Speltz: Earning some ‘sightseeing’ stripes

Driving 2,200 miles to run your guts out in Georgia heat isn’t
for everyone.

It takes a hard-nosed, tough-minded type like Glen Maricelli to
willingly endure something so tortorous just for a summer
tryout.

Not a football tryout, which would have made sense since he was
an all-state fullback at Missoula Big Sky. We’re talking rugby. And
boy is Glen glad he drove the extra distance to garner a roster
spot for Life University, a respected Division 1A program.

Last month, Maricelli and his pals reached an impressive
pinnacle. The Running Eagles edged Central Washington, another 1A
program, to win the inaugural USA Rugby Men’s College Sevens
National Championship.

Roughly 1,000 onlookers watched the drama unfold in College
Station, Texas.

“It was a pretty amazing moment,” said Maricelli, a sophomore.
“Probably the biggest sports event I’ve ever played in my life, so
it was like a high-pressure situation.

“It’s something you really only get to feel once or twice in
your life if you’re lucky. To come out on top was really
special.”

It wasn’t just the winning but the role Maricelli played that
made the title game noteworthy. With his team trailing and no time
showing on the clock, Glen scored the try that forced overtime.

“Really it was a great team play where I just ended up being the
last one to touch the ball and score,” he said. “We were in injury
time. In a rugby game it’s like soccer – there’s extra time.

“The end was near so we needed to score right away. Really we
knew that if we messed up, like lost the ball, we were going to
lose.”

Twenty-four teams made up the field for the quasi-invitational
event, including those representing big-name universities like
Texas, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Colorado and Florida. The event gave
USA National Team scouts a chance to identify players that may
represent our country in the 2016 Olympic Games.

Sevens isn’t what Maricelli terms “real rugby.” That would be
15s, the more traditional version also played by Maricelli and his
pals at Life University.

“Sevens is like a fun way to switch it up, really fast and a lot
of scoring,” said Glen, who plays the hooker position. “Kind of
like 3-on-3 basketball.

“Being able to tackle is the most important thing in sevens,
then it’s very important to be able to run a long time and have
quickness and vision.”

Maricelli’s team played six games in two days on championship
weekend. In between they tried to gain a recuperative edge by
slugging protein shakes.

“Actually Gummy Bears are my trick,” Maricelli offered. “It’s a
little quicker. A little sugar rush.”

A 5-foot-9, 215-pound fireplug, Maricelli continues to train
vigorously for the USA Sevens next month in Las Vegas. Teams from
all over the world will be present and some of the pro games are on
NBC.

Glen has two more years of college rugby, then he hopes to begin
his quest toward a doctorate in chiropractic medicine. Ultimately
he plans to come full circle by returning to where he learned this
sport of scrappy individuals often clad in striped shirts.

“Atlanta is a great city, but definitely a culture shock for
me,” said Maricelli, who attends school in a suburb called
Marietta. “For me it’s real good to be home. Montana is my home.
This is a sightseeing tour.”

And I thought my sightseeing trips were exhausting.

Bill Speltz will be on vacation next week. He can be reached at
bill.speltz@lee.net.