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Boys Athletics- by Archie Green
Kennedy - Rich in Boys' Athletic Tradition

As one looks back over the years, the championship achievements of the hundreds of teams and individuals are awesome to behold. The athletic exploits are just too many and unbelievable at times, and please forgive any omissions that may occur.

The Kennedy story started in September, 1929 when Hec Crighton opened the athletic office and set the foundation for great things to come, especially in the realms of football and track and field. Three years later in 1932, athletic director Ken Wills and coach George Chapman commenced their dynasty which has to be called the first golden era of Kennedy athletics.

The Clippers completely dominated the Windsor, Western Ontario and All-Ontario playing fields for a decade before lean years appeared during the Second World War. Then, a revival of the golden era occurred a few years after the arrival of Archie Green as the athletic director in 1946. For many years Kennedy athletics were heralded from coast to coast until the late 60's when another decline struck and things have been steady deteriorating ever since.

Kennedy's list of outstanding athletes and superstars is indeed a long one. The late John Loaring brought world fame for Kennedy and Windsor for his gold-medal performance in the 1934 Commonwealth Games in New Zealand and his silver-medal finish at the 1936 Berlin Olympics in the 400 metre hurdles.

Two super athletes, Joe Krol and Tony Golab graduated from Kennedy and led several professional football teams to Grey Cup victories. Both are in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Many others followed into the pro ranks with one of them being Harold Jackson who played in the NHL at Detroit and Chicago.
When one attempts to research the team and individual records for the 80-year span the task seems impossible because of the incomplete records in the yearbooks, wall pictures and, of course, the disappearance from the local scene of thousands of athletes. However, what follows are the highlights of the half century as they could be researched and discovered.

In what proved to be a prophecy of things to come, Kennedy's first championship team was the senior boys of 1930 who won field titles. Team members were Rusty McCallum, George Laing, Jim Holden, Howard Lee and Lyman Allen.

The Clippers celebrated their first football championship in 1931 when Hec Crighton's squad was composed of Ken McKerman, Lyman Allen, Larry Mathieu, Carl Bramman, Bill Reid, Thy Rotofsky. Other gridders were Perkins, Jack and Jim, George Chapman, Bob Nantau and Fred Philps.

The Clippers bagged their second city football crown in 1932 as Ken Wills took over as head coach. After eliminating Sarnia, the Blue and gold gridders lost a 2-1 duel in a WOSSA final at Galt. Team members were Leo Horodyski, Jack Kurby, Jack Alexander, Stew Kelly, Ken Wiley, Verlands Vick, Archie Green, Pete Sinclair, Jim Reid and Pick Nantau.

Then, the combination of the coaching magic of Wills and Chapman, along with the players intense desire to improve and succeed, resulting in an overflow of championships, probably unmatched in Canadian high school anywhere.

With Krol and Golab leading the way, Kennedy completely dominated the Ontario prep scene. They registered WSSA, WOSSA and OFSSA championship with mighty superiority. Brian Casey, Jack Burnett, AIf Hurley, Jim Stevenson, Doug Scaife, Bruce Daubney, Ed Brian, Sam Sasso, Joe Muzzin, Frank Vernes, Mel Lossing and Pete Lesinky were all on winning teams.

All-Ontario senior basketball championship went to Kennedy in 1937 and 1938 with Max Sheppard, Dave Mahon, Larry Elgar and Jack Wheelton assisting the big gunners Krol and Golab.

Record-breaking track and field teams took provincial honours, as John Loaring, Lew Robinson, Bill Pickard and Clyde Brown were senior stars in 1935. A year later, they repeated with Americo Sovran, Scaife, Krol and Casey. At the same
time, the city hockey laurels went to KCI with Pickard, Jack Spence, Al Broderick and Jim Clancy helping out.


The pace continued in 1938 with Ticky Duck, Bob Gallen, Bob Waddington and Gabby Granziol winning the City junior football trophy. The same year found swimmers Keith McEwen and Russ McKaig on a WSSA winner. Gino Sovran and brother Americo, along with Duck and Jack Long won a pair of WOSSA track titles.

George Chapman's junior gridders were victors at WOSSA in both '38 and '39. The Sovrans, Duck, Gallen, Granziol, Tom Barton and Walt Zybura were standouts. They also took Windsor and WOSSA junior basketball.

The Clippers couldn't be stopped on the ice either and the 1939 juniors won their first Windsor cup through the efforts of Ken Freebairn, Jack Hobbs, Eric Tanner and Bill Karstens.
In 1940, coach Chapman's junior footballers had gone unbeaten for the third season. Barton, Granziol, Ted Mallender, Lyle Warwick, Jim Murphy and Jack Hubbell helped to assemble that streak. The senior boys also came through with a city football triumph led by the play of Duck, Hubbell, Gallen, Zybura and Darwell Tisdale.

The prolific pace slowed as Kennedy students enlisted in large numbers in the armed forces. It marked the end of a breath taking period of Kennedy athletic achievement.

The resulting famine was felt in 1941 and continued through '42 and '43 until coach Howard Riggs celebrated with his first senior WSSA basketball championship. Bob Phibbs was the sharp shooter, supported by Mike Yuhasz. Fabian Curry, Bob Krol, Charlie Kouvelas and Ted Back. In the same school year, Yuhasz, Kouvelas, Hank Simola, Don Irwin, Archie Galbraith and Peter Wygant captured city swimming awards.

Things were quiet again until the Clippers revived briefly in 1946 when a Martin Young coached basketball team won the junior WSSA. Prominent on that squad were Ron Stephens, Jim Tisdale, Bob Scoren, Carl and Paul Deneau, Ray Truant, Bill Wilson, Stan Oleksiuk and Mike Dietrich.

There was no football competition in 1942 but several KCI gridders made All-City teams: Bob Bear and Lyle Warwick in '43, Yuhasz and George Savatsky in '44, Tackle Bob Hladki in '45, Jack Soper, Hank Simola, Mike Dietrich and Ian Howie in '45. Soper repeated the next year.

Archie Green moved in as athletic director in the fall of 1946 with a big rebuilding task ahead. All the equipment and uniforms had deteriorated to the junk pile. The gridders were still using tattered khaki pants and Joe Krol helmets and pads.

