Fire’s Morgan, Jack-Hill grab top netball awards

NATIONAL netball stand-outs Ornella Jack-Hill and Simone Morgan were named on the senior all-star team for the 2019 Courts All Sectors Netball League (ASNL) Premiership Division, after both players helped Fire Service win an impressive six out of seven titles. The accolades were bestowed when the league held its awards on Saturday.

The event took place at the Eastern Regional Indoor Sports Arena, Tacarigua, with the distribution of awards bringing the nearly three-month-long densely packed competition to a conclusion.

No stranger to awards, Jack-Hill, who was named last year as the league's best defensive player, was awarded the best centre court for the 2019 season. Jack-Hill also won an award for having the best shooting average – 64.13 per cent. That average was just above the team average of 62.15 per cent.

While both Jack-Hill and Morgan were named in the all-star team, the latter was given the team MVP award for her performances in attack.

Ronald Phipps scored most of the Fire Services goals this season, but he nor any other male players received awards, despite their inclusion in the Premiership Division this year.

Phipps, Mogan, Jack-Hill and the other Fire Service players guided their team to yet another impressive trophy haul.

Fire won every match in the league, en route to their defence of the Premiership Division title. They also picked up the Opening Day Knockout, Divisional Knockout, Steve Sarjeant Challenge and Fast Five. Their only loss came to Police Youth Club in the final of the Courts Open Knockout competition.

Bermudez won a number of awards for their success in both the Championship and Alternative Divisions.

Led by Anteneille Charles, their MVP and the division's best centre court, and Makeda De Freitas, their leading scorer, Bermudez won the league trophy, Jean Pierre Challenge and the Divisional (Championship) Knockout. They were runners-up in the Opening Day Knockout.

Bermudez, in the Championship, also enjoyed a better shooting average than even Fire in the Premiership, with 70.82 per cent. That was largely attributed to De Freitas, named in the junior all-star, who scored an average of 80.67 per cent of her attempts. Chantael Perry McEwen took the best defending court award and was named on the junior all-star team.

In the Alternative Division, MIC Tigers won the Opening Day Knock-out and league trophy. TT Post's Tricia Patron took the award for best centre court, while Tamiah Hernandez took the best defending court title in the division.

All-Star teams:

Senior – Onella Jack Hill, Aquila Blugh, Jesselle Navarro, Simone Morgan, Rhonda John Davis, Candice Guerero, Thema Moses, Ayana Russell, Crystal Ann George, Shaquanda Green, Kielle Connelly and Leah Kintiba.

Junior – Makeda DeFreitas, Kanika Paul Payne, Reeka Seerattan, Kerneisha Greenidge, Kerressa Scott, Anteneille Charles, Melissa Stephenson, Jerine Noel, Chantael Perry McEwen, Camille Alexis, Tamika Hoyce and Anabella Augustine.

Team MVPs

Premiership Division – Crystal Ann George (Defence Force), Simone Morgan (Fire), Ayana Russell (Las Lomas), Stacy Pilgim (Police), Kielle Connelly (PYC), Thema Moses (UTC).

Championship Division – Anteneille Charles (Bermudez), Annabella Augustine (Defence Force), Kerressa Scott (Jabloteh), Camille Alexis (Miscellaneous), Chantel Perry-McEwen (TSTT).

Alternative Division – Nakaliah Daniel (Bermudez), Michelle White (Defence Force), Dawn Dennie (Jabloteh), Traciel Kadoo (Las Lomas), Kylar Rocke (MIC), Jerine Noel (PYC), Tricia Patron (TT Post), Michelle Williams (USC), Akeima Estrada (UWI X) Sherise Richards (UWI Y).