Even an Ariarne Titmus record tumbled at the elite QGSSSA schoolgirls swim meet

An Ariarne Titmus record is no more after St Peters Lutheran College students proved the powerhouse swimmers at the QGSSSA swimming last night.

Ella Ramsay broke three records as St Peters Lutheran College again proved the powerhouse of Queensland Girls’ Secondary Schools Sports Association swimming tonight at Chandler.

Even an Ariarne Titmus record tumbled as St Peters swept to its seventh successive Mollie Gould Cup victory.

The classy Moreton Bay College swim team, Brisbane State High School and St Margaret’s Anglican Girls’ School pushed hard, but the might of St Peters shone through.

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The final standings were:

MOLLIE GOULD CUP AGGREGATE

1 SPLC 652.5

2 MBC 521.5

3 St Margaret’s AGS 473

4 BSHS

5 BGGS

6 Somerville House

7 Clayfield College

8 St Hilda’s School

9 St Aidan’s AGS

10 IGGS

Ramsay, from St Peters Springfield campus, broke three 16 years records in the 50m breaststroke (beating Olympian Georgia Bohl’s mark), the 200m Individual Medley (Katie Strachan) and the 50m butterfly (eclipsing Helen Mackay’s record held since 1997).

Ella Ramsay broke three QGSSSA records at the 2020 event.

But it was Ramsay’s school mate Olivia Collins (26.96sec) who beat the record of current 400m world champion Titmus (27.21) when she sizzled to the wall in the 50m freestyle.

Titmus was on hand to see her record broken, as was talented Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School alumni Eliza King who saw St Peter’s Mollie O’Callaghan (55.88sec) go past her previous QGSSSA 100m freestyle mark of 56.16sec

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St Peters did not have a mortgage of records, with Clayfield College student Mali Schwartz claiming the 12 years 50m butterfly.

Moreton Bay College teammate celebrate the win of Lily Price, third across, at the QGSSSA meet.

There were also two relay records by St Peters in the 5x50m medley relay (Mint Ladpil, Lea Muellner, Stef McCarthy and Isabella Crammer), and in the 12 years 4x50m medley relay by Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School (Darcey Gurrieri-Hyland, Maya Lehner, Holly-Maree Matthew and Ruby Hurd).

Brisbane Girls Grammar School hosted by Brisbane Roar

St Peters put a down payment on the Gould Cup by winning four of the six 100m freestyle swims before the relay finales.

Australian swimmer Jenna Forrester turned off the wall like she had been shot out of a torpedo to win her 17 years 100m freestyle after Alexie Downie (Clayfield College) led well down the first 50m.

The Brisbane State High School squad had an excellent QGSSSA meet.

O’Callaghan, big hearted Claveria Johnson-Tiamalu and Josephine Illing also touched the wall first for St Peters.

St Margaret’s schoolgirl Isabella Harte breaks middle distance record

Aside from Division A strength, St Peters also displayed 50m freestyle depth across four divisions in each age group despite only O’Callaghan winning just one Division A 50m freestyle race for St Peters.

Mollie O'Callaghan and Tahlia Thornton at the QGSSSA swim meet.

Ramsay was the swimmer of the meet but there was a heap of talent on show as Sophie Martin (St Margaret’s), Amelia Weber (Moreton Bay College), Ava De Tina (Somerville House), Cosette Cooke (St Margaret’s), Tiana Kritzinger (Clayfield College) and Brittany Courtney (Clayfield College) rose to the challenge.

Breaking St Peters winning form in the breaststroke was Meghan Guthrie-Quinn (Clayfield College), Elaine Chu (MBC), Stella Stuart (Clayfield College) and Niamh Bedggood (Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School).

Clayfield College swimmers gave their school supporters plenty to cheer about on the night.

With St Margaret’s punching above their weight, young Sophie Martin shone through.

Ironically one of the highlights of the night was not an event Martin won – rather her second placing to the imposing Forrester (St Peters) in the open 200m freestyle.

Martin gave away experience and size to challenge Forrester in the open event.

Aside from Ramsay and Elysha Pribadi, St Peters dipped out in the butterfly to Olivia Hine (Someville House), de Tina (Somerville House), Poppy Stephens (Clayfield College) and Lily Price (MBC).

Jenna Forrester and Sophie Martin.

The night not only confirmed Ramsay’s domination, but emphasised the class of her mate from the St Peters Springfield campus, O’Callaghan.

Last year O’Callaghan finished with four individual fourths and a relay medal at the world junior swimming championships and her class showed tonight.

St Margaret’s outstanding Tahlia Thornton, who accompanied O’Callaghan to the world junior championships, also had a number of ding-dong battles.

Queensland swimming is in good hands with this group coming through. Sophie Martin, Claveria Johnson-Tiamalu and Tiana Kritzinger after a podium finish at the QGSSSA meet.

St Peters Head of Sport Shaun Nodwell said his school’s swimming program – led by international coaches Dean Boxall (Australia) and John Gatfield (New Zealand) – “covered all pillars of swimming from learn to swim right through to high performance’’.

TITMUS RANKS LEDECKY STILL THE NO.1

“There are not many places where you have five-year-olds in swimming at the same place as high performance Olympic swimmers,’’ he said.

“We have five full-time coaches, two of which are international standard.

“And we have a great emphasis on the kids wellbeing.

“We have an emphasis on their studies, their mental health and their swimming.

“And by combining all three we are producing good people as well as good swimmers.’’

Aside from the Gould Cup, there were two other presentations.

SHEENA DYASON PERCENTAGE CUP

1 Clayfield College

2 Moreton Bay College

3 St Margaret’s AGS

4 Somerville House

5 St Hilda’s School

6 St Aidan’s AGS

7 IGGS

8 BGGS

9 BSHS

Also, the Brockway Cup relay awards top three finishers were:

1 SPLC (time 1:43.39)

2 MBC

3 St Margaret’s AGS

JUNIOR BROCKWAY CUP

1 SPLC

2 BGGS

3 St Margaret’s AGS