HERRIMAN, Utah — Before Paris 2024, Team USA had never medaled in rugby sevens, but that all changed when Herriman High alum Alex "Spiff" Sedrick broke away in the final seconds of the bronze medal match and scored the game-winning try.
"I actually didn't realize the time on the clock. I had gotten the ball and there was two defenders in front of me," said Spiff. "Then I just kept my legs moving and I just slipped right out. I was like, 'What a great surprise!' I knew that they were going to be chasing me; I just thought, 'Please get over the line.'"
Team USA beat Australia 14-12 thanks to Spiff's jaw-dropping play. The third-place finish is USA's first-ever medal in sevens.
"It's really crazy to win the way we won," said Spiff. "We've been getting quite a bit of backlash because we barely won, but that's just funny to me because yes, we did barely win, and I think that's the reason we celebrated it so highly."
She continued: "To even make it past quarters was already a historic win for us, but we knew that wasn't going to be enough for us."
Her nickname "Spiff" started out as a joke, calling her spiffy in gymnastics and volleyball, but then it just stuck.
"It started out like, 'That's so spiffy' and then it just kind of stuck from there," she said, "And I would introduce myself as Spiff, like when people call me Alex or Alexandria, I'm like, 'Who?'"
Her advice to anyone, but specifically to little girls who might want to try rugby: "Why not?"
"I would just say like why not — what's the worst that could happen? OK, it might hurt if you get tackled, but what if you try it and it is for you and what if you make these new goals and what if you build amazing relationships and life-long friendships and what if you go to the Olympics?" said the Olympic bronze medalist.
Spiff held a rugby camp at Herriman High School following the Olympics, and she told FOX 13 she's so proud of how much the sport has grown within the state.