Alec "Bus" Liddell, and Green combined to lead Kennedy swimmers and runners to WSSA, and WOSSA titles in the spring of '47. Otto Chanko, Ian Paisley, Dave and Jim Douglas, Gerald Durham, Roger Osborne and Bob Buckner were the champion swimmers. The track team stars were Scoren, the Deneau twins, Stephens, Tisdale, Dietrich and Oleksiuk.

The rebuilding continued in 1948 but the junior cagers couldn't wait and bagged both City and Western Ontario Championships for Green's initial basketball trophy. Leading the attack were Alek Sulyok, Gord Moir, Ted Lucas, Lou Veres, Don MacWilliams and Al McLaren.

George Chapman was coaxed out of coaching retirement and the old magic touch was still alive! The Clippers responded with back-to-back senior WSSA and WOSSA football titles in 1949 and 1950.

Kennedy dominated the All-City teams with eight selections. Bill Moieshyn and Alek Sulyok were chosen both years. The others were Merv Essery, Bob Ledgley, Orest Tokarsky, Gerry O'Flanagan and Lou Veres. Three more gained honours in 1951 - Marv Larsen, Ron Man iacco and Ed Brecka. Other key gridders were Angus Morrison, Don Ballantine, Zoltan Kovacs, Kirk Weber and John Lorenzen.
The '49 swimming team of Ian Paisley, Ivor Johnstone and Derry Webster were junior city champs.

The track team entered the 1949 title pictures with both junior and senior WSSA shields. They had speed to burn with Scoren, Stephen, Larsen, Morrison, Lucas, Weber, Wall and McRae. One has to wonder why they didn't register their sons at Kennedy in the lean 1970's!

A promising new crop appeared in the spring of 1951 to win the junior track and field crown at London. Newcomers were Earl Rosenbaum, Gary Douglas, John Kerr, Bill Mitchell, John McLister and Bob Krause. The seniors were WSSA champs with Morrison, O'Flanagan, Jennings, Weber, L. Zeilig, Lucas and Larsen leading the way.

The previous contingent repeated with WSSA and WOSSA track victories in both '52 and '53. Dave Pennington and Bill Siefker were the newcomers.

In 1953, Kennedy's junior cagers swept honours at Windsor and London because of the strong team defensive display by Rosenbaum, Cole, Pennington, Maksimovich and Rutherford.

Another WSSA title went to senior swimmers Barry Bray, Norm Douglas, Royden Best and Bill Mitchell.

George Arnott assumed the football head coaching job in the fall of 1953 and six players were All-City - Stan Young, John McKay, Chuck Safrance, Kovacs, Rosenbaum and Maniacco. They put it all together and won WSSA and WOSSA senior football laurels in 1954.

Coach Harvey Ward's golfers, Dean Morrison, Bob Williamson, Monty Sillick and Richard Woodall were Windsor's best in 1955 and again in '56.

Kennedy's second golden era was in full progress and principal Alf Gilbert kept it going with regular Friday morning pep assemblies.

The 1954 WSSA and WOSSA senior football champions were led by four All-City stars, Maniacco, Pennington, John Partington and Jack Foote.The team was loaded with talent such as Harley Curtis, Don Cole, John McLister, Ed Ciesluk, Bill Mitchell, John Buda, Pete Hubbell, Don Sawchuk, Jim Copeland and Jack Schroeder.

The Clippers beat Patterson 7-1 in the city final and nipped Central 8-7 at London.

With All-City sniper Ron Brown spearheading the attack the 1955 cagers upset Patterson to steal the senior boys WSSA basketball trophy. Helping the cause were Roy Bielich, Dino Buratto, Pennington, Cole and Maksimovich.

Kennedy's 1955 track team reigned over the WSSA senior throne as Pennington, Cole, Mitchell, Shapiro and Lauren Zeilig supplied the winning point total.

One year later, the thinclads took 3 WSSA and WOSSA track team pennants. Playing prominent roles were Larry Andrewes, Jim Miller, Dick Benning and Richard Bain.

Bruce Whyte led the harriers to a city victory to start off the 1956 season. Joel Glynn and Tony Wolanski were tennis kings and then Marsh Thomson pulled off a surprise with a junior swim team championship with Lloyd Bishop, Gerry Hyatt, Wayne Clark and Richard Bain. Another pair of track and field team triumphs in Windsor and London were grabbed by Ed Potomski, Benning, Rich St. Pierre, Jim Miller, Ron Van Lith and Ed Petryshyn.

New golfers George Dragich, Gerry Black and Bob Sillick joined Dean Morrison for a 1957 city crown.

The '57 Clippers won 2 WSSA team titles in cross-country. Once again versatile Bruce Whyte led the race with Bill Gawley, Bob Sillick, Rick Ostrowski, Larry Andrewes and Steve Pidskalny also contributing.
Coach Arnott guided the KCI seniors to the gridiron top in 1957. Gord Safrance, Bill Actomick and Mike Hedgewick were All-City and others were Jim Gretes, Gerry Dimmick, David Thompson, Lee Toldo, Whyte, Sawchuk, Rupnicki, St. Pierre, Stewart and Schroeder.

Whyte and Andrewes again cupped cross-country awards while Wolanski repeated in tennis.

The very successful school year kept rolling and coach Don Hyland rallied a Clipper senior hockey team to a 1958 city victory. Sawchuk, Hedgewick, Whyte, Dimmick, Ron and Gerry Halmos, Don Costescu, Gerry Grabowski and Noel Nightingale were the puckchasers.

Eric Pertsch won a city badminton medal and swim coach Bob Eynon fired up a junior swim team to a city title. Ken Armstrong, Pete Love, Dave Seaton, Mike Pancheson and Akos Simon were the big splashers.

Coach Green smiled again when his junior cagers walked off with both WSSA and WOSSA basketball trophies. Ed Petryshyn was the payoff with assistance from Barry Kenshol, Van Lith, Miller, Hadley, Romiens, Hyatt, Belanger and Ronson.

Additional championships flowed when two Clipper track teams ran to Windsor honours. Ken Heath, Rick Ostrowski, Larry Tesarski, Ron Shaw and Harry Shulman were the juniors, while the intermediate speedsters included Potomski, Benning, Andrews, Whyte, Petryshyn, Suderman, and Doug Ditchfield.

The '57-58 year ended with twelve WSSA championships in the trophy case.

