A handful of Wagga’s finest young water polo players have taken on NSW’s best at the Under 18 State Championships.
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Kolby McMahon, Doug De Jong, Will De Jong and Rex Gallaher suited up for NSW Country Composite.
Despite not claiming a win, they improved noticeably as the tournament wore on, going down to ACU Cronulla Sharks 10-2 and UNSW Wests Magpies 16-1 early on, but finishing with a pair of near-wins against Sydney University (7-6) and Tamworth (10-9).
Team manager Brendan Shumack said he was proud of the local foursome.
“They did really well, especially teaming up with kids from all over country NSW they’d never played with before,” Shumack said.
Shumack said the competition would significantly benefit the local lads, saying the level of physicality and defensive pressure was an eye-opener for them in particular.
Meanwhile, Wagga’s Lauren Nugent and Sophie McLeod also competed at the state championships.
Nugent competed for Country Composite, while McLeod competed for Ovens and Murray outfit Barbarians.
Neither side made the medal rounds, but McLeod finished the tournament with a four-goal onslaught against the ACU Cronulla Sharks.