Queen's dominate schoolgirls' netball awards

The Queen's School showed up like a colossus at the ISSA Digicel Schoolgirls' Netball Awards on Thursday, winning eleven of the top awards at the presentation ceremony held at the Terra Nova Hotel .

Shanice Beckford who represents Jamaica's Senior Sunshine Girls, made her only season at The Queen's School a memorable one by leading the team to urban and all-island titles. She copped the all island MVP award registering a 90 percent shooting accuracy.

"I put in a lot because I wanted to win (the) urban and all-island (titles)," Beckford said. "So I put in a lot of extra hours in shooting because I need to get the accuracy. I put in very long hours especially because I was doing both national and school training, so it was a lot," Beckford confided.

Urban senior MVP and Sunshine Girl Khadijah Williams, noted The Queen's School's success was a milestone in her netball career. "It was a tremendous performance. I didn't  expect anything less," Williams added. "I got what I wanted, (the) double (in my) final year, so I am grateful."

Marvette Anderson who was the backbone behind The Queen's double success, was awarded top urban coach. "It's an elated feeling. I am happy that I was, along with the girls, (able) to achieve this feeling, and I give God all the thanks."

Holmwood Technical High and Denbigh High shared the top rural honours with five awards each. Holmwood's Tracey-Ann Francis topped the island's shooters with 95 percent accuracy, while teammate Nicole Dixon took the rural senior MVP award.

Denbigh's Kelly Scott lifted the junior MVP award while Moya Manning was the top junior shooter with 92 percent accuracy.

For Netball Jamaica's President Marva Bernard, the awards function was indicative of the true netball  talent which abounds in Jamaica. "I am very encouraged, very very pleased. Because every Sunshine Girl ... have honed their skills in competitions like these, " Bernard said.

The Queen's School was winning both all-island titles in the same season for the first time in the school's history.