Netball hits the heights

9:07am Tuesday 6th May 2008

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Seven years after only having enough girls to form one team over two age groups, Bradford Grammar School have cleaned up at netball in the city.

They won all six titles - the first time one school has lifted the lot.

The victories came at under-12s under skipper Gaby Swanepoel, under-13s (Freya Armstrong), under-14s (Alex Smith), under-15s (Pippa Medley), under-16s (Tash Brayshaw) and seniors (Rose Lawton and Harriet Carter).

Caroline Stansfield, head of netball, said: "Netball here has gone from strength to strength and now we have over 80 girls representing us every weekend. Netball is on the up.

"There is a lot of young talent around. I feel very lucky that the girls at BGS are so committed to netball that they give up every Saturday during the season to represent the school."

Under-12 squad (beat South Craven in final at BGS): Sophie Green, Gaby Swanepoel, Izzy Holmes (all Menston), Anisha Kaur, Maya Bracknell-Watson (both Bradford), Eve Mannings (Horsforth), Alex Farrar (Birstall), Helena Casson (Rawdon), Libby Illingworth (Salterlee, Halifax), Izzy Blackhall (Rippon-den).

Under-13 squad (beat Parkside in final at TGGS): Robyn Vaughan, Freya Armstrong, Chloe Ramsden (all Ilkley), Danni Bennett (Low Moor), Giti Aishwarya (Leeds), Alex Rogawski (Halifax), Imogen Allan, Anoushka Rawlins (both Rawdon), Clare Mack (Hebden Bridge).

Under-14 squad (beat Ilkley GS in final at BGS): Alice Shaw, Annabel Hewitt, Eleanor Sugden (all Baildon), Sherri Rastegar, Anisah Rasul (Guiseley), Sophie Boyd (Cowling), Freya Hall (Keighley), Georgia Yeomans (Harrogate), Alex Smith (Harden).

Under-15 squad: Mary Chapman (Heaton), Josie Savry (Halifax), Ruth Taylor (Horsforth), Caroline Sharpe (Otley), Sophie Dereix (Ilkley), Pippa Medley (Nab Wood), Abigail Secker (Bingley), Grace Johnson (Guiseley).

Under-16 squad (beat TGGS at TGGS): Aiysha Puri (Nab Wood), Tash Brayshaw, Catrin Morgan (Ilkley), Victoria Barker, Becki Hamill (Bradford), Beth Garside, Robyn Savry (Halifax), Sarah Towne (Brighouse).

Senior squad (beat TGGS at TGGS): Charlotte Scott (East Morton), Claire Burke (Halifax), Rose Lawton (Steeton), Harriet Carter (Guiseley), Lucy Wellings (Menston), Katie Moore (Rawdon), Hilary Ranson (Horsforth), Foluke Onafowokan (Leeds), Olivia Milnes (Allerton), Safia Hussain (Calverley), Sam McLean (Ilkley), Alice Wadkin (Leeds).

* Natasha Brayshaw was only one cut away from making the England Under-17 squad after a trial at Bath University.