Durbin, seen here on the first GHSAA 7s team, is now a 7s Eagle. /// Photo: Jackie Finlan •
Twelve players were selected to represent the Girls’ High School All-Americans (GHSAA), Powered by Atavus, in the program’s first appearance at the European 7s Women’s U18 Championship. The 16-team field will convene in Vichy, France, from Sept. 10-11.
Twelve very talented players have been named to the GHSAAs’ first overseas tour, with only two players debuting in the red, white and blue jerseys. Seven players are currently in Seattle training the GHSAA 15s team in advance of two games against the BC U18s Friday and Sunday. Eight of 12 players represented the age-grade side at the 2016 Vancouver 7s tournament, which the Americans won convincingly, and three were on the first-ever GHSAA 7s teams at the 2015 LVI.
The most recognizable member is 7s Eagle Lilly Durbin, who scored two tries on the final HSBC Women’s Sevens Series in Clermont Ferrand, France, in May. When Durbin became a USA 7s resident earlier this year, she lamented missing out on Fallbrook teammate Kayla Canett’s senior season. But now the duo will reunite, likely in the halfback positions, in France. Incoming Penn State freshman Canett is a special talent, and she was last seen with Atavus All Stars against the British Army and a handful of internationally capped athletes.
Recent high school graduates Mata Hingano (Danville) and Nia Toliver (ICEF) have been in the GHSAA system since the program started playing games in early 2015. They played on the inaugural 7s teams (with Durbin) in Las Vegas, and Toliver then joined the first-ever 15s tour against the BC U18s (with Canett, Renee Gonzalez and Lolohea Makaafi).
For those who tuned into the live-streamed North American Invitational 7s last weekend, they saw players like Charity Tenney (United) and Alex Sedrick (Herriman) with the Utah Rugby Academy, and Julia Riekena (Missoula) with Atlantis. All three were in good form and named to either the all-tournament team or honorable mentions. Tenney and Sedrick are the only players who haven’t represented the GHSAAs before (although that will change for Sedrick on Friday and/or Sunday), but they are long-overdue additions to the program. They’ve also played against European competition while winning this summer’s United World Games.
In the below roster, check the key for each players’ history in the All-American system.
Three of the 16 teams competing in the European championship aren’t from Europe: United States, Canada and China. The field is filled out by Andorra, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine and Wales.
Girls’ High School All-American 7s
European 7s U18 Championship
Sept. 10-11 • Vichy, FranceCassidy Bargell – Summit, Colo. * +
Kayla Canett – Fallbrook, Calif. + #Lilly Durbin – Fallbrook, Calif. + ^Kathleen Gearhart – Penn, Ind. +Renee Gonzalez – Armstrong, Minn. #
Atumata Hingano – Danville, Calif. * + ^Lolohea Makaafi – Kent, Wash. * + #Daisy Manoa – Danville, Calif. * +Julia Riekena – Missoula, Mont. * +Alex Sedrick – Herriman, Utah *Charity Tenney – United, Utah
Nia Toliver – ICEF, Calif. * # ^
* Currently at GHSAA West U18 camp
+ 2016 GHSAA 7s @ Vancouver 7s
# 2015 GHSAA 15s vs. BC U18s
^ First-ever GHSAA 7s at 2015 LVI
