A STUDENT from a Malvern school achieved her ambition to be selected for the national lacrosse squad.
Katie Jeynes-Cupper, a year 13 pupil at Malvern St James Girls’ School, enjoyed touring with England’s under-19s squad to Philadelphia, Maryland and Washington DC this summer.
It has been a long road for Katie to achieve her dream which began when the Avenue Road school put her forward for CENTEX (Lacrosse Centre of Excellence) in year eight.
She remained with CENTEX until it was replaced by the Girls’ National Academy in 2013. At this point, Katie joined the under-17 regional academy for South West England, regularly taking part in training weekend and tournaments for the next three years.
During that period, she played for the under-16 Worcestershire and Gloucestershire County squads.
Her determination and resilience was finally rewarded this year when she was selected for England trials before making the team following an arduous two-day assessment in the mud and rain at Hartpury College, Gloucester.
Katie said: “I am really looking forward to my first training sessions with the England squad this month.
“At the moment I am taking a lacrosse coaching course and will definitely continue to play at university.
“My ambition is to play in a Women’s World Cup in the future.”
There has been further success for MSJ after Year nine pupil Katie Guthrie was selected for the England’s under-14 rounders team and year ten student Charlotte Harmer was chosen for the national under-15s Hockey High Performance Assessment Camp (HiPAC) which takes place in Leeds during the October half term.
Charlotte will join hockey sensation Lucy Walton (Year 13) at HiPAC who has played for England’s under-18 team and chosen to represent Mercia Lynx under-18s at the Futures Cup.
Furthermore, a team from MSJ took part in the British Independent Schools ski race at the indoor slope at Hemel Hempstead.
The team, featuring Alice Bond, Isobel Advani, Jemima Green and Martha Bond, secured second place in the junior competition.
Alice (year two) also finished second in the under-eight British Schools Girls event.
Olivera Raraty, headmistress at MSJ, said: “We’re delighted for all of our girls, who have done so well.
“Their grit and determination has proved to be a winning combination.”