Immaculate Conception High School made a splash at the Inter-Secondary Schoolgirl Swimming Championships, claiming their ninth consecutive title with a commanding 110 points. With standout performances in the lower classes and multiple record-breaking swims, the team swept relays and secured wins across Classes 3, 4, and the Beginners’ division – cementing their reign as champions at the National Stadium Pool.

Published Saturday, May 20, 1972 

Girls’ Swim Champs 

Immaculate for ninth time
 

Gleaner Sports Reporter

Immaculate Conception High School made it nine straight as champions of the Inter-Secondary Schoolgirl Swimming Championships yesterday at the National Stadium Pool when they won this year's renewal with a score of 110 points. St. Andrew High School came second with 80 points, while St. Hugh's scored 31, Queen's 20, Wolmer's 12, and Excelsior 0.
The meet was perhaps the most enthusiastic ever, with a record number of spectators present to witness some exciting swimming, which produced nine records.
The long-reigning champions overcame the expected threat from St. Andrew largely due to their strength in the lower classes. Having lost their best swimmers in the upper classes, it was not surprising that St. Andrew swept all four relays for Classes 1 and 2. However, the value of Immaculate’s well-established nursery saved the champions, as they retaliated by sweeping all five relays in Classes 3, 4, and the Beginners' class. And while Immaculate won only one individual event of the eight in Classes 1 and 2, they won nine of the twelve events in Classes 3 and 4 and the Beginners' class – making a clean sweep of all four in Class 4.
In Class 1, the most outstanding swimmer was Mary Lou Rogers of Wolmer’s, who won three out of four events, with Margaret Campbell of Immaculate taking the other.
In Class 2, St. Andrew and Queen’s divided the four events evenly – via Frances Noble and Sue Bradley for the former, and via Pat Cumper and Ann Douglas for the latter.
In Class 3, Immaculate took two of the four events, with Michelle Tappin taking one solely and sharing the other in a dead heat with her sister Pat. Stacy Roberts of St. Andrew and Joanne Rogers of St. Hugh's took one each.
Immaculate’s shutout in Class 4 came through Elise Poultney (2), and Belinda Phillips and Elizabeth Aris (one each).
In the Beginners' class, Immaculate had three wins from D. Hosang, P. Barton, and H. Dawes, with Marie Rattray of St. Andrew taking the other.
The record-breaking hit its most exciting peak in the Class 3 50 metres butterfly, when sisters Michelle and Pat Tappin of Immaculate fought each other down to the line to tie in the new time of 36.5 seconds. In the same class, Stacy Roberts of St. Andrew broke the 50 metres backstroke with a time of 32.6 seconds, and Immaculate’s relay teams broke the 200 metres medley with a time of 2 minutes 34.4 seconds, and the 200 metres freestyle with a time of 2 minutes 15.5 seconds.
Elise Poultney of Immaculate scored a double in record-breaking, with a time of 38.9 seconds in the 50 metres backstroke and 32.7 seconds in the 50 metres freestyle for Class 4. She also helped her school's relay team to break the 200 metres freestyle relay with a time of 2 minutes 11.2 seconds.
The other two records came in the Beginners' class, with Marie Rattray of St. Andrew doing the mushroom float in 2 minutes 20.6 seconds, and Debra Hosang doing the freestyle in 17.7 seconds.
The Edna Manley Cup, for which the teams competed, was presented to Immaculate’s captain, Michelle Kahn, by Mrs. Gloria Cumper.

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