Year 7 girls from Mount Ridley College in Craigieburn dribbled their way into the spotlight, claiming the state school championship after a slam-dunk season.
After easing through the Mickleham division undefeated, the girls again pushed past other northern metropolitan schools without any trouble, setting themselves up for a date with the best in the state.
Competing in state-wide competitions is often difficult for schools from Melbourne’s north, so the teams coach Anthony Wadwell said he is extremely proud of the girls and the great year they’ve had on the court.
“Going through all levels undefeated was huge for us, and then we went on to win the state final against Catherine Macauley College from Bendigo by 25 points,” he said.
“The girls demonstrated everything we wanted from them, yes they’re good athletes, but they’re good people first.
“In the state level, you’re competing against schools from the south east, like Rowville and Berwick. They are the benchmark and we have huge respect for their programs, so to knock off Berwick in the semi final was massive.”
While they run out this year as state champions, Mr Wadwell has his sights on going one better in 2024.
“Next year we are looking to go to the Australian schools national championships to player in the under 15s tournament, so that’s really exciting.
“We are going in looking to offer something different from the north compared to the powerhouses.”
Gerald Lynch
