Amazing finish to CaSSSA Cup thriller at Chandler

An extraordinary sporting streak stretching almost two decades was broken at a CaSSSA Cup thriller which featured Queensland’s latest Aussie Dolphin schoolgirl swimming sensation. Story, images here.

St Rita's captains Jemima Irvine and Sienna Bressington leap for joy.

St Rita’s College broke an almost two decade old winning streak by All Hallows’ School to claim a sensational CaSSSA Cup clash today.

St Rita’s College had led going into the 4x50m freestyle relays, and held on to win despite the best efforts of the All Hallows’ squad.

St Rita’s captains Sienna Bressington and Jemima Irvine jumped for joy in celebration of their achievement when it was confirmed.

St Rita's captains Jemima Irvine and Sienna Bressington

A war cry then echoed around the swimming complex as the St Rita’s community absorbed an extraordinary victory, including head coach Tim Diliger and assistant Matt Nguyen.

PHOTO GALLERY: IMAGES FROM THE JUNIOR, SENIOR CARNIVALS

And Australia’s most exciting schoolgirl swimming prospect Hannah Casey (Mt St Michael’s), also speartheaded her school to the Percentage Cup win on a day of days for the Catholic Secondary Schoolgirls’ Sports Association (CaSSSA)

It was a fabulous finish with All Hallows’ School and St Rita’s College going toe-to-toe across the relay freestyles, finishing one or two, two or one, as both school went for broke.

The final points were:

St Rita’s College 1282.50

All Hallows’ School 1270

MSM 1102

Loreto College 991

Birgidine College 768

Lourdes Hill College 757.50

Mt Alvernia 593

Mt St Michae's College claim the Percentage Cup.

And mixed into it all were four records.

+Ana Somerville of Mt St Michael’s claimed a new CaSSSA record in the 13 years 50m backstroke Div 1 in a time of 32.79, breaking the previous mark by Aussie Dolphins’ Bronte Job (All Hallows).

+ a second record set by the All Hallows’ School team of Kiara Pavanello, Lilla Ribot-De-Bresac, Alice McMeniman and Mia Field who combined to pass the old 14 years 4x50m relay mark.

+ St Rita’s College’s 4x50m freestyle relay team of Azaria Minhinnick, Abbey Crowe, Eliza O’Harra and Ashby-Cliffe Madison break the 14 years Div 1 record.

+ All Hallows’s relay team of Ribot, Field, McMeniman and Abbie Hegarty broke the 14 years 4x50m.

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For the second year in a row St Rita’s College threw the kitchen sink at All Hallows’ and this time the squad snapped the remarkable winning streak.

All Hallows’ School, coached by Steve Miller, had not lost a CaSSSA championship since the association was formed in 2014. But All Hallows’ streak was actually longer than that, stretching to the mid-2000s when the competition was under a different name.

Lilla Ribot and Eliza O'Hara finished first and third in their event.

Another highlight was Mt St Michael’s swimmer Hannah Casey.

Casey is a thrilling 100m freestyle prospect, but she was a workhorse for Mt St Michael’s across all 17 years events today.

In the last 18 months Queensland has supplied brilliant young Olympic and world championship freestylers Meg Harris (ironically a MSM old girl) and Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Lutheran College alumni), and Casey looms as the next cab off the rank.

Also catching the eye was All Hallows’ Lilla Ribot-De-Bresac who aside from winning the open 100m butterfly from Casey, also won her individual all events across the 14 years age group - and a relay or two.

The open Div 1 freestyle was also a wonderful shootout between Elena Stall (Lourdes Hills College) and Aspen Stewart (Loreto College).

The event could not have been closer, with St Rita’s accumulating 878.50 points through to event 90, ahead of All Hallows’ (869).

All Hallows then would have gone ahead in event 91 after Ribot, Brodie, Cervetto and Gibbons combined to win the first relay of the day - the open 4x50m. They won from MSM (Second) and St Rita’s (third).

St Rita's swim members cheer on a teammate.

Event 92 saw the St Rita’s 12 years 4x50m team of Eve Mackenzie, Crowther, Rebecca Williams and Sophie Moten fightback to win - from second placed All Hallows (Hills, Hope, Kovacevic and Courtis) - but All Hallows were back in front again after event 93’s relay win (Creely, Martin, Sefton and Frare) and consolidated that position with an event 94 victory (Pavanello, Ribot, McMeniman and Field).

All Hallows' School prepare for one of the relays.

But St Rita’s were back in business when the 15 years relay team of Postle, Goff, Coscarella and Crowther crashed into the wall first.

MSM threw a cat among the pidgeons by winning events 96 and 97, with All Hallows and St Rita’s filling the minor placings, but St Rita’s were back on track with an event 98 win (12 years 4x50m relay team of Moten, McKenzie, Laila Beaver and Crowther.

One of the winning relay teams from All Hallows.

