'We just had to go for it': Herriman's 'Spiff' Sedrick rallies USA to rugby 7s bronze

SALT LAKE CITY — The United States' first-ever medal in women's rugby sevens has a native Utahn to thank for it.

Alex "Spiff" Sedrick scored the winning try in the final seconds to help Team USA upset Australia 14-12 in the bronze-medal match at Stade de France in Saint-Denis.

The 26-year-old product of Herriman High and Utah Lions Academy rugby took a pass inside her own five-meter line before sprinting the length of the field and scoring the match-winning try in the final seconds.

"We knew they were going to kick deep, being ahead in points, so we just trusted our framework and power zone, we just had to go for it," Sedrick said in a USA Rugby news release of the winning try.

Added co-captain Lauren Doyle: "It was a big burst of energy, an amazing finish. (Spiff) then had to turn around and make the kick, as someone who doesn't usually make kicks with only four seconds left, it was amazing."

Australia struck first when Maddison Levi touched down just over a minute into the match. But the United States countered just four minutes later through Alev Kelter, whose conversion tied the match at 7-all en route to a halftime stalemate.

The Wallaroos went up again on Levi's second try midway through the second half, and had the United States backed up underneath the post with 15 seconds left.

That's when Sedrick, a former multi-sport athlete at Herriman who played collegiately at Life University that debuted for USA Sevens in 2021, took matters into her own hands in her first Olympic games to knock off the 2016 champions.

The Americans advanced to the medal rounds for the first time since rugby sevens became part of the Olympic program in 2016 with a stunning 17-7 win Monday over Great Britain, setting up a semifinal showdown with New Zealand that went the way of the All Blacks 24-12.

New Zealand went on to top Canada 19-12 to win a second consecutive Olympic gold medal in rugby sevens.

Led by Ilona Maher, the social media star and bruising back, the Americans have captivated the country in their run to the podium while blasting Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" over speakers at the Stade de France.

In addition to Sedrick, who also played locally for Utah Vipers, Team USA featured former BYU women's basketball player Stephanie Rovetti.

The 32-year-old from Reno, Nevada, played for the Cougars from 2010-14 and helped win the 2011 Mountain West regular-season title, the 2012 West Coast Conference Tournament title, and a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2014.

But after capping her collegiate basketball career, Rovetti was introduced to rugby by her sister Morgan, an All-American with BYU's club team in 2009.

That prompted a journey that took the former director of basketball operations at San Diego on a path that included MVP honors at the 2018 Club Sevens national championships with San Diego Surfers and a comeback tour through the 2023-24 SVNS Series en route to the Paris Summer Games.

Moments after the historic medal-winning ceremony, businesswoman and invetor Michele Kang, who owns three professional women's soccer clubs both in the United States and in Europe, announced a $4 million donation to the U.S. women's rugby sevens team to support the program and its athletes ahead of the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

"We're really trying to raise up rugby in the US, especially in the women's game," Sedrick said, "so hopefully this will inspire someone to pick up a rugby ball."

Paris 2024

Here's a list of athletes with ties to Utah competing in the Summer Olympics in Paris

Nearly 40 athletes who live, train and/or were born in Utah will represent various nations when the Paris Summer Games kick off their long-awaited opening ceremony Friday.

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