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Three PHS All- Americans
In One Sport!
Class of 1955
Ackerman, Whittaker and Forsythe

A incredible accomplishment for the Peoria High Swim Team in 1955.  PHS has had All-Americans in different sports including swimming in prior and future years after 1955.  Swimming in 1955 was not in all high schools at that time.  Peoria High has always been at the leading edge in sports.  During their senior year, Owen Ackerman, Dick Whittaker and Bill Forsythe did something that had not been done before.  Definitely not in PHS history!  These three men set the bar of excellence at a new level and became an example for future generations of PHS swimmers.  

After digging up some archival articles, it became apparent what a special team the 1955 swim team was in that sport.  It must be noted that the Class of 1955 had many tremendous athletes in all-sports.  Many great scholars and contributors to our community!  Quite an accomplishment.  So below you can go back in time and see what the Journal Star wrote on these fine athletes.  

Editors Note:

I've know Owen Ackerman a long time.  His stories of learning to swim are connected to my family.  They go back to Bradley University and learning to swim in the summers at the Bradley Pool.  He gives credit to AJ Robertson, the Coach and Athletic Director for Bradley University for teaching him early in life how to swim.  You could say it was a cast of characters of future PHS athletes, teachers and coaches there in their early years.  Owen always said that Corky Robertson was there as a lifeguard in the early days.  Once Owen learned the art of swimming...the rest was history.  Owen, Dick and Bill went on to make history at PHS.  Owen still continues to swim to this day competitively!  He is great supporter of the Alumni Association.  Once a Lion, Always a Lion!

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Photos from 1955 Crest

Here are a couple of articles from the 1955 Peoria Journal Star

Peoria Owns three All-Americans today.

​​

Owen Ackerman, Dick Whitaker and Bill Forsythe have been named to the All-American high school swimming team picked by the National Association of High School Coaches.

Ackerman won his rating in the backstroke while Whitaker and Forsythe gained recognition in the freestyle and breaststroke divisions. All three were doubly honored making the medley relay team. They are, according to Coach Joe Yuhause, among 20 top swimmers in America in their respective classes.

 

Placing three men on the All-American Team is the greatest honor that has come to Central Tankmen in the past ten years. The school has had single representatives on the team on several occasions and several boys have repeated but this is the first time that three men have made the squad.

Yuhause cited the caliber of opposition in Illinois High School competition by noting “one-third of the boys who won All-American recognition come from this state. New Trier and Evanston placed several men on the squad,” Yuhause added.

3 All-Americans Central’s Greatest Swimming Honor

By Ben Abrams
Journal Star Sports Writer
From the Journal Star 1955

 

DICK WHITTAKER DEMONSTRATES the starting form which gained him a berth on the All-American high school swimming team. Watching the demonstration are (seated left to right) Owen Ackerman and Coach Joe Yuhause. Standing in the back is Bill Forsythe. Ackerman and Forsythe also made "All- American."

Ackerman has been swimming in Central competition for four years. He has won two Big 12 championships, a Central AAU title and a Carbondale Open crown. His love for water sports competition isn’t limited to swimming. His family belongs to the IVY club and Owen is an accomplished Penquin sailor. His parents are the Les Ackermans. Mr. Ackerman is a former Commodore of the IVY Club.

​A competitive swimmer for five years, Whittaker owns Big 12 championships in the 200-freestyle, 150-yard individual medley, and 100-yard freestyle events. He is also a Central AAU champion and took third plane in National Jr. AAU 1500-meter race. He is the son of Dr. and Mrs. Lorin Whittaker of Grand View Drive.

Bill Forsythe has been competing for tank titles for nine years, four on the Central team and five as a member of the Mt Hawley Country Club. He owns a Big 12 Championship and has placed in State and AAU eliminations. His parents are Mr. and Mrs. Forsythe of 604 W Maywood.

Yuhause has been swimming coach at Central for 10 years and his teams have compiled a 72-21 dual meet record against the state’s sternest competition. The Lions have won five Big 12 titles, finished second in the Big 12 three timesand taken two thirds. They have placedin state competition during the 10-year span.

