2009 AUSTRALIAN AGE CHAMPIONSHIPS UNDERWAY IN SYDNEY

Sydney, April 13: The 2009 Australian Age Championships got underway this morning with 1411 of the nation’s top young swimmers starting day one of six days of competition at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. 

Six members of the World Championship team bound for Rome were back racing just three weeks after the Telstra Australian Swimming Championships.

Beijing Olympic Games medallists Cate Campbell (pictured) and Emily Seebohm joined 2009 World Championship rookies Ellen Fullerton, Blair Evans, Merindah Dingjan and Ryan Napoleon in the pool this morning.

Together they’re set to headline night one finals of the Australian Age Championships that started with heats this morning and runs from April 13th– 18th.



Campbell (Indooroopilly, QLD) looked comfortable in the heats of the 16 years girls 100m freestyle. Campbell, the Olympic bronze medallist in the 50m freestyle, clocked a heat time of 56.91 and is fastest for tonight’s final ahead of World Championship team mates Fullerton (Pro-Ma Miami, QLD) 57.01 and Seebohm (Brothers, QLD) 57.19. 

Dingjan of (Southside Wesley, WA) qualified for the World Championships as a member of the 4x200m freestyle relay squad, tonight she will swim from lane four in the 17-18 years girls 50m freestyle final after stopping the clock at 26.18 in this morning's heats.

Napoleon (St Peters Western, QLD) the Australian 1500m champion swam a comfortable eight laps in the 17-18 years 400 metres freestyle posting a swim of 3:59.02 to qualify second fastest behind Jackson Bailey (TSS Aquatic’s, QLD) 3:58.57. Bailey took seven seconds off his entry time and will push Napoleon every step of the way in tonight’s final.

Mean while the winner of the women’s 800m freestyle at the Telstra Australian championships; Evans from City of Perth clocked 4.19.35 to qualify fifth fastest in the 17-18 years 400m freestyle heats.

The event will be a highlight on night one finals with Evans up against tough competition from Amy Levings (Pro-Ma Miami) 4.15.47, Tiffany Papaemanouil (Norwood, SA) 4.16.69, Melanie Garibaldi (Southport Olympic, QLD) 4.18.77 and Ellen Gandy (Great Britain) 4.19.18.



In the girls 16 years 200m butterfly Megan Mackay (St Peters Western, QLD) 2:15.49 is fastest qualifier ahead of Australian Youth Olympic Festival team mate Nicole Mee (Uniswim NSW) 2:17.09 and Zoe Johnson (Sydney Swim PLC, NSW) 2:17.11.

The boys 17-18 years 50m freestyle final will be a battle of the Queenslanders with James Roberts (North End Aquatic, QLD) and Luke Kerswell (SouthsideAquatic, QLD) both clocking 23.59 in this morning's heats. Kerswell got the better of Roberts at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival taking out the gold medal and tonight’s race promises to be just as close.

The Australian 200m individual medley record holder Mikkayla Maselli-Sheridan (Commercial, QLD) 2:22.67 will swim from lane four in tonight’s final of the girls 14 years 200m individual medley and will back up for the final of the girls 14 years 100m butterfly after qualifying fastest again in a time of 1.03.07 ahead of Emma McKeon (Wests Illawarra Aquatic) 1.03 37 and Samantha Wilkins (Haileybury Waterlions, VIC) 1:04.52.  

In the boys 16 years 100m freestyle Australian Youth Olympic gold medallists Justin James (Mackay, QLD) 51.43 and Kenneth To (Trinity Grammar School,NSW) 51.84 will be both racing for gold in tonight’s final after qualifying first and second ahead of Joel Alati (CA Tritons, VIC) 52.03.

Further fastest qualifiers from Day One heats included:

James Argiro (Nunawading, VIC) 2:04.97 boys 16 years 200m butterfly, Matthew Jepson (Sea Eagles, NSW) 2:15.56 boys 14 years 200m individual medley, Zach Featherstone (Southport Olympic, QLD) 57.72 boys 14 years 100m butterfly.

Yolane Kukla (St Peters Western, QLD) 2:04.79 girls 13 years and under 200m freestyle, Regan Leong (2:01.30) boys 13 years and under 200m freestyle.

Rebecca Kemp (Mackay, QLD) 1:09.92 girls 17-18 years 100m breaststroke, Jeremy Meyer (Traralgon, VIC) 1.05.26 boys 17-18 years 100m breaststroke.

Jordan White (SLC Aquadot, NSW) 2:17.70 girls 15 years 200m backstroke, Ewan Jackson (New Zealand) 2:08.34 and Mitch Larkin (Brisbane Jets, QLD) 2:10.06 boys 15 years 200m backstroke.

Tess David (St Peters Western, QLD) 2.36.11 girls 13 and under 200m breaststroke, Scott Carpenter (Victoria Park, WA) 2.35.92 boys 13 years and under 200m breaststroke.

For complete results of the Day One heats session check out the results section of the Swimming Australia website at www.swimming.org.au 



Night one finals start at 6pm at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM MEMBERS IN ACTION ON NIGHT ONE OF THE 2009 AUSTRALIAN AGE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Girls 17-18 years 50m freestyle Merindah Dingjan

Girls 16 years 100m freestyle Cate Campbell, Ellen Fullerton and Emily Seebohm

Girls 17-18 years 400m freestyle Blair Evans

Boys 17-18 years 400m freestyle Ryan Napoleon