PRIDE – there is no other word to describe the feeling I had when leaving the Ellis Park swimming pool after the completion of the Premier inter-high gala. Our B team swam at the A gala on Thursday 9 March and came away victorious, beating nine other teams to take this honour. I thought it worth noting that the St Andrew’s B team ended in sixth position and St Stithians, which is the new powerhouse, did not enter a B team. The effort and quality of the performance from our B team was superb.

The Premier gala on Saturday 11 March became a nail-biting affair as we fought valiantly to keep St Stithians in our sights and, with three races to go, we were a mere two points behind them. Despite maximum effort from all concerned, we finished 7 points adrift but 37½ points ahead of St Andrew’s, which has dominated the swimming scene for the past decade.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the heads of spirit, the spirit squad and all the supporters for the phenomenal support they showed at both galas. “You move like this …” I mentioned this noteworthy point in my short address at the Summer Sports dinner: in the first term sports of basketball, diving, equestrian, rowing, squash, swimming, tennis and water polo. We have been first or second in virtually every event. It is quite phenomenal that this is achieved with no sports bursaries. I salute the sustained excellence of St Mary’s girls.

Quix Head of sport