All Hallows then went bang-bang-bang to win the 12 years and 13 years (both divisons) 4x50m relays, inching their school further ahead. But not by much.

The flame flickered for St Rita’s when the team of Emmerson, Crowe, Calder and Bowman won their 16 years 4x50m relay, and St Rita’s finish was enough to hold off their opponents.

event 98 win - St Rita's 12 years 4x50m relay team of Moten, McKenzie, Laila Beaver and Crowther.

It all started at 9.30am after Hannah Casey (Mt St Michael’s) pulled away from Ruby Crowther (St Rita’s) and Elena Staal (Lourdes Hill) to win the 100m freestyle open race.

And soon after All Hallows’ School quickly mustered early points across the under 12 50m freestyles.

Loreto College snared third in a relay.

Bronte Hills, Alexis Wiscicki, Isabella Robertson, Alessia Kovacevic and Lucy Hawkins swam to victory, interrupted by Lourdes Hill’s Elise Lovell’s victory which pushed All Hallows’ Isabella Courtis to second.

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Lourdes Hill did well with Kaitlyn Turner (third), Margaret Bock (second) and co placing, while Brigidine’s supporters enjoyed seeing Tara Stafford-Petrie place (second).

All Hallows' School swim team members enjoying the meet.

In the 13 years Div 1 50m freestyle, MSM’s Ana Somerville’s won, while St Rita’s Mia Tempero snared her Div 6 freestyle, All Hallows’ Molly-Jane Creely her race and Tiarni Bitossi (St Ita’s) her freestyle sprint. St Rita’s finished off the under 13 freestyle in style, with Ruby Harding winning.

Emma Hutchings, left, with a teammate. The elite high jumper from St Ritas was third to Hannah Casey and Elna Staal

In the 14 years Div 1, it was a great race won by Lilla Ribot-De-Bresac (All Hallows), from St Rita’s Azaria Minhinnick and Eloise Pattison (Lourdes Hill), and also in the 15 years Div won by St Rita’s Crowther, ahead of All Hallows’ Tessa Gibbons and MSM’s Kate Shield.

Mt St Michael’s secured first place in the hotly contested 16 years event, with Annabelle Mia Creswell touching ahead of Sienna Counsel (St Rita’s) and Brodie Sofia (All Hallows’).

MSM's Annabelle Mia Creswell had a win in her Div 1 freestyle.

There was a tremendous cheer for All Hallows’ Tessa Gibbons who dug deep to claim the 100m open Div 1 backstroke final from Casey (MSM and Madison Ashby-Cliffe (St Rita’s).

The backstroke events were shared around.

In Div 1 12 years action Arabella Hope (All Hallows), Ana Somerville (MSM, 13 years), Eva Mitchell (Lourdes Hill, 14 years), Tessa Gibbons (All Hallows’, 15 years (and Sienna Counsel (St Rita’s, 16 years) won, with Hutchings (17 years, St Rita’s) also touching first to win.

Hutchings, with her long reach, found the wall ahead of Emily Draper (MSM) and Jsesica Harbottle (All Hallows’).

Lana Nguyen (All Hallows) did well for third behind Creswell in the 16 years, while Georgia Joosep (third, Lourdes Hill), had a good race.

The Lourdes Hill cheer leaders at CaSSSA

The exciting 100m breaststroke events started with a win to Ribot (All Hallows) again, with Audrey Dearling second (MSM) and Azuki Maeda third (Lourdes Hill) in the open Div 1.

Remarkably Ribot backed up a few races later to also win her age group, the 14 years, from Matilda Canning (SRC) and Siana O’Callaghan (MSM).

The All Hallows' School cheer squad.

The 13 years Div 1 breaststroke was claimed by St Rita’s Claudia Keating - Olive Martin (All Hallows’) and Lucy Scott (Brigidine) were second and third - while St Rita’s Keira Coscarella stormed to victory in the 15 years Div 1.

Joosep again represented her school, Lourdes Hills, with a third placing.

Draper (MSM) had a terrific win in her 17 years 50m breaststroke, while in the open Div 2 MSM’s depth was shown when Casey hit the wall first from St Rita’s Jemima Irvine.

Spirits were high in the All Hallows' camp.

The powerful Casey then won again for MSM to open the 100m butterfly competition, with Ribot, again swimming well outside her age group, second and Zara Goff third in the open event.

Ribot was at it again in the 14 years butterfly, winning from Pattison (Lourdes Hill) and Eliza O’Hara (St Ritas), as was Casey (MSM) who won the 17 years Div 1 butterfly from Phoebe Cervetto.

There was great spirit between the schools.

MSM showed its depth in this event when Emily Draper won the Div 2 50m butterfly.

The open Div 1 freestyle was also a wonderful shootout between Elena Stall (Lourdes Hills College), Aspen Stewart (Loreto College) and Tessa Gibbons (All Hallows), with the girls one, two and three. That event highlighted the standard of the meet.