STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford head coach has unveiled her third recruiting class at the helm of the Cardinal field hockey program, as Nadine Brenninkmeyer, Hailey King, Jennifer O'Grady, and Bea Varley will continue their field hockey careers on The Farm this fall.
The incoming class joins the program ahead of an exciting time in the field hockey landscape, as Stanford prepares for its inaugural season in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) next season.
"Very happy to welcome our 2024 class to campus soon", said head coach Roz Ellis. "We have a diverse class coming in who all have the ability, attitude, and work rate to contribute to our inaugural season in the ACC. The building blocks are in place, and we are ready to welcome our class into our culture and push them towards greatness.
A young but experienced core, the Cardinal returns 88 percent of its offensive production from a season ago. Nadine Brenninkmeyer | M/F | 5'5" | West Vancouver, British Columbia | Collingwood School
- Member of the Canadian national team system since 2018, currently as a member of the U18 National Team.
- Plays at the club level with West Vancouver Field Hockey Club and Rob Short Coaching Academy.
- Has played in four Canadian National championship games throughout her career (2018-19, 2022-23)
- Two-time first place winner at Canadian Nationals with U16 and U18 teams for British Columbia (2022-23)
- Captained U18 Canadian National Team for games against Scotland and Wales (2024)
- Captained Collingwood senior field hockey team in for two seasons (2023-24), leading them to a Premier A Division title in 2023, two North Shore titles (2023-24), and three Sea to Sky Zone championships (2022-24)
- Held Academic Honors with Distinction for five-straight years (2020-24)
Personal:
- Daughter of Roger and Dainja Brenninkmeyer.
- Has two siblings, Tim and Annabel.
- Mother played field hockey for Old Dominion and was a member of the U16 Netherlands national team.
Hailey King | D | 5'4" | Houston, Texas | St. John's School
- Recognized as a top-100 recruit in the Class of 2024 by Max Field Hockey
- Named a 2023 West/Mid-West Max Field Hockey Region High School Player to Watch and was also listed on the 2023 NFHCA high school watchlist.
- Was a 2023 U21 USA National Team camp selection.
- Played high school hockey for St. John's School and competed at the club level with Texas Pride field hockey club.
- Was a two-time Southwest Preparatory Conference champion (2022-23), finishing the season ranked in the top-10 nationally in both seasons at St. John's
- Member of 2023's nationally top-ranked U19 Texas Pride team, with tournament wins at Regional Club Championships and National Indoor Tournament in 2023, as well as Disney Sunshine Showcase and National Hockey Festival in 2022.
- Four-time letterwinner in field hockey and soccer at St. John's
Personal:
- Daughter of Henry King and Yan Cheng-King
- Has two siblings, Tyler and Peyton
Anya Jackson | G | 5'5" | Lytham St Annes, England | Kirkham Grammar School
- Represented England for the U16 (2020-22) and U18 (2022-24) national teams
- Memeber of England's U21 training squad in 2023
- Represented England against Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Austria and France across a four-year span (2020-24), inlcuding being named captain against Ireland in 2022.
- Made Premier League debut in 2023, making four appearances for Bowden Hockey Club.
- Named to England's 2022 8 Nations tournament squad in Barcelona
- 2023 Kirkham Grammar School Female Athlete of the Year
- 2022 England Hockey award winner for most well-rounded player
- 2022 Fylde Hockey Club Junior Player of the Year
Personal:
- Daughter of Peter Jackson and Shannon Kuspira
- Has four siblings: Adam, Edward, Ruby, and Freddie
Jennifer O'Grady | M | 5'6" | Weybridge, England | St. George's College
- 26 caps for the England national team system as a member of the U16 (2020-21) and U18 (2021-23) national teams.
- Multiple-time national champion with the Surbiton Hockey Club.
- Won a national championship with St. George's hockey in 2018.
- Participated in the 2023 U18 Junior Europeans Tournament and the 2022 U18 8 Nations tournament in Barcelona.
- Captained the U16 England vs. Scotland match in 2021.
- Two-time medalist in the U14 Club European hockey tournament (Silver in 2018, Bronze in 2019)
- St. George's team captain in field hockey (2022-23) and soccer (2021-23)
- Recipient of the Hockey Colours Award (2022-23), Outstanding Sportswoman Award (2023), and Performance Cup award (2023) at St. George's College.
Personal:
- Daughter of Bradley O'Grady and Ana González De Ampeuro
- Has one brother, César.
Bea Varley | M/D | 5'7" | London, England | Wellington College
- Been a member of the England performance pathway system since 2016.
- Was selected to play at the England Hockey Challenge Cup in back-to-back years (2022-23)
- Placed 5th at England Indoor Hockey Nationals and was a Regional Indoor Hockey Champion in 2023.
- Recipient of the 2023 Bowring Achievement Cup, given to the woman who is high achieving in multiple areas of Wellington College (academics and athletics)
- Was an England trialist in 2020.
- Multiple-time age-level first team captain (2019-22) and was the Wellington College first team vice-captain in 2023.
- Also played first team netball at Wellington College, where they placed fourth at National Competition in 2022.
Personal:
- Daughter of Steve and Jane Varley
- Has one brother, Ned
- Father was a multiple-time age-level triathlete for Great Britain.