The summer’s over, as far as some high school rugby players are concerned. This week, some of the top teams in the nation will return to the practice field in preparation for the fall 15s league season, so it’s time for a pre-season Girls High School Top 20 ranking.

Wisconsin and Colorado will state champions by fall's end, and the powerhouses in each region are well established. In Wisconsin, it’s all about Divine Savior Holy Angels (DSHA) and Catholic Memorial. Perennial Midwest champion DSHA will miss graduates like the comprehensive Beth Pokorny, Tierra Henry and speedsters like Catherine Trowbridge, but coach John Klein is fortunate to have about 20 returning seniors booting up this season, and many were present during the Dashers’ third-place run at nationals. The back line looks especially dangerous, with Cat MacPherson running the show at flyhalf.

Catholic Memorial is the second-best team in Wisconsin and the Midwest, but it has some rebuilding to do. CMHS sent three graduates to division I colleges on rugby scholarship – Rebecca Haight and Maggie Wesolowski to Quinnipiac University (Conn.), and Julie Else to ACRA champion Norwich University (Vt.). About five seniors are returning, but the core of experience will be found in the junior class, which provided 6-7 starters last year. Prepare for wing/fullback/scrumhalf Elizabeth Metz, who grew up watching her sister play rugby and is now the example of Catholic Memorial’s signature player: small, quick, physical and fit. It might take some time for the CMHS offense – which coach John Waliszewski described as pragmatic – to take shape, but once it does, expect it push DSHA to the state title.

While Divine Savior and Catholic Memorial essentially play in their own bracket, there’s a lively landscape of second-tier teams in Wisconsin. We’re keeping an eye on Kettle Morraine, which has employed a new staff consisting of head coach Megan Kevin, and assistants Dane Kilpatrick and Rick Bellis.

Summit High School is on its own in Colorado. The Tigers are the best team in the state, and they’re well equipped to dominate all the way to the state title, again. Summit will miss Lily Weldon, who joins Haight and Wesolowski on scholarship at Quinnipiac this year, but already has stars like Jane Rosko, who not only played with Tiger rugby to a Cancun 7s title this summer but is also representing the USA at the Youth Olympics Games in China.

While there is a smattering of 15s in areas like Kansas City and St. Louis, the rest of the country is playing 7s, tournaments or concentrating all activity in the spring. League play starts in early September.