The successful and enthusiastic Deanes School year eight netball team have won the district rally.

The team members were: Natalie Pegrum, Emma Vancoeverden, Katie Edwards, Natalie Hughes, Danielle Burr, Nicola Weatherill, Louise Jones and Rhia Mitchell.

The squad also won the league, having triumphed in every single game in which they were involved.

Vivienne Willis, who teaches PE at the Thundersley school and coaches the team with Michelle Fryers, said: "This really is a brilliant victory for our girls who really have been in top form this season."

In the eastern region school's floor and vault competition at Chelmsford, the Deanes gym stars scooped first place in the under-13 and 19 boys sections.

They came second in the under-19 and third in the under-13 mixed.

The winning senior boys' team included: Danny Lawrence, Mark Samuels, Matthew Hipsey, Paul Samuels and David Collins.

The junior boys squad included: Danny Purches, Lee Delf, Matthew Coles, Greg Hard and Paul Samuels.

The senior team plus under-19 girls who came second were: Nicola Willis, Lauren Pitt, Lindsey Potter, Colette Maskell, Shelley Sales and Denise Whipp.

The junior team plus under-13 girls who came third were: Suzannah Duck, Brioni Shinn, Sam Rayment, Laura Waller and Holly Gray.

Said team coach Mrs Willis: "This is an excellent across the board result. We are very proud of our super gymnasts."

We've won the cup - Crowstone's soccer team celebrate winning the South Essex Schools Junior Cup

(Right) Court out - the prize-winning netball girls from Crowstone

Pictures: MAXINE CLARKE Plenty to Crow about

The sporting youngsters of Crowstone Preparatory School have proved themselves smash hits at soccer, netball and cross-country.

The soccer team from the Shopland Road, Rochford, school won the South Essex Schools Junior Cup with a 4-2 success over Wyburns, Rayleigh, thanks to two-goal strikes from Alex Cast and Keiran Quinn.

Quinn also featured strongly in the cross-country world where, in the ISA finals at Coventry, he was a member of the winning east Anglian line-up for under-12 boys after achieving individual success.

Alice Williamson competed in the under-12 girls' event and finished fourth individually with the team in runners-up spot.

On the netball courts, the girls were unstoppable in the Southend championships for primary schools.

The finals were on a round-robin basis and Crowstone had wins over Bourne Green (6-0), St George's (9-1), Thorpe Hall (11-0) and Hinguar (3-2).

Running away with it - Keiran Quinn and Alice Williamson

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.