TEENAGE fencing star Stephanie Collister strengthened her growing reputation with her best showing at the UK School Games.
The 16-year-old Christleton High School student produced a series of outstanding displays at this year’s big Sheffield event to win foil silver before leading Wales to team bronze.
The double success has also boosted Collister’s hopes of being picked for Great Britain at European and World age group championships next year in what is her final season at cadet level.
Collister has a history of winning medals at the UK School Games.
Winner of the women’s foil bronze in the previous three years, she headed to the Steel City determined to become the first individual Welsh fencer to claim a Games gold.
Although she fell just short of her aim, Collister surpassed her previous best by qualifying for the final.
The Boughton-based fencer, who is coached by former Great Britain international Jayne Hanlon, won six of her seven poule matches and was seeded second going into the knock-out stages.
After comfortably making it through her last-16 bout, Collister emerged victorious from two nail-biting contests to seal a place in the final for the first time in her career.
Her opponent in the decider was top seed Leah King of Scotland.
The battle that ensued proved extremely close, with the lead being traded and there never being more than a point between the fighters.
In the last 90 seconds, King took a decisive advantage and, although Collister threw everything at her, she was unable to claw the points back.
Collister – one of only two Welsh fencers to win an individual medal in Sheffield – then led her county on to the podium with an inspirational performance in their bronze medal match against Northern Ireland.
