Photos courtesy White Horse Girls’ Rugby
Pennsylvania is well into its girls’ high school 7s season, which hosts several warm-up tournaments in advance of the state championship. Out-of-staters North Bay (Md.) and South Jersey (N.J.) intensified this year’s competition, and they joined 12 Pennsylvania teams in Sunday’s West Shore 7s event. As the Oct. 29 state final draws nearer, it’s become clear that White Horse is a team to chase.
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White Horse entered Sunday’s event 8-0 and without a point-against in two tournaments. Coached by Wayne DiMarco, who also serves as the Atlantis U18 Director, brought two sides to West Shore and both went 3-0 on the day. DiMarco indicated that the tournament competition had remained consistent, but noted a strong West Pitt that provided the best pushback on the day.
“West Pitt was good, and they have young, strong athletes,” DiMarco said. “They applied pressure and scored the first try on us all season. That woke us up a bit, and we ended up winning three tries to one.”
DiMarco is working with upward of 20 players this fall, and his player pool includes a mix of Girls’ High School All-Americans (GHSAAs) and Atlantis veterans alongside experienced upperclassmen and newcomers.
“Our team is led by captain Alex DiMarco, Julia Riekena and Ariana Ramsey, with a great supporting cast of experienced players and new athletes that have picked the game up very quickly,” explained coach DiMarco. “Senior leaders such as Maitlin Combs, Madi Wilhelm, Hannah Maggio and Reagan Copeland are playing fantastic and are making a huge impact. It’s one of those years that, as a coach, it is so much fun to watch them play. We are able to practice at a higher level with this group and it is really showing on the field.”
Riekena hasn’t permanently relocated to Pennsylvania. The Montana native had traveled to France with the GHSAA 7s in September, along with DiMarco, and it made more logistical sense to do East Coast college tours from the East Coast. So Riekena is living with the DiMarcos this fall and completing her home high school requirements remotely.
A month after the Pennsylvania state 7s championship, some of the region’s best players will be heading to Manhattan for the New York 7s. The previous weekend’s Atlantis camp identified elite and groom-able athletes in the Mid-Atlantic region, and the select side program will be sending two teams to the annual event. In the past, Atlantis has invited players from California, Colorado and other western states to New York, and roster announcements will be made in the near future.
In the meantime, there is one more Pennsylvania 7s tournament this Sunday in Cherry Hill, N.J., before states on Oct. 29.
For more information on the Pennsylvania state tournament, visit www.rugbypa.org.
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