A new era began in the 1958-59 school year as Marsh Thomson became principal, succeeding AIf Gilbert who had been stricken with a fatal circulatory problem the previous spring. Thomson had a persuasive knack of getting the most out of both staff and students. Morale and school spirit soared and the Clippers responded with further domination of Windsor high school athletics.

Whyte, Sillick, Pidskalny, Tesarski and Gawley won a city team crosscountry championship. Petryshyn was the best in tennis.

The golf team made it five straight on the efforts of Sandy Roland, Kenshal, Sillick, Romiens and Welsh.

The football team had a new look with head coach Roy Battagello and assistant Ilka Oksannen. Joining All City Don Sawchuk, Gord Safrance and Bruce Whyte on the 1958 championship senior team were Suderman, Leach, Kupnicki, Macdonald, Simmons, Smart, Ronson, Tesarski and Potomski.

The Clippers won the senior WSSA and SWOSSA basketball crowns in '59 but bowed to Toronto in the Ontario final. The starting quintet was Ed Petryshyn, Dick Suderman, Barry Kenshol, Bill Hadley and John Morris. Also on the squad were Walt Todorov, Jim Miller and Jim Cole. This proved to be Kennedy's last senior city basketball championship in its first half-century.

The senior runners were victors at Windsor and London and the intermediates ruled locally. The talent was plentiful with Potomski, Roland, Zeilig, Heath, Simmons, Petryshyn, Suderman, Leach, Polsky and Whyte on the senior squad while the intermediates were Korosy, Mahoney, Tesarski, Ostrowski, Bain, Shulman, Strosberg, Pidskalny and Smith.

Bob Turner and Stewart Wolf were WSSA tennis champs to start off the 1959-60 season.

Whyte, Tesarski, Liburdi, Piskalny, Mahoney and Sandor showed their heels to the pack to win both senior WSSA and WOSSA cross-country pennants.

The golfers made it six straight WSSA titles with Romiens, Welsh, Roland and newcomers Mike Kane and Bob Sandor.
After an undefeated season, the Clippers lost to Assumption in the 1959 city football final. Potomski, Hyatt and Whyte were voted All-City.

To make up for the football disappointment Kennedy celebrated with its first WSSA soccer championship as coach Bill McGrahan discovered some good strikers among the squad of Andy Vince, Werner Machnik, Steve Mandel, Ron Shaw, Bob Mcintyre, Eric Pertsch, Gunther Wolf, Wayne Beger, Ken Armstrong and a pair of Sandys - Roland and Blackshaw.

The badminton team of Harvey Ward claimed three WSSA and WOSSA medals with Pertsch, Bill Simon and Dave Powell.

Sweeping both Windsor and London were the junior and senior swim teams of Pete Love, Tom White, Klaus Meier, Dennis Chadwick, Seaton, Blackshaw, Pancheson, Simmons, Pinder, Clarke and Simon.

The 1960 junior track team won at WSSA and the Intermediate team was crowned at WOSSA. Team Members included Zeilig, Strosberg, Luburdi, Roland, Simmons, Heath, Welsh, Poisky, Tesarski and promising juniors Nate Laurie, Pete Strachan, Larry Quinn and Ray Jones. Thus, a good year ended with 12 team champions.
The momentum kept up and the harriers started the 1960-61 season with a WSSA conquest. Leading this team were Andrews, Liburdi, Mahoney, Korosy, Seaton and Wilson.

The senior football team struck again with a Windsor championship. Potomski, Simmons, Ronson and Pewtoran were All-City.

Rounding out the unbeaten squad were: Dan Rangeloff, Dennis Leach, Steve Rogin, Harvey Strosberg, Dale Struthers, Jerry Hyatt, Dave Knight, Bob Tourchin, Dennis Chadwick, Joe Bradly, Gary Marentette, Joe Vijuk, Dave Mollard, Andy Vince, Dennis Smart, Jack Penney, Sandy Roland, Doug Rajkovic, and Frank Maliat.

The senior football team struck again with a Windsor championship. Potomski, Simmons, Ronson and Pewtoran were All-City.

Bob Turner, Ron Reiser and Chuck Zeilig were WSSA tennis champions.
For the first time ever in 1961, the Senior boys won the WSSA and WOSSA volleyball crowns with Don Hyland directing the strategy. Team members were Bill Hadley, Bob Turner, Todd Romiens, Jim Miller, Ken Mandzak, Larry Andrewes, Ron Spidy, Tony Montague and Tom Wilson.

McGrahan's '61 swimmers proved to be the most successful ever turned out. Paced by Tom White's Canadian record in the 100-yard breaststroke, the team captured WSSA, WOSSA and All-Ontario championship and set 34 new local and provincial records. Team members included Klaus Meier, Mike Pancheson, Sandy Blackshaw, John Loaring Jr. and Dave Seaton. The Juniors were Pete Love, Akos Simon, Wally Zawadski and Lyle Makosky.

John Krause and Bill Simon were WSSA badminton winners.

The '61 track and field team also went on a victory spree with an unheard of complete sweep of the six WSSA and WOSSA team honours.

Members of these classy squads were: Bob Potts, Joe Vijuk, Gerry Hyatt, Harvey Strosberg, Dennis Zawadski, Ron Zanin, Derek Wiley, Nat Laurie, Walter Lock, Tom Carter, Larry Quinn, Bill Korosy, Dave Gibson, Steve Thomas and Dave Knight. Seniors were Larry Andrewes, Ed Potomski, Sandy Roland, Tony Montague, Larry Polsky, Brian Mahoney, Ron Sitarz, Guy Simmons and Doug Ditchfield.
The 60-61 season had to be the most spectacular in Kennedy history as the Clippers amassed a total of 19 championships.

Kennedy's Cross-Country racers won both the WSSA and WOSSA team prizes as the '61 fall season got underway. This year was to be Windsor's last in WOSSA competition since the SWOSSA started in the fall of 1962. Harrier members were Larry Andrewes, Brian Mahoney, Bill Korosy, Learing, Sandy Blackshaw and Ron Sitarz.

For the second time in Kennedy's history, the soccer team was hailed as City Champions. Bill Leonhardt was the coach with a great squad of players such as George Caldwell, Dave Andrewes, Tom Ostrander, Ken Armstrong, Frank Hidi, Sandy Blackshaw, Werne Machnik, Ozzie Wolfe, Glen McCoubrey, Dwaine Hataley, Pete Love and Rob Mcintyre.

