"This has been a successful season, " coach Sterling Huett says, "the girls are also the 2015 Thames Valley Secondary School Champions, the Tauranga City Basketball Secondary School 2015 Premier Champions and now the Auckland/Waikato/Bay of Plenty single A Schools Champions.
The team are now also seeded second in the country for the upcoming national tournament."
The 'A' means that schools with under 600 students are able to compete from all over the country but must qualify in the top four in their respective region.
The Waihi team blitzed the qualifying tournament which included (Zone 1) Auckland and (Zone 2) Waikato- Bay of Plenty, winning the final against Te Kura Kotuku 62-59 who they had earlier lost to by a big margin in pool play.
"We were also without four players who play both netball and basketball and were away at a netball tournament. This allowed us to bring in some younger players and give them experience at senior tournament level," coach Huett said.
"They all performed well and did their respective jobs throughout so they would have grown from this. I'm proud of them all and thankful to our manager Tanya Mccowatt who organised our entry and accommodation.
A special mention must go to forward/ centre Petra McCowatt who played amazingly throughout.
It's no secret Petra is our superstar, and has been named Most Valuable Player for both the Thames Valley and Tauranga competitions, but she brings more than her great skills to the team, she is always encouraging everyone and always boosts their confidence. She is a fantastic team player."
The squad of 15 will be regroup over the next few weeks to determine who is available to continue training and attend nationals," he said. "We are really looking forward to playing the other top teams from around the country and will be aiming to bring home the national title."
Event:
The Secondary Schools Nationals A Champs:
September 28 to October1-9am to 10pm
at Arena Manawatu, 61 Pascal St,
Palmerston North.
Free entry
