TRIPLE National Aquatic Champions
National Aquatics Festival 2018
The Winning Team.
BACK L-R: Mr Pierre le Roux, Tatum Lomax, Emma Wallis, Olivia Sim, Jordan Wedderburn, Natasha Finger, Camryn Fenthum, Jade Miller, Kate Hinrichs, Holly Joubert, Una Donnelly, Emma Tarr, Jennifer Everett.
MIDDLE L-R: Bailey Davenport, Tyla Panzera, Tammy Hirst, Becky Wallis, Joelle Lamprecht, Rae Atteridge, Gina Miller, Nina Madden, Laura Gilardi, Natasja Troskie, Abigail Sooku, Nicolle Cronje, Alexia Galatis, Zanne Smit, Leigh Hudson, Mrs Nicky White.
FRONT L-R: Mrs Panzera, Kamohelo Jili, Dakota Tucker, Gabriella Moll, Nkazi Matyolo, Samantha Kirk,Hannah Loughlor-Clarke, Cayleigh de Sousa (Swimming Captain), Leila Fernandes (Water Polo Captain), Lauren Vos (Diving Captain), Grace Hudson, Madeline Clifton, Kerri-lee Hitge, Danica van Jaarsveld, Bailey Heydra, Dr Sally James.
St Stithians Girls’ College travelled to Bloemfontein for the 2018 National Aquatics Festival which was hosted by Eunice High School on 26th and 27th January 2018. The swimming and water polo competitions were held at the Stadium Swimming Pool and the diving competition was held at C & N Meisieskool Oranje. The festival opened on Friday the 26th with a spectacular ceremony where environmentally-friendly balloons were released by all swimmers and coaches after the National Anthem was sung.
St Stithians Girls’ College performed superbly in the swimming gala finishing in the top 3 positions in 23 of the 30 events. St Stithians went on to win the gala, beating second-placed Oranje Meisies by a convincing 35 points. Third place went to Our Lady of Fatima, fourth was Durban Girls’ College, fifth was St Mary’s Waverley, sixth Clarendon, seventh Eunice, eighth Durban Girls’ High, ninth St Mary’s Kloof and tenth Pretoria Girls’ High.
Saints receive the trophy for winning the swimming gala.
The water polo competition began after the completion of the gala. St Stithians beat Clarendon 5-1 and Durban Girls’ High 10-2 in the group stages.
On Saturday the 27th January, the waterpolo continued and the diving competition began. The water polo girls beat St Mary’s Waverley in the semi-final 8-1 and then went on to play Durban Girls’ College in a nail-biting final, which Saints managed to clinch 5-4.
The final results for the water polo were as follows:
- Semi finals: DGC vs Clarendon 8-2 & St Stithians vs St Mary’s Waverley 8-1
- 3rd and 4th: St Mary’s vs Clarendon 8-2
- Finals: St Stithians vs Durban Girls’ College – 5-4
Champions celebrating their win.
Meanwhile, the Girls’ College divers were competing at C & N Meisieskool Oranje. They also performed superbly with the following results:
U15: 14th Place: Kamohelo Jili
3rd Place: Nkazimlo Matyolo
1st Place: Bailey Davenport
U16: 15th Place: Lauren Vos
4th Place: Holly Joubert
3rd Place: Becky Wallis
Open: 3rd Place: Rae Attridge
2nd Place: Leigh Hudson
1st Place: Bailey Heydra
Overall positions: 3rd Place: PHSG (49 points)
2nd Place: St Mary's, Waverley (95 points)
1st Place: St Stithians (117 points)
Diving stars.
St Stithians Girls’ College made history by winning all three disciplines of the National Aquatics 2018 Festival. No other school in the history of the festival has managed to win all three disciplines in the same year.
