University of Toronto Athletics

Ontario and Canadian Champions

The 1986-87 Varsity Blues women’s swimming team set a standard of excellence that will be difficult to repeat. After winning the 28th provincial title in program history, the Blues went on to dominate at the national level, hosting the CIAU championships and claiming the title by the second-largest point margin in national championship
history to date.

Toronto finished with a then CIAU record 557 points, 272 points ahead of the silver medalist University of Calgary.

Two-time Olympian Marie-Therese Armentero led the Blues with three gold medals in the 50- and 100-metre freestyle as well as the 100-metre backstroke. Fellow U of T Sports Hall of Fame inductee Karin Helmsteadt also won CIAU titles in both the 200 and 400 individual medley (IM) as well as three silver medals, leading U of T to what would be the first of seven consecutive national championship banners.

Other CIAU medalists include Andrea Maechler, with a silver medal in the 400-metre IM, as well as two bronze medals in the 200 breast and IM events. Kim Smylie won the silver medal in the 400 freestyle, while Andrea Schloegl picked up a pair of bronze medals in the 50 and 100 freestyle. Leslie Carter and Deanne Weber each won a bronze medal in the 200 butterfly and 800 freestyle, respectively.

Toronto’s 4x100-metre freestyle relay team dominated the field, finishing a full five seconds ahead of the pack to earn gold. The Blues also placed second in both the 4x100-metre medley and 4x200-metre freestyle relays.

Team members (in alphabetical order): Tamra (Hopkins) Alexander, Marie-Therese Armentero-Fuzzati, Deane Bidinosti (Weber), Leslie Carter, Karen Gibson, Karin Helmsteadt, Julie Ingo (Hashimoto), Kathryn Lagroix, Andrea Maechler, Anita Martosh, Kelly Milne, Erin Mitchell (McCune), Jocelyn Muir, Sharon Nease (McBride), Wilma Pidhayny, Mary-Anne Poli (Runge), Andrea Schloegl, Mari Sirdevan (Okazawa), Kim Smylie, Jill Sorra (Greenlaw), Michelle Van Beusekom, Joan Wright
Head Coach: Byron MacDonald
Assistant Coach: Neil Harvey
Manager: Janine Hicken