Double delight for Ridge school

4:51pm Wednesday 30th April 2008

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RIDGE Junior School has every reason to feel proud after pupils from their gymnastics class and girls football team came back on Monday morning with national medals.

The footballers played at Wembley on Saturday, finishing joint third in the national junior FA schools competition.

The gymnasts kept up the tradition of the schools success in the British Championships as they won the group event for the 11th year in a row.

Alex Harvey and Cameron Sprague also won the boys pairs, and Sprague along with Danielle Ponting came second in the mixed pair.

The busy weekend started on Friday as the girls football team travelled to Watford FC academy to play in the semi-finals, but they lost 3-2 on penalties after the game ended 0-0.

They still got the chance to play at the home of English football in the build up to the England versus Scotland schoolboys match on Saturday, which they watched afterwards.

The girls again drew 0-0 meaning that they shared third place.

Teacher Jane Mewse was pleased with the effort of the girls and the achievement of not conceding a goal despite not winning the tournament.

She said: "It's a shame that the Friday tournament went to penalties, it's a horrible way to lose."

"I think they were disappointed not to score but at least they can come away and haven't lost.

"Next year I think some star players will emerge."

Mewse also added that it was a great experience for the girls who were treated like stars for the day.

"We travelled by coach and went in through the tunnel," she said.

"It was very exciting, there was a crowd outside and the girls were waving at them."

Success then followed for the school in the British Schools' Gymnastics Championship finals in Stoke-on-Trent on Sunday.

They won the groups competition for the 11th year running with the team made up of Cameron Sprague (10), Ebony Sprague (7), Rebecca Millett (11), Danielle Ponting (10), Rhea Clark (10) and Anna Denning (10).

Mewse was delighted with their achievements saying, "The groups were really good, performed well and the boys did well too."

The weekend a memorable one for all the pupils involved, particularly Danielle Ponting and Anna Denning who were involved in both competitions.

Mewse was full of praise for the girls saying, "They were fantastic."

"They travelled straight up to Stoke in my car and were well behaved and kept focused.

"For ten-year-olds to cope with that amount - two national finals in one weekend - is a big challenge."

The Gazette would like to congratulate Ridge Junior schools on their achievements.