The annual USA U23 All-Star Tournament is an important piece to the USA Pathway system, and this post attempts to bring some shape to the 2025 event. The following is meant to be a reference point for the eight regional all-star teams until USA Rugby makes a formal announcement and will update continually as new info is discovered. The 2025 tournament will occur June 20-22 at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Quincy, Mass. The New England Free Jacks are hosting, and games will occur on the Friday and Sunday. [lead photo: Richard Jordan @richard.c.jordan.iii]
Feel free to send Jackie Finlan any info you want included below, e.g., contact e-mail, tryout dates, links to registration forms, etc. For reference, see the 2024 U23 All-Star Info.
GENERAL
Location: Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Stadium
Home to the New England Free Jacks
850 Hancock St, Quincy, MA 02170
Game Days: Friday, June 20 & Sunday, June 22
Livestream Links
Day 1 YouTube
Day 2 YouTube
SCHEDULE
FRIDAY JUNE 20 (all times ET)
TIER 2
11:15 a.m. #1 Pacific Coast vs. #4 Central South
12:45 p.m. #2 Pacific South vs. #3 Mid-Atlantic
TIER 1
2:15 p.m. #1 Rocky Mountain vs. #4 New England
3:45 p.m. #2 South vs. #3 Midwest
SATURDAY JUNE 21
1 p.m. MLR conference final
Free Jacks vs. Chicago Hounds
Coach Development Sessions
@ Freejacks Headquarters (1400 Hancock St., Quincy, Mass.)
4 p.m. WNT Head Coach Sione Fukofuka
USA 15s Game Model: Tactical Tradeoffs and Game Trends
5 p.m. USA 7s Head Coach Emilie Bydwell
Overhauling the USA W7s Game Model: Focus on the Defense and Future Success
SUNDAY JUNE 22
9 a.m. Tier 2 3rd Place
10:45 a.m. Tier 2 Championship
12:30 p.m. Tier 1 3rd Place
2:15 p.m. Tier 1 Championship
CENTRAL SOUTH
Territory: Mid-America, Prairie States, Texas Rugby Union
KJ Abel Ruch is the head coach and currently sorting the rest of the staff. Follow @u23mustangs until info on tryouts, registration, etc., is released. • Current fundraiser.
Alexis Andring – Wichita (Atchison, Kansas)
Taryn Ball – Univ South Dakota (Spearfish, S.D.)
Ryland Beutz – Augustana Univ. (Becker, Minn.)
Eliza Canyon – UT San Antonio (Honolulu)
Lauren Comeaux – Univ Houston (Basile, La.)
Jojo Corey – Univ Oklahoma (Wynnewood, Okla.)
Maggie Crafton – Univ Arkansas (Rogers, Ark.)
Grace Cruise – Wayne State College (Fremont, Neb.)
Ashton Dillard – Univ Arkansas (Morrilton, Ark.)
Katherine Hartford – Univ Oklahoma (La Jolla, Calif.)
Lindsay Hoffman – Univ Arkansas (Kansas City, Mo.)
AnneMarie Johnston – Texas A&M (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
McKenna O’Brien – St. Louis Sabres (O’Fallon, Mo.)
Emily Olivera – Louisiana St Univ (Miami)
Leah Ozersky – Univ Arkansas (St. Louis, Mo.)
Catie Reiter – Univ South Dakota (Watertown, S.D.)
Juliette Robinson – Little Rock (Hong Kong)
Bess Sipp – Louisiana St Univ (Staten Island, N.Y.)
Goldie Snow – Univ Oklahoma (Miami, Okla.)
Lauren Thomlinson – Drury Univ (Fair Grove, Mo.)
Simone Tyson – Louisiana St Univ (Baltimore City, Md.)
Annie Webb – Univ Arkansas (Prairie Grove, Ark.)
MID-ATLANTIC
Territory: Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Virginia
• Registration: Link
• Tryouts: May 3 (1-4pm) @ Fairmont Park, Philadelphia, Pa.; June 1 (1-4pm) @ Mount St. Mary’s, Emmitsburg, Md.
• Follow @U23MidAtlanticRugby for more info.
View this post on Instagram
MIDWEST
The Midwest U23 LAU Championship (“HEART”) was May 31-June 1 in Oshkosh, Wis. The Thunderbird staff (Xane Gerasmino, Meghan Flanigan) was on hand to evaluate talent and build its nationals-bound squad. No other region does anything like the annual LAU tournament, which brings eight all-star teams together. It’s impressive, provides structure, and is a great way to share that next-level experience deeper into the player pool. The final Thunderbirds roster, with 19 clubs represented is listed first, and then the available LAU teams that featured at HEART follow.
