WEYMOUTH Junior Netball Club (WJNC) finished the season on a high at their annual presentation.

The last training session saw the girls from the club's High 5 and senior sections attend a fun and games morning followed by the handing out of the most improved player and player of the year awards.

The under-14 team and under-11 teams entered the Poole Junior League during the winter season, travelling to Talbot Heath School on Sunday mornings.

The under-12s had a number of wins and losses, finishing the season in mid-table.

Coach Kelly Browne said: “It was great to see players like Maisie Fowler, Jaimee Browne and Tia Chaloner demonstrating their ability and supporting players new to the competition.

“Particularly notable were the performances of High 5 player of the Year Evie Hambleton-White, who is in Year Five but played alongside her Year Six counterparts in this competition.

“As a result, she has been invited to move up to the club’s senior section a year early.”

The under-14s had a mixed bag of results playing in a joint under-16 and under-14 section.

Their finest performances came when they had to play three matches in one morning. A double-header against Verwood saw the girls lose the first match 14-11 but win the second 11-10.

The third game of the morning saw them go up against a young Poole Netball Club under-13 team.

In a tightly-contested match, WJNC built up an early three-goal lead but could not quite hold on with the game finishing 17-14 in Poole’s favour.

Coach Ali Holmes said: “The girls played well in all their matcheswhen they were up against older, more experienced opposition.”

The club’s team in the South West Dorset Netball League (SWDNL) had won promotion from Division Two to Division One for the winter season, with Jazz Franklin, Marnie McCombe and Nicola Powell all asked to step up.

Annalise Dive, Jess Pomeroy and Jodie Howell also joined the squad.

The team gelled well together and had some very close encounters, and were unlucky to lose a number of matches by only four or five goals.

At the end of the season, WJNC finished in seventh place, resulting in relegation back to Division Two.

As well as impressing on the court, a number of players from the club have attended umpiring courses and are now gaining experience through training matches with the intention of taking their beginner award tests later this year.

The club’s players and coaching staff also continue to be well represented in the England Netball Performance Pathway.

The Weymouth Satellite Academy included eight players from WJNC and two of the club’s coaches.

Assisting at satellite training was Leanne Holmes, who along with Franklin was a member of the Dorset County Academy for the season.

Both Holmes and Franklin were selected to attend the County Festival at Exeter University. As a result of her performance at the festival, Franklin was invited to attend regional screening and secured a place at the Bath Regional Academy.

Since continuing with county academy training, Holmes has now also now been selected for the Regional Academy.

Club chairman Browne added: “The club continues to go from strength to strength. We have high quality coaching staff and a supportive parent committee.

"It is pleasing to see the successes of the girls, both past and present, in gaining places on the England Netball Performance Pathway, but at the heart of the club is the enjoyment and development of the current members.”

Anyone wishing to join WJNC should visit southwestdorsetnetball.co.uk for more information.