Tuesday 8 March 2016 Fresh from a golden debut for England Netball, two students from The Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) are hoping to repeat their winning ways in the upcoming national schools finals. Hannah Gorman, lower sixth, and Lexy Shipley, year 11, earned their first England caps at last weekend’s Netball Europe competition in Gibraltar. England U17s won all their matches and took the title 82-14 in their final match against Wales. Now Hannah and Lexy turn their attention back to school netball with important national finals coming up. First is the Independent Schools National Cup U19 final against Portsmouth Grammar School, followed a week later by the finals of the England Netball National Schools Competition. GSAL will be competing in all possible age groups at the England Netball finals at Roedean School in Brighton on 19 March. In each age category 18 teams will battle out the group stages. Just three schools, including GSAL, have made it to the final in all three categories. The U14, U16 and U19 teams earned their places by winning regional rounds to become West Yorkshire and then Yorkshire and Humber regional champions. GSAL’s U19 team, who are sponsored by Michael Lewin Solicitors, will be hoping to repeat the success they enjoyed two years ago as U16 national champions. It was the second time GSAL had won the U16 title, having previously won in 2012, and the team will need to draw on all their experience as they face the top teams in the country in their bid to lift another trophy. For the U14s, who range in age from year 7 to year 9, it will be their first experience of a national final. However they can draw confidence from their smooth route to the final – in the two qualifying rounds they were undefeated in all 14 matches. The U16s also enjoyed a clean sweep of matches on the way to the national final. Cath Johnson is head of netball at GSAL. She said: “The girls’ commitment and focus in training set them apart and lead to continued success at GSAL. Talent is of course part of it but the work ethic is essential and our girls have it. This is why they continue to succeed not only in school netball but also in Superleague and the England pathway while still at school and after they leave.” Photos: Top – GSAL U19 and U16 teams, with England U17 players Hannah Gorman (back row, fourth from right) and Lexy Shipley (front row, far left); Below – GSAL U14 team General Senior School Sixth Form
