Grosvenor In View Magazine 2025

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Euan Hanna Ireland Table Tennis

Lily Parke Ulster Table Tennis U21A

Matthew Bailie Ulster Table Tennis Development Squad

Melissa Johnston Ulster Table Tennis U21B

Karsten Close Ireland Table Tennis

of the Under 12 boys. Lucas Marshall and Will Apsley made it to the last 16 of their competition. The All-Ireland Secondary Schools’ Team Table Tennis Finals took placed at the ALSAA Sports Centre in Dublin on the 1 May. The Under 19 boys played Colaiste Spioraid Naomh from Munster. It was a very strong start from the boys, and we won 9-0. We then faced the Leinster champions Blackrock College, Dublin. This is the school we defeated last year so we knew it would be tightly contested. After the singles matches the score was deadlocked at 3-3 setting the stage for a nail-biting finish in the doubles. Karsten and Jack played together at one table and Matthew and Euan played at the other table, both matches playing simultaneously. Matthew and Euan delivered a composed and clinical performance to secure a crucial win, putting us ahead 4–3. Meanwhile, Karsten and Jack faced Blackrock’s top-seeded pair in a match that swung back and forth. In the deciding set, Karsten and Jack held their nerve and sealed the victory. We have now won All-Ireland titles for four consecutive years at Under 15 and Under 19 level. This is an outstanding achievement for Grosvenor. I would like to finish this article by thanking Mr McFerran and Mr Kennedy for all their help and support during the year. Without their assistance and dedication, we would not have the success we have had. It has been a team effort and has been greatly appreciated by the pupils and me. To the pupils, of all abilities, who have attended the club every week, it has been great to see your skills develop and I hope you continue to participate next year. Finally, to the teams and the individual players who have competed in the various competitions throughout the year, and who have brought such success to Grosvenor, very well done. We have had an outstanding year, once again, and I am very excited for what next season will bring. Mrs A Peel

Noah Parkinson and Hal Thompson. The team opened with a solid 5–3 win over Cavan Royal School ‘B’ but were narrowly defeated 5–1 by Sullivan Upper. In the quarter-finals, they put up a strong effort but were edged out by Enniskillen Royal Grammar. The Under 13 boys’ competition featured 14 teams, with Grosvenor entering both an ‘A’ and a ‘B’ team. The ‘A’ team consisted of Alex Stevenson, Lucas Marshall, Alex Hamilton, Will Apsley, Adam Braithwaite, and Adam Holt. They performed strongly in the group stage, securing wins over Enniskillen Royal 5–3 and Killicomaine JHS 5–1. They narrowly lost a closely contested match 5–4 to St Catherine’s. Advancing to the quarter-finals, the team put up a spirited effort but were ultimately defeated by the St Catherine’s ‘A’ team. The ‘B’ team, made up of Luke McKeown, Aaron Armstrong, Conall McGuigan, Harry Stone, Oscar Malczyk, and Evan McCloskey, showed great determination throughout the tournament. Despite defeats to Banbridge Academy and Royal and Prior, the boys rallied in the subsidiary competition and secured a commendable third place finish. March saw the Ulster Schools’ Individual Championships take place in Lisburn. Over 300 pupils from schools across Ulster competed and 14 of the entries came from Grosvenor. In the Under 14 boys’ category, Matthew Bailie and Karsten Close had a brilliant day and, for the second year in a row, faced each other in the final. Karsten won the match and is now the Ulster Schools’ Under 14 boys’ champion. Matthew is now ranked second in Ulster at Under 14 level. In the girls under 16 event, Lily Parke reached the final, but lost in a tightly fought match and is now ranked second in Ulster at this level. In the Under 12 girls’ competition, Evie Nelson won the consolation event. In the Under 16 boys’ category, Jack Bailie made it to the semi finals, for the second year in a row, but lost his match. Euan Hanna, Melissa Johnston, Alex Stevenson, Alex Hamilton, Adam Braithwaite and Sophie Boreland, all made it to the quarter-final stage of their competition while Adam Holt was knocked out in the semi-final

GROSVENOR IN VIEW > 2024/25