BRISBANE TEEN WRITES HER NAME INTO RECORD BOOKS

Sydney, April 13: Night onefinals at the 2009 Australian Age Swimming Championships saw an outstanding night of racing with two new faces breaking Australian Age records. Brooke Hanson Clarke reports….

All eyes were on the members of the Telstra Dolphins World Championship team bound for Rome but the swims of the night came from two unknown Queenslanders Tess David and Mitch Larkin who both broke Australian Age records.

The Michael Bohl trained David, from the powerful St Peters Western QLD squad, led all the way in the 13 & under girls 200m breaststroke to smash an Australian record which had stood for 19 years, a time established in 1990 by Kelly Schaffer.

 David wrote herself into the record books to join three breaststrokers that hold Australian breaststroke records –Olympic champion Leisel Jones, former world record holder Rebecca Brown and FINA World Short Course champion Kristy Ellem.

David’s time of 2.33.27 blew everyone away - including herself.

When asked what it felt like to break an Australian record, the shy 13-year-old could barely answer “good”.

When asked the question what year she was born, she replied: “1995… why?”

The record you broke was set 19 years ago in 1990 - five years before you were born.

“Wow a 19-year-old record…. I’m so glad that all of my hard training is paying off,” said the wide-eyed, very humble youngster, who trains in the same squad as Olympic stars Stephanie Rice and Meagen Nay.

“My times in training have been dropping and I’m so happy with the time, the win and the record.”

Mitch Larkin was the other star of the night in the boys 15 years 200m backstroke with the Brisbane Jets swimmer taking seven seconds off his previous best to break the Australian record, stopping the clock at 2.03.67.

Larkin broke the record set by Daniel Arnamnart in 2005.

Larkin split 1.01.26 at the 100m mark and swam 1.02.01 in the second 100m to win his first gold of the championships.

“I haven’t raced the 200m backstroke for a while and that is a huge personal best for me and the record means my training has paid off,” said an extremely happy Larkin.

“It has built my confidence leading into my main events, the 200m and 400m IM and the 400m freestyle.”

Mikkayla Maselli-Sheridan (Commercial, QLD) the winner of seven gold medals at the 2008 Australian Age Championships narrowly missed her own Australian record in the 14 years 200m individual medley.

Maselli Sheridan led from start to finish to win her first gold medal of the meet in 2.17.83.

Less than one hour later Maselli-Sheridan won her second gold medal of the championships taking out the girls 14 years 100m butterfly in 1.01.31.

 “I’m extremely happy with two gold medals - I didn’t expect it but it’s a great way to start the meet,” said a delighted Maselli-Sheridan after her second win.

Olympic bronze medallist in the 50m freestyle Cate Campbell (Indooroopilly, QLD) won a close race in the 16 years girls 100m freestyle, clocking 55.765.

Campbell led the first 50m, turning in 26.57 and held off fast finishing World Championship team mates to win the gold ahead of Ellen Fullerton (Pro-Ma Miami, QLD) 55.80 and Emily Seebohm (Brothers, QLD) 55.97.

World Championship rookie Merindah Dingjan (Southside Wesley, WA) won the 17-18 years girls 50m freestyle final, stopping the clock at 25.70 ahead of Ellese Zalewski (Nunawading,VIC) 26.06 and Tiffany Papaemanouil (Norwood, SA) 26.43.

Australian 1500m champion Ryan Napoleon (St Peters Western, QLD) won the 17-18 years 400 metres freestyle in 3:52.40 ahead of Declan Potts (Norwood, SA) 3.54.13 and Thomas Fraser-Holmes (Hunter, NSW) 3.54.85.

Meanwhile, the winner of the women’s 800m freestyle at the Telstra Australian championships and 2009 World Championship team member Blair Evans (City of Perth), clocked 4.11.51 to win the 17-18 years 400m freestyle ahead of visiting Great Britain’s World Championship team member Ellen Gandy 4.12.88, Amy Levings (Pro-MaMiami) 4.15.48 and Kelly Marquenie (Pro-Ma Miami) 4.15.79.

