THE 11th Inter School's Table Tennis Competition was played last week at the Hyndburn Regional Table Tennis Centre.
The East Lancashire Table Tennis league had halted it's main league programme for the week to accommodate the event. The competition brought together those teams representing the Under-13's (Years Seven and Eight) age group.
Three teams from the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School represented Blackburn, four teams from St Christopher's High School represented Accrington and two teams from St Augustine's, Billington represented the Ribble Valley. The teams played off in groups with the Group Winners and Runners up contesting the quarter finals.
In the opening section QEGS A team won their way to the semi-final stages by beating St Augustine's B and the St Christopher's D team of Emily Greaves, Charlotte Hartley, and Sara Neilds. A semi-final victory over St Christopher's A team of Liam Garigan, Mathew Law and Lee Kenyon put them through to the finals. QEGS B met and beat the St. Augustines A team and St Christopher's C team of Mathew Dornan, Connor Seed and Danielle Wake. Finally a victory against the St Augustine's A team put them through to the final play off. Queen Elizabeth Grammar School then saw off the challenge from the St Christopher's A and B teams thus winning the right to meet their fellow students in a three way final play off.
Tuesday saw the under 14's (Year 9) play off. Bowland's represented the Ribble Valley, Rossendale had a team from Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School, QEGS again represented Blackburn. Mount Carmel's team was Chris Abbott, Aaron Beetham and James Thomas. St Christopher's provided two teams, Stephen Bear Mathew Mason and Paul Rothery in the A team and in the B team Tim Mason, Mathew Lovell and Frazer Hopwood. The matches were played on a Round Robin Basis where all the teams play one another in a group system. The final was contested between Queen Elizabeth Grammar and Bowland High.
Wednesday saw the under 15's (Year 10) play off. This was a three way play off where the QEGS side were victorious over St. Christopher's A team of Stephen McFadden , Mathew Jesson and Paul Brierley, with another team from St Christopher's Daniele Bowes, Kate Halley and Natalie Brierley in third place.
The Under 16's (Year 11) event followed but despite St Christpher having strong representation in three teams with Mark Crossley, Anthony Bailey and Aidan Arnold in the A team, Richard Griffiths, James Wood and James Jackson in the B team and Lee Cannings, Leigh Hutchinson and Ryan Strange in the C team it was QEGS and St Augustine's whomade the final play-off.
