Orange Netball Association under 17s will face off against the best in NSW after finishing second at the 2024 NSW Senior State Titles in Campbelltown on June 8-10.
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The side won 15 matches and lost three, missing out on top spot by four points to Hastings Valley in division two.
The result means they gain promotion to the top championship division in 2025, something coach Mardi Aplin said they had been chasing since the team was in under 12s.
They have since battled COVID cancellations and a third-placed finish in 2023, just missing out on promotion.
"I set out for the team back in under 12s that's where we wanted to be," she said.
"I know I had set that for my team all those years ago, and then obviously COVID sort of stopped us, we've only been to one state titles, which was last year.
"So that was our only opportunity and we came third, so we didn't get to go up.
"I would have loved to have won but realistically second is fantastic.
"So I'm really excited that the girls get the opportunity to play against the best in NSW."
Fine margins
Each age group consists of multiple divisions with the top two gaining promotion and the bottom two being relegated.
In 2025, Orange will be pitted in a pool containing Liverpool, Illawarra, Baulkham Hills, Northern Suburbs, Penrith, Sutherland Shire, Randwick, Wagga Wagga, Ku-ring-gai, newcastle, Hills District, Eastwood Ryde, Blacktown City, Manly Warringah, Gosford, Callaghan Distirct, Camden and Campbelltown.
The under 17s had a mixed squad with five players ageing out and moving onto opens in 2025 while five will stick around.
Aplin said the team fought for every inch and their three losses came with a combined losing margin of just four goals.
"It was a great achievement," she said.
"We were really unlucky to slip out of first position but that's the way state titles is. You can drop one game, and it sort of drops you out of that position it's so tightly contested.
"It was a fantastic weekend, we only actually dropped four goals the entire weekend.
"So, out of a few games that we lost, that was all that was in it so it was an amazing effort by all the girls."
The side was required to get through a gruelling schedule of six games a day with Aplin calling on every squad member to play big minutes.
"We had 18 games of netball over the three days," she said.
"So you have to keep together mentally and physically, which we were able to do and it's tough, no one went through undefeated.
"Everyone had some losses here and there.
"It was a real team effort."