In the girls 16 years 200m butterfly Nicole Mee (Uniswim NSW) 2:13.34 had a strong second 100m to pull ahead of the rest of the field to win gold ahead of Australian Youth Olympic Festival team mate Megan Mackay (St Peters Western, QLD) 2:14.37 and Zoe Johnson (Sydney Swim PLC, NSW) 2:15.50.

The boys 16 years 200m butterfly went to James Argiro (Nunawading, VIC) 2:02.63 ahead of Zac Dalby(East Brisbane, QLD) 2:03.09.

Australian Youth Olympic gold medallist in the 200m freestyle Justin James (Mackay, QLD) 50.81 took out the boy’s 16 years 100m freestyle in a personal best time, swimming over the top of Kenneth To (Trinity Grammar School, NSW) 51.26 and Joel Alati (CA Tritons, VIC) 52.00.

Also from Mackay, Rebecca Kemp clocked 1.10.14 to cause a huge upset to win gold in the 17-18 years 100m breaststroke ahead of favourite Leiston Pickett (Southport Olympic, QLD)in 1:10.26 and Keatyn Simpson (Aqua Z, NSW) 1.11.06.

In the boys 17-18 years 100m breaststroke Junior Pan Pac medallist Jeremy Meyer (Traralgon, VIC) clocked 1:04.10 to win the gold medal ahead of Nicholas Schafer (RiverCity, QLD) 1.04.17 and Joshua Palmer (Norwood, SA) 1.04.82.

Other gold medallists on nigh tone included:

Boys 13 & under 200m freestyle Regan Leong (Townsville Marlins QLD) 1:59.45 Boys 13 & under 200m breaststroke Scott Carpenter (Victoria Park, WA) 2:33.07 Girls 13 & under 200m freestyle Yolane Kukla (St Peters Western, QLD) 2:02.88 Boys 14 years 200m individual medley Lennard Bremer (Aqua Attack, WA) 2:11.23 Boys 14 years 100m butterfly Zach Featherstone (Southport Olympic, QLD) 56.89 Boys 15 years 1500m freestyle Eugene Tee (Surrey Park, VIC) 16:09.89 Girls 15 years 800m freestyle Jessica Ashwood (SOPAC Swim Club, NSW) 8:50.13 Girls 15 years 200m backstroke Eliza Smith (Hunter, NSW) 2:14.68 Boys 17-18 years 50m freestyle Daniel Bell visitor (New Zealand) 23.41 and Hamish Rose (City of Perth) 23.49 the first Australian AUSTRALIAN AGE SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2009, SYDNEY OLYMPIC PARK AQUATIC CENTRE - DAY ONE FINALS:

BOYS

17/18 years

100m  Breaststroke

J Meyer (Traralgon, VIC) 1:04.10 N Schafer (River City, QLD) 1:04.17 J Palmer (Norwood, SA) 1:04.87

50m Freestyle

D Bell (New Zealand) 23.41 - visitor H Rose (City of Perth, WA) 23.49 A Abood (Kingscliff, NSW) 23.53 L Kerswell, (Southside Aquatics, QLD) 23.75 400m Freestyle
R Napoleon (St Peters Western, QLD) 3:52.40 D Potts (Norwood, SA) 3:54.13 T Fraser-Holmes (Hunter, NSW) 3.54.85

16 years

200m Butterfly
J Argiro (Nunawading, VIC) 2:02.63 Z Dalby (East Brisbane, QLD) 2:03.09 A Clarke (Revesby Workers, NSW) 2:04.07

100m Freestyle

J James (Mackay, QLD) 50.81 K To (Trinity Grammar School, NSW) 51.26 J Alati (CA Tritons, VIC) 52.00

4x100m Medley RelayCA Tritons (VIC) 3:57.47 Brisbane Jets (QLD) 3:58.62 Blacktown (NSW) 4:01.39 

