ELLEN ON SONG IN GOLDEN MEDLEY
MELBOURNE, September 23: The Gold Coast's latest swimming sensation Ellen Fullerton swam her way into the record books in Melbourne tonight when she completed a history making individual medley treble on night four of the Telstra Australian Short Course Championships.
The 15-year-old Year 10 student at All Saints Anglican, smashed another Australian record in the process when she clocked a time of 2:09.35 - to lower the 2004 National mark held by former world champion Brooke Hanson - by almost half a second.
Fullerton came into these championships as a girl most likely and will arrive home on the Gold Coast on Thursday with her luggage bursting with gold medals after the "best week of her life."
The bubbly former Sunshine Coster opened her campaign on night one of the championships by breaking triple Olympic gold medallist Stephanie Rice's Australian record in the 400m individual medley and on night three added the 100m individual medley to add to her impressive tally.
She cleared out from the opening butterfly leg and it was a case of catch me if you can with Kristy Morrison (Castle Hill Dolphins, NSW) claiming silver in 2:12.69 and 400 and 800m freestyle winner Blair Evans (City of Perth, WA) winning the bronze in 2:14.38.
No Australian female has ever claimed the National Short Course medley treble and Fullerton, who represented Australia at the 2007 Australian Youth Olympics in Sydney, now has her sights on breaking into senior representation over the next couple of years.
"I can't believe it - that's a massive personal best time, all the hard work is paying off," said Fullerton, interviewed by previous record holder Hanson on the pool deck in a special passing of the baton.
The pair then hugged on pool deck before the Fullerton, who first met one of her childhood heroes at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Trials, apologised to the 2004 world champion.
"Sorry about breaking your record Brooke," said the bubbly Fullerton, who moved to the Pro-Ma Miami club and master coach Denis Cotterell at the Pool of Champions at Pizzey Park two years ago.
Hanson paid tribute to the rising star saying: "I was just glad I was here to witness Ellen's swim and to get the chance to interview her was special moment - I have followed her career for the past two years.
"She has enormous talent, works hard and she could not be in better hands than with Denis Cotterell - she's a real star in the making."
But Ellen's night wasn't over. With only 20 minutes rest, the little livewire was back in the pool chasing more gold - this time with her team mates Amy Levings, Amelia Evatt-Davey and Kelly Marquenie for the 4x100m freestyle relay and the Miami quartet didn't disappoint.
Levings opening proceedings in 55.40, before Evatt-Davey (56.19) opened up a two metre lead for third swimmer Marquenie (56.20) to maintain the lead, handing over to Fullerton who clocked the fastest split of the night, 54.32, anchoring the team to gold in 3:42.11 over Norwood (SA) and Nunawading (VIC).
Fullerton will round off her busy campaign when she lines up in the 200 metres freestyle on the final day of the Championships but it could well be her toughest assignment with 2006 Commonwealth Games 4x200m freestyle golden medallist Kelly Stubbins the fastest entrant.
The brilliant teenager will be one of the first swimmers picked on the Australian team for next year's prestigious Junior Pac Pac Meet which has been an Olympic breeding ground for stars like Rice, Kylie Palmer, Bronte Barratt, Andrew Lauterstein and Grant Brits. 
MULTI-DISABILITY EVENTS - Cowdrey leads world record charge again
Meanwhile in other events, Norwood South Australia's Paralympic star Matthew Cowdrey added another world record to his string of gold medals and world marks in a September he is going to remember for a long time.
Cowdrey clocked a time of 24.99 to take 0.01 off the previous mark to win the Multi-Disability 50 metres freestyle from Craig Morgan (Kinross Wolaroi) 25.07 and Sean Russo (Revesby Workers, NSW).
Add Norwood's string of successes with their women's team and the presence of Olympic silver and bronze medallist Hayden Stoeckel and it is no wonder they are well in front of the Australian Championship pointscore going into tomorrow's final day.
Cairns-based MD star Grant Patterson also set his third world record of the meet winning the 100m breaststroke in 2:19.65 and was joined on the winner's dais by Paralympian Prue Watt (Nunawading, Victoria) who won her breaststroke final in 1.19.93.
50 METRES BACKSTROKE - Hurley's third gold
AIS-based Wollongong boy Robert Hurley (Wests Illawarra Aquatic, NSW) added his third gold medal of the meet when he streeted the field in the men's 50 metres backstroke in personal best time of 23.86 to maintain his position as the third fastest Australian behind Olympians Matt Welsh and Ashley Delaney.
Nineteen-year-old Hurley's powerful underwater skills and technique proved too good for 17-year-old World Junior silver medallist Ben Treffers (Burley Griffin, NSW) 24.43 and Daniel Arnamnart (Aquaburn, NSW) 24.49, with Stoeckel fourth in 24.57.
Hurley had earlier in the meet won the 100m backstroke and 400 metres freestyle and will contest the 200m backstroke and the 1500m freestyle on the final day.
50 METRES BREASTSTROKE - Katsoulis claims second National title
World Short Course silver and bronze medallist Sarah Katsoulis (Carey Aquatic Tritons, VIC) broke through to add her name to the list of title holders in the 100m breaststroke in a time of 1:06.36 - four years after her only previous crown over 200m in 2004.
Katsoulis led from start to finish and held on to beat rising star Samantha Marshall (Cook and Phillip, NSW) who clocked a personal best time of 1:06.44 (eighth fastest all-time Australian) with world championship silver medallist Jade Edmistone (Chandler, QLD) third in 1:07.47.
50 METRES BUTTERFLY - Matt's double gold
In the men's 50 metres butterfly, new find Matt Jaukovic (Sydney University) added his second National title in 23.02 - fumbling his finish after lowering the Australian All-Comers record to 22.75 in last night's semi-final, with Chris Wright (Commercial, QLD) 23.67 second and Mitchell Patterson (Warringah Aquatic, NSW) 23.68 third.
In semi-final action ahead of tomorrow night's finals:
- Beijing relay silver medallist Christian Sprenger (Commercial, QLD) led the qualifiers in the men's 50m breaststroke with a slick 27.28
- Sprenger's Olympic teammate, 16-year-old dual Beijing bronze medallist Cate Campbell (Indooroopilly, QLD) was fastest in her pet 50m freestyle with a time of 24.81. Inform Olivia Halicek (Forster Aquatics, NSW) was second quickest in 24.97, while Campbell's 14-year-old sister, Bronte, qualified for her first ever National open final with the eighth best time - 25.63
- Mitchell Patterson (Warringah Aquatic, NSW) headed qualifiers in the men's 100m freestyle with a time of 47.88 - eighth on the Australian all-time list
- Chris Wright (Commercial, QLD), already a gold medallist in the 200m individual medley, topped the field in the 100m IM after recording a 54.41 for a massive personal best and a move to fourth on the Australian all time list
- Amy Smith (St Peters Western, NSW) shot to favouritism in the 100m butterfly with a 58.72 to be almost one and a half seconds a head of the pack. Smith's time moved her to seventh on the Australian all time list
- Amy Cockerton (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) was another to enter the all time top ten, posting a 27.87 to sit ninth in Australian history in the 50m backstroke