Ed Potomski and Guy Simmons were repeaters from the 1961 all-city football team.

Both Junior and Seniors swimmers came up with WSSA titles and the Senior Boys were OFSAA kings. Team members were White, Blackshaw, Seaton, Pancheson, Meier, Love, Loaring and Gardner. Junior swimmers included Ted Stanley, Rich Wydzynski, Len Silverstein, John Thomas, Tom Fox and Brian Davies.

The 1962 track and field team had another fabulous season with another complete sweep of six championships at WSSA and WOSSA and a stunning performance in the all-Ontario at East York. The Ontario record-breaking exploits of Ron Zanin, Denis Zawadski, Coleman Balogh, Jim Leonard and Derek Wiley were spectacular.

On the senior roster were Sandy Roland, who won the OFSAA high hurdles, Ed Potomski, Tony Montague, Chuck Zeilig and Brian Mahoney. Intermediates were John Loaring, Larry Quinn, Bill Korosy, Ron Potts, Tom Carter and Randy Stewart.
With the heroics of the Kennedy track and field team at London, Windsor high schools departed from the WOSSA scene where great rivalries between Windsor and London had built up over the years.

Kennedy celebrated its entry into SWOSSA in 1962 with John Loaring winning the individual harrier trophy. The Clipper cross-country senior team were WSSA champions and that marked the 17th season that coach Green's runners had been in on the victory scene. Team members supporting Loaring were Brian Mahoney, Dave Gibson, Pete Mcintyre and Ken Whiteman.

Once again in 1963, Kennedy swimming teams were most prominent as the seniors won both WSSA and OFSAA. This was Bill McGrahan's last year at Kennedy and his seniors were a repeat of the '62 team. The juniors were WSSA champs and had a few newcomers in Al Colman, Norm Peacy, John White and Dale Cholik.

Kennedy's football and basketball teams had a problem and Dave Mollard was the only All-city selection.

The blue-and-gold '63 track team managed to retain its WSSA and SWOSSA intermediate team titles on the strength of Jim Leonard's strong showing with assistance from Balogh, Zanin and Zawadski.

Brown and Costescu won a WSSA badminton title for coach Hub Hendershot.

After a relatively quiet year, the Clippers rebounded strongly for the 1963-64 season.
The last city and SWOSSA football champion in Kennedy's 50-year history was crowned in 1963 as Coach Battagello claimed four All-city stars in Zawadski. Vijuk, Chadwick and Bill Hendershot.

Other stalwarts in the 1963 team were Paul Hendershot, Marentette, Vince, J. Smith, Penney, Fitch, Upcott, Paulin, Potts, Bially, G. Maxwell and Bob Ronson.

John Loaring ran to a senior WSSA cross-country award in October '63 and then repeated in tennis doubles with Ted Stanley.
Coach Hyland led another senior volleyball team to a city title with Roman Kwiatkowski spiking for Zanin, Miles, Leonard, Stanley, Flood, Zerbin, Kent and DeLorenzi.

Kennedy captured both junior and senior WSSA track and field honours in the spring of 1964. Loaring, Zanin, Leonard, Balogh, Wiley, Miles, Potts, Zawadski, Andrews, J. Smith, Penney and Jasey were the seniors. The juniors proved to be the Clippers last team WSSA winner of the school's 50-year history.They included Upcott, Kennedy, Burnham, iannicelio, Ruddy, Cosic, Leal and Urban.

There were 3 other '64 city champions as the junior basketballers, senior swimmers and badminton players were all victorious. The cagers had Kwiatkowski, Collis, Miles, G. Barbesin, Halbersa, Goslin, Kennedy, Moro and Burnham. On the swimming team were Loaring, Layuk, Schwartz, Silverstein, Meier, Stanley, Kent and Coleman. Loaring and 0. Wolf were the badminton winners.

Thus, with a satisfying nine championships in the trophy cases, the Clippers didn't realize but the future would start a downward cycle which has lasted into the 70's.

George Cosic and Hugh Leal sparkled for the cross-country runners in the 1964 season. Cosic was the SWOSSA individual champion.

In tennis, Dave Andrewes and John Leverett were WSSA doubles champions.

Coach Don Hyland completed his successful work with 'a third senior volleyball championship in 1965. After taking the WSSA title, the Clippers advanced to the SWOSSA and beat Wailaceburg in the final. Team members were Zanin, Zerbin, Leonard, Kwiatkowski, DeLorenzi, Barbesin, Waslyk, Miles, Ruddy, Hills, and Carley.

The senior track team had enough superstars remaining to capture both WSSA and SWOSSA trophies in the spring of '65. In addition to the perennial winners, Zanin, Balogh, Hendershot, Wiley, Leonard, Smith, Leal and Cosic, the new members were Andrewes, Peter Tompkins, Harold Bradford, Mike Urban, Walt Jasey, Gary Burnham, Paul Mcintyre and Les Tetler.

Senior swimmers with coach Dave Rudkin won the city title. The natators were Stanley, Schwartz, Kent Fox, Colman, Cakebread, P. Hendershot and Balogh.

A reserve basketball team was the only cage champion. Playing on that '65 team were Bill McLinden, John lanicello, Gary Keith, Kwiatuowski, Kennedy, Barbesin, Goslin and Urban.

The 1965-66 year found the Clippers in a little downhill slide. However, Dave Andrewes and John Leverette were WSSA tennis rulers along with Mike Doepner. Jerry Popa, Ozzie Wolf and Doepner won city badminton titles.

Another WSSA crown was worn by the senior track team of Balogh, Zawadski, Leonard, Miles, Upcott, Cosic, P. Hendershot, Andrewes, Burnham, Rizok and Jackson.

The '66 freshman cagers were Windsor champs under coach Dick "Chics" Pazur. Leading the grade niners were Joe Fairhurst, John Riggs, Gerry Kisil, Les Tetler, Alec Tadic, Dom Aversa, Larry Bookman, Bill Graham and G. Maxwell.

Tennis stars Ken Waterman, Jim Winter and Lyle Hogan were city champs in 1966. Hugh Leal was the SWOSSA individual intermediate cross country champion.

The junior swimmers repeated in 1967 with Rock, White, Trotter Sweetman and Silverstein.
 Coach Bill Horrozey was at Kennedy for only one year but came up with a junior basketball winner. Wayne Petryshyn, Keith Marentette and Dan Bobbie were team members along with the previous years' freshman champions: Tom Hogan, Doug White, Greg Voakes, Henry Hofsteteris, Ed Gillis, Jay Bern holtz and Kevin Pfeifer.