Former Central swimmers to earn All-American recognition include Jim Erkert, freestyle in 1947-48; Chuck Edwards, breaststroke 1950-51; Ned Loar, freestyle 1952-53 and Harry Hoffman, freestyle, 1954.

 

1955 Peoria Journal Star Article

Central Swimmers Break Five Big 12 Standards

CENTRAL WON ITS THIRD-STRAIGHT Big 12, swimming championship yesterday at Urbana, running up 41 points. The champions (first row, left to right) are Byron Roszell, Tom Ising, Alex McGinnis and Bob Pople. Second row (same order) are Mike Negley, Don Franks, Dick Whittaker, Owen Ackerman, Bill Forsythe and Larry Markman. In the back are Coach Joe Yuhause, Steve Herman, Bruce Harrison, Kirk Riley, Rick Allen and Ed Jones.

URBANA, III., Feb. 12-Dick Whittaker set two records and Owen Ackerman, Bill Forsythe and the medley relay team of Ackerman, Forsythe and Bob Pople each shattered one to lead Central to the Big 12 swimming championship here this afternoon.

The victory was the third straight conference championship won by the charges of Joe Yuhause. It was also the fifth title the Lions have taken in the last six years.

Central scored 41 points to easily gain the championship. Danville finished second with 29 points while Bloomington (22), Champaign (13), Urbana (8), Streator (3) rounded out the point total. The six other teams in the conference do not have swimming teams.


Table of Points
Central………...41 Champaign……13
Danville……….29 Urbana……….. .8
Bloomington….22 Streator………..3

Whitaker won the 100-yard freestyle and the 150-yard individual medley touring the former in 55.9 seconds and the latter in 1:41.1. Ackerman, a backstroke specialist, beat teammate Tom Ising to the tape in the timeof 1:01.9 while Forsythe was clocked in 1:05.6 in the 100-yard breaststroke.

 

The medley team was clocked in 1:25.5 for the 150 yards. All told, Central took five of the 9 blue ribbons. Bloomington had two firsts and Champaign and Urbana each copped one.

From the 1955 Crest

Owen still swims to this day.  He won 3 silver medals in the 50, 100, and 200 yard backstroke for the 85-89 age bracket at US Masters Nationals in Indianapolis last June. While there, he was able to attend two sessions of the Olympic trials.


When Owen was 70 after winning two events at the US Masters Nationals in Austin Texas, Kirk Wessler, a PJStar Sports writer, did another article on him.


Owen gave this comment on his involvement in AJ Robertson's summer swim program at Bradley, "Concerning my involvement with your grandpa‘s summer program, on the last day, we all lined up at the end of the swimming pool at BU, which was 17 yards, and swam a one length race. I have no idea how I finished in the race, but I’m sure I was in the lower half. At that time, there was never any intention of pursuing swimming. And, as it is with many things, it seems like only yesterday. O"

Bill Forsythe gave me a few comments to share about his experiences:

 

"The trio, Owen, Dick Whittaker and I formed early in our Freshman year at PHS when we all showed up to join the swim team.  Dick and I had known each other since Kindergarten and swam competitively against each other in the summer - Dick swam for Peoria Country Club and I, for Mt. Hawley.   The three of us quickly became close friends which the friendship continues to this day. 

 

Thinking back, that friendship is what I remember most about our years at PHS.

 

Winning swim meets was great, traveling to other schools to compete  was fun, especially New Trier HS with their outstanding facility, and the three of us making All American was a big boost for the program.  PHS had other All American swimmers, Ned Loar '53, Hatty Hoffman '54, but three in '55 was a first."   

Way to go Class of 1955!  Many great sports achievements for PHS during that particular year.  

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We all know that High School is a place where lifetime friendships are formed.  Those friendships most often last a lifetime.  The article written by Meghan Best of Journal Star walks you through these three gentlemen's life.  The Alumni Association salutes these three All-American's.  It's a feat that has not been repeated at Peoria High School.  

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