The Pacific Northwest age grade programs are back on the pitch this month, with the U23 Selects heading to Ellensburg, Wash., this Saturday, and the U18 Loggers traveling to Canada for the Vancouver 7s Invitational (VSI) on Feb. 20-21.

The U23s hit the pitch first, traveling to Central Washington University for a 15s match. The game occurs inside the DIA program’s Tomlinson Stadium, and the Wildcats athletics department will host the live-stream on its YouTube channel (@CWUAthletics) starting at 12 p.m. PT.

“The players have consistently requested the challenge of putting themselves up against a varsity program, and CWU is one of the best in the country,” Program Director Heidi Whitman explained. “They recognize that with this challenge will come improvement, and we are very pleased to see the focus that the players bring to preparations for this match.

“So many of our U18 Loggers matriculate to CWU, and many of these players become teammates during the summer with the Pacific Coast Grizzlies at U23 nationals,” she added. “I love that, despite the challenge, this will ultimately feel like a family event.”

When the PNW U18 Loggers travel to Canada for the VSI 7s, they’ll first stop at Western Washington University in Bellingham, which is an easy trip to Vancouver. WWU players will host the U18s for a combination college + international tour.

The Vikings are the reigning DI Pacific Mountain champions and lead PNW U23 selections with 10 players. Along with fellow DI student-athletes from Univ. Oregon (4), Univ. Washington (2), Boise State (2) and Gonzaga Univ., as well as DIII Western Oregon University, the roster primarily rooted in the colleges. Five of the 25 travelers are active senior club players with Seattle (4) and Portland.

“We have an exciting group of returning ballers and up-and-coming selects to the squad,” Whitman enthused. “We expect to see bruising runs from University of Oregon’s Isabelle Sandoval, silky moves from Seattle flankers Mo Cricchio and Envee Sakhoeun-Hem, and straight booming kicks from Seattle flyhalf Madison Ray.”

There are some newcomers in Western Oregon’s Emily Moore, and Boise State’s Aly Frontzak and Hannah Nguyen. They impressed at the NCR All-Star 7s Tournament last month in January and subsequently have joined the U23 15s program. And three rejoin the Pathway having previously played with the U18 Loggers: Western Washington’s Shalame Mercado, Washington’s Olivia Candler and Gonzaga’s Nicole Candler.

The staff includes Univ. Washington head coach Craig Morris; Portland Women+ head coach Lizzie Osborn Hankins; and pathway coach Willeo Bloomfield, who was a professional rugby league player in Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

PNW U23 ROSTER

Alina Ampeh – Seattle
Sasha Bird Lopez – Western Washington
Nicole Candler – Univ Washington
Olivia Candler – Gonzaga
Keeahna Clary – Western Washington
Saylah Commerton – Western Washington
Mo Cricchio – Seattle
Estrella Delgado – Univ Washington
Eric Ericson – Univ Oregon
Kitty Fettel – Univ Oregon
Aly Frontczak – Boise St
Nicole Imhoff – Univ Oregon
Madison Ray – Seattle
Aven Webb – Western Washington
Brooklyn Murkerson – Western Washington
Carly Mattson – Western Washington
Shalame Mercado – Western Washington
Emily Moore – Western Oregon Univ
Hannah Nguyen – Boise St
Jenae Potter – Western Washington
Clementine Radoff – Western Washington
Victoria Rodenbaugh – Western Washington
Envee Sakhoeun-Hem – Portland
Isabelle Sandoval – Univ Oregon
Tee Teaupa – Seattle

STAFF
Craig Morris, Lizzie Osborn Hankins, Willeo Bloomfield

The following week will see the PNW U18 Loggers in action. The USA Pathways National Development Program will take 12 players from Idaho, Oregon and Washington into Canada for the Vancouver Sevens Invitational (VSI). From Feb. 20-21, the Americans will face Canadian regional select sides at the Univ. British Columbia, and BC Rugby will live-stream the event on its YouTube channel (@bcrugbyunion).

“We are fortunate to be included in this event as the only American team, building off our strong relationships with BC Rugby,” Whitman explained. “This tournament will test our PNW Loggers against some of the strongest teams in North America.”

The Loggers are bringing a very experienced and strong squad to Canada. Leading the way is Kent Crusader Gianna Veetutu, who represented the USA U18s at the Global Youth Sevens in Auckland, New Zealand this past December. Olivia Frisby (Life University commit) was a reserve for that tour and is one of five Idaho standouts who punch up this Loggers team. Notably, Rocky Mountain’s Alyssa Hine (Central Washington commit) toured to Wales with the USA U18s last summer and Mountain View’s Rebekah Jenks attended last year’s USA U18 West camp.

Hazel McRobie (Sacred Heart University commit) and Tatum Hoffman were influential in leading Summit High School to the Oregon 7s championship this past fall and both featured on the PNW U18 team that competed at the PR 7s showcase in November. Frisby, Hine, Jenks and Kenzie Thornton were in Portland, too, as members of Toa.

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To boot, more than half of the team is also active on the USA West U18 team that is competing at the 15s territorial championship in St. Petersburg, Fla., this week and/or made the Toa squad for Tropical 7s in Tampa this April.

As for staff, Gabby Fernandopulle (Washington Athletic Club and Seattle) and Aiyana Gilliard (USA U23 camp manager) join the experience of Eric Fleming (WA Selects girls) on this tour.

“The team is working hard to provide the exposure to professionalism and next-level skills that these players will experience as they move to higher levels of play,” Whitman noted. “We expect big things out of all of our players and are thrilled to be a part of their growth.”

PNW U18 7s ROSTER

Shaidynn Elama – Kent, WA
Olivia Frisby – Meridian, ID
Alyssa Hine – Rocky Mountain, ID
Tatum Hoffman – Summit, OR
Amanda Homer – Owyhee, ID
Rebekah Jenks – Mountain View, ID
Hazel McRobie – Summit, OR
Abigail Sanchez – Tacoma Tsunami, WA
Emelia Stroppa – Liberty, WA
Jay Tarka – Grackles, OR
Kenzie Thornton – Warriors, ID
Gianna Veetutu – Kent, WA