She knows how to make kills. She scores almost at free will. She’s slick, no matter what sport she plays.
Grace Pupke is always on the attack. It’s what she does best on the field and off it.
The Seaford High School student is a rising star on the lacrosse field, emerging as one of the team’s leaders over the past four years. Now, the senior has some unfinished business to do.
“I’m very excited,” Pupke said. “We have a great offense and defense. Our coach is great and he’s looking out for the team.”
A year ago, Pupke was named to the All-Conference team. Scoring 38 goals on the year and having 15 assists helped her be recognized for her leadership on the field.
Pupke, a senior at Seaford, doesn’t only play lacrosse. She’s a multi-sport athlete, who ventured into volleyball in the seventh grade.
From there, everything fell into place. Pupke grew into a star, joining the girls lacrosse team by the time she entered the seventh grade, an early age to become a varsity athlete in a sport as intense as lacrosse.
“It was a sport I wanted to try and picked it up really easily,” she said. “Training over the offseason helps. During the fall, I play volleyball and I play fall and summer lacrosse.”
The grind for Pupke never ends. It’s something that Seaford Athletic Director Michael Spreckels, who was once her teacher, is quite proud of.
“Knowing Grace since she was five years old, she’s one of those determined, hard-working student athletes,” Spreckels said. “She balances her academics and sports. She’s a high-character young lady who is a born leader, both on and off the fields and courts.”
Not only is Pupke a great athlete, but she’s a premier student as well. She is already committed to play Division I women’s lacrosse next year at Hofstra University, and the expectations are high.
While Pupke said her schedule is “very intense,” it’s what she loves. Now, she prepares for the next chapter of her life, one she will certainly make the most of.
