Bundaberg Region schools made up the 2000-strong crowd at Bundaberg Superpark recently, when students from around the state played for the number one spot in the Netball Queensland 2022 Origin Energy Primary Schools Cup.
Here’s all the action from the three-day event:
Somerset College Spartans Mudgeeraba Championship team claimed the Netball Queensland 2022 Origin Energy Primary Schools Cup gold medals with a pulsating and historic 12-10 Grand Final victory over Oxenford State School in extra-time to cap two days of superb competition at the Bundaberg Superpark last week.
A total of 53 teams battled it out across two categories – Championship and Development – all played in tremendous spirit with high skill levels, outstanding sportsmanship, and exemplary behaviour on and off the courts.
At the end of the first day’s play when all teams had played their seven round games, the Championship section was divided into three Play-offs Divisions, for positions 1-6, 7-14, and 15-22
Somerset then booked their place in the Semi-finals with wins over Southern Cross Catholic College Scarborough Blue 14-2 and Oxenford 10-8, a big defeat at the hands of Coorparoo SS Gold 11-3, before victories over A B Paterson College Arundel 14-13, and St Andrew’s Anglican College Peregian Springs Year 6 8-5.
Oxenford secured their place in the top four, losing their first two Play-off games to St Andrew’s 8-4 and Somerset 10-8, before drawing with Southern Cross 7-all, then falling to Coorparoo Gold 11-5, but scraping into fourth position with a last-round
8-7 dispatch of A B Paterson College.
Both Semi-finals also went right down to the wire with Somerset pipping St Andrew’s Peregian Springs 11-10, and Oxenford turning the tables on Coorparoo Gold 8-7.
In the grand finale, Oxenford saved their best until last and with their tall male Goal Attack really aiming up, they looked to have the title secure, until the never-say-die Somerset equalised from a penalty shot after the full-time siren.
Sent into two two-minute halves of extra time, Oxenford scored first, but Somerset established a 12-10 lead by the change of ends, and neither side was able to add to their account during an end-to-end duel over the last two minutes.
Every player on both sides played their hearts out, but Oxenford’s Charlotte Peake was the emotional winner of the Olivia Douglas Memorial Award for Most Outstanding Player in the Grand Final, perpetuating the memory of Olivia who was tragically killed in a car accident near Childers while a passenger on the way to the Queensland Primary Schools Cup when it was previously held in Bundaberg in 2018.
The trophy was presented to her by Olivia’s parents Tim and Tegan, who also spoke about it and their beloved daughter.
Spartans coach Chantrel Thrupp said she slept with her Medal for two nights, and was “still on a high” days later.
“I’m so so proud of them – we are a combination A and B Team, with no boys and just one tall girl – some other girls may have been intimidated by the boys, but while we had none, I was thrilled to see boys playing, and it was really inclusive,” Mrs Thrupp said.
“To win it was a very big thrill for everyone – last year, we might have been fourth or fifth, but the girls’ approach to it was do hard training, and they trained together with our development team as a large squad, and we all warmed up together and danced and sung together – what was amazing was that three of our team played Net Set Go last year.
“We rotated our subs well and everyone contributed, but the four girls who stayed on longer than anyone else were out most experienced players, and they produced exceptional performances, Goal Attack Georgia Bos, Centre Annabelle Gibson for her resilience – she carried minor injuries, but our motto was to make memories and stick together – she played up a year and was sensational in the Grand Final – also Goal Defence Ella Carson is definitely someone to watch in future, and in the shooting circle, Goal Shooter Bri Peardon was really cool under pressure.”
The team was well led by captains by Captains Lily Allen and Sara Gacina-Richardson.
“But everyone played a role and our Other valued team members were Sabine Booth, Rinzenn Bansal, and Sophia Meyers,” Mrs Thrupp said.
“Thank you to the Bundaberg Association for their efforts and facilities and to Luke Asi and the team at Queensland Netball for an exceptionally well-run carnival.”
Coorparoo claimed the bronze medals with a 9-8 triumph over St Andrew’s Peregian Springs.
Bargara State School Turtles were the highest placed Championship Bundaberg Regional School, qualifying for the Play-offs 7-14, before winding up fifth in that group, losing to Moreton Bay College Jets I 10-6, Emmanuel College Carrara 9-4, and John Paul College Daisy Hill 10-2, before defeating Fraser Coast Anglican College A 14-5, going down to Buddina SS Blue 13-12, then winning their last two games, against Mango Hill SS Team A 10-3, and Ormiston College Championship 10-5.
Norville State School Sapphires I and St Mary’s Catholic Primary School Bundaberg both wound up in the Championship Play-offs 15-22.
There, Norville placed third, drawing with Wishart SS Blue 6-all, downing St Mary’s Bundaberg 7-3, Canterbury College Waterford Championship 6-3, Coolum SS 10-8, and St Joseph’s Bardon Diamonds 10-1, but losing their last two games, against Pacific
Lutheran College Sunshine Coast Jewels 7-4, and Our Lady of Lourdes Sunnybank 7-4.
St Mary’s ended up eighth in the Play-offs, with losses to Coolum SS 12-5, Norville 7-3, Pacific Lutheran College Jewels 11-1, Our Lady of Lourdes Sunnybank 11-7, Wishart SS Blue 12-2, and St Joseph’s Bardon Diamonds 4-2, but they signed off with a good 8-3 victory over Canterbury College Championship.
St Luke’s Anglican School Blue qualified highest of the Bundaberg teams in the Development category, making the cut for Play-offs 1-8, before finishing in seventh position, with a loss to Emmanuel College Carrara 9-4, a draw with St Joseph’s School
Stanthorpe 7-all, wins over Gumdale SS 12-7 and St John Vianney’s Catholic Primary School Manly I 9-8, and finally successive defeats at the hands of Somerset College Development 13-6, Gatton SS 19-4, and BayView Thornlands Bullets 6-4.
Bundaberg East SS Emeralds secured a place in the Development Play-offs 9-16, before winning that title with victories in all their seven matches, against Serviceton South SS 8-0, Victory College Gympie 9-3, Ormiston College Development 8-4, St Andrew’s College Peregian Springs Year 5 11-5, Pullenvale Netball Academy 7-4, Moreton Bay College Jets II 6-2, and Immanuel Lutheran College Buderim 3-1.
Norville SS Sapphires were placed in the Development Play-offs 17-24, before taking seventh with three draws, while St Mary’s Catholic Primary School Bundaberg Year 4 and St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School Bundaberg I and II were grouped in the Development Play-offs 25-31, with St Mary’s snaring second to Coorparoo SS Black on Goal Average, both with five wins and one loss, and the two St Joseph’s outfits gaining third and eighth respectively.
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