THUNDERBIRDS
Bailey Barton – Purdue University
Mia Blocher – University of Notre Dame
Emma Callaghan – University of Wisconsin-Platteville
Juliet Cramer – Twin Cities Amazons
Izzy Currie – Twin Cities Amazons, WER Gemini
A’Yani D’Avilar – Metropolis Valkyries
Charlotte Dauser – Sacred Heart University
Rebecca Dooley – WER Gemini, Twin Cities Amazons
Ada Erhart – Ohio State University
Olivia George – University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire
Isabel Henderson – University of Notre Dame
Morgan Linck – University of Northern Iowa
Shaianne McGruder – Circle City Tempests
Kaitlynn Moore – University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire
Julia Murray – Brown University
Arielle Noussa Fotso – Carmel Rugby Club
Caroline (Casey) Ramsey – Palmer Chiropractic
Ava Reuter – Lindenwood University
Sophia Senna – Twin Cities Amazons
Taylor Sadek – Dartmouth College
Lilly Stough – Aquinas College,Chicago Lions
Ashley Torres-Brown – Sacred Heart University, Chicago Lions
Shannon Wypij – Wheeling University
LAU ALL-STARS
ALLEGHENY
Chelsey Mitchell, mitchellchelsey5@gmail.com
View this post on Instagram
IOWA
Kathleen O’Neill, kathleen.c.oneill@gmail.com
View this post on Instagram
ILLINOIS
Rachel Grecky, rgrecky227@gmail.com
INDIANA (Indy Speed)
Coaches: Izzy Gibbon, izzigibbon@gmail.com; Caitlyne Poe, caitlyne.poe@gmail.com
Sophie Bonnici – Purdue Univ
Cat Broadwater – Bowling Green State Univ
Carmela Campbell – Purdue Univ
Audrey Dickson – Ball State Univ
Mary Dolensky – Kent State Univ
Arielle Fotso – Carmel High School
Elizabeth Garman – Ball State Univ
Katelyn Gedetsis – Kent State Univ
Kenna Geibel – Ball State Univ
Jillian Hanson – Ball State Univ
Natalie Hunt – Ohio State Univ
Shylea Knapp – Ball State Univ
Ericka Lopez – Fort Wayne Women’s Rugby
Shaianne McGruder – At Large
Elizabeth Reyes – At Large
Shay Ross – Cincinnati Kelts
Robin Sanders – Notre Dame
Simone Sartore-Getty – Ball State Univ
Brooklyn Shields – Ball State Univ
Nevada Silsby-Inman – Ball State Univ
Jessie Starkey – Kent State Univ
Shauna Whitt – Baldwin Wallace Univ
Josie Zeiher – Ohio Univ
MICHIGAN
Jamie Frech, jamiefrech@gmail.com
MINNESOTA
Amity Best, amityb014@gmail.com
OHIO (Ohio Elite)
Coaches: Izzy Gibbon, izzigibbon@gmail.com
Payton Aston – Baldwin Wallace Univ
Jordyn Barr – Bowling Green State Univ
Slone Bowden – Ohio State Univ
Julia Bowser – Ohio State Univ
Ada Erhart – Ohio State Univ
Arielle Gladish – Univ of Cincinnati
Sarah Harper – Ohio State Univ
Grace Hein – Ohio State Univ
Dahlia Hill – Ohio Univ
Kennedy Macerollo – Ohio State Univ
Natalie Miller – Univ of Cincinnati
Ruth Musser – Kent State Univ
Lucy O’Donnell – Univ of Cincinnati
Haylee Roach – Baldwin Wallace Univ
Kayla Saikaly – Columbus Squirrels
Hanna Salcius – Kent State Univ
Annabel Shim – Ohio State Univ
BooBoo Stewart – Univ of Cincinnati
Evelina Strauss – Univ of Cincinnati
Olivia Vallance – Robert Morris Univ
Maya Weber – Ohio Univ
WISCONSIN
Xane Gerasimo, xanthi.gerasimo@gmail.com
View this post on Instagram
NORTHEAST
The U23 all-star program in the Northeast is run by the New England Free Jacks. Check the “Independents” home page for more info.
View this post on Instagram
PACIFIC COAST
The Pacific Coast Grizzlies (@paccoastgrizzlies) is the regional all-star team that will feature at nationals, and it selects players from the separate NorCal and Pacific Northwest all-star programs.
NORCAL
Director: Evan Hoese
Head coach: Hannah Stolba
Contact email: norcalwomenu23rugby@gmail.com
NorCal held a pair of tryouts in the south and north bay, and then the May 25 trial match vs. the PNW U23s served as a curtain-raiser for a WER Bay Breakers match.
PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Director: Heidi Whitman
Coaches: Ashley Kmiecik, Craig Morris, Liz Osborne, Willeo Bloomfield
At the U23 level, the PNW Loggers are the most active all-star team in the country. The area holds lots of development and ID camps, and the team had a game scheduled against DIA Central Washington in February, but it was unfortunately canceled for bad weather. Check out the two rosters for that Pac Coast Grizzlies trial match in Lodi, Calif.
PAC COAST GRIZZLIES ROSTER
Alina Ampeh – Seattle
Chloe Barnes – Univ Washington
Laura Bocek – Stanford
Lauryn Carlton – Portland RFC
Marin Cohen – Western Washington
Mo Cricchio – Washington AC
Kitty Fettel – Univ Oregon
Mac Forrester – Fresno State
Aly Frontczak – Boise State
Lupita Gonzalez – Cal
Katie Hansen – Dartmouth
May Lauritzen – Cal
Venaiah Mamea – EPA Razorbacks
Eve Mango – Cal
Chayse McCann – Univ Oregon
Caley Newcomer – Oregon State
Hannah Nguyen – Boise State
Mira Patino – Fresno State
Isabelle Sandoval – Univ Oregon
Pip Simmons – Central Washington Univ
Grace Talty – Cal
Tua Tanupo – EPA Razorbacks
Tee Teaupa – Seattle
Julia Wallace – San Jose Seahawks
Liana Wayman – Central Washington Univ
PACIFIC SOUTH
Territory: Arizona, Southern California, Nevada, New Mexico • The Pacific Desert conference page has been used to share info on the U23 all-star program: @pacdesert_rugbyconference
FORWARDS (12)
Jo Marie Alvarez — Grand Canyon Univ.*
Kaitlyn Ambrose — UC Santa Barbara
Chantal Earl — UC San Diego
Fran Kovach — Los Angeles RFC
Line Luedi — UC San Diego*
Lindsey Manugian — Claremont Colleges
Savonna McGlothan — Grand Canyon Univ.
Isabelle Ortiz— Los Angeles RFC
Jayna Schalesky — UC Santa Barbara*
Angelique Schrock — Grand Canyon Univ. *
Micaiah Thornton — Grand Canyon Univ. *
Atira Tilghman — Grand Canyon Univ. *
BACKS (13)
D’Ondra Bomar — Grand Canyon Univ.
Emma Buxton — UCLA*
Molly Chisholm — Univ. Arizona
Emma Cruz — Stanford
MJ Destro — San Diego State
Laila Hannum — Claremont Colleges*
Lauren Hayashi — UCLA (selected, injured)
Paris Jones — San Diego Surfers
Alex Meechum — Claremont Colleges
Jessica Navarro — UC Santa Barbara
Maddison Purves — UCLA
Megan Takeuchi — UC San Diego*
Mia Taylor — UC San Diego
*2024 Griffin
Head Coach: Evan Wollen — Claremont Colleges
Asst. Coach: Derika Legg — UC San Diego & San Diego Surfers
ROCKY MOUNTAIN / PEAKS
Territory: Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming
Head coach: Win Shortland
Need to find more info … old Rocky Mountain Peaks Instagram account now points to Peaks Academy
SOUTH
Territory: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee
Head coach: Lisa Jackson
Contact email: usarugbyu23south@gmail.com
Instagram: @U23SouthRegionalRugby
Izzy Alexander – UT Knoxville
Lo Anderson – Southern Nazarene
Ilene Andrade – Chicago Tempest
Gabby Appiah – Quinnipiac Univ
Kaitlyn Ausmus – Lander Univ
Maddy Balga – Charleston RFC
Linique Bouwer – Cal Poly SLO
Leilani Brown – Chattanooga RFC
Kylie Crane – Savannah RFC
Mychal Glover – Kennesaw St
Brayana Godbolt – Charleston RFC
Rachel Hammelman – Lander Univ
Camryn Henderson – AIC
Mara Homoly – Cardiff Met
Maddie Hughes – Queens Univ Charlotte
Alexis Lillycrop – Lee Univ
Ella Litwin-Scanzani – Queens Univ Charlotte
Candace Lynn – Lander Univ
Candela Mangiardi-Querol – Queens
Traci Martin – Knoxville RFC
Jade Medellin – Queens Univ Charlotte
Kayla Pecarina – UNC
Emily Rajiha – Univ Central Florida
Analise Richardson – Queens Univ Charlotte
Salome Schmitt – Queens Univ Charlotte
Jay Stone – Queens Univ Charlotte
Chandler Winstead – UNC
All Comments
Pingback: Rugby Results: June 20-22, 2025 - The Rugby Breakdown
Pingback: Pac South Picks its U23 Griffins - The Rugby Breakdown