Kennedy's last intermediate boys' WSSA and SWOSSA track champions were crowned in 1967. The sprinters were John Riggs, Mike Hurst, Les Tetler and Joe Fairhurst. They were supported by Mike Urban, Hugh Leal, Felix Luppke, Darryl Snyder, Al Kruc, Joe Szilva, and Rick Green.

The senior trackmen were SWOSSA champs in '67. Team members were Ruddy, Upcott, Miles, Hendershot, McIntyre, Cosic, Kennedy, H. Zanin, Goslin, Zin, Boles and Rizok.

The city champion football team of 1963 was the final half century winner but Kennedy still produced plenty of talent. Bill Hendershot and Doug Rajkovic were All-City in '64 with Paul Hendershot making it one year later.

The Clippers had a great football season in '66 before losing it to Massey 8-0 in the final. This proved to be Kennedy's last appearance in the city final for at least the next 13 years. The '66 team boasted six All-City gridders; Paul Hendershot, (again), Dave Upcott, Bob Fairs, Darryl Snyder, Rock Woschenski and Al Kennedy who made it again in '67.

In the decade of the 1970s there were four more; Ken Lauzon and Tom Arnott were named twice and others were Dave Roth and Howie Rogin.

Kennedy's senior cross-country team highlighted the fall of 1967 with a WSSA and SWOSSA championship. George Cosic was the medallist and the others were Hugh Leal, Bob Belanger, Greg Szabo and Paul Borghi.

The junior harriers were WSSA champs with Jim Archer the individual winner followed by Bob Dupuis, Miller, Marks, Grando, Schmidt, Palanae, Kramberger, and McFarlane.

The juveniles were also WSSA winners as Larry Prashek placed first and then came Kennedy, Carvie, Hotz and Bernholtz.

A good 1967 golf team of Mike Urban, A. Tratechaud, D. Goslin, J. Silverstein and J. Riggs qualified for SWOSSA.

In 1968, Frank Baldock was first at both Windsor and SWOSSA midget cross-country meets. Other team champs were John Archer, Andy Kovosi, Larry Prashek and Lloyd Thompson.

Kennedy's 1969 golf team surprised the experts with another WSSA victory. John Riggs, Lyle Hogan, Ron Tratechaud, Al Barbesin, Bill Androsiuk and Jerry Silverstein were the team members.

The '69 cross-country runners continued to keep Kennedy in the championship chase. Junior city winners were Dupuis, Baldock, Thompson and Kovosi. The midget WSSA champs included Coulombe, Segatto, Tubaro, and Schertzer.

The next year, Coulombe and Segatto moved up to junior and with Thompson, Baldock andFortuna won the WSSA title.

The '70 golf team had co-medalist Ron Tratechaud and Lyle Hogan who teamed with Carvie, Sommerville, and Swizawski to qualify at SWOSSA.

Ivan Nemet took both WSSA and SWOSSA tennis honours in 1969 and 1970 and a pair of wrestlers, Eddie Lenarduzzi and Mike Fabiane were city gold medallists.
 The 1971 harriers were very strong, winning three WSSA team victories and one at SWOSSA. Bob Dupuis posted an individual double at those meets and he was ably assisted by Baldock. Thompson and Dennis Segatto for the senior victory. Midget champs were Keith Jones, Mark Mrozenski, Brian Kimmerly, Tom Mann, and Stan Wlusek. The juvenile winners were Gary Archer, Mike Moresco, Trevor Newman, Rick Zamese, and Kurt O'Showy.

An all-round dedicated athlete, Henry Fortuna teamed with Wally Bordian for a WSSA tennis doubles win in 1972.

Another Clipper harrier team won a SWOSSA midget title as Terry Beskowine, Randy Barden, Rick Zannese and Curtis Pope posted the low total score.

Tom Arnott was the 1972 city individual junior track champion.

Hard working cross-country runners accounted for most of Kennedy's team championship as the 70's progressed. In 1973, a juvenile quintet of Scott Kolody, Kevin Baker, Tom O'Flynn, Malcolm Nicol and Justin Priztocki were WSSA champions.

The midgets also produced with wins at both WSSA and SWOSSA levels. Team members were Bill Peltier, Riaz Oozeer, Tim Piche and Randy Gifford.

The following year with Ray Holland the front runner, Kennedy was the SWOSSA champion. Other juniors on the team were Terry Beskowine, John Palmer and Andy Barden. Ian Sproat came first, followed by Kurt Henry, Joe Wright, and Kevin Hills as the Clippers were WSSA 1974 juvenile champions.

A strong senior boys' swimming team under coach Dave Pells won the WSSA trophy in '75 and '76. Tom Arnott, Paul Gurr and Bob Rozankovic were the kingpins along with Jim and Drew Sproat, Chris Mcintosh, Paul Kelly, Tom CulIen, Mark Albus, Cohn McEwan and Mark Gelinas.

Ray Holland and Tom Arnott were the top track and field performers during the middle 70's. They were double and triple champs on several occasions.

City wrestling winners were Ivo Bordignon, Guy Prince, Laslo Furj, and Stew Bremner.

Other 1976 champions were Tom O'Flynn who also repeated in '77 as the WSSA and SWOSSA singles tennis winner.

Paul Atras and Dave Craig combined for a WSSA badminton award in 1977 and repeated in 1978.

The Clippers 1976 cross-country team were the SWOSSA senior champions. Ray Holland, the WSSA individual winner, paced his teammates Beskowine, Piche, Peltier and Burden to the finish line. This proved to be the final team victory in harrier competition before the school's 50th anniversary.

In 1978,thejunior boys swimming team captured the WSSA jr. boys Championship. Members of this team were James Cullen, Glenn Long, Scott McEwan, Doug Cowper, Randy Greatrex, James Crease, Terry Dodich, Steve Serecin, Robert Grohs, and Jason Bosher.

1977 marked the final coaching effort for the "Old Coach" Green who had enjoyed over 100 championship team victories in athletics at Kennedy. Most of these team triumphs came in track and field and cross-country at the WSSA, WOSSA, SWOSSA and OFSAA levels.

