Gillian Rank, a Grade 7 learner at Somerset House Preparatory School, has enjoyed a fruitful sporting year to date, earning selection to provincial teams in three sports codes.
Her success started during the athletics season, where she earned Metropole East colours for javelin and shot put as well as Western Province colours for shot put with a distance of 10,87 m. As winter codes started she packed her athletics kit away and was keen to get started with netball and hockey practise again.
Gillian recently completed weeks of zonal and provincial trials, and was delighted with her selection to the WP u-13A hockey side and the WP u-13 netball team. The WP netballers participated in the Western Cape u-13 netball trials in Oudtshoorn on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 May, where the top WP, Boland and South Western district players were in action.
Gillian had another great trial and was selected to represent the Western Cape u-13 netball team. She now has some busy weeks ahead as she prepares for both the South African Schools Netball All Ages Tournament in Boksburg, Gauteng, from Sunday 26 to Wednesday 29 June, and the National Under-13 Hockey Tournament in Stellenbosch from Monday 4 to Wednesday 6 July.
“It’s not often a child of this calibre comes along, and Gillian is the full package,” said Mandy McIlroy, sport director at Somerset House. “She is a diligent pupil in class and also an active member of our music and cultural departments.
“Gillian displays incredible sportsmanship skills and is a very popular member of any team. She truly is a wonderful role-model to her peers and junior players alike, an admired captain and leader, and a phenomenal ambassador for our school.”
She has also been awarded the Macmillan Legacy Scholarship to Diocesan School for Girls in Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown), offered in recognition of excellence in academics, sport and culture. “This is a wonderful achievement of which our Somerset House family and staff are very proud. We wish Gillian the very best of luck in her inter-provincial tournaments.”
