Mixed Netball By Alec Gibson (2009)
college act i v it ies
Trinity’s Mixed Netball side has had a fantastic year, suffering only a single defeat in sixteen League matches, rocketing us up the tables in an unbelievable double promotion to the top division. Having accepted captaincy of a top division Mixed side, and watching it slowly trickle down the League tables to the third division, my hopes were not particularly high for this year. How wrong I was. The fabled return of 1sts captain Lucy Peacock, combined with a huge burst of dedication from players new and old, meant that for once we were fielding a consistently large and energetic squad week on week. The team gelled instantly at the beginning of the year, and once the wins started coming, they kept coming. We lost only one match in Michaelmas, to the Vets, who were undefeated for the term. Fortunately, the top two teams were promoted, so we made it up to the second division for the Lent League. We really hit our stride in Lent, and – despite harder opponents and drearier weather – emphatically won all eight League matches. Particular highlights included beating the Vets in a dramatic grudge match; thrashing our rivals at St. John’s by an embarrassing margin; and also convincingly beating our sister college from Oxford, Christ Church, on Varsity Day. Our performance at Cuppers was a little disappointing. An uncharacteristically low turnout meant that we lost one of our group matches, which kept us from making it through to the knockout stage. However, we lost against Corpus, who then went on to win the entire tournament. Our outstanding play over the rest of the year means that – although starting the year in third division – we are finishing at the top of the second division, to be promoted to first division next Michaelmas. Colours are awarded to Marcus Clover for his impenetrable defence and Stefano Novello for his unfailing shooting ability. In previous years, I have had to come up with a heart-felt spiel about how much fun it was to play with everyone on the Mixed side despite our continuous losses. This year, we have only a single loss to speak of, but I still feel compelled to congratulate the team on remaining one of the most fun and enthusiastic groups I have had the pleasure of playing with. Mixed matches were truly the highlight of my weekend, and will be something I shall sorely miss. I wish you all the best next year in the top division, right where you belong.
T R I N I T Y A N N UA L R ECOR D 2013 82