"This is the highlight of the year and the decade," said Shelley Frayne, Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) headmistress, at the opening of the school’s Aquatic Centre on Monday. The centre was named after former headmaster Bruce Probyn who unveiled the plaque.
"This is the highlight of the year and the decade," said Shelley Frayne, Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) headmistress, at the opening of the school’s Aquatic Centre on Monday. The centre was named after former headmaster Bruce Probyn who unveiled the plaque.
Frayne also announced that South African Olympic swimmer and ex-St Andrew’s pupil, Tudor Lacey, will be the school’s full-time coach from 2009.
Members of the Rhodes University underwater hockey club entertained guests, before the Eastern Province and South African Representatives, Caitlyn Anderson, Courtney Musson, Jeanne Scholtz and Kerry Norden performed a synchronised swimming demonstration.
Various mixed water polo games were played between St Andrew’s and DSG U14 and U16 players before the pool was officially opened.
The DSG junior school then held a ladder relay, before the DSG relay team came up against Gerhard Zanberg, the 2007 50m backstroke world champion and Olympic athlete. The fun relay race ended with Zanberg swimming backstroke towards the finish as the last DSG swimmer was on her way, only for members of the DSG relay team to stop Zanberg in his tracks and allow the DSG team to win the relay.
Zanberg, who said the Aquatic Centre was a world class facility, received a thunderous applause before and after his relay swim.
The DSG 1st water polo side then faced Clarendon High School 1st team in the first official match after the opening of the centre. DSG lost the match 2-3.
The DSG annual sports dinner and Aquatic Centre celebration took place at the Monument that same evening, where Zanberg was the guest speaker.
Jessica Dakin and Joanne Watson were named as the Sportswomen of the Year and Elizabeth Rubidge received the award for Contribution to Sport, while the Colin Sports Scholarship for 2009 went to Cayley Tonkin.