Kennedy's athletic fortunes fell to an all-time low in the late 60's and during the 70's. Never had such a long depressing period occurred in the schools 50-year history. The last senior football championship team was in 1963. It was even longer in basketball as the Seniors didn't win since 1959. The senior track team prevailed longer and was a 1968 WSSA champion.

Kennedy has had to be content with several crosscountry and swimming team titles, along with many individual event city winners for track, cross-country, wrestling, tennis and badminton.

Archie Green turned over this athletic office keys to the school's fourth Athletic Director Jerry Carpenter in January 1978.


This is where Archie Green's report ends. Quoted records are as of 1978. We welcome any KCI Athletic Director to continue this historical account of Boys Athletics from 1978 to the present day.
Girls Athletics- by Carmen Eaton
Girls' Basketball a Hig Hit in the 1930s

Few Kennedy teams have been able to match the provincial recognition established by the basketball teams of the 30's coached by Miss Grace Hamilton. These cagers brought provincial championships to Kennedy in 1931, 1932 and 1933, all of which began with W.S.S.A. and W.O.S.S.A. crowns as early as 1930. Another city basketball championship was added to the list in 1936, also coached by Miss Hamilton.

Among the outstanding performers for these teams were Willa Hyttenrauch, whose athletic talents distinguished her as perhaps the most outstanding competitor at that time, also Dorothy Francis, Jennie Golab, and Doris Kerr, Helen Thompson, Mary McMillan, Ann McKaig, Jessie Loaring, Ann Salahub, Pat Atkinson and Betty Scott.

Doris Kerr and her sister Ruth were among the most prominent Clipper swimmers in the early and mid 30's; they and their teammates posted W.S.S.A. championships in '31,'32,'33,'34,'36 and '38. Ruth Kerr went on to win the Canadian junior backstroke title and in 1932 competed in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Her sister, Doris, was a major factor in the 1936 W.S.S.A. swimming championship along with Jess Loaring, Betty Scott, Margaret Elliott, Margaret Reid, Jean Haydon, Lois Loveridge, Marion Wheelton, Helen Thompson, Ann McKaig and Mary McMillan.

Additional swimmers to the 1938 city winners were Shirley Jenner, Catherine Butt, Shirley Davidson, Elizabeth Anderson, Jean Haydon, Jacqueline Gregory, Mary Waterman, Nancy Brydon who posted another W.S.S.A. and W.O.S.S.A. swimming championship for coach Hamilton; this was to be her last swimming title at Kennedy.
Nevertheless, Kennedy's swimming teams continued to win W.S.S.A. titles in '44, '45 and '46 with their new coaches Miss Margaret Large and Miss Bette Davis. The next swimming crown was not captured until 1950 when Miss Miriam Ritchie guided her swimmers to the W.S.S.A. junior swimming championship with the help of Joan Godfrey, Doris Crawford, Joyce Eastman, Margaret Spencer, Cathy Werte, Arliss Weber, Vickie Pizar, Mary Osborne, Betty Holland and Grace Fleming.

Among other city championships won by early Clipper teams included softball (1932-1933) and track and field (1931, 1932 and 1935) with

Miss Hamilton leading the way. Miss Davis and Miss Ritchie collected their own W.S.S.A. titles in junior track (1950) and junior volleyball (1950), respectively.

Although the Kennedy Clippers have not been able to maintain the basketball supremacy established by teams in the 30's, they have captured over 65 titles since 1953 in a variety of athletics including ten W.S.S.A. volleyball championships, four of which have led to W.O.S.S.A. or S.W.O.S.S.A. crowns.

The early 50's was highlighted by the unmatched performances of Ernestine Russell, who in 1956 was the first woman to compete with the Canadian Olympics team, and one of two women to compete in the 1960 games in Rome. Mrs. Weaver attributes gymnastics as the means by which she was able to obtain her college degree from Michigan State University where she stayed on as gymnastics' coach after graduating.
In 1955, she won the A.A.U. gymnastics individual championship: In 1969, Mrs. Weaver switched to Clarion State University in Pennsylvania where her teams went undefeated in three consecutive seasons. After taking two years off, during which the Clarion gymnastics team finished their next season with a record 13-7, she returned to the coaching ranks in 1973 with her teams capturing two A.I.A.W. championships.

Ernestine Weaver in 1969 published her first book entitled, "Gymnastics for Girls and Women". In 1976 she served as assistant coach with the United States Olympic team and in 1977 Mrs. Weaver was named coach of the year by the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastic Coaches for Women as she had assumed the head coach position for the U.S. gymnastics team which placed fourth in the World University Games.

Then in 1978 as head coach, her team placed first in the World University Games. It was the first gold medal won by an American gymnastics' team in international competition. Since her first competition, which began when she was in grade 8, she has won nine Canadian championships and three American titles winning five gold medals in the 1959 Pan Am-games. It was for these many accomplishments that Ernestine Russell Weaver was inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame, and may be designated as Kennedy's most outstanding female athlete in the last fifty years.

There were many other noteworthy performances by female athletes in the fifties, particularly in swimming and track and field. Kennedy swimmers won junior W.S.S.A. titles in 1950, 1955 and 1957; with senior swim crowns in 1957 and 1958. Among some of the athletes who swam their way to victory were Joan Godfrey (Sr. individual winner (1952), Lynne Willimott (Jr. individual winner 1956), Judy Green (Sr. individual winner 1957). The 1957 swimming group was perhaps the best swimming team Kennedy had known to this point in time.

With the outstanding performances of Judy Green and Lynne Willimott who both won the senior and junior individual titles, respectively, the Clipperettes splashed their way to a double crown with Miss Willimott setting a new record in the backstroke; and with the help of teammates Sue Cakebread, Donna Deans and Judy Doughty, this foursome also won the junior freestyle relay. In London that year, the junior Clippers took a second in the W.O.S.S.A. meet with Miss Green swimming for Miss Deans. Miss Green and Miss Willimott shared the senior individual crown in 1958 under coach Miss Blair.

Many of these outstanding swimmers were also excellent performers in track and field,
especially in 1957 when Kennedy had its first W.O.S.S.A. representatives in a long while. That year in the W.S.S.A. meet, Lynne Willimott captured the intermediate individual honors and with the help of teammates Judy Green, Judy and Nan Doughty (who established a new distance in the softball throw), the Clipperettes went on to the London meet where they finished in second place.

