Alev Kelter’s 30th tournament appearance at the Women’s Rugby Sevens Series was special in more ways than one.
The Alaskan became the most-capped player in the history of USA Women’s rugby sevens on Oct. 5 when she suited up for the the national team at the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in Glendale, Colorado. The next day, Kelter truly made it a weekend to remember by leading the team to victory in the championship match against Australia.
Kelter scored a try and two conversions in the team’s 26-7 win over Australia on Sunday. The victory was the second straight cup championship and secured a No. 1 ranking for the Americans.
A 2009 Chugiak High grad, Kelter was a multisport star for the Mustangs who was named the Anchorage Daily News Girls Athlete of the Year in 2008. The 5-foot-6, 160-pound scrum half played hockey and soccer at the University of Wisconsin before transitioning to rugby. She made her first appearance at the HSBC Sevens Series in 2014 and was a member of the USA team at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
The next tournament in the Sevens Series is Dec. 5-6 in Dubai.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misidentified the state in which the tournament was held.