating seniors are always difficult to replace, most of the D1 teams have the majority of their starters returning which has to be exciting for the future growth of girls rugby.
Girls HS Nationals Historical Records
2022 Single School Champion: DSHA HS, WI Location: Notre Dame College, OH
Runner-up: Summit HS, CO
3rd Place: Eagle HS, ID
D2: Orchard Park, NY
2019 Single School Champion: DSHA HS, WI Location: Infinity Park, CO
Runner-Up: Catholic Memorial HS, WI
3rd Place: Summit HS, CO
2018 Single School Champion: Kahuku HS, HI Location: MTSU, Tennessee
Runner Up: Catholic Memorial HS, WI
3rd: DSHA HS, WI
D2: Broken Arrow, OK
2017 Single School Champion: DSHA HS, WI Location: Elkhart, Ind
Runner Up: Kahuku HS, HA
3rd: Orchard Park, NY
D2: Oak Creek HS, WI
2016 Single School Champion: St Joseph's Academy, OH Location: St Charles, MO
2nd: Summit High School, CO
3rd: DSHA High School, WI
Div2: Penn HS, Ind
Year Champion 2nd 3rd Location D2
2015 Fallbrook, CA Kent, WA Danville, CA Pittsburgh, PA South Bay, CA
2014 Fallbrook, CA Amazons, CA DSHA, WI Pittsfield, MA Pleasanton, CA
2013 Fallbrook, CA Kent, WA DSHA, WI Racine, WI Fullerton, CA
2012 Fallbrook, CA Lakewood, OH DSHA, WI Palo Alto, CA
2011 Fallbrook, CA Amazons, CA DSHA, WI Sandy, UT
2010 Amazons, CA Fallbrook, CA DSHA, WI Sandy, UT
2009 DSHA, WI Lakewood, OH Amazons, CA Pittsburgh, PA
2008 DSHA, WI Lakewood, OH Amazons, CA Pittsburgh, PA
2007 DSHA, WI Kent, WA Vernon, WI Milwaukee, WI
2006 DSHA, WI Kent, WA Ft. Collins, CO Portland, ME
2005 DSHA, WI Kent, WA Vernon, WI Milwaukee, WI
2004 DSHA, WI Kettle Moraine, WI Amazons, CA Burbank, CA
2003 Amazons, CA Ft. Collins, CO Kettle Moraine, WI Kansas City, MO
2002 Kent, WA Haverford, PA Northshore, WI Seattle, WA
2001 Ft. Collins, CO DSHA, WI Kent, WA Ft. Collins, CO
2000 Ft. Collins, CO DSHA, WI Wayzata, MN Milwaukee, WI
