Madison Epke of Guilford (Conn.) puts herself on fast track

Madison Epke, a junior at Guilford (Conn.) High School, made her commitment to James Madison earlier this fall. (Courtesy)

In 2019, Madison Epke (Guilford, Conn.) participated in a tryout at Fairfield University for a spot in US Lacrosse’s National Team Development Program.

“It was one of the best tryouts I ever had,” she recalled, “and I really didn’t know what it was.”

More than 1,400 players from across the country tried out for spots in four divisions: U-17 and U-15 girls (Epke’s division), and U-17 and U-15 boys, with the hopes of getting themselves on a national team track. Each group would be made up of about 70 players, so the odds were long.

On the way home, her friend received an email from US Lacrosse stating that she’d been picked for the wait list. Epke checked her own email again -- nothing.