For Luca Bocresion ’26, Greek and Latin are more than courses — they’re a way of understanding the world and his place at and beyond St. Paul’s School
January 7, 2026
At only 15, Jelina Medina ’28 was the youngest member of the Dominican Republic softball team that earned a bronze medal in Peru.
BY JANA F. BROWN
While studying in her room at St. Paul’s School, Jelina Medina ’28 is also honing her softball skills. With her schoolwork spread out in front of her, the right-handed pitcher manipulates a half-moon-shaped rubber training aid with her pitching hand to refine the mechanics of her spin. It’s one of the many manifestations of the Fourth Former’s devotion to softball, which often involves traveling to tournaments on weekends and during school breaks.
Medina has been playing the sport since age eight, when she made the transition to the softball field from the baseball diamond. The daughter of immigrants from the Dominican Republic, Medina and her two siblings represent the family’s first generation of Americans. In November, that representation took on a more literal form as she competed as a member of the Dominican Republic softball team that earned a bronze medal at the Bolivarian Games.
Held in Lima, Peru, over Thanksgiving, the Games feature Olympic-like competition between South American and Caribbean nations in multiple sports. At only 15, Medina was the youngest player on the DR softball roster, which included athletes up to 34 years old. Although she grew up in the United States, she appreciated the chance to represent her Dominican roots.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity,” says Medina, who lives with her parents, siblings, aunt and grandmother. “A lot of girls don’t have the opportunity to represent their own countries, so I knew I had to go into this with the fullest passion and effort . I love being Hispanic, being Dominican. I love being around the girls, my culture.”
Despite the age range, Medina says the team was able to bond quickly at the Bolivarian Games. During its bronze-medal run, Team DR lost to host Peru and twice to eventual champion Venezuela before beating Bolivia and then Peru in a rematch. The Dominican team dominated Bolivia a second time, 7-0, in the bronze-medal game.
I’m grateful for the opportunity. A lot of girls don’t have the opportunity to represent their own countries, so I knew I had to go into this with the fullest passion and effort.
— Jelina Medina ’28
Throughout the course of the tournament, Medina pitched 6.1 innings over three appearances, earning one win for her squad, allowing four earned runs and striking out four batters. She was particularly pleased with her two innings of work on the mound in the first meeting between the DR and Venezuela, calling it a thrill to compete against such a skilled roster.
“Those players were really good,” Medina says of the eventual gold medalists. “It really showed how much farther I could go as a pitcher and how well I’m already doing because [even though] I didn’t strike anyone out, I was getting ground balls, I was getting them out.”
Medina plans to follow her softball skills as far as possible, including aspirations of playing the sport at the Division I level in college. While acknowledging that it’s more hard work, Medina chose to attend St. Paul’s to challenge herself academically as well. In addition to being a key member of the SPS softball team, Medina spends every other weekend practicing with her club squad, the Rhode Island Thunder, with teammates from all over New England. While at school, she alternates pitching and lifting days, balancing athletics with a heavy focus on her studies.
Medina credits SPS softball coach Sarah Boylan with helping her sort through the early interest from top-tier college programs, and other faculty with guiding her through the rigor of academics at SPS. Boylan calls Medina, who pitches consistently in the 60-mph range typical of college players, a “powerhouse in the circle,” noting her ability to throw fastballs and changeups with equal success.
“Her athleticism shows in every pitch — quick, powerful and controlled,” Boylan says, “while her ability to read hitters sets her apart. Jelina’s work ethic is exceptional; she puts in the reps when no one is watching and holds herself to the highest standard.”
While her competitive Thunder softball schedule doesn’t start up again until June, Medina is looking forward to the high school softball season, beginning with traveling with the SPS team to Florida over spring break. The Bolivarian Games won’t be held again until 2029, but Medina is already preparing for another opportunity to represent her heritage in at a different tournament next summer.
For now, she’s cherishing the bronze medal she earned with the Dominican team. “I’m treating it like an Olympic medal,” she says.
