PEARSON High School’s water polo teams are making a splash, having participated and excelled in a number of tournaments recently.
They hosted the National Coed Water Polo Tournament where they faced some of the best teams in South Africa.
A total of 36 teams participated in the tournament, including Pearson’s teams, both of whom made it to the finals. Pearson won the Dee Bowley Trophy in the end.
Though the girls came up against five-time tournament winners, Stirling, in the finals and lost, the boys faced and beat Crawford Lonehill from Johannesburg to bring home the trophy.
The boys then hosted the annual Stayers’ Tournament where 16 teams from all over South Africa took each other on. Pearson enjoyed great success after beating Grey High 2-1 in the semi-final and finishing in second place after losing to Selborne 3-1 in the final.
Pearson’s first girls’ team also participated in the annual Centennial Clarendon Stayers’ Tournament, where the top three teams in South Africa took each other on.
Pearson made it to the finals after beating St Stithians from Johannesburg 6-4. There they fought hard against Stirling before Pearson claimed the win with a 10-7 full-time score.
Finally, the first team girls also competed in the St Stithians Water Polo Tournament in Johannesburg.
Pearson beat Stirling and Durban Girls’ College in the elimination rounds before coming up against Reddam Constantia in the finals. Pearson won the match 9-8.
Winning the two tournaments put Pearson in the top spot in South Africa in school water polo.
Coach Luke Manthe said, “Being first in South Africa is a fantastic achievement and the girls have worked extremely hard to achieve it. Success loves hard work!”
