Busy Ford motoring along after earning CHS hockey selection

From representing South Coast at last week's NSW Combined High School Hockey Championships to featuring at this week's CHS Touch Football Championships in Wollongong and playing for CHS at Friday's NSW All Schools Hockey Championships, the 16-year-old has spent much of the past two weeks on the sporting fields.

The All Schools hockey may be the last of the competitions on this week's schedule, but Ford will be just as enthusiastic for it as she was the first two competitions.

"It was a big shock to be selected for CHS," Ford said. "I wasn't really expecting it since I'm a year younger, so it was really exciting.

"I've played with some of the NSW girls in other teams and I think we'll go alright on Friday. I'm hoping to just play my best and hopefully we'll go well."

Ford will be one of a host of Illawarra representatives to feature at the competition, with Smiths Hill High School student Neive Campbell also selected for the CHS girls team.

The pair gained selection after producing impressive performances at last week's CHS titles, with South Coast finishing the tournament in sixth place with two wins, two losses and a draw.

The competition was won by Hunter who defeated Western in the final. The victory was Hunter's fifth straight at the championships.

"I felt I played pretty well, I played to my best last week," Ford said. "We played really well together as a team, we were just unlucky with the results we had."

Lucinda Preeo and Ella Twigg were picked for the Combined Catholic Colleges team, while Claire Smallhorn will represent Combined Independent Schools.

The tri-series event at Sydney Olympic Park will see CIS open their campaign against CCC, before CHS face CCC and CIS.

The boys competition will see Illawarra representatives Dylan Simmons and Sam Wright-Smith represent CHS.

For Ford, having so many Illawarra teammates present at the competition is both an opportunity and a unique challenge.

"It's great having Neive in the team, we play our club hockey together and are good friends. There's a few Illawarra girls in the other teams, so it will be good to play against them."

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