Jamaica sweep bulk of netball awards

Guyana voted most disciplined team

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Jean Pierre Trophy winners Jamaica collected the bulk of the team awards as the Caribbean Netball Association’s Under-16 championship ended Wednesday night at the Leila Robinson Courts.

After sweeping championship honours with a 6-0 record, the Jamaicans added four other category honours at the awards ceremony.

The Jamaicans picked up honours for the team with the best goal average; best defence; best team on parade and they also won the team shooting award as they celebrated their eighth crown in nine appearances at the regional junior tournament.

Jamaica wrapped up their unblemished record in their 2009 campaign with a 45-15 victory over Trinidad and Tobago Wednesday night and reaffirmed their status as the regional netball powerhouse.

They are also reigning regional senior champions and have won every CNA Junior tournament they have contested with the exception of 2005.

Jamaica’s only defeat in the history of the CNA U16 tournament came in 2005 when Barbados defeated them and went on to capture the title.

Tournament runners-up Barbados claimed the best team spirit and most accurate shooting team awards, while other prizes went Trinidad and Tobago, the best uniformed team, Guyana, most disciplined, and Dominica, most improved.

The Guyanese, beaten in all six of their games, received a special incentive award.
Jamaican attacking player Deneen Taylor was tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP) while other individual awards went to Barbadian Shannon Hackett, the highest individual scorer, and Cayman’s Liana Benjamin, the most accurate shooter.

MVP awards for each of the teams went to Taylor, for Jamaica, Rashshill Edwards (Barbados), Rosemarie Wilson (Cayman), Shonette Estwick (Guyana), Markerah George (Dominica), Amber Ambrose (St Lucia) and Samantha Wallace (T&T).

Barbadian Sade-Mariah Greenidge and Joann Anderson (St Lucia) claimed the young achievers’ award and Guyana’s 12-year-old Simonica Fanfair took the presidents’ award.