St Lucia schools netball: leaders extend perfect starts in Under-19 tournament

The leading sides in Saint Lucia's Under-19 Schools Netball Tournament have kept their unbeaten records intact, with St Joseph's Convent, the Saint Lucia Sports Academy, Sir Arthur Lewis Community College and defending champions Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School all emerging victorious as the second round came to a close on Monday.

As reported by St. Lucia Times, six matches were played across two venues to complete the round, and none of the teams that won on opening day slipped up, setting up an intriguing picture at the top of both groups as the competition moves into its third set of fixtures.

At the Beausejour Gymnasium, St Joseph's Convent strengthened their grip on first place in Group A with a comfortable 43-8 victory over Babonneau Secondary School. Goal shooter Iyana Williams was in excellent form, finding the target on 31 of her 37 attempts, while goal attack Xanaiia Emmanus added 12 goals from 17 tries. Babonneau's response came through Amia Jn Marie and Samara Edward, who each landed four of their six attempts.

The same venue later hosted the day's most eagerly awaited contest, a meeting between two sides who had both opened their campaigns with wins. Second-placed Saint Lucia Sports Academy proved too strong for third-placed Sir Ira Simmons Secondary School, running out 24-7 winners. Isabella Emelienne, playing at goal attack, converted 17 of 25 attempts, and goal shoot Cathy Lucien added seven from nine. Valencia Joseph top scored for Sir Ira Simmons with four goals from eight, and Jazan Wilie contributed three from five.

Over at the Micoud Multipurpose Court, Group B pace-setters Sir Arthur Lewis Community College produced the biggest scoreline of the round, overwhelming Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School 53-6. Niaja Ferdinand led the way with 24 goals from 27 attempts, well supported by Neanna Francois, who converted 22 of 31. For Leon Hess, Onyeka Enebeli landed three of five and Destiny Edward three of seven.

The defending champions also made it two wins from two. Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School beat Choiseul Secondary School 30-18, with Deriscia Mitchell scoring 24 from 38 attempts and Bernege Joseph adding five from nine. Choiseul fought back through Malia Isidore, who converted 15 of 20, and Adana Maximin, who managed three from ten.

There was an upset elsewhere in Group B, where Soufriere Comprehensive recovered from their opening defeat to hand previously unbeaten Beanefield Comprehensive a heavy 43-19 loss. Back at Beausejour, Castries Comprehensive finally got off the mark, recording their first victory of the tournament by beating Entrepot Secondary School 28-4.

Netball occupies a central place in sport in Saint Lucia, sitting alongside football as one of the games most widely played on the island, and the schools tournament is where many of the national team players of tomorrow first catch the eye. Visitors who time their trip around the school term often find that a match at a venue such as the Beausejour Gymnasium offers a genuinely local sporting occasion, and hotel staff will generally help guests track down fixtures worth watching.

The college leading Group B carries a name with deep resonance on the island. Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, based in Castries and established in 1985, is the country's main tertiary institution, named after the Castries-born economist who shared the 1979 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his pioneering work on the economics of developing nations. The tournament itself reflects the island's school system, in which education is free and compulsory for children aged five to fifteen, with secondary students preparing for regional Caribbean Examinations Council qualifications.

For travellers, the competition is a reminder of how much everyday life on the island unfolds beyond the beaches in St Lucia and the resorts along the coast. Those booking holidays to St Lucia during the school year will find school sport running alongside the bigger calendar of events, and families planning family holidays in St Lucia often enjoy the chance to see young athletes compete in surroundings far removed from a commercial stadium.

Getting there for a mid-term visit is straightforward, with direct flights to St Lucia operating from the UK through the winter season, which many consider the best time to visit St Lucia for sport and sunshine alike. Visitors staying in hotels in St Lucia near Castries or Gros Islet are well placed for Beausejour, while the southern venues around Vieux Fort and Micoud suit those based closer to the airport end of the island.

What happens next is round three. St Joseph's Convent and Sir Arthur Lewis Community College sit top of their respective groups with maximum points, the Saint Lucia Sports Academy and Vieux Fort Comprehensive are in pursuit, and Sir Ira Simmons, Babonneau, Choiseul, Soufriere, Beanefield, Castries Comprehensive, Entrepot and Leon Hess will all be looking to regroup. On current form, the group leaders look difficult to displace, but with the leading sides still to face one another, the standings could yet change before the tournament reaches its business end.