Padilla and Savin attend USA All-Americans XVs camp in Canada

Fallbrook Girls Rugby Club's Tiahna Padilla and Abbey Savin were chosen to participate in USA Rugby's Girls High School All-American XVs camp in Canada Aug. 7-12.

Padilla, who will be a sophomore at Fallbrook High, and Savin, a senior at Great Oak High School in Temecula, trained with more than 30 other top athletes from the western portion of the United States at the camp led by team manager Margaret Sharp and assistant coaches Sue Whitwell, Josie Ziluca and Tim Zern.

The players from the United States trained with members of the Under 18 Canada team during their stay at Brentwood College in Mill Bay, BC, Canada.

For Padilla, the speedy back for the Warriors, it was her first call up to the national team pathway program. It was Savin's first camp with the 15s group, though the senior flyhalf previously played with the Girls High School All-Americans 7s team at the NextGen Sevens tournament in Langford, B.C., Canada in May.

A second XVs camp on Aug. 20-24 at Brock University will be held with a group of athletes from the eastern portion of the United States.

Depending on how they performed at the camp and the needs of the USA coaching staffs, both players could be in line to participate for the December Winter Camp which includes full internationals against Canada's U18s as part of the North American Four.

Prior to the camp, Director of Girls High School All-Americans Martha Daines said, "This event will not only give players the opportunity to develop their physical and mental skills with their USA peers but also provide them an opportunity to train and play against their Canadian counterparts before they meet them in the winter competition. We are looking forward to seeing how players who participated in prior GHSAA events and new players just entering the program progress during the camp."

Padilla, Duncan help Atlantis in Utah

Padilla, along with FGRC teammate Jordan Duncan, were part of an Under 16 Atlantis team that was victorious at the North American Invitational 7s in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Aug. 2-3.

Playing with athletes from all over the country, Padilla and Duncan helped their team to wins over Rhino Rugby, Celtic Barbarians and the Maui Warriors before topping Rhino Rugby in the finals with a last-minute try.

Stern two-for-two with Atlantis

Senior Sammy Stern, the speedster from Rancho Bernardo, who has played with FGRC for two seasons, recently helped the Atlantis U18 Elite team win the NAI 7s tournament in Salt Lake City Utah, on Aug. 2-3.

Previously Stern won the Tropical 7s tournament with Atlantis back in April.

Karl named to 2018/19 USA Rugby Academic Honor Roll

FGRC alumn Kasey Karl was recently named as one of 200 student-athletes in collegiate rugby who have earned their place on the 2018/19 USA Rugby Academic Honor Roll.

A release by USA Rugby said, "With 54 schools represented, these exemplary individuals display the most important quality of a student-athlete as they value the balance of athletics and academics."

To qualify, Karl, a psychology major at Lindenwood University, had to achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher, compete in her school or university's top team, and started or played as a reserve in more than half her team's scheduled matches.

Three from FGRC named D-1 All Americans

FGRC alums Lindenwood's Destiny Arena, Central Washington's Michel Navarro, and Penn State's Kayla Canett, were recently named to USA Rugby's D1 Elite All American team for the 2018-2019 season.

There were only 15 players chosen for the All American team.

Canett wins silver at Pan American Games 2019

Canett playing with the USA Women's National Team 7s helped her team win a silver medal at the Pan American Games 2019 in Lima, Peru last month.

After three shut out wins leading up to the finals, the Eagles Sevens team dropped the Gold Medal Match to Canada 24-10 with Canett scoring one of the USA's two tries.

Jeff Pack can be reached by email at [email protected].