Fourth place a 'good result'

CRAIG SIMCOX / The Dominion Post

NEW CHAPTER: Gina Crampton is off to study physical education at Otago University next year.

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Wellington Girls' captain Gina Crampton is happy to sign off her schoolgirl netballing days as part of the fourth best team in the country.

Crampton led Wellington Girls' through to the play-offs in Timaru last week at the national secondary schools' finals.

Wellington began the week in brilliant fashion with a 45-28 win over well-fancied Auckland Girls' Grammar last Tuesday. Wellington remained undefeated against Marian College (Christchurch) and Westlake Girls' High School (Auckland), until Palmerston North Girls' High School got the better of Wellington by two goals last Wednesday.

Wellington then played Auckland's Mt Albert Grammar to book a place in the final.

Wellington suffered their only convincing loss in the 44-28 defeat at the hands of the talented and imposing Mt Albert team.

Wellington then qualified for the play-off for third against dogged Palmerston North.

Crampton said the 38-36 loss to Palmerston North in extra time on Saturday came down to just one errant turnover during the two five-minute quarters tagged on to the game.

"I think it was a really good result," Crampton said. "I think we could have made third, but fourth in the nation is still pretty good."

Crampton rated the competition at this year's tournament as a step-up from last season. Her side was more confident in their second appearance at the prestigious finals.

"I think we felt we deserved to be there more this year," she said.

Crampton joined the senior A as a year 9 pupil.

Last year she helped the team qualify at the lower North Island tournament for their first trip in years to the exclusive 12-team nationals.

She is one of three school-leavers in the Wellington side but feels they have the depth to compete strongly next season.

Rosie Kirkpatrick and Kathryn Williams also leave school this year, but national under-21 representative, Emma Weenink, has another year.

"I don't think it's going to be too much of a setback because we do have really good people that were on the bench this year and they're all going to be there next year," Crampton said.

"A few of them are quite young so I think they'll keep going for years to come,"

Next year Crampton plans to study physical education at Otago University.

This year she played representative netball for the Wellington senior B team and Wellington under-19 side and will continue to play in Dunedin.

Thorndon's St Mary's College justified their trip to the finals by winning their play-off for seventh, 39-33, on Saturday against St Peter's College.

St Mary's had not qualified for the national finals in more than a decade and kept New Plymouth Girls' High School out of the running this year.

Palmerston North's Tu Toa, coached by Pulse coach Yvette McCausland-Durie, won the national schools title beating Mt Albert 34-33 in the final.

- © Fairfax NZ News