By JULIE ASH
Laura Langman proudly admits she's a Waikato girl through and through.
She doesn't mind the continual clanging of cowbells and says she loves playing for the Magic.
But ask her how many cows her parents have on their dairy farm at Te Pahu (between Hamilton and Te Awamutu) and the
Silver Fern squad member lets the side down.
"I wouldn't have a clue," she laughs. "Enough."
Although she still lives at home, Langman has little time to venture down the cowshed these days.
Between studying for her bachelor's degree in management, netball training and netball matches, there are not enough hours in the day for the 18-year-old to fit much else in.
"I am pretty much on the go 24/7," she said.
Langman, who burst on to the national scene last year, just seems to be getting better and better.
Renowned for her dogged defence and tireless work ethic, Langman was named player of the match after last week's game against the Force, ahead of four world-champion Silver Ferns and a handful of former internationals.
Like many top netballers, Langman reckoned there was hardly a sport she didn't try when growing up.
"I had a couple of years at soccer, I never played rugby, but I gave just about everything else a go.
"I always continued with netball, however. I have pretty much always played in the midcourt. I did get bailed up to play goal attack a couple of times, but they quickly took me out of there.
"The old eye/goal thing wasn't too good. I wasn't very good at judging distances."
A standout performer in the Hillcrest High School A side and various Waikato age-group teams, Langman's big break came last year when she was asked to trial for the Magic - an experience which was understandably a little nerve-racking with the likes of Irene van Dyk, Leana du Plooy and Jenny-May Coffin around.
"It was a real eye-opener," Langman said.
"I didn't think I had a chance of getting in, so I went into it thinking, 'I am just going to do my best and at the end of the day I am going to come out of it having learned a lot'.
"To have wiggled my way in was a shock, to say the least."
Langman immediately made her mark. After just one season with the Magic and the Waikato NPC side, she was named in the national squad last September.
It took a little getting used to.
Since then, Langman has taken part in two New Zealand squad training camps and was given court time when the group travelled to Australia this year to play matches against Australian Commonwealth Bank Trophy teams.
"Every level is like a step up. Playing around the likes of Temepara Clark and Sheryl Scanlan, you have to step up."
Although making the Silver Ferns starting line-up is a long-term goal, Langman has her immediate sights set on a spot in the national under-21 team who will compete in next year's World Cup in Miami.
"That would be absolutely sensational," she beams, which indicates it could be a little while longer before she manages to venture down to that cowshed.
Laura Langman
Born: April 16, 1986 Hamilton.
Height: 1.71m.
Positions: WD, C, WA.
Career highlights
2004: New Zealand squad, national under-21 squad.
2003/04: Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic.
2003: Waikato NPC side.
National Bank Cup squads and draw
By JULIE ASH
Laura Langman proudly admits she's a Waikato girl through and through.
She doesn't mind the continual clanging of cowbells and says she loves playing for the Magic.
But ask her how many cows her parents have on their dairy farm at Te Pahu (between Hamilton and Te Awamutu) and the
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