ALTHOUGH they came up narrowly short of their goal for top five finishes the Bathurst under 15s and 17s teams at the Netball NSW Senior State Titles could return home pleased with the way they handled the competition.
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Both squads knew they were in for a challenge in their respective division two campaigns but they Bathurst girls produced some of their best netball to produce memorable upsets.
Bathurst's under 15s finished in sixth thanks to their 11-5-1 record in the 18 team competition.
The association's under 17s were only one spot further back in their 20-strong field, finishing 12-6-1 and missing a top five result by just one more win.
Both Bathurst teams could boast big results from a busy campaign across three days of competition in Minto.
A highlight for Bathurst's under 17s was their crushing 24-13 win over eventual second place finishers Inner Western Suburbs.
The Bathurst under 15s pushed eventual champions Ballina to their limit in a 27-21 loss and they too had a win against the club who would eventually wind up in second, Illawarra District, in a thrilling 17-14 success.
Bathurst under 15s had a thrilling start over the first two days, which included a run of five games decided by three or less points.
They produced a six-game winning streak to put themselves within reach of a top four finish but two defeats and a draw kept them just shy of that goal.
The under 17s had a tough start with three losses from their opening five games but from there they began to build momentum.
They went undefeated through all but one of their Sunday contests, going down to Central West rivals Dubbo in their sole loss.
That successful run began after a tough defeat for Bathurst against their division's eventual winners Barellan and District.
Thrilling wins came the 17s' way against the Blue Mountains (16-15) and Baulkham Hills (17-16).
Meanwhile Bathurst's under 15s showed tenacity in close wins over Woy Woy (19-17) and Barellan and District (19-17)
The respective opens, under 17s and under 15s division one title winners were Newcastle, Penrith and Liverpool.