GIRLS' NATIONAL INTERSCHOLASTIC CHAMPIONSHIP
Tournament History
The Girls' National Interscholastic Championship is part of the United States Polo Association's Intercollegiate/Interscholastic (I/I) polo program, which is dedicated to growing the sport by providing exposure, coordinating activities, recruiting collegiate and scholastic institutions and providing organized competition at regional and national levels with an emphasis on sportsmanship, fairness and safety.
After an unconventional 2021 Intercollegiate/Interscholastic (I/I) season where the traditional preliminary and regional tournaments were unable to be hosted due to local and state COVID-19 restrictions on Youth Sports, the I/I program offered clubs USPA I/I Circuit Level events to host throughout the season. With no regular regional format for teams to qualify for nationals, the National Host Tournament Committee (NHTC) opted to use a wildcard system in selecting teams to advance. The Committee used results from both Circuit Level I/I Challenge Cups as well as any games qualified teams played from September 1 through April 18 to be used in consideration. In addition, the Committee welcomed teams to submit game footage for review. The NHTC, select umpires and committee members poured over hours of video, hundreds of scoresheets, and rosters to make their selection.
Established in 1991, the Girls' National Interscholastic Championship returns in 2021 after it was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Seven teams will be vying to take home the national championship including two-time defending champions Maryland Polo Club, Aiken Polo Club, Gardnertown Polo Club, Houston Polo Club, Maui Polo Club, Poway Polo Club and Sutter Buttes Polo Club. In 2019, Maryland Polo Club defeated Houston A to claim the championship title for the second consecutive year. Moving from Brookshire Polo Club (Brookshire, Texas) to New Bridge Polo & Country Club (Aiken, South Carolina), Maryland Polo Club will look to add their interscholastic club name to the trophy for a tenth time.
2019 Girls' National Interscholastic Champions: Maryland Polo Club (L to R): Abbie Grant, Catie Stueck, Olivia Reynolds, Sophie Grant, pictured with Coach Kelly Wells. ©Kaylee Wroe Photography
