The much-anticipated Department of Youth Development and Sports Under-16 Netball Tournament got underway this Wednesday, with action split across two host venues across St. Lucia. Group A fixtures took center court at the Beausejour Gymnasium, while Group B contenders brought fast, physical competition to the Micoud Court, kicking off the tournament with a full slate of energetic opening matches. By the end of the opening day, four schools claimed their first wins of the competition: St Joseph’s Convent (SJC), Castries Comprehensive Secondary School (CCSS), Beanefield Comprehensive, and Choiseul Secondary.
The most eye-catching performance of the opening day came from St Joseph’s Convent, who delivered a dominant 31-6 blowout win over Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School (LHCSS), powered by a virtuoso shooting performance that left spectators impressed. Leading the charge for SJC was goal attack Xanaiia Emmanus, who brings valuable senior-level experience to the squad as a current member of her school’s Under-19 team. Emmanus showcased her poise and accuracy on Wednesday, sinking 25 of her 29 shot attempts, with just four misses total. She received solid support from goal shooters Brianna Komolafe, who converted 3 of her 4 attempts, and Laila Sylvester, who added 3 goals from 11 chances. For the outmatched LHCSS side, shooter Jeannae Philogene netted 4 of her 5 shots, and goal attack Alexi Phillip converted 2 of 3 attempts, accounting for all of the team’s scores on the day.
SJC set the tone for their victory from the first whistle, jumping out to a 6-1 lead by the end of the opening quarter. The team extended their advantage dramatically in the second period with an unanswered 10-0 scoring run, carrying a commanding 16-1 lead into the halftime break. LHCSS finally found their offensive rhythm in the third quarter, splitting the frame 4-4 to put their first points on the board in nearly two full quarters of play. But SJC quickly shut down any chance of a comeback in the final quarter, outscoring LHCSS 11-1 to close out the lopsided rout.
In the earlier Group A fixture at Beausejour Gymnasium, CCSS held Entrepot Secondary School to just two total goals en route to a comfortable 13-2 win. Luwandre Antoine led all scoring for CCSS, sinking 8 goals from 16 shot attempts, while goal shooter Valencia Seraphin added 5 goals from 12 chances. Entrepot Secondary’s only two goals came from goal shooter Jahnii Charlery, who converted both of her attempts on the day.
Over at the Micoud Court, the first Group B game delivered a tightly contested, competitive duel between Beanefield Comprehensive and Vieux Fort Comprehensive. Neither side was able to pull away decisively for much of the match, but Beanefield held their nerve down the stretch to secure a narrow 15-12 victory. Goal shooter Jerannie Marquis anchored the team’s attacking play in the scoring circle, finishing with 9 goals from 12 attempts, while Annia St Ange provided consistent secondary scoring with 6 goals from 10 chances. For Vieux Fort Comprehensive, Bernege Joseph notched 9 goals from 15 attempts, with Hailey Charles and Leasana Sadoo each adding 3 goals from 7 attempts to round out the losing effort’s scoring.
In the afternoon’s final Group B clash, Choiseul Secondary turned in a polished, disciplined performance to defeat host side Micoud Secondary 18-6, quieting the home crowd in the process. Malia Isidore led all scorers in the match, netting 12 goals from 17 attempts, while Kevlyn Fostin added 6 goals from 8 attempts to seal the win. Micoud Secondary’s goal attack finished the match with 6 goals from 15 attempts, marking the team’s total scoring in the opening day loss.