(standing, l-r) Henrich, Mosley, Vasquez, Sellier, Colin, Pasioles, DiMarco, Riekena, Waller.
(kneeling, l-r) Bydwell, Mendoza, Bargell, Tausinga. (Photo courtesy Atavus)
It’s always nice to end a competition with a trophy, but the Girls’ High School All-Americans (GHSAAs), Powered by Atavus, can count last weekend’s Tropical 7s showing among its triumphs. In these assemblies, where players hail from every corner of the country and range in experience, success is measured by improvement, and the junior Eagles represented themselves well in Florida.
RELATED: All-American 7s to Play in Florida • Canada U18s Win Tropical 7s • Canterbury High School Player of the Week
“It’s something [coach Emilie Bydwell] always tell us: It is about winning, but it’s also just about gaining more knowledge; being able to play with a team, work together and improve as players,” said GHSAA veteran Brianna Vasquez, a Valencia High School junior and South Bay Spartan. “As long as you improve from the first game to the last, then you’ve achieved your goal.”
Canada was that gauge. They met early in the tournament – round two of pool play – and the Canadians raced out to a 29-point lead before Emily Henrich and Kiarah Mosley scored in the second half (29-10 the final).
“A lot of the players were new to this and weren’t familiar with the way we played. It took them a little longer to mentally switch on,” said Vasquez, who also commended Canada’s aggression during the pool play match. “After that, though, we bonded together. For the next three games, we got more serious and took the time to really focus on the plays that we needed to do in order to beat Canada in the final.”
It’s a process with which Vasquez is familiar. She traded her soccer cleats for rugby boots during the summer after eighth grade and got her first taste of all-star rugby with the SoCal Griffins. She continued her rugby education on Atavus and Atlantis teams, and then in 2015 was one of 12 high schoolers to train opposite the USA Women’s 7s team that was preparing for the NACRA Olympic 7s qualifier. She spent a week at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center and received a glimpse of the professional rugby lifestyle.
“I learned so much about the game in so many different ways and from so many different perspectives,” Vasquez reflected on a turning point in her career.
She went on to help the GHSAA 7s team to a 2016 Vancouver 7s title and then earned her first 15s jerseys during the August 2016 fixtures against the B.C. U18s. Until then, she was the student, and Vasquez was grateful to the upperclassmen who invested in her and helped her growth. Now 16 years old, Vasquez’s role begins to shift as a veteran of the 7s program. Alongside All-American teammates like Cassidy Bargell, Julia Riekena and Maryjane Pasioles, Vasquez was charged with getting her newer teammates playing the All-American brand of 7s.
“Salote [Tausinga] … really stepped up her game,” Vasquez pointed to a GHSAA 7s newcomer who excelled in Florida. “When she was on the field, she gave it her all. She was really dedicated and executed the roles that we needed her for. Being so young, she really performed well.”
By the time the Saturday final arrived, both the USA and Canada had refined their games. Canada took the first lead, taking advantage of an early knock-on and turning that territory into a converted try. The Americans then responded in kind, and Vasquez, a track sprinter, tore down the sideline from mid-field for a try, 7-7.
“We did a better job at scanning the field and looking before we passed,” Vasquez spoke to tournament-long improvements. “Canada would get really sucked into our rucks and put in a lot of players, so we tried to spread the field. We got the ball wide and that got us a lot of time to run the ball.”
The Americans then took a 12-7 lead when prop Henrich pulled out of a scrum to secure a loose ball and then drove over the line for the center try. In the second half, however, Canada rallied back with two tries.
“I honestly thought we were going to win, but they scored at the end,” Vasquez said of the 17-12 final. “We were a whole other team by the end. We executed everything we were supposed to and played them 10 times better in the final.”
Aside from getting the All-Americans more field time, the fixture was important for the southern region, too. The GHSAAs have competed publicly in Seattle, Maryland, Las Vegas, Vancouver and France, but the Tropical 7s brought this high-level rugby to an area that is trying to encourage girls’ high school rugby.
“You don’t really think about it until the coaches remind you that you are representing the USA; to play for your country and the girl next to you,” Vasquez reflected on the team’s presence in Florida. “It turns on a switch and you become proud that you’re at a young age and performing at such a high level and that people are watching you.”
The majority of this GHSAA 7s team will see each other in Elkhart, Ind., in May for the single-school and club championships in May. Vasquez, Leilani Mendoza and Skylar Waller will be representing South Bay, while Naomi Colin (Fallbrook), Marion Sellier (Pleasanton), Mosley (KC United) and Pasioles and Tausinga (Sacramento) will also compete in the club bracket. Henrich will be competing on the single-school side with Orchard Park, as well.
After that, there are Regional Cup Tournaments and GHSAA 15s games in the summer. The USA is also returning to the U18 European 7s Championship in France this September, and the players who featured in Florida will top the pool of potential selections.
Girls’ High School All-American 7s – Tropical 7s
Cassidy Bargell (c) – Summit, Colo.Naomi Colin – Fallbrook, Calif.Alex DiMarco – White Horse, Pa.Emily Henrich – Orchard Park, N.Y.Leilani Mendoza – South Bay, Calif.Kiarah Mosley – Lady Jays/K.C. United, Mo.Maryjane Pasioles – Sacramento, Calif.Julia Riekena (c) – Missoula, Mont.Marion Sellier – Pleasanton, Calif.Salote Tausinga – Sacramento, Calif.Brianna Vasquez – South Bay, Calif.Skylar Waller – South Bay, Calif.