GIRLS' NATIONAL INTERSCHOLASTIC CHAMPIONSHIP
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Established in 1991, the Girls' National Interscholastic Championship (GNIS) 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.
Decorated winners include Garrison Forest School (GFS), located in Owings Mills, Maryland, leading the Girls' National Interscholastic Championship with 14 titles, including a dominant run of seven coveted victories from 1992 through 1998. GFS is followed by Maryland Polo Club located in Freeland, Maryland, accumulating an impressive nine wins spanning from 2005 through 2019. Most recently, Aiken from Aiken, South Carolina, has led the competition, earning the prestigious title in three consecutive years from 2021 to 2023.
In 2023, nine-time victors Maryland (Kylie Beard, Sierra Blevins, Rory Knox, Isabelle Brockett) faced-off against back-to-back champions Aiken (Alea Crespo, Brianna Jordan, Madison Jordan, Summer Kneece). Separated by just two goals headed into the final chukker, a powerful performance from all three Aiken players created distance between their skilled opponents, ultimately leading to their third consecutive Girls’ National Interscholastic Championship 13-8. Read article here.
Returning to Brookshire Polo Club in Brookshire, Texas, for a third consecutive year, five talented teams will vie for the title, with a new champion to be crowned. 2023 finalists and Southeastern Regional champions Maryland, based out of Jarrettsville, Maryland, will attempt to add their interscholastic club name to the heralded trophy for the tenth time.
Each battling to claim their first Girls' National Interscholastic Championship, Regional winners Kingswood, based out of East Kingston, New Hampshire (Northeastern), and Maui, all the way from Makawao, Hawaii (Western) will join two Central competitors, Regional champion Hillside, hailing from Richfield, Wisconsin, and Wildcard entry St. Louis, from St. Louis, Missouri, to round-out the talented competition.
Photo: 2023 Girls' National Interscholastic Championship Winners: Aiken - Alea Crespo, Brianna Jordan, Coach Tiger Kneece, Madison Jordan, Summer Kneece. ©David Murrell
