Monday 14 March 2016 The U19 netball team from The Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) has added another championship to the school’s collection of titles in the Independent Schools Netball Cup (ISNC). The 2016 competition reached its climax last Friday, with the finals played at Redbridge Sports Centre, Essex. In the U19 final GSAL took on Portsmouth Grammar School building up a seven point lead by the end of the first quarter and rounding their score up to 50 in the final minute to win the match 50-34. GSAL has an impressive record in the ISNC, having claimed three U19 titles and three U15 titles over the course of the competition’s six-year history. The U19s won previously in 2013 and 2014. To reach the final the U19s had played in five previous rounds against tough opposition including defending champions Millfield in the quarter-final and Queen Ethelburga’s in the semi-final. Lucy Stead is captain of the U19 team, and was in the winning U19 team two years ago. She said: “You could feel the nerves before the match, we knew we were up against a strong team with at least one England player. However the first quarter gave us confidence, we were in the lead and felt we were going to be fine. We have a great squad of 12 players – anyone could go on and we would be ok.” “We couldn’t do it without our coaches – Alex Kirk has been our coach for some years and the team really benefits from her professional experience as player and coach, and Mrs Johnson is a wonderful support and gets us organised too!” Louise Marsden, lower sixth, was named Player of the Match and received the award from Graeme Walker, MD of Smile Group Travel, sponsors of the ISNC competition. There was further success for some of the players the following day at the England U19 trials, with Hannah Gorman, Rosie Harris and Lexy Shipley selected for the England U19 squad and Louise Marsden selected for the potential squad. GSAL U16 player Georgia Pexton is selected for the England U17 squad. Photos by Adam Scott General Senior School Sixth Form
