Student Athletes Give Impressive Performances at ISST and ISGA Competitions

Over the past week, students competed in ISST Swimming, Rugby and Basketball tournaments, as well as the ISGA Gymnastics Competition. 

Swimming

Last week, 261 athletes representing 14 international schools from 8 different countries came together in Dordrecht to compete in the 2018 ISST Swimming Championships, one of the largest ISST swimming competitions in recent history.

The BSN team got off to a great start on day one, qualifying for 15 out of 20 finals with all four age groups scoring points in the relays and earning a total of 5 medals on the day.  Huge congratulations go to the Varsity boys who went on to finish 2nd overall in their division. The BSN finished 5th overall. All in all, the BSN earned 9 medals, 3 gold, 5 silver and 1 bronze, resulting in a respectable 4th place on the medals table! Also worth mentioning is the fact that the BSN swimming team achieved no less than 61 personal best times, a testament to the standard of coaching.

Congratulations go to Sean Niewold for setting two new school records (50 freestyle and 100 Butterfly for the Varsity boys) and Nik Lupi, who broke a 9-year old record in the boys Junior 100 m butterfly. A heartfelt thank you goes to our parent and staff body for all their efforts in helping to host this competition.

See photos from ISST Swimming here.

Rugby

In one of the most equally matched ISST rugby tournaments in recent years, where there was very little difference between the first and fourth placed teams, the BSN team returned from Paris with a well-deserved bronze medal.  

After a difficult first day, losing two well-fought matches again competition favourites ACS Cobham and the British School of Brussels, the BSN raised their game and produced a cracking game of rugby to silence the home crowd and end the tournament on an emotional high.  Adam Kus, possibly the player of the tournament, Jack Slessor and James Douglas were included in the tournament All Stars, and the team was ably led by Matt Moss who has served the team so well since Year 11.  

Special mention must go to one person who has served the team so well over the years: Iain Krysztofiak.  He is moving on at the end of this term, having coached the BSN since before any of the existing players were born.  He has given his time freely, always kept up to date with the latest coaching techniques and always had the interests of the players at the forefront of his thoughts.  Iain will undoubtedly be remembered by every boy he has ever coached.  There are few like him and the BSN has been lucky to have him for so long.  We wish him well as he moves back to the UK.

See photos from ISST Rugby here. 

Girls' Basketball

Following a solid season in the Dutch league, team spirit was high as the BSN headed to the International School of The Hague (ISH) to compete for the Division II ISST Girls Basketball title.

The first day saw two wins in the pool matches against ACS Hillingdon International School and the American School of Paris.  The early morning win on the second day against the American School in Israel meant that they finished first in the pool, ready to face Cairo American College in the afternoon, in what was a promotion play-off. Tough defense, a strong attack and an impressive team spirit, work and ethics enabled them to turn butterflies in stomachs into dragons, leading to a 49-38 win. 

With the promotion to Division I already secured, the team played the final against local rivals ISH, in one of the most challenging games yet played.  Despite a close loss, each player showed their full potential bringing home a valuable silver medal and a memory for life.  A tremendous team achievement!  A special mention goes to Yvonne Gerrits (Year 12) and Benedetta Sechi (Year 13) for being selected for the ISST All-Tournament Team.

Boys' Basketball

Last week the BSN set out for some new sporting adventures in Division 1 of ISST Boy’s Basketball.  This was a new experience for many of the students after gaining promotion last year.  Arriving at ACS Cobham International School the boys knew they faced a daunting task but were relishing the challenge. The first day, despite hard-fought games by the BSN, ended in victories by Cobham and ISH, which put the team in a relegation battle the next day.

The following day brought two well-played and strong defensive games that ended in loses to Munich and TASIS. However, the boys saved the best for last and put in an epic performance in their final game again Vienna. The game went to overtime twice, and with grit and determination the boys won 80 – 75.  Player of the tournament was between Patrick Carton and Kenneth Aikhoje.  Not far behind was Kasper Kranker who showed maturity and resolve at all times during the games. All in all it was a great experience and a learning curve for the team.

Gymnastics

Competing in the ISGA tournament in the UK, the Under 9 team placed 4^th overall. Additionally, Romy Rabaland placed 6^th overall individually out of 60 gymnasts. The under 13 team placed 7^th overall as a team out of 16 teams, the under 15 team placed 9^th overall and the Under 19 team placed 7^th overall as well out of 16 teams.

This was Ella van Zoest’s last ISGA. She has competed for the BSN every year from Y3 to Y13. An award was introduced in her name - The van Zoest Long Service Award, which was awarded to four other gymnasts as well from other schools for competing at ISGA throughout all age categories. Ella also came 14^th out of 86 in the all-round individual final – a fantastic achievement. Overall, the standard of gymnastics at ISGA is fantastic and the girls have outdone themselves with what they accomplished.

See photos from ISGA Gymnastics here.