Dean Boxall And His Super Squad Of St Peters Western Girls Scoop The Pool At Australian Championships
Master coach Dean Boxall and his super squad of girls from St Peters Western swept the pool on the final night of the Australian Championships at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre tonight.
The SPW squad were again awarded the Champion Club of Australia named in honour of one of the country’s legendary sports administrators S B Grange – former Swimming and Australian Olympic Committee president.
WINNERS ARE GRINNERS: Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Wesatern)had plenty to smile about on the Gold Coast. Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).Photo Courtesy:
And it came in front of the country’s greatest Olympic star Dawn Fraser – who may well have witnessed the dawning of a whole new era in women’s swimming in Australia.
The SPW domination came on the back of two trifectas won by Dean’s girls in the 200m freestyle and 200m backstroke finals.
Last year’s world champion in the 100m freestyle Mollie O’Callaghan, 19, led home the star-studded field in the women’s 200m freestyle, edging out Olympic champion and fellow SPW training partner Ariarne Titmus in a frantic flurry of arms and legs.
A race that saw 50m freestyle winner here Shayna Jack (St Peters Western, QLD) take it out in the first 150m –ahead of Titmus (St Peters Western, QLD) and a dogged Mollie O.
With 25m to swim it was “team St Peters” – Jack out in lane eight and Titmus and O’Callaghan in lanes five and four respectively who fought out the finish, with O’Callaghan finding that little but extra to take the win in 1:55.15 from Titmus 1:55.28 and Jack holding on for a brave third place in 1:55.37.
Another strong showing of the depth in the Australian program and all from the same squad, under the leadership of the mad cap St Peters head coach Dean Boxall with the versatile backstroke golden girl Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University, QLD), powering home for fourth in 1:56.88 – after her wins in the 100 backstroke, 200IM and the 200m breaststroke.
In a night to remember for the girls from Dean Boxall and St Peters with the trifecta in the women’s 200m freestyle followed by another trifecta in the women’s 200mm backstroke which saw the arrival in open competition of another teenage prodigy in 16-year-old Jaclyn Barclay.
BACK-TO-JAC: Jaclyn Barclay (St Peters Western) Happy with her maiden Open win in the 200m backstroke. Photo Courtesy:Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
After dominating the Australian Age Championships last week, the Brisbane schoolgirl produced a heart-stopping victory over SPW teammates Hannah Fredericks and the inform Jenna Forrester – who has had the meet of her life.
Barclay lunged at the wall to take her maiden open title in 2:11.50 from Fredericks 2:11.72 and Forrester 2:11.95.
And the performance certainly stirred the emotions of expert meet commentator and former Australian 200m backstroke champion and two-time Olympian in Meagan Nay. “What a start….great turns….and she showed a lot of heart…Jaclyn’s got the whole package..and what a future,” said Nay.
There was further joy for the St Peters team before the night was done with dual Olympian Brianna Throssell fighting all the way to the wall to add the 100m butterfly to her 50m butterfly win from last night, touching in 57.57 in a classic finish with Alexandria Perkins (USC Spartans, QLD) and Kayla Costa (Southport, QLD) third in 59.37.
While SPW ironwoman, Forrester was only a touch away in fourth in 59.45 – and fitting the St Peters Club was awarded the S B Grange Trophy for the Australian Champion Club.
In other highlights:
ON THE MAUVE: Jenna Forrester (St Peters Western) had the meet of her life. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
Griffith University’s Brendon Smith came with his trademark big finish to steel the 400IM title from Tokyo teammate Se-Bom Lee, now at SOPAC – Smith clocking 4:16.37 to Lee’s 4:16.73 after he had set the field a merry chase through the butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke legs.
Nunawading’s rising star William Petric hung tough to take the bronze in 4:17.85.
While in the last individual event of the Championships saw Tokyo Olympian Madeleine Gough (Carlile, NSW) strut her stuff to win the 1500m freestyle.
The Australian record holder and Olympic finalist scored a comfortable win in 16:08.76 from Rackley Swim Team’s Tiana Kritzinger (16:33.96) and Rio Olympian open water representative Chelsea Gubecka (Yeronga Park, QLD) third in 16:345.14 in a stroke-for-stroke battle to the wall.
