Saint’s host thrilling aquatics festival

St Stithians Girl’s College proudly hosted this year’s National Aquatics Festival from 14 to 16 February in Bryanston.

This event proved to be of great significance as the Girls’ College also celebrated its 25th anniversary.

The event takes place on an annual basis, alternating between inland and coastal schools. The festival comprised a swimming gala, water polo tournament and a diving competition. In 2018 and 2019, the Girls’ College became the first school in the history of the aquatics festival to win all three disciplines in the same year.

Natasha Panzer, this year’s organiser said the gala adopted the theme I love Aquatics. “Hearts and ribbons adorned the aquatics centre and the visiting schools were treated to a duet sung by Anastasia Gabriel [of St Stithians Girls’ College] and Jordan Carr [of St Stithians Boys’ College] during the opening ceremony,” she said.

The gala was closely contested between St Stithians and St Mary’s Waverley with St Stithians narrowly winning in the end.

The water polo tournament ran on Friday and Saturday with Clarendon High School for Girls and St Stithians Girls’ College qualifying for the final. The match was a nail-biting affair with Clarendon scoring a goal in the last second of the game for an 8–7 win.

The diving competition took place on Saturday morning and the standard was very high. St Mary’s School Waverley won the competition by a mere four points ahead of St Stithians.

“St Stithians College Aquatics Centre was the perfect facility to host a festival of this nature with competitors being able to support and compete in all of the disciplines at one venue. The festival was a huge success and showcased the high standard of aquatics at girls’ schools.”

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https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/239843/saints-water-polo-invitational-success-2/

https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/219513/st-stithians-girls-dominate-at-national-aquatics-tournament-for-second-year-in-a-row/