Friday, August 25, 2017 3 Brooklin Town Crier Rugby Star Heads From Nationals to St. FX Like thousands of other recent high school graduates, Sarah Hoerig left this week for the next stage in life's adventure, university. In her case though, there's an extra twist. The All Saints High School grad is a rugby star and will be attending St. Francis Xavier University on an athletic scholarship worth $3000 annually. With a sports background that included Whitby soccer, ringette, and hockey, Sarah was recruited by both St. FX and Acadia. However, it was the former's personal touch that sealed the deal. "My high school teacher had attended St. FX," she said, "and suggest- ed it. I really like the atmosphere. They gave me a tour of the campus and I even got to practice with the team a little." That couldn't have been a huge leap of skill for the 18 year old who spent two weeks this month in Ottawa playing in a Can/Am national U18 series against the USA. Canada won both matches. Her playing time was evenly split with another girl, each playing a half of both matches. Sarah began playing rugby in grade 9, influenced somewhat by her father who also played once upon a time. While maintaining honour roll grades, she eventually got to the national level by first making the cut from the top 60 in Canada to the top 40 and then finally to the national program. She's played in both 7-aside and the regulation 15-aside rugby. While the 7s are faster, she still prefers the 15s. "I really like the 15s. There are more girls so the game is a bit slower, but everyone has a specific job and you have to work together." At FX, she'll get a chance to take her skills to the next level. Last November, the school won its fifth national title without losing a single game. Sarah carries the ball while competing with the Oshawa Vikings club.