A SYDNEY girls school scored a world first after dominating the National School Teams Challenge at the Albury grasscourts.
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Wrapping up its title victory yesterday with just one dropped set for the entire competition, Meriden became the first school in the world to qualify a team for the International School Sports Federation World Schools Championship three times in a row.
“We’re very happy to go undefeated,” coach Ross Anton said.
“The girls have been working really hard and we dedicated the result to our teamwork, coaches and our families who give us time to be away from home.”
Meriden will kick off its summer campaign in Melbourne before training in the new year to prepare for the international championships in Qatar.
“To represent your country once is an honour,” Anton said.
“And three times at this level, and to be able to represent all school students in Australia, it’s an honour for Meriden.”
Claudia Furdi, Linda Huang and Amne Ghamraoui will represent Australian schools for the second time, having helped Meriden to third place last year.
“We had a fourth in France before that, so this time we’re really looking for a one/two finish — that’s our goal,” Anton said.
Anton said the team enjoyed coming to Albury.
“The biggest thing is how (national tennis secretary) John Ferguson and School Sport Australia support tennis and country tennis,” he said.
“We come back every year because it’s a great sport, but you make lifelong memories and those guys are the ones that make it happen.”
Brisbane Boys College won their division of the national challenge for the first time.
The college represented Australia in Poland in 2008 and previously finished second at the nationals.
“The boys are rapt, they’re very excited,” director of tennis Chris Rolph said.
“We knew a couple of years ago this was the team that could give it a good crack.
“We’d won the Great Public Schools’ Association in Brisbane and our state championship — our goal was always to come here and do well.
“Some of the guys on the team, it’s actually their fourth year so they knew what it was all about.
“We’ve been coming to Albury for a long time and we think it’s a great event.
“We’ve come second before so it was nice to get the win.”
Qatar will be another big challenge for the boys.
“It will be a highlight in most of their lives, something very special,” Rolph said.
