SANFORD, Fla. — The field was empty Sunday. Just a day earlier, the BYU
women's rugby players had happily posed for a team photo under the
stadium's scoreboard.
The lights said the Cougars had just beaten Wisconsin-Milwaukee 46-7.
The score didn't begin to tell their story.
"We won today," coach Tom Waqa said. "But the girls' biggest opponent is
tomorrow. That is adversity."
With a national championship in sight, the Cougars walked away. To
advance meant they would have to play Sunday.
As in the Sabbath. As in keep it holy.
As in bye-bye championship.
"It's bittersweet," team captain Kirsten Siebach said. "But it was a
decision we had to make."
The players are all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. Perhaps you know them as Mormons. By any name, what they did is
almost unheard of these days.
Imagine Kentucky forfeiting a chance to make the Final Four. John
Calipari probably wouldn't get a bonus for placing religion ahead of
basketball. Or is there a difference in Kentucky?