GIRL-POWER REIGN: Shimba Hill and St John top in Soya Schools awards category

 

Six girls’ and five boys’ schools will be fighting for the School of the Year title when the Safaricom Soya awards are held in January next year in Nairobi.

Top on the roster are Shimba Hills, who excelled in basketball, clinching the East Africa School Games champions after beating St Mary’s Kitende 59-46.

Shimba Hill are also the national and Coast Region champions after beating Parklands Arya 74-44 and Aga Khan 144-02 respectively. They are also the national netball runners-up after falling to Obambo School of Siaya.

St John’s Kaloleni follow suit in the girls’ category after they emerged national champions after beating Kapkolei Girls from Nakuru region 5-0. They finished second in the East Africa Secondary School games.

Volleyball has East Africa champions Kwanthanze Secondary who emerge top on the list.
The school beat Rwanda’s GS Indangaburezi in straight sets 3-0 (25-18; 25-18; 27-25). They also beat Malava in straight sets and did not drop a single set in their successful campaign to retaining the national title.

The team formed the bulk of national U-18 girls volleyball team that represented Kenya at the Africa Youth Championship in Gaborone, Botswana in April, this year. Players who graced the inaugural championship from Kwanthanze Secondary are Ann Lowen, Lilian Lelei, Beldine Ajigo, Lilian Kavinya, Teresia Akai and Yvonne Wavinya.

Prison’s team have signed Anne Lowen (centre attacker), Irene Mbula (right attacker) and Yvonne Wavinya from the school.

Butere Girls lost 6-5 on penalties to eventual champions Kabusunzu of Rwanda in EA School Games semis, but took the national crown after beating St John’s Kaloleni 1-0. They are also the Nzoia regional title.

Sinyolo Girls retained the East Africa Secondary School Games hockey title in Tanzania after winning all their round-robin format matches.They finished third in the KSSSA national School Games after beating St Joseph’s Kibwezi 3-0.

Perennial national champions Malava Girls enlisted their name as nominees of the schools category after finishing third in volleyball at the Brookside East Africa Secondary games in Tanzania.

Maseno School top the boys list after a successful campaign in the rugby title in the East School Games, beating Uganda’s Hanna 13-3.

They won their pool matches inside regulation time after reaching scores of over 62 points and were second in the national school games, losing to St Peters Mumias 15-13.

Upper Hill School conquered the basketball courts back at home to bag the national championship, beating Mang’u 67-33 and was a semifinalist in the East Africa School Games.

Friends School Kamusinga beat Maseno 3-0 in the East Africa Games final after finishing second in the nationals championships, but lost 1-0 to Narok Boys. They are the Nzoia regional champions having beat Musingu 1-0 and are also the Nzoia region basketball champions.

Just like their sisters, Malava Boys High School ruled the local volleyball scene after beating defending champions Hospital Hill 3-0.

They finished second at the EA School Games after losing to St Mary’s Kitende of Uganda 3-2.