While most of the region’s interleague teams struggled at the weekend, the Wimmera Netball Association’s juniors shone at the northern zone tournament at Bendigo on Sunday.
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The WNA won the 13-and-under and 15-and-under titles to advance to the 2018 Association Championships finals in Melbourne next month.
Associations from all across the northern part of Victoria competed in the nine-round, eight-minute half competition.
The Wimmera 13-and-under side, featuring Stawell’s Elise Bibby and Kirby Clayton as well as Ararat’s Philippa Bush lost just one round-robin match to advance to the finals.
They had a hard fought win over Sunraysia before defeating Bendigo-Strathdale 16-12 in the grand final.
The 15-and-under Wimmera side followed a similar path, losing two of their nine round matches before beating Echuca in a tight semi-final.
The team featuring Stawell’s Dakota Cosson, Molly Orr and Madi Taylor and Ararat’s Racquel Scott was able to defeat Sunraysia 18-14 in the grand final.
The 17-and-under team with Stawell’s Jade Allen, Kasey Mornane and Ararat’s Delaney McLoughlan was not without success, reaching the semi finals before going down 20-3 against Sunraysia.
Stawell A Grade coach Kelly Cosson said it is great to see the Wimmera have such great success at a regional level.
“It is a great experience for all of the girls that get a chance to play,” she said.
“The girls learn a lot because they have to be able to adjust and think on their feet against different opponents.”
Under-15s co-coach and former association president Donna McKenzie said it was a fantastic effort to have two sides win their championships.
“It’s an awesome effort and now those two sides will go down to Melbourne,” she said.
“They were all ecstatic to get the win. It was very well done by everyone. They were very exhausted by the end.”
McKenzie said this was the first time two Wimmera Netball Association junior teams had won through to the Association Championships.
“A couple of juniors teams have won through in the past to the finals, but we have never had two teams win their zone championships and go to Melbourne at the same time,” she said.
“It shows we are getting stronger as an association. For most of them the tournament in Melbourne will be the highest standard they have played at before.”
