The Esperance Netball Association had fantastic results at the Great Southern Regional Championships held last weekend competing against the fellow Associations of Albany, Denmark, Kojonup, Katanning, Narrogin and Ongerup.
The ENA’s star studded Open team dominated the competition taking out the grand final at the Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre on Sunday.
Undefeated and facing the Narrogin team which they had earlier beat 84-42 in the final round match, the Esperance team were confident of a victory.
However, Esperance did not have it all their own way in the opening quarter, trailing ten goals to 13, but a five-goal run to close out the term saw them to a two-goal lead at quarter time.
ENA U12s, U13s, U16s, U14s (grand final winners), U20s, ENA junior teams and umpires. Photos: ENA.
Esperance controlled the contest from then on winning by an ever-increasing margin of 20 goals at the final whistle 68-48.
Sharpshooters Rani Hotker and Dannii Newton provided 31 and 22 goals respectively at goal attack as the experienced goal shooter Kodey Major scored 15 goals.
Touted as a team to watch before the Championships started, the Under 14s did not disappoint, going through undefeated in its Pool A matches before a semi-final win against Albany Green 36-11.
The team had the wood over of Katanning in the grand final leading from start to finish winning by 11, 37-26, Amelia Foo with impressive in front of goals with 28.
The Under 20s and Under 16s were runners-up for the Championships losing both to Albany Green in their respective grand finals, 26-33 and 22-36 as the 13s and 12s finished fourth and fifth in their Pools.
Members of the ENA also received awards for umpiring and coaching, including Kat Jennings who was awarded the All-Star Umpire of the Championship honor to go alongside receiving her National B Badge umpiring accreditation.
Jennings was also selected to umpire the Open grand final by the panel of umpiring selectors.
Joint coaches of the Under 16s Esperance team, Terri Tholstrup and Deb Hoffrichter were awarded the All-Star Coaches of the Championship.
Marlia Smartt and Astiana Beardsmore also received their National C Badges for the Association.
The Association were sponsored by Southern Ports, CPC Engineering Esperance/Ravensthorpe, Drake-Brockman Building and Construction, Esperance Ford, Goldfields Esperance Community Trust, IGO, LJS Mobile Engineering and Smith Shearer, whose support made attending the championships possible.
Netball returns locally this week for the second half of the season with the ‘Here if you need’ round which opens up the conversation around mental health.
