And they still managed to live up to those expectations.

The under 17s squad finished runners-up in their competition with a record of 15 wins, one draw and a loss, and were just a single point behind the champion Wagga Wagga side.

Bathurst inflicted the only loss of the tournament on Wagga but defeat against Lakeside would ultimately cost the girls in blue and gold the top prize.

The under 15s weren't far away from the top of the ladder in their title pursuit, returning home in fourth place.

Under 17s coach Trish Williams said there was plenty of praise for her team from all corners.

"We had a player end up with concussion and unfortunately we lost the next game by three but we regrouped. We did a lot of work on mental toughness and teambuilding and we were able to execute really well," she said.

"I took 12 players down because we had a couple of niggling injuries in the team and that paid off.

"We had great feedback from the other coaches, and when we beat Wagga - who were a fit and dynamic team - it was great catching up with their coach because she's the coach of Southern Academy. They said we executed really well.

"We had a game plan. We stuck to it. We didn't have to make many adjustments."

Bathurst's 17s got their tournament off to a great start with a 20-19 win over Lakeside and picked up big wins over Blacktown (26-20) and Inner Western Suburbs (19-15) later in the day.

Their 23-21 success over Wagga shot them to the top of the ladder and the overall win was still in their sights after a 23-all draw with Maitland.

Bathurst went down 18-15 in the following game to Lakeside but they would maintain a perfect run from that point on, winning their next eight matches.

The most entertaining of those victories came in a tough 24-22 win over major Central West rivals Orange.

"We worked hard on finishing off our games. When the last three minutes arrived we'd turn the motor up and push through," Williams said.

"It's a great result for the Central West and especially good for regional netball, with Wagga winning as well. It just shows that we're right up there with some of the best teams.

"I'm hoping that we'll continue to have a lot of players coming through the try out again for the 17s next year as well."

Meanwhile, the under 15s ended their competition with a record of nine wins, five losses and a draw.

Bathurst picked up a six game unbeaten run during the opening day's play and were able to finish their competition on a high after a tough stretch over the middle.

Some of the highlights for the Bathurst juniors included a 22-19 win over Nambucca Valley, a tough 20-all draw with Muswellbrook and a 16-14 win over Lismore.

Like their 17s counterparts, the Bathurst 15s also claimed a win over Orange, 23-14.

Wagga Wagga also claimed the spoils in the under 15s division two competition, winning 14 of their 15 matches.

Eastwood and Dubbo finished second and third, while Bathurst's win over Nambucca decided fourth place.

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