Bristol Metropolitan Academy’s under 16 girls basketball team is officially second best in the country.
With more than 40 Bristol Met students in the crowd for support, the 12-girl squad fiercely fought in a very tight final, before being narrowly beaten by Trinity High School in the Dynamik National Schools Competition 48-78. The girls battled bravely and tirelessly but it wasn’t to be on this occasion.
It had been no mean feat getting to the final, with 25-30 teams in the competition. The girls worked exceptionally hard in preparing for the contest, training three times a week, both in and out of the academy.
Hannah Wallace, PE teacher and team coach, said, “I feel proud of the girls for reaching the National Finals for the second year in a row. After winning the U14 competition last year, we went into the U16 league a year young (or in the case of Esma Missaoui, three years young!) and it was always going to be a tough ask to win back-to-back championships.
“Being one of the last two teams in the country was a huge success in itself and gave our students an amazing opportunity to play on the home court of British basketball. The final was a tough match up for us, with the opposition getting an early lead and some of our key players getting into foul trouble.
“Angel Whyte was the standout player for Met, scoring 21 points and demonstrating an outstanding mentality and resilience throughout the game.
“We will look to go again next year and hope to claim back the national title. Thank you to the staff at Bristol Met, especially the PE department, without whom it would not have been possible to reach the final.”