These fine performances, however, did not overshadow the excellence of the junior and senior volleyball teams which brought championship honors to Kennedy in 1951 for coach Ritchie, in 1957 for Miss Neely and in 1958 for coach Blair. The 1958 W.S.S.A. senior volleyball champions were captained by Lila McPhedran and featured outstanding efforts by Helen Goslin, Judy Brooks, Carolyn Bzdziuch, Elsa Forsander, Bev Whipple, Pat Sanders, Lydia Wurcharuk, Francis Oke, Marilyn Cowden, Marlene Dunn, Carol Squire, Judy Fahringer and Lila McPhedran herself.

Miss McPhedran also proved her talents in other areas as she won the 1958 W.S.S.A. and W.O.S.S.A. badminton doubles championship with her teammate Barbara White. On this same team, Miss Beverly Chittick won both the W.S.S.A. and W.O.S.S.A. badminton singles event and remained a steady performer in W.S.S.A. ladies' singles play with titles in 1960, 1961 and 1962. In 1959, Miss McPhedran teamed up with Ed Petryshyn to win the W.S.S.A. tennis mixed doubles championship. In 1959 and 1960, the Clipperettes continued to show their excellence on the courts as Barbara Dinham won the ladies singles in the W.S.S.A. tennis tournaments and teamed up with Miss Chittick in 1960 and 1961 to win the W.S.S.A. badminton doubles event. Additional W.S.S.A. tennis titles have been won by Clippers with the coaching of Mr. Lou Veres; Helen Pazitch (1964 ladies' singles), Ora Gluzman and Maria Lantos (1970 ladies' doubles).

In the early 60's, a number of outstanding athletes began to pool their resources and captured for Kennedy a host of volleyball championships as well as the only W.S.S.A. basketball crowns since the early forties. Beginning in 1963-1964, the Kennedy Clippers won ten W.S.S.A. volleyball titles; seven of which were won at the Junior level in '63,'64,'66,'67,'68,'69,'70 and the remaining championships were won at the Senior level '64,'67,'69. In 1967 and 1968, the Junior volleyball teams won back to back S.W.O.S.S.A. championships for Miss Carmen Eaton and Mrs. Margaret Landale, respectively.

The W.S.S.A. basketball crown was brought back to Clipper country in 1963 and 1964 under the coaching of Mrs. Mary Jo Galbraith and the excellent performances of such athletes as Marion Leach, Jane Allison, Diane Townsend, Diane Lobzun, Nancy Ostrander, Irene Kubicki, Leslie Lavery, Marg Pilcher, Pat Lescinsky, Susan Howarth, Marilyn Bradford, Jane Newman, Susie Nurse, JoAnn Mcintyre, Diane Walsh and Lynn Brody.

While teaching at Kennedy, Mrs. Galbraith posted six W.S.S.A. championships in basketball and track and field in '62, '63 and '64. Of these, three teams went on to win S.W.O.S.S.A. honors in '63 and '64. Mrs. Galbraith coached perhaps the best track teams that the Clippers have seen in the last 12 years. With the record-setting efforts of Joyce Willimott, and fellow Clippers Marilou LaPointe, Donna Grundy, Cindy Birchmore, Jane Allison, Marion Leach and Diane Townsend, Kennedy captured team titles in '64 (W.S.S.A. and S.W.O.S.S.A.), '65, '66 and '67 with coaching from Mrs. Galbraith and later from Miss Jean Cunningham and Miss Eaton.

Of the championship teams previously mentioned, perhaps one of the most outstanding performances was displayed by the 1964 intermediate and senior squads. At the W.S.S.A. meet, Joyce Willimott won the Intermediate championship by smashing two records in the 100 yard dash with a time of 11.7 seconds and in the 62-yard hurdles with a time of 9.2 seconds; both records had been previously posted by fellow Seniors, Jane Allison (100 yd. - 12-3) and Marion Leach (62 yd. hurdles 9.8) in 1963. Joyce's teammate Marilou LaPointe matched her record time in the hurdles. Miss Willimott and Miss LaPointe joined with Pat Michalick and Priscilla lannicello to establish a new time for the intermediate 440-yard relay in 52.3 seconds. In 1966, Miss Willimott established a new distance in the S.W.O.S.S.A. senior long jump with a leap of 5.328 meters; a mark which still remains today.
Prior to these accomplishments on the cinder track, Miss Willimott had already established herself as a top gymnast as she contended for the individual crown in the 1962 W.O.S.S.A. gymnastics meet with fellow Clippers Jane Newman, Lee Ann Newman and Lorraine Spidy. At the end of the competition Jane Newman was the top performer with a first, two seconds and a third in her events while Miss Willimott specialized in the vaulting, free exercise and beam. In 1965-1966, Miss Newman and Miss Willimott teamed up with Mary Lou Macko to win the S.W.O.S.S.A. crown for coach Cunningham.

It was in 1963 and 1964 that the Kennedy Clipperettes began a list of volleyball titles which continued into the '70's. At this time, the senior squad carried away the W.S.S.A. and S.W.O.S.S.A. honors for Miss Eaton. Among the outstanding athletes were such familiar names as Jane Allison, Marion Leach, Diane Townsend, Marilou LaPointe and teammates Susie Nurse, Sharon Snyder, Nancy Ostrander, Diane Lobzun, Barbara Baldassar, Elaine Rapsky, Irene Kubicki and Pat Lescinsky.

In 1966, a new core of Clippers took the junior W.S.S.A. title under coach Miss Rogers and then again in 1967 with new coach Miss Eaton. This last victory led the team to another S.W.O.S.S.A. crown. Meanwhile, the senior squad in 1967-1968 fought their way to still another W.S.S.A. championship, with Miss Rogers (Mrs. Landale) at the helm. The Clippers' success on the volleyball court continued in '68 with a Junior S.W.O.S.S.A. title by coach Landale, in '69 with a Senior W.S.S.A crown for Mrs. Pat McWha and a Junior title that same year for Miss Marg Holman.

In '70, the novice Clippers captured the last volleyball championship in a most exciting fashion. After completing league play coach Eaton's Clippers found themselves in a tie for fourth place the last playoff position. In back-to-back matches, the Clippers defeated Riverside for a playoff position; then, with a victory over Massey, they advanced to the final against Centennial. The championship match was decided in three exciting games 14-16, 15-13 with Kennedy taking the third and deciding game 16-14.

