Champions Central Gauteng lead girls’ SA Schools selections
Central Gauteng‘s domination of the Schools Water Polo South Africa girls’ u19 Inter-Provincial Tournament was underlined when the South African Schools team, named at the conclusion of the event on Wednesday, included two players from the Central Gauteng B side.
While the Central Gauteng A side captured the title with a 12-10 win over a feisty Western Province outfit, Central Gauteng B came from behind to defeat KwaZulu-Natal 4-3 in a penalty shootout, after their playoff for third place had ended 5-5, to finish the tournament in a lofty third position.
Their Amy Smith and Jessica Black, both from St Mary’s Waverley, contributed crucial goals in the knockout stages and were named in the 15-player squad. The selections also included four players from St Stithians Girls’ College, who represented the Central Gauteng A squad: Charlotte Crick, Georgia Eccles, Jenna Penney, and Liyakhanya Ndamane.
Kara Wicht, and the Roedean duo of Michaela Bonaventura and Mia Loizides, who scored a cracking five in the final, were also, unsurprisingly, included in the side.
Crick received the Best Attacker Trophy after Western Province A had edged out Central Gauteng A in the u19 boys’ final, the last match of 421 played from u13 to u19 level, all in Gqeberha.
Ndamane, meanwhile, was recognised as the Best Goalkeeper, and Penney, who will be representing South Africa for a second year in a row, picked up the Player of the Tournament Trophy.
It wasn’t quite a clean sweep of the individual awards for Central Gauteng, with Hannah Banks, from the Western Province A side, being presented with the Best Attacker Trophy. Banks also topped the individual goal scoring charts, netting 33 times. She was joined in the SA Schools squad by her Reddam House teammate Emma Catto and Herschel‘s Morgan Christian.
KwaZulu-Natal landed Emma Thornton in the line-up, while Buffalo City‘s Tori Voke also cracked the nod, much to the delight of the home supporters.
Nelson Mandela Bay‘s standout player during the week, Kingswood College‘s Matipa Karimazondo, is also in the frame, and will add value on defence and attack to a side that is filled with experience. Karimazondo was influential for her side and ranked second in the tournament with 11 blocks.
Etienne le Roux, of the champion Central Gauteng A side, was named the coach of the team, while Western Province’s Nicola Barrett will manage the squad.
It will also be the last time Le Roux works with the Central Gauteng players as he’s due for a move to Rondebosch Boys’ High next year.
Lee-Anne Stewart and Matthew Stringer were appointed referees.
SA Schools Squad
Amy Smith (St Mary’s Waverley, Central Gauteng B), Charlotte Crick (St Stithians College, Central Gauteng A), Emma Catto (Reddam House, Western Province A), Emma Thornton (St Anne’s Diocesan College, KwaZulu-Natal), Georgia Eccles (St Stithians College, Central Gauteng A), Hannah Banks (Reddam House, Western Province A), Jenna Penney (St Stithians College, Central Gauteng A), Jessica Black (St Mary’s Waverley, Central Gauteng B), Kara Wicht (St Dominic’s, Central Gauteng A), Liyakhanya Ndamane (St Stithians College, Central Gauteng A), Mia Loizides (Roedean, Central Gauteng A), Michaela Bonaventura (Roedean, Central Gauteng A), Matipa Karimazondo (Kingswood College, Nelson Mandela Bay), Morgan Christian (Herschel, Western Province A), Tori Voke (Clarendon High School, Buffalo City)
