The Las Vegas Invitational boasted a number of international teams, and the Women’s Elite 7s was no exception. The competition was rife with national team players, and the Adler 7s from Germany emerged from the incredibly talented pack to the top of the championship podium last week.

The German team was the top-ranked squad in pool B, but opened up their day with a tough 21-19 loss to the Guelph Gryphons. Guelph won Canada’s collegiate championship last year and surprised Adler during their opening match. The team regrouped, however, and ended with a 2-1 record after shutting out Penn State University (31-0), which was asked to join the Elite division to even out the competition, and The Mighty Rucks (24-5), an all-star squad highlighted by former USA 7s Eagles like Jenn Starkey, Dana Creager and 15s Eagle Jamie Burke.

Their solid performance on day one sent Adler to the Cup quarterfinals against Chile, which has burst onto the scene as an up-and-coming threat in South America. The national team had defeated South American champion Brazil, which finished fifth in the Women’s International 7s Invitational, in 2011.

But the smaller, yet quick Chilean team was no match for Adler, and the German squad advanced to the semifinals after a 22-7 victory.

The Boston Belles were up next. The 7s-only squad rostered players from Boston as well as the Berkeley All Blues, and were undefeated until this point. Players like Jess Peterson, Danielle Miano and Phoebe Boone helped a 24-19 win over Provo in the Cup quarterfinals.

Finalists in last year’s Club 7s Championship, the Belles couldn’t withstand Adler’s attack, and the Germans moved onto the final with a 33-7 semifinal win bolstering their confidence.

Their toughest match of the day evolved against Dog River Howlers, a Canadian all-star team with six capped players from six provinces, and led by captain and Canada international Maria Jaworski. The Howlers are well known at the LVI, and 2012 marked the first event in which a women’s team participated (their Open Division side won the competition).

The Howlers advanced to the final after a 19-0 Cup quarterfinal win over Guelph, and then a 12-0 over international all-star team Beavers.

But the German team kept stride and bettered the Canadians 19-7. Excellent fitness and an uncanny cohesiveness awarded the squad the LVI’s first Women’s Elite 7s championship.