Thursday, March 27, 2014

USA Women's 7s Roster Named for China 7s

While Hong Kong 7s is taking place right now with Canada women opening up their tournament with a win 19-5 win over Hong Kong, the USA women opted to stay home and train further for China's Guangzhou 7s in April. The roster named this week features even more new names replacing some veteran players and Atlanta 7s sensation Jessica Javelet who is unavailable due to a prior commitment.

The Eagles Women's 7s squad features 2 recent Olympians in Elana Meyer and Alev Kelter, adding more crossover success stories to the Eagles roster. It's also worth noting that Lauren Doyle in the iRB photograph below is a rugby crossover athlete as well, competing in college track & field while being recruited.converted to rugby at Eastern Illinois University.

Here's a peek into the selections from both USA Rugby and the iRB Women's Sevens World Series site:

Suggitt selects Eagles for Guangzhou Sevens

Suggitt selects Eagles for Guangzhou Sevens
CHULA VISTA, Calif. – Women’s Eagles Sevens Head Coach Ric Suggitt has announced the 12-player roster for the upcoming Guangzhou Sevens, the fourth leg of the 2013-14 IRB Women’s Sevens World Series.

The Eagles will play Canada, Russia and France in Pool C in China April 5-6. Amelia Villines, in just her fourth Series tournament, will captain the team.

Making the squad for the first time is Alev Kelter, Elana Meyers and Shaina Turley, who have each earned Residency contracts at the Olympic Training Center in the last three months.

“Shaina is a physically and mentally tough competitor,” Suggitt said. “Shaina has a hard work ethic and she will have some specific roles to fulfill in attack and defense during the tournament.

“Elana and Alev have demonstrated enough this past month and now they will be thrown right into the major competition.”

Jessica Javelet, the Eagles’ top scorer at Atlanta 7s and Sao Paulo Sevens in February, will not travel with the team to Guangzhou due to prior commitments.

The Eagles were in the same pool as the northern neighbors in Atlanta and had a second match in the tournament’s Cup Quarterfinal, though both matches were losses for Suggitt’s squad. Russia dealt the Eagles a loss in the teams’ only meeting at Emirates Dubai Rugby Sevens last November.

Canada and Russia sit in third and fourth in the Series standings, respectively, above the seventh-placed Eagles.

“We need to look after the ball on the field,” Suggitt said. “We need to execute our decisions and make certain we stay confident no matter what happens. A lot can happen in 14 minutes, we now have to make it happen for us.

“There is no doubt what we have to do to be successful in China: go there in the correct frame of mind and be prepared to play six matches with full intensity.”

Kickoff from Guangzhou Uni Town Stadium is scheduled for 10:00 P.M. ET Friday, April 4, between the Eagles and Canada. Watch the Eagles live on the IRB Women’s Sevens World Series website and follow live match updates on Twitter with @USARugby.

Women's Eagles Sevens | Guangzhou Sevens
1. Victoria Folayan
2. Kelly Griffin
3. Jillion Potter
4. Deven Owsiany
5. Amelia Villines
6. Lauren Doyle
7. Elana Meyers
8. Shaina Turley
9. Lorrie Clifford
10. Dana Meschisi
11. Alev Kelter
12. Rebekah Siebach
Women's Eagles Sevens | Guangzhou Sevens Pool C
v Canada - Friday, April 4 - 10:00 P.M. ET
v Russia - Saturday, April 5 - 1:06 A.M. ET
v France - Saturday, April 5 - 3:50 A.M. ET


Olympic medalist makes USA squad for China

(IRB.COM) Monday 24 March 2014
 Olympic medallist makes USA squad for China
USA and Canada will meet again in China, just as they did in the Atlanta Sevens in February
 
Little more than a month after winning an Olympic silver medal in Sochi, Elana Meyers has been “thrown right into” the USA Sevens squad for the penultimate round of the IRB Women’s Sevens World Series in China next month.

Meyers, who won silver in the women's bobsleigh in Sochi - behind another rugby player in Heather Moyse of Canada, is one of three players named in the Women’s Eagles Sevens squad for the first time, the others being Shaina Turley and Alev Kelter, a former ice hockey and soccer player.

All three have recently earned residency contracts at the Olympic Training Center in the last three months and have impressed coach Ric Suggitt enough to earn a spot in the 12-strong squad for the tournament in Guangzhou on 5-6 April.

“Shaina is a physically and mentally tough competitor,” Suggitt said. “Shaina has a hard work ethic and she will have some specific roles to fulfil in attack and defence during the tournament.

“Elana and Alev have demonstrated enough this past month and now they will be thrown right into the major competition.”

Amelia Villines will captain the Women’s Sevens Eagles in what will be just her fourth tournament on the IRB Women’s Sevens World Series.

One name missing, though, is Jessica Javelet who made an impressive debut in the back-to-back rounds in Atlanta and Sao Paulo last month. She misses out due to a prior commitment.

The Women’s Eagles will face neighbours Canada, Russia and France in Pool C in China.

“We need to look after the ball on the field,” Suggitt said. “We need to execute our decisions and make certain we stay confident no matter what happens. A lot can happen in 14 minutes, we now have to make it happen for us.

“There is no doubt what we have to do to be successful in China: go there in the correct frame of mind and be prepared to play six matches with full intensity.”

Women's Eagles Sevens squad:
Victoria Folayan, Kelly Griffin, Jillion Potter, Deven Owsiany, Amelia Villines (captain), Lauren Doyle, Elana Meyers, Shaina Turley, Lorrie Clifford, Dana Meschisi, Alev Kelter, Rebekah Siebach.

No comments:

Post a Comment