Five Baltimore area high school players were among 24 women chosen to the United States training team for the 2011 Federation of International Lacrosse Under-19 Women’s World Championships in Hannover, Germany next August.

Notre Dame Prep’s Covie Stanwick, McDonogh’s Jen Cook, C. Milton Wright’s Alyssa Blevins, St. Mary’s Dani Lazo and Winters Mill’s Erin McMunn were named to the team, which will be whittled down to 18 next spring. More than 165 girls from 25 states tried out before the training team selections were finalized Wednesday morning by head coach Krystin Porcella, also head coach at John Carroll.

“I was shocked at first,” McMunn said of seeing her number on the final roster Wednesday morning. “I thought I was going to get cut for sure someplace along the line. It was so cool to see your number, because so many incredible girls showed up and everyone worked so hard. I’m just so excited.”

Tryouts were conducted Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at UMBC with most girls cut by 8 a.m. Wednesday and the training team trimmed to 24 about three hours later. Monday and Tuesday’s sessions amounted to about seven or eight hours of playing time each, said Cook.

“It was the toughest two and a half days I’ve had mentally and physically,” she said. “It was really tiring playing that much lacrosse every day for two or three straight. I was really sore and it was tough mentally with all the selectors watching. You always have to be on your game. It was really difficult but at the same time, it was a really good experience to get through something as tough as that.”

Stanwick, a first-team All-Metro selection last spring, said she gets goose bumps at the thought of playing in the world championships.

“Today when we had a team meeting, just thinking about it gives you a chill, thinking about how cool it would be to put on a uniform that says USA across your chest. It would be so cool to be able to represent your county,” said Stanwick, whose sister Coco played on the 2003 world champion Under-19 team and whose brother Steele made the boys 2008 team but could not play after an injury.

Stanwick said ever since watching her sister play, it has been her goal to make the U-19 team.

While Stanwick and Cook are close friends -- despite Cook's McDonogh team winning the IAAM A Conference championship for the second straight year over Stanwick's NDP team -- McMunn said she didn't know anyone on the team really well although she has played with or against some of the players. She expects that to change pretty quickly.

Although the team won't get together again until the weekend of October 9-10 at the US Lacrosse Stars and Stripes Festival in Boston, Facebook and text messaging likely will facilitate fast friendships.

"You really have to get to know everybody on the team well if you're going to play well as a unit and be successful and everyone I've met there seems really nice. I'm really excited to get to know everybody," said McMunn, who helped Winters Mill to the state Class 2A-1A title last spring.

"No matter what -- if I get cut or if I make it to Germany -- I think it's just such a great experience," Stanwick said. "Even the tryouts, meeting people who are coming from Texas and California, seeing how the game is spreading. No matter what, I just think it will be cool to get to know these girls. These are the top 24 girls in the nation so throughout college you're going to see them again."

The United States women’s U-19 team has a lot to live up to when it heads to Germany next summer. The US won its third straight world title in Canada in 2007. Their only loss was in the inaugural event in which they fell to Australia in 1995.

The full roster:
NAME HOMETOWN HIGH SCHOOL POS. YEAR
Alyssa Blevins Bel Air, MD C. Milton Wright D Sr.
Jennifer Cook Towson, MD McDonogh A Sr.
Dani Lazo Stevensville, MD St. Mary's M Sr.
Erin McMunn Westminster, MD Winter Mill A Sr.
Covie Stanwick Baltimore, MD Notre Dame Prep A Sr.
Caileigh Sindall Silver Spring, MD Good Counsel D Sr.
Brigid Smith Rockville, MD Good Counsel A Sr.
Anna Salemo Littleton, CO Heritage A Sr.
Madison Acton Sudbury, MA Lincoln Sudbury Regional M Jr.
Kelsey Duryea Beverly, MA Governor's Academy GK Jr.
Christine Ferguson Weston, MA St. Paul's D Sr.
Tatum Coffey Toms River, NJ Toms River North M Sr.
Sally Jentis Ridgewood, NJ Ridgewood D Sr.
Dene’ Di Martino Manorville, NY Eastport South Manor M Jr.
Cortney Fortunato Northport, NY Northport A Soph.
Shannon Gilroy Northport, NY Northport M Sr.
Barbara Sullivan Garden City, NY Garden City D Sr.
Kelly McPartland Farmingdale, NY Farmingdale M Sr.
Kayla Treanor Niskayuna, NY Niskayuna M Jr.
Sammy Jo Tracy Bedford, NY Fox Lane M Jr.
Rachel Vallarelli Hartsdale, NY Holy Child GK Jr.
Mikaela Rix Garden City, NY Garden City HS M Sr.
Allie Murry Downingtown, PA Downingtown GK Sr.
Taylor Trimble Rosemont, PA Episcopal Academy M Sr.