15 years

200m Backstroke

M Larkin (Brisbane Jets, QLD) 2:03.27 (Australian 15 years record) E Jackson (V) (New Zealand) 2:05.97 - visitor J Heath (Palmwoods, QLD) 2:08.47 K Bridge (Gosford Stingrays, NSW) 2:08.92 1500m Freestyle
E Tee (Surrey Park, VIC) 16:09.89 D Egan (Moonee Valley Aquatic, VIC) 16:14.15 S Parker (Hunter, NSW) 16:19.92

14 years

200m IM

L Bremer (Aqua Attack, WA) 2:11.23 M Jepson (Sea Eagles, NSW) 2:14.02 J Nettlefold (Firbank Aquastars, VIC) 2:14.52

100m Butterfly

Z Featherstone (Southport Olympic, QLD) 56.89 T Maxwell (MLC Marlins, NSW) 58.16 Z Whenuaroa (Brothers, QLD) 58.18

13 years & under

200m Freestyle

R Leong (Townsville Marlins, QLD) 1:59.45 J Pye (Grammar Sports, QLD) 2:01.57 Y Tkachenko (Burnside, SA) 2:01.84 200m Breaststroke
S Carpenter (Victoria Park, WA) 2:33.07 A Guerzoni (The Hobart Aquatic, TAS) 2:34.28 M Muggeridge (Gullivers Coomera,QLD) 2:36.03

 GIRLS

 17/18 years

100m breaststroke

R Kemp (Mackay, QLD) 1:10.14 L Pickett (Southport Olympic, QLD) 1:10.26 K Simpson (Aqua Z, NSW) 1:11.06

50m freestyle

M Dingjan (Southside Wesley, WA) 25.70 E Zalewski (Nunawading, VIC) 26.06 T Papaemanouil (Norwood, SA) 26.16

400m freestyle

B Evans (City of Perth, WA) 4:11.51 E Gandy (Great Britain) 4:12.88 - visitor A Levings (Pro-Ma Miami, QLD) 4:15.48 K Marquenie (Pro-Ma Miami, QLD) 4:15.79

16 years

200m butterfly
N Mee (Uniswim, NSW) 2:13.34 M Mackay (St Peters Western, QLD) 2:14.37 Z Johnson (Sydney Swim PLC, NSW) 2:15.50100m freestyle
C Campbell (Indooroopilly, QLD) 55.76 E Fullerton (Pro-Ma Miami, QLD) 55.80 E Seebohm (Brothers, QLD) 55.97 4x100m Medley Relay
Brothers (QLD) 4:21.26 Melbourne Vicentre (VIC) 4:22.42 St Peters Western (QLD) 4:22.79

15 years

200m backstroke
E Smith (Hunter, NSW) 2:14.68 J White (SLC Aquadot, NSW) 2:15.16 C Vanlandghem (Canada) 2:16.73 –visitor K McMaster (Brisbane Jets, QLD) 2:17.85

800m freestyle

J Ashwood (SOPAC Swim Club, NSW) 8:50.13 L Baker (New Zealand) 8:54.83 - visitor B Wilson (City of Perth, WA) 8:57.45 A Williams (Liverpool, NSW) 9:22.50

14 years

200m I.M.
M Maselli-Sheridan (Commercial, QLD) 2:17.83 J Keire (Canada) 2:22.49 - visitor S Wilkins (Haileybury Waterlions, VIC) 2:22.72 K Ngawati (TAS Swimming, QLD) 2:24.18 100m butterfly
M Maselli-Sheridan (Commercial, QLD) 1:01.31S Wilkins (Haileybury Waterlions, VIC) 1:02.15 B Elmslie (Noosa, QLD) 1:02.27

13 years & under  

200m freestyle
Y Kulka (St Peters Western, QLD) 2:02.88 M Groves (St Peters Western, QLD) 2:05.40 L Neale (C.Y.M.S St Edmunds, QLD) 2:05.41 200m breaststroke
T David (St Peters Western, QLD) 2:33.27 (Aust 13 years record) K Pircher (Werribee, VIC) 2:40.98 S Roberts (Blue Fin Aquarius, VIC) 2:41.01

Full finals results can be found in the results section of the Swimming Australia website at www.swimming.org.au