{shortcode-29e5ee23dbf2e9a69d01d0076ef09874253812ca}

Most varsity-level sports have cores centered around their upperclassmen. They are the players who have been around the longest and are the most seasoned. But the women’s rugby team at Harvard has only competed at a varsity level for three years, so it has only recently begun to recruit players. Because of this, the core of the team now is centered around the younger athletes who played the sport in high school. The team captains, Crimson sports editor Isabel Delaura and Maya Learned, are both sophomores, and 19 players on the 27-woman roster are either freshmen or sophomores.

As one of the 11 freshmen on the team, Caitlin Weigel has already begun to make an impact due to her extensive background in the sport. Weigel has been playing rugby longer than it has been a varsity sport at Harvard. A two-time All-American out of Hudson, Ohio, Weigel was a three-year letter earner for her high school rugby team.

She was also a three-time All-Ohio and All-Midwest, and was named 2015’s Ms. Rugby Ohio and Hudson Rugby MVP. She was an All-Ohio MVP in 2014, as well. In addition to rugby, Weigel was a four-year letter winner for the swim team. She was a two-event All-American in swimming, and she earned a letter in soccer.

In her first year with the Crimson, Weigel regularly started at center in the fall season, and notched six tries in a performance that made a significant difference this weekend at the Atlanta 7s tournament.

“I would definitely say that having some players on the team who have high school experience is key,” said Head Coach Sue Parker on April 3 after the Quinnipiac 7s tournament. “Not only do they provide infrastructure on the field and composure, but they also...increase the rate at which other new players that we get on campus can learn...and I think that’s irreplaceable.”

The impact of the underclassmen on the team has been hard to miss. In the team’s first few tournaments, Weigel and sophomore Dalton Youngblood were the team leaders in tries. Weigel continued to be a dominant force in sevens this weekend as well, tallying tries in nearly every game and helping the team go to a 3-1 record in pool play. The team beat Ohio State, Lindenwood, and Texas A&M in pool play, losing only to Life University. Harvard eventually lost its second game in the final to Life.

In the team’s 20-14 victory against top-seeded Lindenwood, Weigel scored two tries in the second half to win the game for the Crimson. Up to its game against the Crimson, Lindenwood was routing teams in fall season 15s by scores of 88-0, 130-0, and 132-0. Lindenwood went 10-2 in 15s in the fall, and was 10-1 in sevens before the Atlanta tournament.

Weigel was instrumental in the the rugby team dealing the Lions its third loss of the sevens season. After going down 14-7, Weigel dominated in the second half. She found the endzone twice, including a go ahead score late in the second half.

“I feel really good about our performance this weekend,” Weigel said. “Lindenwood got a score off the first kick-off. We really had to...come back from that.”

Weigel also downed the Crimson’s lone try against Life University in pool play. She remained a constant factor throughout the two-day tournament as the team beat Ohio State and Texas A&M.

Outside of this tournament, Weigel has proved to be a force in the Crimson’s other tournaments this sevens season, scoring in the Frostbite 7s, Crimson 7s, and Quinnipiac 7s tournaments. At Quinnipiac, Weigel was the second leading scorer for Harvard, tallying four tries throughout the day.

“I think the work that as a team we’ve been doing...has really translated well to this season,” Weigel said. “Passing progressions and kick work before practice. I definitely feel like sevens is my game and the practice I’ve put in is starting to show.”

—Staff writer Wade G. Player can be reached at wade.player@thecrimson.com