The Washington Loggers took the Great Northwest Challenge Girls Varsity bracket, outlasting a tough Oregon team 22-12 in the fins Sunday at the Hidden Creek Polo Club in West Linn, Ore.

The Loggers were paced by two tries from No. 8 Emily Prentice and two from flyhalf Leah Ingold - Ingold also kicked Washington’s lone conversion.

Hawaii on the break against Montana. Alex Goff photo.

The Loggers scored early and led 15-0 before Heather Bisonette went over to make it, with Marisa Biddy’s conversion, a 15-7 game. Oregon was still well within striking range. But Washington stuck the knife in by sending Ingold in long range. With a three-score cushion, Washington kept up the power running, and didn’t let Oregon use the slope to pin the Loggers back. Sui A’Au scored for Oregon at the final whistle but it wasn’t enough.

“I feel really happy; we had a good squad with a Varsity and a Junior Varsity and a good young squad,” said Prentice. “It was a good year for both.”

Prentice brushed off credit for her tries, putting it all, instead, at the feet of Ingold. 

“We’ve been playing together for three years and we work really well together,” said Prentice. “Playing in this select side environment has been great.”

IN the 3rd/4th game, Montana ran out of players, but put in a game performance. Kalihi, from Hawaii, just torched them out wide, and as the number of players on both sides were reduced due to injury, the better Kalihi could exploit the space.

Asi Holika scored a boatload of tries and was all kinds of trouble from the fullback position. 

“We played as a team, not as a bunch of individuals, and it felt really good,” said Holika. “We’re just happy to be here. It’s the first time we’ve been able to travel.”

In the JV action, it was Oregon and Washington. Oregon won the two games on Sunday by large margins, 52-12, and then 47-12. But Washington did well to close the gap on Sunday - Oregon won 33-22.