By Bradley Schlegel
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 11/3/15
Lauren Jennings woke up at 4:30 a.m. Sunday, then endured a 3½ hour car ride from Connecticut to participate in the 2015 Girls Philly Showcase.
“It was definitely worth the ride,” said Jennings, who lives in Darien, an hour north of New York City. “I had a lot of fun.”
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Five members of the CT Grizzlies earned Fab 40 honors at the Girls Philly Showcase on Sunday; (from left) Julia Skillin, Nicole Humphrey, Olivia Caan, Grace Fahey and :Lauren Jennings
Jennings and four of her CT Grizzlies teammates performed well enough to advance to the showcase’s Fab 40 all-star game at Westtown School in suburban Philadelphia. The event was run by NXT’s Showcase Lacrosse.
Jennings, a 2018 defender, teamed with Julia Skillin (2019 midfielder) and Grace Fahey (2019 attack). They competed against club teammates Nicole Humphrey (2019 midfielder) and Olivia Caan (2019 defender).
“I was nervous,” Skillin said. “I thought it would be really stressful. This was the first event I have ever played in where college coaches were watching me. But it was a lot of fun and I liked it a lot.”
These Fb 40 All-Stars players stood out at the Girls Philly Showcase:
Lauren Jennings, 2018 DEF, Darien, CT, CT Grizzlies
What goals did you have today and what do you feel you accomplished?
Jennings: “I tried to be really aggressive on defense, and to cause turnovers. I think I accomplished that.”
How was the competition and what did you do to adjust to the level?
Jennings: “The competition was really good. At first, you just have to develop a relationship with your teammates and move the ball quickly.”
What are you looking for in a college, athletically and academically?
Jennings: “I’m not sure what I want to study, probably economics or finance. I am looking for the school with the best academics. I’d like to play at a Division I or Division III school.”
What did you learn from the event that you can utilize the rest of the fall and the spring season?
Jennings: “I learned to just keep trying. When the referee calls a penalty, you’ve got to move past it and keep being aggressive.”
Julia Skillin, 2019 MF, Wilton, CT., CT Grizzlies
What goals did you have today and what do you feel you accomplished?
Skillin: “The goals were to stay as aggressive as possible, work my butt off and never give up.”
How was the competition and what did you do to adjust to the level?
Skillin: “The competition was really high, higher than I’ve ever played against before. It was nice to meet new girls and get to know them and figure out how to play with them.”
What are you looking for in a college, athletically and academically?
Skillin: “I’m not sure what I want to major is yet. I want to go to a high academic, Division I college.”
What did you learn from the event that you can utilize the rest of the fall and the spring season?
Skillin: “I learned that working as team really helps; communication, getting to know the girls on your team, and having fun.”
Jenna Mesisca, 2018 ATT, Shawnee, N.J., South Jersey Select
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Shawnee (NJ) 2018 ATT Jenna Mesisca
What goals did you have today and what do you feel you accomplished?
Mesisca: “I feel like that I showed my skills around the crease and with my speed. The two goals I scored on the All-Star game were on different shots. They showed what I could achieve.”
How was the competition and what did you do to adjust to the level?
Mesisca: “The competition here was very high. A lot talented players wanted to come here and show what they could do. I felt it was good to show how I could perform with them.”
What are you looking for in a college, athletically and academically?
Mesisca: “I’m looking for a smart school. I want to major in mathematics or kinesiology while playing lacrosse. I haven’t decided which level I want to play at.”
What did you learn from the event that you can utilize the rest of the fall and the spring season?
Mesisca: “I learned that even if I made a mistake to keep trying and keep pushing. One mistake can’t define you. You have to show what you have to offer.”
Madelyn Seibel, 2018 ATT, The Pennington School (N.J.), Ultimate
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Pennington School (NJ) 2018 ATT Madelyn Seibel
What goals did you have today and what do you feel you accomplished?
Seibel: “I wanted to go in with confidence, and not get down on myself. I feel like I did that.”
How was the competition and what did you do to adjust to the level?
Seibel: “The competition is pretty high. I tried to hustle more to make the adjustment.”
What are you looking for in a college, athletically and academically?
Seibel: “I am looking for a top academic school, either Division I or Division III, and I want to study either science or math.”
What did you learn from the event that you can utilize the rest of the fall and the spring season?
Seibel: “I learned that college coaches are really looking for (players who) hustle, even if you miss a catch.”
Isabelle Rohr, 2019 MF, Episcopal Academy, PA, Mesa/Phantastix
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Episcopal Academy (PA) 2019 MF Isabelle Rohr
What goals did you have today and what do you feel you accomplished?
Rohr: “I wanted to make the Fab 40 team, which which I did. I also wanted to meet new players and step up my game.”
How was the competition and what did you do to adjust to the level?
Rohr: “The competition was really good with a lot of competitors that made me bring my game up to the next level. You didn’t know the strengths of the girls (at first), but by the third game we had it down. The All-Star game was a step up from the whole day. I felt more pressure, but that helps me play better.”
What did you learn from the event that you can utilize the rest of the fall and the spring seaso
Rohr: “I learned a lot about how to bring up my game to the next level under pressure. I learned a lot from the college coaches. We practiced drills that helped my stickwork.”
What are you looking for in a college, athletically and academically?
Rohr: “I have thought about lot of colleges. I want to stay close to home; my older brother goes to Penn and he told me instead of looking at lacrosse, look at the school. If I end up not playing lacrosse I would have a (good) school.”