Mater Dei Catholic College players were convincing winners of the Foster Cup at the Jim Elphick Tennis Centre on Monday.
Mater Dei students Corey Toole, Jayden Toole, Mitch Foster, Elizabeth McIntosh, Katherine Harris and Laura Whiting lost just two games between them.
Just four schools participated, including Mater Dei, Wagga High, Kooringal and The Riverina Anglican College, in comparison to last year’s five, with Kildare Catholic College dropping out of the competition that does not qualify players for any further tournaments.
The structure of the competition changed accordingly, rather than playing a knockout, and then finals, players participated in a round robin competition, with each game contributing to the team’s tally.
Wagga High easily won the tournament last year, and were runners-up this time around.
Having lost Wagga tennis protege Kaitlin Staines to a school in Canberra which works alongside a tennis academy, for Australia’s elite junior players, Wagga High could not deliver the same results this year.
Staines was a key play-maker at last year’s Foster Cup, part of finals games where Wagga High overcame Mater Dei 39-19.
Her brother, Josh, showed flair at this year’s tournament. The Wagga High student won each of his singles events.
McIntosh, 14, won each of the nine games she played; singles, doubles and mixed against each school.
On a rigorous training regime, and having played a number of tournaments recently, McIntosh prepared well for the Foster Cup.
She enjoyed beating players who she lost against last year.
Being part of a team with school friends also appealed.
“It’s good to play with people you go to school with,” McIntosh said.
Foster Cup convener and Mater Dei coach Janelle Baggio was delighted with the attitude of all the players from the competing Wagga schools.
“What was most pleasing was the level of sportsmanship displayed, there wasn’t any disputes or controversy,” Baggio said.
The competition was played in the right spirit according to Baggio.
“They were having fun and laughing while they were competing.”
She was at pains to cut down the usual Mater Dei team of 10 players to six players for the Foster Cup.
“Tennis is really strong at Mater Dei,” Baggio said.
Foster Cup results
First: Mater Dei on 127
Second: Wagga High on 83
Third: TRAC on 72
Fourth: Kooringal High on 61
