Kearsney College’s U15A water polo team made history by becoming the first KZN school to win the Ian Melliar U15 Water Polo Tournament in its 20-year history, reports Highway Mail.

Hosted annually by Wynberg Boys’ High School in Cape Town, the tournament attracts some of the country’s leading U15 water polo teams.

Displaying outstanding performances and resilience in two penalty shoot-outs, Kearsney faced a demanding weekend of high-level competition, against 20 of the strongest school water polo teams.

The tournament got off to a challenging start for Kearsney.

After an early flight to Cape Town, the team had just an hour after landing before taking to the pool against Rondebosch Boys’ High.

Despite the difficult circumstances, Kearsney fought to an 11-11 draw, with the match going straight to a sudden-death penalty shootout. Kearsney lost 1-0 on penalties. The team won their next three matches against St John’s (7-4), SACS (7-5) and Grey High (10-4).

Finishing second in their group meant Kearsney took the longer route to the quarter-finals, facing St David’s in a crossover match. Kearsney won 7-4 to book their place in the quarter-finals.

In the quarter-final against St Stithians they trailed for much of the match and were 9-7 down with two minutes remaining. The team fought back to 9-9 and forced another penalty shoot-out.

This time, Kearsney won the shoot-out.

In the semis, Kearsney faced one of the tournament favourites, Bishops. The team produced an exceptional opening quarter, racing into a 6-1 lead.

Despite Bishops’ efforts to fight their way back into the contest, Kearsney controlled the remainder of the match and secured an impressive 15-9 victory to earn a place in the final.

The final saw Kearsney take on hosts Wynberg Boys’ High, with the home crowd firmly behind the Cape Town side.

Kearsney once again demonstrated their ability to perform under pressure, establishing a 4-1 lead by the end of the first quarter. The team continued to control the match throughout, with Wynberg unable to close the deficit.

Kearsney eventually secured a 12-6 victory to claim the title.

Kearsney’s success was also reflected in three individual awards: Cai Terblanche was awarded Most Valuable Player of the Tournament; whilst Kai and Blake Gaines were selected for the Tournament Team.

Tournament results

Pool games:

• Kearsney lost to Rondebosch 1–0 on penalties
• Kearsney beat St John’s 7–4
• Kearsney beat SACS 7–5
• Kearsney beat Grey High 10–4
• Kearsney beat St David’s 7–4 in a crossover match
• Quarter-final: Kearsney beat St Stithians 1–0 on penalties
• Semi-final: Kearsney beat Bishops 15–9
• Final: Kearsney beat Wynberg 12–6

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