Photo: Mark Collier/Norwich University BOULDER, Colo. – Nine more schools have qualified for the USA Rugby College 7s National Championships following a healthy dose of automatic qualifying tournaments from April 11-12. From the Women’s field, the Division II Fall Champions of the 15s code, Notre Dame College, advanced to the Finals of its host tournament, where the Falcons defeated Davenport, 19-12. Reigning College 7s National Champions Norwich also earned a bid to Nationals with its first-place finish at the Varsity 7s tournament. In a highly competitive field, the Cadets went 4-0 with victories over Army, Brown, Harvard, and Quinnipiac to set up a rematch against West Point in the Cup Final. In what may have been the most exciting sevens match of the spring up to this point, Army looked to have the upset and tournament championship within grasp until a Frankie Sands try in the game’s final play put Norwich in the lead and the Varsity 7s trophy in its hands. Notre Dame College was also the site for an automatic qualifying tournament for the men. In that bracket, it was Bowling Green that successfully navigated through its pool unscathed, before beating Buffalo in the Semifinal. 21-0, and St. Bonaventure, 33-17, in the Final. Two teams that performed well at the Las Vegas Invitational sevens tournament won qualifiers last weekend in American International College and the United States Air Force Academy. For AIC, the Yellow Jackets imposed their will in six consecutive matches, concluding the Armory 7s tournament with a 41-7 stomping of Boston College and a place in the College 7s National Championships. In Fort Collins, Colo., Air Force outscored the Rocky Mountain 7s contenders 183-17 before beating a familiar foe in West rival Colorado State 40-10 in the tournament’s Cup Final. Joining Air Force and Norwich as military academies now qualified for the May 23-24 National Championships at the University of Denver is the men’s rugby team at the Coast Guard Academy. The Connecticut-based side beat Vermont, a team who already holds a place at Nationals after winning the Scott Milley 7s, in the Final of the New England Collegiate Rugby Conference 7s tournament. Three other DII squads punched their ticket to Denver: Providence (Rugby Northeast 7s), Vassar College (Tri-State Conference 7s), and Wisconsin-Whitewater, which will play for a National Championship in sevens after reaching the DII National Championship game in 15s during the fall. Thirteen more teams will earn invitations to the College 7s National Championships from April 18-19. For an overview of the Men’s DI and DII automatic qualifying events visit USA Rugby’s Men’s Sevens page, while the Women’s events are listed on the Women’s Sevens page.