Sharing in the excitement of this championship were players Lori Wright, Cindy Goodfellow, JoAnn Keltika, Linda Zawadski, Janice Schmidt, Laurel Cornfoot, Paula O'Showy, Sally Sovran, Linda Sawchuk, Valorie LaJoie, Treva Northcut and team captain Marilyn Bennett.
The only basketball titles to be won by the Clippers since 1964 have been in tournament play. In 1972-1973, the Clippers won the consolation championship in the University of Windsor Invitational Basketball tournament with excellent outside shooting by Lori Emerson, the aggressive rebounding of Lori Wright, Kathy Lyons and the court leadership of Mary Peltier. The following year, basically the same squad won the consolation final in Chatham's Pink and White tournament for coach Eaton.

Back in 1967-1968, a novice swimmer by the name of Janet Sproat, began a series of four consecutive W.S.S.A. individual swimming titles. She captured the Junior crown in '68, '69, '70 and the Senior crown in '71 . In 1971, with her first senior individual diving championship, Miss Sproat and her teammates Kathy Lauzon and Charlene Gee won Kennedy's only diving crown. The junior swimmers won the W.S.S.A. championships in '68 and '69 for Miss Cunningham and again in '70 and '71 for Mr. Jack Allan and Miss Jane Boyd.

In her final senior competition, Miss Sproat collected her fourth consecutive title by taking two firsts in the 50-yard butterfly and in the 100-yard individual medley. Miss Sproat was acclaimed as a most outstanding athlete which was not only evident in her aquatic accomplishments, including diving and synchronized swimming, but also in other athletics including track and field, volleyball and gymnastics. Among the 1970 swimming champions besides Miss Sproat were fellow swimmers Susan Green, Marilyn Bennett, Lori Emerson and Cathy Arnott.

In 1972, Mr. David Pells assumed the coaching responsibilities from Mr. Allan. In only two years, Mr. Pells had developed a W.S.S.A. championship team as his swimmers captured not only the junior girls' team title but the overall team title as well.		 Mr. Pells was particularly proud of his junior girls as they went on to capture the all-Ontario junior championship. Cindy Gelinas swam away with the W.S.S.A. junior individual title with a first in the 200-yard free style and 100-yard freestyle events. Cindy has the now, existing record for the junior 200 yard freestyle with a time of 2:00:9 which she set in 1976. The 1974-1975 overall team title was won with outstanding efforts by Cindy and Kim Gelinas, Nancy and Kathy Houde, Nancy and Angela Cullen, Leslie Greisinger, Beth Ann Sproat, Diane Whitty, Jane Chafe, Debbie Birce, Jill Cote, Liz Archibald, Helen Diamond is, Helen Thys, Lisa Wachna, Ann McIntosh, Sieglinda Graf and Inegrid Erdmann.

Kennedy swimmers have shown their excellence in other relatively new aquatic areas. Miss Cunningham's aquamaids captured the junior synchronized swimming (style) championship in 1968 with the help of Lynn Jarvis (the individual champion), Janet Sproat, Dorothy and Marion Pitters. The Catalina Clippers won the overall team trophy in 1970, 1971 for coach Eaton with fine efforts from Janet Sproat, Angela Cullen, Lynn Jarvis, Laurie Vivian, Denise Kelk, Karen Walsh, Mary Ford, Darlene Ulian, Shelly Hagman, Jean Holland, and Kim Scott, Marilyn Bennett, Lynn Vivian, Karen Neilson, Debbie Hazel, Ann Reddin, Judy Neilson, Kathy Turner.

In 1976-1977, the Kennedy swimmers and Mr. Pells won the Clippers first W.S.S.A. water polo championship and went on to place third at the all-Ontario water polo tournament. Among these Clipper swimmers were Melanie Whitty, Ruby Nuttall, Martha Mcintosh, Cindy Taylor, Marie Opincariu, Tracy Upham, Julie Levesque, Beth Ann Sproat, Tina Labaty, Denise Leach, Ingrid Erdmann, Ruth Muller and W.S.S.A. all-star selections Nancy Houde, Leslie Greisinger and Diane Whitty. Basically, the same group of Clipperettes placed second in W.S.S.A. water polo competition in 1977-1978 but also placed second at the O.F.S.S.A. level.

 Although the Clippers have not captured team titles in cross country, several outstanding runners have been eligible for S.W.O.S.S.A., and O.F.S.S.A. competition by way of their excellence in W.S.S.A. meets. One of the best cross-country teams was the '74 squad coached by Mr. Pearson; among some of his runners were Kathy Lyons, Carol Arnott, Nancy and Angela Cullen, Sieglinda Graf, Elaine Peltier and Nancy Houde. Among these runners, Carol Arnott placed second in the W.S.S.A. meet and fourth at the all Ontario meet. Other excellent performances in the past have been made by Donna Nantais ('73), Kathy Gelinas ('77) and Martha McIntosh ('76,77,78).

In recent years, special awards have been presented to female athletes who have displayed their excellence in various athletics. Among these is the Marg Landale award which Mrs. Landale presented to the school for annual presentation to the most valuable player on the junior volleyball team. The first presentation was made in 1968 to Sonja Fecycz and thereafter to Molly Pekar ('69), Laurel Cornfoot ('70), Lori Wright ('71), Terry Baily ('73), Gail Hanley ('74), Kathy Menard ('75), Barbara Quick ('76), and the first repeat winner Jody Hurst ('7 7'78).

The David S. Pells award is annually presented to the female and male swimmers who have shown outstanding contribution to the swimming team throughout the season. The first presentation was made in 1975, the female recipient being Diane Whitty and since then the award winners have been Nancy Cullen ('75), Kathy Gelinas ('76), and most recently Nancy Houde in 1977.

The Carmen Eaton award was presented by the Girls' Athletic Society and the Kennedy Forum, to be presented each year to the female athlete who has shown outstanding athletic ability in interscholastic competition and intramural competition combined. This award was first presented in 1974 when the recipient was Mary Peltier and since then the recipients have been Gail Hanley ('75), Leslie Poisson ('76) who also shared the award in 1977 with co-recipient Karen Ilijanich and most recently Arlene Vassell in 1978.

This is where Ms Eaton's report ends. Quoted records are as of 1978. We welcome any KCI Athletic Director to continue this historical account of Girls Athletics from 1978 to the present day.