Fifty two players from seven post primary schools in the NE of Ulster competed for almost four hours in Our Lady of Lourdes School in Ballymoney in the Table Tennis Ulster NE regional Table Singles tournament. Four events were contested with players playing a initially in a round robin group of 3 or 4 players before battling for positions in a knock out stage.

The U19 Girls Singles was won by Faith Stevenson who showed her sister Hope Stevenson no charity in a competitive final. Joint third place went to the defeated semi -finalists’ Lucy Crilly and Jessica Stewart from Ballycastle High.

The U19 Boys Singles was won by Mark Miller representing Ballymena Academy. Second place went to Coleraine Grammar’s Yasser Akrame with Orion Crawford from Ballycastle High securing third spot.

The U14 Girls final was contested by Dalriada’s Ellie Vorster and Skye Craig from Ballymoney High. After two grueling games it was Ellie who took the gold medal. Joint third was awarded to the defeated semi finalists Maria Dobbin and Grace Kirkpatrick both pupils at Ballycastle High.

The U14 plate competition was won by Masie Glass of Ballymoney High. With Ballycastle High pupils Katherine Kane and Twana Murandu second and third respectively.

Home schooled Israel Stevenson edged past Dalriada’s James Righton in a very attacking U14 final. Joint third place was awarded to the beaten semi finalists Josh Patterson from Dalriada and Callum Brown from the host school Our Lady of Lourdes.

The U14 Plate event was won by Ballymoney High’s Jack Dunlop with Our Lady of Lourdes pupil Reuben Humphries the runner-up. Joint third was Coen Barnsley from Ballycastle High and Coalen Lelly from Our Lady of Lourdes.

A big thank you to Our Lady of Lourdes for hosting the event, TTU’s Nicola Clement for assisting with the organizing, local TTU coach Francis Shirley for all his hard work in the local schools, Level 1 coach Trevor Gillespie for assisting with umpiring and Ulster Schools’ Table Tennis Secretary Norman McBride for acting as tournament referee on the day.

Next up is the Belfast Regional tournament to be held in Grosvenor on 24th October.

NMCB

Table of NE Regional Results 2024/5

U14 Girls

1st ELLIE VORSTER DALRIADA

2nd SKYE CRAIG

=3rd MARIA DOBBIN BALLYCASTLE HIGH

=3rd GRACE KIRKPATRICK BALLYCASTLE HIGH

U14 Girls Plate

1st MASSIE GLASS BALLYMONEY HIGH

2nd KATHERINE KANE BALLYCASTLE HIGH

3rd TWANA MURANDU BALLYCASTLE HIGH

U14 Boys

1st ISRAEL STEPHENSON HOME SCHOOL

2nd JAMES RIGHTON DALRIADA

=3rd JOSH PATTERSON DALRIADA

=3rd CALLUM BROWN OUR LADY OF LOURDES

U14 Boys Plate

1st JACK DUNLOP BALLYMONEY HIGH

2nd REUBEN HUMPHRIES OUR LADY OF LOURDES

=3rd COALEN LELLY OUR LADY OF LOURDES

=3rd COEN BARNSLEY BALLYCASTLE HIGH

U19 Girls

1st FAITH STEVENSON HOME SCHOOL

2nd HOPE STEVENSON HOME SCHOOL

=3rd LUCY CRILLY BALLYCASTLE HIGH

=3rd JESSICA STEWART BALLYCASTLE HIGH

U19 Boys

1st MARK MILLER BALLYMENA ACADEMY

2nd YASSER AKRAME COLERAINE GRAMMAR

3rd ORION CRAWFORD BALLYCASTLE HIGH