Procter Prominent in USA Age Grades

When Ava Procter reported to her first Girls High School All-American (GHSAA) assembly in 2018, the Lakeridge High School (Ore.) junior had yet to play a proper game of 15s. She was nervous as she squared up against some of the best, young talent in the U.S., but played with the vocal, physical style that is now her well known hallmark. She returned to the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center a year later, this time as the backs captain of the now-named USA U18s, to face Canada, and intends to continue building at Dartmouth College this fall.

The Procter family moved from Charlottesville, Va., to Oregon in 2012, when Ava was in 5th grade. The three Procter children joined the local rugby club after a Rugby Oregon coach presented the sport at a P.E. class. Ava’s father, Nick, had played rugby in England for 10 years and joined the club as a coach, solidifying a whole-family affair.

“My dad has been the most impactful coach in my career,” Procter reflected on the previous seven years. “He goes through all my film frame by frame and is very analytical. He is the first person I want to talk to after a game and he always has great feedback. He knows the game super well and has helped me grow so much on and off the field.”

Rugby Oregon runs fall, spring and summer competitions for its members, and girls’ high school and club teams can opt into 7s, 10s or 15s leagues depending on the time of year and their numbers. Procter played for the West Linn Renegades and Lake Oswego in high school, and both teams played 7s and/or 10s. But when she kitted up with the Red Hawks, the state all-star program, she was able to play 15s, albeit the abbreviated, tournament version of the game.

“I realized I wanted to play at a higher level my freshman year when a local coach took some girls from around the state to the Utah tournament,” Procter recalled the 2017 NAI 7s in which the Valley Panthers won the High School Open division. “At that point I saw some other girls in the area getting success, like Sui A’au, who plays for Central Washington now, Adriana Mendoza, who is going to Life next year. I really wanted that, but the first time I really realized I could make it to a higher level was my sophomore year when the Red Hawks team went to Vegas.”

Procter started playing for the Red Hawks in summer 2017 and made regular appearances at the Great Northwest Challenge (15s) and the now-defunct Las Vegas Invitational 7s – both major talent ID venues. She distinguished herself as someone who hits the line and the tackle with pace and intensity. Her work rate sees her over the ball often and in support of breakaways, always ready for an opportunity.

“I would say my field awareness is good and I talk a lot on the field, which benefits the team,” Procter assessed her attributes. “On more than one tournament I have lost my voice. I also would say individually I’m known for my tackling.”

Procter funneled those leadership skills into fall 2018, Lake Oswego’s debut season. She had her two favorite teammates – Caitlin Dougherty and Gracie Cao – beside her, and the trio perpetuated a flowing game that only evolves after years playing together. The junior captain led the team to a Rugby Oregon Fall 7s Plate Championship.

“I’ve played for many different teams in Oregon. Pretty much every year you are playing with new people either from different teams or people who have never played before, which is difficult for building a cohesive team with strong skills,” Procter noted. “But the community in Oregon is so great. You are pretty much guaranteed to have friends on any team, and when we all get to the fields, you are constantly talking to different people and watching your friends’ games. It also is way more fun to play against friends, and it makes Red Hawks an easier transition, because most people know each other or have played together before. Although it does make it difficult to transition into select sides like the USA or others because you don’t get that much high level/intensity training.”

Procter got her first taste of the USA age grades during the 2018 winter break. She traveled to the Chula Vista training center for an All-American camp and scrimmaged the best U18 players in the country.

“I was extremely nervous because that was also my first full 15s game I had ever played, and I had a torn meniscus that I was playing on,” the 15s center recounted. “But it was an amazing experience and the USA program has been great for getting higher-level game time and training. The girls and the coaches are all very smart and supportive. I absolutely love playing with them.”

A couple of months later, Procter was picked up for the Redshirts, a one-time select side born out of Atlantis players who wanted to compete at the 2019 LVI 7s. The U18 Elite championship pit the Redshirts against the Utah Cannibals, which took a two-try lead into halftime. Procter’s team evened up the try count with no time on the clock, and Alex Wantlin nailed a sideline conversion for the win.

“That was my first real select side experience outside of Oregon,” Procter noted her favorite game of her career thus far. “It was really special and I am so happy that I got to be a part of it with such an amazing team and coach [Josie Ziluca].

“Also I love playing with Abbey Savin, who is going to Dartmouth with me,” she added onto favorite teammates. “I really connect with her playing style, and I’m excited to play with her again.”

The duo reunited in May 2019, when the USA U18s took a team to Canada for the Next Gen 7s. By this point, Procter was officially on the recruitment radar, and colleges came calling.

“Most of the recruiting was done by e-mails, which I probably overthought a lot of the time. They are funny to read now. You could tell how nervous/excited I was writing them,” she mused. “I was being recruited by a couple other schools and I was seriously considering all of my options, but ultimately I visited Dartmouth and I loved the school and the team immediately. I just knew that it was the right fit.”

Procter was accepted early decision to Dartmouth and just weeks before she returned to Chula Vista for the USA U18 winter camp. Unlike the previous year, this annual assembly included a test match against international competition: Canada U18s. The junior Eagles lost a competitive game, but most notably, Procter was present in every aspect of the match (read more). She was unfazed by on-rushing defenses and timed her passes perfectly to set up teammates for a try (like future Dartmouth teammate Kristin Bitter) or long breakaway (like incoming Harvard freshman PK Vincze). She got her hands on the ball, stripped away possession and moved it to players like Oregon compatriot Itzel George-Murguia, who showed her speed and evasiveness along the sideline. She got to speed quickly, whether taking the pass or cutting someone in half, and drew upon her favorite USA player – Kristi Kirshe – as inspiration.

Procter played a similar role when she officially debuted for Atlantis at the Los Angeles Invitational 7s in February 2020. The team finished runner-up to South Bay in the HS Elite division, and as it turned out, it was her final rugby showing for the spring season. Covid-19 has halted all play and USA Rugby-sanctioned events won resume before June 1, when another review will commence.

If the fall season evolves with little disruption, then Procter will be in Hanover, N.H., for the 2020 NIRA championship season. The 18-year-old intends to study history and studio art, and immerse herself in the high-performing environment.

“My goals are to keep developing my skills at Dartmouth and learn more about 15s and possibly try some different positions,” Procter looked ahead. “As for the USA [U18s] I think that we have been getting better and better every match we play and have gained some momentum, and I hope to capitalize on that whenever we get to play together again.”