St Marcellin: They're small but mighty

NETBALL HEAVYWEIGHTS: The St Marcellin Senior A girls (back, from left) Dharma Jurgens, Rebecca Tamati, Montel Aki, Talitua Leo, Daisha Cromarty, and (front) Keilani Tyrell and Kiana Millar, won their division on Saturday. PHOTO/SUPPLIED ST-MARCELLIN-SNR-A

St Marcellin School are punching well above their weight on the Wanganui netball courts.

With just 105 Year 1-8 students, the sporting pool is shallow and the netball coaching staff can barely field the minimum seven players in each of their three teams in the local competition.

Despite the numbers, St Marcellin are well up the leader board in each grade.

Sports co-ordinator Fiona Bryant, who coaches both intermediate teams, said the St Marcellin Senior A team won the final last Saturday, edging out Wanganui Intermediate 8A 25-23 at Laird Park.

"This is a massive accomplishment, considering we do not have the luxury of running trials and selecting the best players. We just had the bare seven girls for each of our teams," Bryant said yesterday.

"We have three netball teams - a primary Year 5-6 side that also won their finals and two Year 7-8 teams, an A and B team. The B team came fourth in their grade but won their Open Day grade.

"And out of our A team, we had four girls who also represented Wanganui in the Year 7 and 8 age group teams. That's also a huge achievement."

Not only did the girls take out the intermediate grade but they also won the trophy for highest goal average.

"This trophy has not been won by St Marcellin since 1984. It is finally back. I am very proud of all the girls this season. So proud I decided that the girls should have the opportunity to test their skills against other teams from around New Zealand.

"I have entered them into the Global Games Junior Netball Festival in Taupo this weekend. This will be an amazing experience that no other school from this district will enjoy.

"St Marcellin is not only the best at netball, but nearly all sports we enter we do well at. We had four touch teams in competition this year - Year 1-2, Year 3-4, Year 5-6 and a Year 7-8 mixed side and all four grades won their division," Bryant said.

"St Marcellin is a great sporting school and have produced some outstanding athletes over the years, including New Zealand Maori touch players, New Zealand Netball Talent ID Squad, Hurricanes Development squads, cricket and rowing."