For the third time in a row, Mt Albert Grammar School are the national schools netball champions.
In Palmerston North this month, MAGS defeated St Margaret's College, Christchurch, 41-26 in the final. This was their seventh consecutive national final, a very consistent record for this top netball school. MAGS built on an 11-4 lead after the first quarter, goal shoot Maia Wilson sinking 28 from 30 attempts for 93 per cent and goal attack Chiara Semple 13 from 17. MAGS' midcourters, with some slick feeding into the shooting circle, made things easier for Wilson and Semple.
MAGS had racked up wins over Otago Girls' High (50-14), AGGS (44-19), Wellington East (45-24), St Kentigern (42-30) and St Mary's (46-32) during the week.
In other results for schools from the Auckland region, Auckland Girls' Grammar clinched third place with a 43-27 win over Wellington East Girls' College, Auckland champions St Kentigern had to settle for sixth, losing 35-32 to Manukura, St Mary's were seventh, beating Sacred Heart Girls' 32-20, Westlake GHS 11th after a narrow 32-31 win over Waimea College, and Avondale took 13th with a 45-36 win over Newlands College.
• Maia Wilson and Whangaparaoa College defender Michaela Sokolich-Beatson have won promotion to the New Zealand A netball side to face the senior England team. And Sokolich-Beatson will be joined by the MAGS duo of Holly Fowler and Chiara Semple in the New Zealand Under 21 tier of the national development squad.
