Satisfying result for Under-17s

Placing 13th at the national under-17 netball tournament in Wanganui last week was labelled a "very satisfying" result for Wairarapa by coach Marion Tulloch.
The Body Fuel-sponsored side achieved most of their goals, including making it into the A grade which comprises the top 16 sides, improving their ranking and giving all 12 squad members the chance to develop their skills.
Tulloch said their effort to finish 13th of the 38 competing teams one place higher than the previous year was a tribute to hard work and determination and an excellent team spirit, both on and off the court.
Pool play on day one saw Wairarapa beat hosts Wanganui 21-12, Manawatu development 25-22 and Bay of Plenty development 24-10.
All three games were won with a strong final quarter despite the rain which caused difficulty with footwork and handling.
Player of the day awards went to Te Ata Phillips, Annemarie Wilder, Maria Hodges and goal attack Emily Simpson, who had 84 per cent accuracy for her shooting over the three games.
On day two Wairarapa suffered their only loss in pool play when they went down to Hamilton City A 15-31 but with their three earlier wins they were already assured of making the A section for the playoffs.
The next pool proved to be more challenging with Wairarapa going under to Counties-Manukau 10-21, eventual runners-up Christchurch 13-29 and Taranaki 16-27.
However, apart from a slowish start, their effort against Taranaki, in particular, was noteworthy as it represented a big improvement from their showing against them at a previous tournament,
The most impressive individuals on day two were Jesse Smith, Victoria Green, Jorja Bramley, Renee Cummings, and shooters Alana Strange and Tania Strange.
Now playing off for between 13th and 16th placings, Wairarapa dominated their opening game against Howick-Pakuranga from the start.
A high turnover rate by their opposition helped and after leading 13-6 at halftime Wairarapa won 27-8.
Wing attack Natasha Hill had a strong driving game.
Buoyed by this success, Wairarapa were in a confident frame of mind as they prepared to meet Gisborne in the battle for 13th position and after an even first half Wairarapa led by just one goal at the break.
It was in the third quarter where Wairarapa gained a handy break on Gisborne and they sustained the pressure in the final quarter to win 21-16.
Chanel Phillips, who played with consistency and commitment throughout, was the outstanding player of the tourney for Wairarapa and captain Jesse Smith was an inspiration as well.
Also impressive was the accuracy of shoot Alana Strange who averaged an 88 per cent accuracy over the last three games.