The Okotoks lacrosse community will have three shots on the national stage this summer.
Okotokians Jordyn Payne, Lexi Ballance, Brooklynn Carson, Avaya McCann, Ruby Walker and Cash Banister were named to Team Alberta squads in the U19 field and U17 box lacrosse ranks for a trio of national championships this summer.
“I think it’s going to be a great opportunity to get myself out there more,” said Payne, named to Alberta’s U19 women’s field lacrosse roster. “There’s going to be a lot of coaches from the (United) States and Canada that are going to be there watching us.
“I think it’s going to look really good for university and it’s going to improve my skill a lot too so I’m excited.”
As a member of the historic first female box lacrosse competition included in the history of the Canada Summer Games last summer, Payne is no stranger to Team Alberta.
This will be her first opportunity to represent the province in the field game in which she has 10 years of playing experience and has trained extensively with the Mustangs and Mustang Starz programs.
“I used to like box a lot more than field, but now I’m taking field a lot more seriously and have a lot more fun with field,” she said. “I’ve had so many connections through field and it’s definitely something I'm excited I get to represent Alberta in.”
Along with five teammates from the Canada Summer Games bronze medal-winning team in 2022, Payne will be joined on the Team Alberta squad by fellow Okotoks Ladies Raiders Cameron De Paiva and goalie Olivia Schmidt.
“I’m super happy to be part of that group again because they’re such an amazing group of girls,” she said. “(Cam and Olivia) we’re really close, those two are my best friends and I’m super happy I get to experience this as well with them.”
Team Alberta will be looking for another podium finish at the Jenny Kyle Cup, the field lacrosse national event, held Aug. 1-3 in Saint-Eustache, Que.
Okotoks talent will be filling the floor on Team Alberta’s U17 box lacrosse squad with Lexi Ballance, Brooklynn Carson and Avaya McCann, from the Calgary Fury Black, and goalie Ruby Walker, who plays with the Okotoks U17 B Raiders, on the roster.
“I think it’s a privilege to play for the highest level I can for my age group,” said Ballance. “And I think it’s a really good opportunity for me to pursue what I want in my lacrosse career.
“I’ve been playing for eight years now and, ever since I started, I’ve just had the motivation to keep going and having good coaches, for me, makes it a better experience for me to do training. The mindset I have for playing is to keep doing skills and tricks until I can’t do them wrong anymore.”
The tryout process started with an identification camp in the spring followed by two weekends of main camp and the team development phase in the weeks leading up to nationals.
“It was a very neat experience, considering how many girls from all over Alberta there were, a lot of skilled girls,” said Carson, in her fourth year in the sport. “It was stressful, but also super fun and I really enjoyed the coaches there and they made me want to do even better.”
Team Alberta U17 will be gunning for the Dorothy Robertson Trophy at the national event, held Aug. 14-19 in Regina.
“It was really cool to see everyone in Alberta come out and tryout for the same team, the pace was really good and it was very competitive,” said McCann, a seven-year veteran in the sport.
“I’m excited to see how our team will perform and I’m excited to be coached by the high level of coaches here in Alberta and to see what the other provinces have to offer.”
Banister, the son of former Calgary Roughnecks owner and Okotoks lacrosse linchpin Brad Banister, will represent Okotoks on the Team Alberta U17 men’s box lacrosse squad.
The U17 men will be competing for the Tackaberry Trophy from Aug. 14-19 in Regina, held concurrently with the U17 women’s nationals in Saskatchewan.
For more information, visit albertalacrosse.com.