Gough and Gubecka have already qualified for the Australian open water marathon team for the World Aquatic Championships in Fukuoka in July and will vie for the pool team at the World Trials at the Melbourne Sport And Aquatic Centre from June 13-18.
2023 Australian Championships, Day 4, FINALS
Women
200m freestyle
- Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:55.15
- Ariarne Titmus (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:5528
- Shayna Jack (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:55.37
Mollie O’Callaghan. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
1500m freestyle
- Madeleine Gough (Carlile, NSW) 16:08.76
- Tiana Kritzinger (Rackley Swim Team, QLD) 16.33.96
- Chelsea Gubecka (Yeronga Park, QLD) 16:34.14
Madeleine Gough. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
200m individual medley Multi Class
- Katja Dedekind SM13 (Yeronga Park, QLD) 2:33.64
- Lakeisha Patterson SM9 (USC Spartans, QLD) 2:38.80
- Hannah Price SM10 (Campbelltown, NSW) 2:44.49
Katja Dedekind. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
50m breaststroke Multi Class
- Keira Stephens (Southport, QLD) 35.54
- Jenna Jones (USC Spartans, QLD) 37.63
- Ashley Van Rijswijk (Wagga Wagga, NSW) 37.79
Keira Stephens.Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
200m backstroke
- Jaclyn Barclay (St Peters Western, QLD) 2:11.560
- Hannah Fredericks (St Peters Western, QLD) 2:11.72
- Jenna Forrester (St Peters Western, QLD) 2:11.95
100m butterfly
- Brianna Throssell (St Peters Western, QLD) 57.57
- Alexandria Perkins (USC Spartans, QLD) 57.64
- Kayla Costa (Southport, QLD) 59.37
Brianna Throssel. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
100m butterfly Multi Class
- Taylor Corry (Kincumber Pacific Dolphins, NSW) 1:08.54
- Jasmine Greenwood (Cruiz, ACT) 1:08.05
- Ruby Storm (St Andrews, QLD) 1:09.43
Taylor Corry. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
Men
100m freestyle
- Kyle Chalmers (Marion, SA) 48.00
- Kai Taylor (St Peters Western, QLD) 48.41
- Flynn Southam (Bond, QLD) 48.53
Kyle Chalmers and Josha Salchow (GER).Photo Courtesy:Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
200m individual medley Multi Class
- Timothy Hodge (ACU Blacktown, NSW) 2:12.06 (world record)
- Ricky Betar (Cruiz, ACT) 2:12.72
- Liam Schluter (USC Spartans, QLD) 2:14.92
Timothy Hodge. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
100m butterfly Multi Class
- Timothy Hodge (ACU Blacktown, NSW) 59.69
- Col Pearse (Nunawading, VIC) 56.76
- Alex Saffy (Bunbury, WA) 57.4
400m individual medley
- Brendon Smith (Griffith University, QLD) 4:16.37
- Se-Bom Lee (Carlile, NSW) 4:16.73
- William Petric (Nunawading, VIC) 4:17.85
Brendon Smith. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
50m breaststroke
- Sam Williamson (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 27.48
- Joshua Yong (UWA West Coast, WA) 27.84
- Joshua Collett (Bond, QLD) 28.06
Sam Williamson Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
200m butterfly
- Matthew Temple (Marion, SA) 1:56.96
- Ruan Van Der Riet (USC Spartans, QLD) 1:59.22
- Bowen Gough (Griffith University, QLD) 1:59.42
Matt Temple. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
150 Mixed medley Multi Class
- Ahmed Kelly (Yarra Plenty, VIC) 3:05.84
- Grant Patterson (Central Cairns, QLD) 3:12.43
Ahmed Kelly. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
Australia 50m breaststroke Multi Class
- Jake Michel (Carina Eagles, QLD) 29.34
- Timothy Disken PLC Aquatic, VIC) 32.92
- Dylan Logan (Melbourne, VIC) 32.37
Jake Michel. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).