2018 HNHS School Magazine HNHS Magazine 2018 | Page 79

Netball Junior Premier Team Back Row: Natalya Dender, Madeleine Pritchard, Amira Gardiner, Tia Gardiner, Madi Nelson, Zharnei Adams (Assistant Coach) Poppy Kelly, Belle Rainger, McKenzie Rowe (Captain), Jessica White, Rubie Rainger Front Row: Absent: Bridget Broadhurst (Coach) College played in testing conditions, all the girls were reminded how thankful we are to play indoors. had slipped through the cracks due to being in a challenging pool. Although we didn’t come away with the placing we had hoped for, it was still a very successful tournament with lots to work on for the next season. This feat then allowed us to compete for a position in the top four. With close games against Central Hawke’s Bay College, Wairoa College, Napier and Hastings Girls’ we were pushed the whole season, having to perform at a very high level. Highlights of the league included wins against Hastings Girls and Wairoa College and narrow losses to Napier Girls High School, where we continued to push the score margin the entire game. After beating Hastings Girls in our last round of top four pool play we were into the semi final. Unfortunately it wasn’t our game and we were overcome by a strong and consistent Hastings Girls High School side, leaving us in 3rd place. Of course this all would have not been possible without the incredible coaching, management and statisticians we had behind the team supporting us all the way. We would like to thank Jamie Richardson, Sue Brebner and Amanda Onekawa for their time, skills and passion for the game which saw the team run smoothly throughout the season. Jamie’s first year coaching Havelocks Senior A team was very successful and we can’t wait to see what’s to come in future years. Kapone our statistician kept us all accountable throughout the season and brought us much needed laughs after a tough game. Although in the same position as 2017, the team has had more solid and consistent performances throughout the season than previous years. This was credited to the great coaching by Jamie whose focus was on nailing the basics and executing the game plan. The team was determined to get a spot in the grand final, and although we fell short, we should still be proud of our incredible achievements this season. Each player brought something special to the side, on and off the court and as a whole resulted in our much improved team performance. It was the final season for a couple of players including Jemma, Kate and myself which brought a lot of emotion to our final game, having played together for five years. It has been an honour and experience to have played with these girls. The friendships that this team has created have been incredible and all the girls will share a bond through the countless trainings over the years and the hours spent late at night talking at tournaments. I wish both of them the best for their future endeavours. At the Lower North Island Tournament in Palmerston North we played some challenging pool play that saw us gunning for a position in the 16th to 32nd placings. We welcomed Mackenzie Rowe to the team who joined us for tournament. She brought some variation to our mid court. With the wind and rain proving challenging, we had to overcome some difficult conditions to get the ball down the court and into the hoop. After our failure to earn a spot in top 16, we played consistently against a mixture of teams, including some that It has been an honour to captain the side for the second year and after four years in the team starting off as a defensive player and then switching to goal shoot, it has made me appreciate the challenges of both roles. This season has been outstanding and I wish all the girls the best for their seasons to come. Imke Kitchin Senior A Netball Captain 79