Queen Anne’s School U19A team have carried home the title at the National Schools Lacrosse Tournament
Queen Anne’s School (QAS), the girls’ day and boarding school in Caversham, Reading, is celebrating sporting triumph after its U19A lacrosse team were crowned national champions at the National Schools Lacrosse Tournament.
In a weekend of competition hosted at the Aldershot Garrison Sports Fields, Queen Anne’s took along five teams to compete in a tough competition. The U19As fought through a fiercely contested two-days of competition in the championship division to secure the title for the first time in nearly 30 years, the win being secured after a 3-2 victory over St Catherine’s, Bramley in the final.
In the pool stages, QAS secured four wins out of five to qualify for the championship round. Then the team faced setbacks, with two narrow defeats against Godolphin and Guildford High in the seeding groups for the championship knock-out on Sunday. The team’s journey gained momentum with a 3-2 victory over St Albans in the last 16, followed by a 5-4 quarter-final win against Withington Girls’. In the semi-final, composure shone through, as the team countered the earlier loss against Guildford High with a 2-1 victory.
The final against St Catherine’s, Bramley was a showcase of skill and tenacity. Queen Anne’s girls struck first, only for their opponents to equalise. Undeterred, the team responded immediately to regain the lead before extending it to two goals in the closing minutes. St Catherine’s fought back gamely to set up a tense final few minutes.
QAS sent five teams to this year’s tournament and the whole squad showed strength, with the U19B team winning 5-1 against North London Collegiate and 3-1 against Marlborough College, making it to the semi-finals in Division 2. The U15A team were placed in the top 16 schools, winning 3-2 against Haberdasher’s Elstree and the U14As finished 5th, winning 4-2 against Withington Girls’. The U13 team, taking on its first big tournament outing, won three matches to finish in the top 16 schools.
“The girls dug deep and prepared really well. They took the competition in their stride and just got better and better,” says Head Coach, Nick Blackwell, speaking of the championship achievement. Head of Queen Anne’s School Elaine Purves says: “Our A and B teams both fought so hard and were absolute superstars. There was unwavering support from parents, staff and students, whose encouragement provided an invaluable boost throughout the tournament – it was a very emotional day. The atmosphere was amazing and the U19A team’s win as national champions reflects their hard work and dedication”.
Captains Mary Briscoe and Lara Moore guided their squad through the highs and lows of the competition, “We lost three matches throughout the weekend, but I truly believe that we learned and adapted from our mistakes in those matches, which led us to victory overall,” says Mary Briscoe. Lara, in her final year at QAS, says: “Every ounce of hard work, sacrifice and trust we put into each other paid off in the best way possible. We couldn’t have asked for a better coach, Mr Blackwell, for continually driving us to be the best we can be all throughout the season. Leading this team has been an honour”,
Queen Anne’s School qas.org.uk
Further reading: Hanford pupil’s grand performance
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