Monday 10 March 2014 Netball players from The Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) are celebrating an important hat trick with three of the school’s teams through to the final of a prestigious national competition. Teams enter the England Netball National Schools Competition in three age groups – U14, U16 and U19 – and for the second year running GSAL has all three of its participating teams through to the finals. The tournament, involving 18 teams in each age group, will be played on Saturday 15 March at Whitby High School in Ellesmere Port. To reach the finals each team played in a county round and then a regional round, from which the winners and runners up progressed. All three take their place in the national finals as regional champions in their respective age groups. Only one other school will be represented in all three age groups. Many of the senior players were part of GSAL’s U16 team which won the title in 2012 and are hoping to repeat that success as U19 players. For some of the players in this age group it will be their sixth time playing in the national finals. Head of netball at GSAL Mrs Cath Johnson said: “Reaching the finals is the culmination of a very successful season for all three teams. They have showed dedication in training, working on their fitness and match play, as well as the team spirit that will help them rise to the occasion on the day.” A week after the England Netball National Schools Competition, two GSAL teams will play another national final – the Independent Schools Cup. This is the final match in a knockout tournament, and will be a repeat of last year’s final for the defending champions GSAL’s U19, who play Lingfield Notre Dame again. The U15s will meet Guildford High School. Senior School Sixth Form News
