The Kent Girls team won the RugbyWa Summer 7s Series as part of the Washington State Summer Games sponsored by Subway.

In an impressive team performance Kent beat Rainier in the final of the third tournament of the series, running away with the maximum of 88 points from the four events. Rainier finished 2nd, just ahead of Shelton, with Prairie taking 4th.

“Initially I told [Kent 15s Coach] Rex Norris that I was interested in coaching 7s and the first tournament they did well over pure athleticism and being able to catch and pass,” said Coach Carly MacKinnon. “But over the course of the series they improved. They are so coachable, and in the final tournament played some of the best rugby I’ve ever seen them play.”

Kent had some players relatively new to rugby, said MacKinnon, and 7s helped them develop.

“The beauty of 7s is the girls got the chance to go out and play a new style of the sport they already love, and are forced to make decisions over and over at a fast pace,” MacKinnon explained. “After the matches we got to reflect and make adjustments for the next  match - the next chance to improve as individuals and as a team unit.”

Some of the Kent players went into more contact than MacKinnon wanted.

“Shelton and Rainier has some big girls, and we had only ten players that day, so I told the girls, you’ve got to run the game plan … and they did.”

HS All American Ashley Rolsma was fast and showed good instincts on turnover ball. Mele Halahuni was a powerful hitter on defense,. Leah Ingold switched from flyhalf in 15s to prop, but was still able to use her field vision and understanding of space while working as a forward.

“Her vision, her dummy, were quite impressive,” said MacKinnon.

MacKinnon praised Rolsma, Kaylie Gladwell, Tori Vallala, and Paige Wyatt for their scoring touch, and Halahuni, Caley Polkinghorn, Emily Prentice, Victoria Tuli, and Jenny Johnson for their strength in contact, and Ingold, Jen Larson, Alina Amkhavong, Kaira Martin, and Emmy Link for their ability to create turnovers.

Kent Girls 7s Players over the course of the summer:
1. Alina Amkhavong      *Loggers*
2. Hana Fulghum
3. Kaylie Gladwell
4. Mele Halahuni
5. Leah Ingold      *Loggers*
6. Jenny Johnson
7. Jeniffer Larson
8. Emmy Link      *Loggers*
9. Kaira Martin
10. Caley Polkinghorn       *Loggers*
12. Emily Prentice      *Loggers, Stars & Stripes*
12. Kassandra Reynolds      *Loggers*
13. Ashley Rolsma      *Loggers, Stars & Stripes, HSAA*
14. Vicortia Tuli
15. Tori Vallala
16. Paige Wyatt

“I believe all of these players will go into their next season of rugby more confident with ball in hand, defensive alignment, communication, and passing, which was my ultimate goal” concluded MacKinnon. “I look forward to next summer's season and to see where all of these girls' rugby careers lead.”