Photo: Davey Wilson via Stars Rugby 7s Instagram (@starsrugby7s)
Stars Rugby is bringing a total of five teams to New York 7s, and three of those sides are competing in girls’ and women’s brackets. Program Director Liz Entwhistle will oversee the whole operation while Jon Grasso (Schuylkill River, Philadelphia), who coached the women’s NDIT team, will serve as advisor to all teams.
The Girls’ U16 Club team includes five Stars veterans (indicated by *), and players hail from Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas. Former All-American and current Lindenwood University assistant coach Megan Pinson will head the high schoolers.
Kelsie McDowell of the Iowa Hawkeyes and Iowa State will lead the Girls’ U18 Premier team, which also includes five Stars returners. Ohio and Iowa run fall 7s seasons and account for the majority of selections, while North Carolina and Texas also feature.
The Women’s U23 team is still seeking a few players so that roster isn’t finalized yet. Those who have committed hail from six different teams and Emilia Ferrara (D.C. Furies), Kristy Herhold (Perrysburg, OH) and Laura Kujawski (Arizona State) are the Stars veterans. Austria 7s’ Curtis Bradford is head coach.
Girls U16 Club
Liv Allen – Perrysburg, OH
*Alyssa Archer – Wellington Wizards, FL
*Sarah Barsoum – Boynton Beach, FL
Zoe Bruce – Perrysburg, OH
Grace Freeman – Wellington Wizards, FL
Halle Hunt – Fairfield, CT
Kaylan Jernigan – Fairfield, CT
*Julia Murray – Lane Tech, Chicago
Lava Picariello – Raleigh, NC
Nicole Rojas – Wellington Wizards, FL
*Lily Kai Tews – Wellington Wizards, FL
*Kendall Weir – South Buffalo, NY
COACH: Megan Pinson, Lindenwood University
Girls’ U18 Premier
Sarah Breitsprecker – SE Polk, IA
Yisilie Cabrera – Parma, OH
*Colleen Doucette – Parma, OH
Ava Denner – Roosevelt HS, IA
LJ Fahey – Hill Country Blues, TX
McKenzie Gredence – Mentor, OH
Maddie Hughes – South Meck, NC
*Jenna Ito – Hudson, OH
*Alivia Leatherman – Parma, OH
Emily Rahija – Mentor, OH
*Sia Schraff – St Joseph’s, OH
*Anna Walters – Hudson, OH
COACH: Kelsie McDowell, Iowa State University, Iowa Hawkettes, Des Moines
Women’s U23 Elite
Rachael Bradley – center – Tampa Krewe, FL
Allison Bronander – Union, NJ
Alyssa DeSordi – Union, NJ
*Emilia Ferrara – DC Furies, Washington, DC
*Kristy Herhold – Perrysburg, OH
*Laura Kujawski – Arizona State, AZ
Heidi Tresssler – Atlanta Harlequins, GA
Juliana Vazquez – Arizona State, AZ
COACH: Curtis Bradford, Austria 7s, Graz