Five years after taking up netball, Sarah McIlveen is about to embark on her biggest challenge in the sport.
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The Carinya Christian School Year 10 student will be among some of the states best young players at the 17 and under NSW netball trials at Genea Netball Centre, Sydney Olympic Park, on Sunday.
Joining her will be fellow Tamworth player Briannah Donaldson.
The event is the second stage of a three-stage trial process to pick the state squad.
McIlveen and Donaldson progressed to stage two after impressing at trials in Orange and Coffs Harbour, respectively, this year. All up, 280 athletes took part in the first phase of the trials.
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McIlveen is realistic about her chances of advancing further, given she is only 15 years old. She achieved her season goal of getting this far, after failing to advance to phase two, in his first attempt, last year.
“I’d love to give it a good shot. But I am bottom age,” she said. “But I’m really still hoping that I will [advance].”
In September, McIlveen competed for the 15 and under Combined Independent Schools at the NSW All Schools Netball Challenge in Sydney.
Asked if she would like to become a netball professional, she said: “If I could get there, that’d be pretty cool.”
For Donaldson, it is also the second year she has trialled for this team and the first time she has advanced.
The McCarthy Catholic College Year 12 student rates her chances of progressing to the third trial phase as “50-50”.
“I guess it all depends on what the selectors are looking for in the team they select this year,” she said.
