This weekend is a big one for senior 7s teams, as the Pacific Coast, Midwest, and Red River name their representatives to the women’s Club 7s National Championship. Many collegians – and even some high schoolers – are boosting these berth-seeking teams, and it’ll be great to see those younger players perform on the senior stage this Aug. 8-9 in Des Moines, Iowa.

One of those teams on the bubble is the American Rugby Pro Training Center (ARPTC), an Olympic Development Academy that has been operational for approximately a year. The center is CIPPed as a team and is competing for the Red River seed to nationals this weekend.

“We want to get our Academy players as many games as possible,” wrote ARPTC head coach and founder Julie McCoy in advance of this weekend’s final qualifier in Norman, Okla. “We need to win and get some help from other teams to qualify through Texas, since we missed the first one due to Cancun 7s. We have made ourselves available for entry [to nationals] either way, as a mechanism for the women's game to #PLAYUP.”

The Austin Knights currently lead the standings, having finished first and second in the first two qualifiers, and banking 10 points. The ARPTC debuted in round two, beat every team by at least 30 points, and has six standings points. If Austin advances to the final this weekend, then it will take the Red River seed to nationals – a likely outcome.

The ARPTC is putting itself in the best position possible and bringing a quality lineup to Oklahoma. Seniors standouts like Jess Wooden (whom Eagle head coach Pete Steinberg lauded during the Super Series), Ashley Perry, and Hunter Griendling will reiterate their leadership status, and will be joined by several college-aged residents.

The youngest of the group is Morgan Courtney, a High School All American (HSAA) who will be attending Lindenwood University in the fall. The former Summit High School captain has a ton of playing experience, ranging from Atlantis and Tiger Cubs abroad, to the All Americans’ debut outing at the LVI 7s.

Diarr Lillie is an alum of SoCal’s ICEF, which is also sending its two-year-old senior team to club 7s nationals for the second consecutive year. Lillie was a HSAA last season, too, joining Courtney is Las Vegas, and has also booted up with Women’s Premier League San Diego Surfers.

Ally Day hails from the reputable Norwich University. The Cadets run a DI varsity program and are known for their fast-moving attack, of which Day’s been in the center for the previous three years. Norwich trains a lot, playing competitive rugby through the fall and spring, but Day is tightly packing her senior rugby schedule.

Recent college grad Beth Stratton has been playing rugby for about a year, having picked up the game during her senior year at Arkansas. After a season with the Razorbacks, the former soccer player was invited to the ARPTC for camp, and she’s been in the system, playing around the country – and beyond – ever since.

Additionally, three summer residents were unavailable for this weekend, as they're currently competing for a spot on the Women’s Junior All American team that plays the Canada U20s in the Can-Am Series (Aug, 19 & 22). Princeton's Jessica Lu (Shanghai, China), who garnered a lot of attention after the College 7s Championship, HSAA Joie Krahling (Philadelphia), and HSAA/Jr. Olympian Kat Ramage (Roxbury, N.J.) will return to Little Rock, Ark., after the weekend and be eligible for nationals' selection should the Academy qualify.

Red River Qualifier Roster
Ashley Perry, Nashville TN
Abby Vestal, Lawrence, KS
Margaret Leonard, Lovettsville, VA
Emily Magee, Montreal, CA
Bria Bohannon, Hammond, LA
Jess Wooden, Tampa, FL
Hunter Griendling, Fairfax, VA
Beth Stratton, Houston, TX
Morgan Courtney, Keystone, CO
Diarr Lillie, Los Angeles, CA
Ally Day, Northfield, VT

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