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USA Names Olympic 7s Team

  • 17 Jun 2021
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The USA Women’s 7s Team has named its squad for the 2020 Summer Olympics. The tournament follows the men’s event, taking place July 29-31 (JST) at the Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo, Japan.

Abby Gustaitis and Kristen Thomas resume their roles as co-captains, and they lead a team with which the rugby community is well familiar. All but one player has made double-digit appearances on the HSBC World Sevens Series, which of course was canceled due to Covid-19. Lauren Doyle and Alev Kelter, both 30, are the two returners from the 2016 Olympics, and Nicole Heavirland traveled to Rio as a reserve.

The Eagles haven’t played a series tournament since February 2020 in Sydney, Australia, but was able to participate in invitationals in Spain and Dubai. Those tournaments provided valuable field time against international competition, as well as insight into the evolution of a team training in quarantine.

There were, arguably, two roster spots that needed filling, and the invitationals provided a look at the personnel being considered. Kasey McCravey and Nana Fa’avesi were named as traveling reserves to Tokyo, and Nia Toliver is an alternate. Kayla Canett and Ariana Ramsey were chosen for the squad of 12 to Japan. Canett (24) has competed in a 15s Rugby World Cup and several HSBC tournaments, so her selection isn’t a surprise, per se. Ramsey is still in college (Dartmouth) and uncapped but showed really well in Dubai.

“I am beyond honored and ecstatic to take on this opportunity,” Ramsey told DartmouthSports.com. “My years of hard work of being an athlete have finally paid off, and I am indeed following my dreams. I hope that I can be an inspiration to all people by sending the message that if you have a dream, to go and get it because the world is yours! My dad would have been so proud.”

There are still two teams to be named to the Olympics lineup, and they’ll be named after this weekend’s repechage in Monaco. Argentina, Colombia, France, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Madagascar, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Samoa and Tunisia are vying for the two spots and then the Olympics schedule will be finalized.

USA WOMEN’S 7s TEAM

Kayla Canett

Lauren Doyle

Cheta Emba

Abby Gustaitis (co-cpt)

Nicole Heavirland

Alev Kelter

Kristi Kirshe

Ilona Maher

Jordan Matyas

Ariana Ramsey

Naya Tapper

Kristen Thomas (co-cpt)

Traveling Reserves

Kasey McCravey

Nana Fa’avesi

Alternate

Nia Toliver

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