Our Year 8 netball team has achieved third place medal position in the Kent Under 13 championships (1 March 2016) – their best county result – against a tough field of 40 schools, including sister GDST schools Bromley High and Blackheath High and a number of top grammar schools.
The team played seven games in their pool and won them all, most very convincingly. They then faced Highworth Grammar School for Girls in the quarter final which they won 9:8 after extra-time.
Their semi-final opponents were the team from Tonbridge Grammar School who proved too strong, taking the match 7:2.
The players were frustrated to lose after all their hard work but quickly picked themselves up to take part in the play-offs where they trounced Dartford Grammar School for Girls 8:1 to secure third place.
Last year the team came 4th in the tournament so who knows what 2017 might hold.
The team were: Greta Burton, Ellie Press, Ella Wint-Kearney, Margaux Brewin, Maria Torren Peraire, Sophie Harris, Olivia Eades, Francesca Dinsdale, Isabella Daley and Anna Constantine.
A few days later, a larger group of U13 netballers headed to Condover Hall for a GDST training weekend designed to further hone their skills.
Many of these confident netballers cut their playing teeth in Sydenham High Junior School teams and it seems their successors are keeping up that successful tradition with some additional coaching from the senior school PE team. A strong Y6 team beat Oakfield Prep convincingly 4:0 just before half term.
