Reproduced from the BALLARAT COURIER 9th August 2002

BALLARAT hockey players Jack Lewis and Stuart Ritchie are the two sole country representatives selected in the Victorian under-16 team for the School Sport Australia Championships.

Lewis, 14, and Ritchie, 16, will compete in thechampionships in Canberra from today until August 17 in a team dominated by Melbourne players. However, the two are confident they will hold their places in the team, having been competitive in Melbourne State League competitions.

They have also represented their schools, Lewis for Ballarat High School and Ritchie for Ballarat Grammar, locally.

The two were selected after four trials, and have gone to Melbourne twice a week for training and practice matches with the state team during the past two months.

The experience is not new to Lewis, who has played inunder 12,14 and 15 representative teams. Ritchie has also played in the under-14 Victorian team.

They said that despite tiring training schedules, being selected as part of state teams was a valuable experience. "It's good to have coaching from state coaches like Jason Riley," Lewis said.

Although in the future Lewis would love to represent Australia, at the moment he is looking towards a place in division one of the state league competition.

At the championships in Canberra, he and Ritchie will vie for a place in the All-Australian Under-16 team.