THE Orange under 17s netball side has achieved their goals and earned a top 10 finish at the Netball NSW Championships.
Orange battled through a rainy final day at Penrith yesterday to claim 10th place in the under 17s division two competition.
Orange coach Cindy Gilchrist was thrilled with the team reaching its goal after a challenging three days.
“I’m stoked,” Gilchrist said.
“They’ve all just played out of their skin in the rain today. The girls gelled together as a team and played well.”
Orange played eight games on Monday recording wins against Taree (19-14), Young (18-9), Coffs Harbour (15-12) and Grafton (21-10).
They had a 14-all draw with Bathurst but a loss was a highlight for the players.
“We played the eventual winners, Lakeside, in our last game and we only lost by one goal (15-14),” Gilchrist explained.
“It was a great game and a great way to end the championship.”
The side had a great start on Saturday, winning their first seven games before losing their last two.
Sunday’s matches were tougher but the girls still recorded three wins to remain in the top 10.
“We were up there all weekend. It was an awesome effort,” the coach said.
The Orange side didn’t have the ideal preparation but came together well during the championships.
Gilchrist said there were a few reasons the side was successful.
“I think there were a lot of girls who played similar netball,” she said.
“Plus their friendship. They really strived for each other which made a world of difference.”
Gilchrist said Ellie Lawry shot superbly yesterday.
The side lost centre Charlotte Jasprizza on Saturday afternoon but the coach said Shannen Downer and Lucy Spicer stepped into the role and were just at strong as their injured teammate.
The Orange side played 24 games over three days.
