Netball NSW’s 50th State Age Championships have come and gone for 2018, and squads from the Hunter region have again proven their rising stock at the three-day tournament.
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The region’s crowning moment came in the 14U Championship division, as Newcastle’s team stormed to a bronze finish off the back of a 16-3 record.
One of their three defeats came in the opening match of the tournament, as they slipped to a 14-19 defeat to Liverpool City, the eventual age-group runners-up.
From there the junior Newcastle stars were nigh unstoppable, often hitting more than 20 goals in the short-format games as they piled on the points.
The rest of Newcastle’s squads performed well, with the 12U team keeping a positive record at 11-7-1 to run seventh, while the 15U team finished 13th with 7-11-1.
The 13U squad finished 7-10-2 in fourteenth place, one position below regional rivals Charlestown, who scored an 8-11 record in the Championship grade.
The deciding match came in the final round for both teams, as they faced off on Monday afternoon, with Charlestown’s 15-9 victory providing the difference on the standings.
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Charlestown’s 14U squad fared well in the second division, collecting a 9-7-1 record to finish 8th, while their 15U team levelled out at 13th with four wins and a draw across the three days.
The association’s 12U squad had a difficult time in the championship division after the 49th State Age tournament saw a promotion to the top grade. They finished with a 0-19 record in 20th place.
Lakeside’s best performance came in the 15U second division, as their stand-out squad charged to a 17 win and one loss tournament, lifting the crown in first place.
The association’s 12U squad ran 15th (6-12-1), their 14U squad finished 7th (10-7) and their 13U team followed a similar trajectory to Charlestown’s 12Us, placing 20th with a 0-19 record in the championship grade.
Westlakes also had major success in the 15U third division, bagging second place off a 14-3 haul. The association’s 14U team also claimed a silver haul in the second division, dropping just one game in their seventeen matches.
Their 12U team finished 5th in the thirds (10-5-1) and the 13U team placed 4th in a strong run through the second division (13-4).
Full records at 50th State Age Championships
12U Divisions
- Newcastle: 11 wins, 7 losses, 1 draw – finished 7th (championship)
- Charlestown: 19 losses – finished 20th (championship)
- Lakeside: 6 wins, 12 losses, 2 draws – finished 15th (championship
- Westlakes: 10 wins, 5 losses, 1 draw – finished 5th (third division)
13U Divisions
- Newcastle: 7 wins, 10 losses, 2 draws – finished 14th (championship)
- Charlestown: 8 wins, 11 losses – finished 13th (championship)
- Lakeside: 19 losses – finished 20th (championship)
- Westlakes: 13 wins, 4 losses – finished 4th (second division)
14U Divisions
- Newcastle: 16 wins, 3 losses – finished 3rd (championship)
- Charlestown: 9 wins, 7 losses, 1 draw – finished 8th (second division)
- Lakeside: 10 wins, 7 losses – finished 7th (second division)
- Westlakes: 16 wins, 1 loss – finished 2nd (second division)
15U Divisions
- Newcastle: 7 wins, 11 losses, 1 draw – finished 13th (championship)
- Charlestown: 4 wins, 13 losses, 1 draw – finished 13th (second division)
- Lakeside: 17 wins, 1 loss – finished 1st (second division)
- Westlakes: 14 wins, 3 losses – finished 2nd (third division)