Olympic Games prospect Elizabeth Deekers spearheads thrilling CaSSSA swim meet

Olympic Games prospect Elizabeth Dekkers and a mighty Piper Brien helped carry All Hallows’ School to the CaSSSA Cup swimming carnival victory today.

Olympic Games prospect Elizabeth Dekkers and a mighty Piper Brien helped carry All Hallows’ School to a 10th successive CaSSSA Cup swimming championship win today at Chandler.

All Hallows’ fended off a serious challenge from St Rita’s, pulling away from their rivals in the butterfly component where Dekkers, Brien, Josephine Crimmins and Phoebe Fredericks led by example.

Crimmins had the honour of anchoring the last event of the day - the 6x50m all age relay, which All Hallows’ won.

Coached by Steve Miller of the Newmarket Racers’ club, All Hallows always had its nose in front of St Rita’s - but never by a comfortable margin.

The final points were: All Hallows’ School 1309, St Rita’s College 1161, Mt St Michael’s 1004, Loreto College 944, Mt Alvernia College 717, Lourdes Hill 695, Brigidine College 667.

It was a wonderful celebration of schoolgirl swimming, an uplifting event which, 12 months ago, was arguably the last major sporting event in the state to take place ahead of the COVID-19 shutdown which was looming.

Elizabeth Dekkers and Piper Brien.

Dekkers, with a beaming smile, must have lapped up all the fun of the fair as she represented her school and her mates.

Brien was arguably the swimmer of the meet, winning her freestyle, breastroke and butterfly individual swims, while finishing second in backstroke. There was additional success for her in the relays.

With 2019 world junior representative Georgia Powell and Bronte Job now having graduated, Brien stood up alongside Dekkers as the senior swimmer of the team.

The place getters from the 12 years 50m freestyle.

All Hallows’ and St Rita’s went head-to-head across the relay events which would ultimately decide the Cup.

First All Hallows (open medley relay) then St Rita’s (12 years medley), then All Hallows (13 years medley relay and then St Rita’s again (14 years medley relay) went stride for stride until All Hallows put back-to-back relays together to win the 15 years and 16 years medley.

Those early relay wins then consolidated All Hallows’ lead ahead of the 4x50m freestyle relays.

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Casey Hannah from Mt St Michael’s got her school off to a winning start by beating home high class opponents Elena Staal (Lourdes Hill) and Josephine Crimmins (All Hallows’) in the prestigious 100m Division 1 open final.

Ruby Crowther and Kate Shield after placing.

Staal looked for a moment like she may overhaul Casey, but Casey lifted and held her form to the finish.

Later in the morning Casey added another win for her school by winning the 15 years Div 1 freestyle, while Crimmins (All Hallows) had an impressive victory in the 16 years Div 1, winning by a long way.

Mt St Michael's Casey Hannah won the open 100m

The under 12 50m Division 1 freestyle was then won by St Rita’s Maddison Ashby Cliffe, ahead of Elizabeth Douglas and Georgia O’Brien.

All Hallows’ School was back in the winners circle when Teesa Gibbons pushed hard to win the 13 years Div 1 freestyle, piping Ruby Crowther (St Rita’s) and Kate Shield (MSM).

St Rita’s Sienna Counsel then burst through to claim the 14 years 50m freestyle ahead of Eadie Cullen (Loreto College) and Lana Nguyen (All Hallows).

All Hallows’ sprinter Piper Brien smoked the field in a blistering 50m freestyle effort in the 19 years and under age group.

It was a great race in the 14 years 50m freestyle.

Brien was first ahead of St Rita’s College’s Amelia Watt, who is a Queensland Thunder water polo representative, and Gahan from Lourdes Hill College.

In the Div 1 open backstroke, Phoebe Fredericks (All Hallows) had a nice win over Tabatha Fachin (MSM) and Lily Carrick (St Rita’s), while the 12 years 50m backstroke saw Maddison Ashby-Cliffe (St Rita’s) beat Eva Mitchell (Loreto) and Hannah Davis (MSM).

Josephine Crimmins with her winners ribbon.

The Div 1 13 years backstroke gave Tessa Gibbons (AHS) a chance to shine ahead of Kaitlyn Di Francesco (Mt Alvernia) and Ruby Crowther, while the 14 years was claimed by Sofia Brodie (All Hallows) ahead of Annika Jensen (MSM) and Aspen Stewart (Loreta).

In the 15 years backstroke Casey (MSM) was among the medals again from Gemma Hutchings (St Rita’s) and Elloise Doolan (AHS) while Fredericks (All Hallows) continued her fine form winning the 16 years backstroke. She finished ahead of Emily Broun (MSM) and Danielle Maguire (Lourdes Hill).

Mt St Michael’s Tabatha Fachin enjoyed a strong win in the 19 years and under Div 1 backstroke, beating Brien (AHS) and Gahan (Lourdes Hill).

Sophie Gahan, left, Amelia Watt and Piper Brien after the under 19 50m dash.

When the breaststroke events swung around, the inform Brien (All Hallows) was at it again giving her side a launching pad with a winning effort, while Becks (Loreta) was second and Inde Basche (Mt Alvernia College) was third.

Elizabeth Douglas (AHS) then followed Brien’s example to win the 12 years 50m breaststroke from Abbey Crowe (SRC) and Mei Taylor (Lourdes Hill), while the 13 years event was claimed by St Rita’s Samantha Conias from Lillian Krinke (All Hallows) and Di Francesco (Mt Alvernia) who collected her second third placing of the carnival.

Girls from the open backstroke swimmers.

In the 14 years Nicola Vitanza pulled off a fine win for Loreto, ahead of MSM’s Audrey Dearling and Brigidine College’s Harper Simons.

Basche snared another medal for Mt Alvernia, this time a second placing, in the 15 years Div 1 behind first placed Doolan (All Hallows) and ahead of third placed Emily Draper.

Brien again won for All Hallows in the 19 years and under 50m breaststroke.

It was nice to see Mt Alvernia College, pictured right, claim a couple of Division 1 placings.

Butterfly ace Elizabeth Dekkers flashed to win the open Div 1 from Casey (MSM) and Carrick (St Rita’s) while Gibbons enjoyed another podium finish for All Hallows in the 12 years butterfly. She finished ahead of Conias (SRC) and Di Francesco.

In the 14 years butterfly Div 1, Nicola Vitanza (Loreto) claimed first position while Doolan was among the ribbons again for All Hallows, this time winning the 15 years Div 1 butterfly.

All Hallows then went back to back to back in Div 1, with Doolan (15 years), Crimmins (16 years) and Brien (19 years and under) winning.

In the endurance 200m freestyle final, Elena Staal (Lourdes Hill) had a gutsy win over Garrick (St Rita’s) whose should be proud of the points she accumulated for her college given the quality of the opposition she confronted.