Carlile and Knox Pymble break St Peters' dominance

FIFTEEN national records, nine days of racing and one pool brimming with prodigious talent.

The Australian Age Championships wrapped up tonight and inside the hot, chlorine-scented air of the Brisbane Aquatic Centre it was almost impossible not to dream of LA and beyond.

It was another night of stellar racing from Australia’s brightest stars with budding teenagers Henry Allan, Thomas Booth, Mikayla Bird and Macey Sheridan – just to name a few – wrapping up their respective age group campaigns.

For some, it was their first step up to the national stage, for others an opportunity to be selected for the World Junior Championships in Romania later this year.

Others like Albury’s Sienna Toohey, who broke two national records, also used the championships as a springboard for the Australian Open Championships from April 21-24.

In the all-important club point score, Carlile (2009) – a name that has been at the forefront of swimming since 1946 thanks to founders Forbes and Ursula – won on point score ahead of St Peters (1787) an Knox Pymble (1757).

In doing so, Carlile, based in Sydney, broke the  decade-long dominance of St Peters.

On multi-class point score: Knox Pymble finished on top with 700 points, Runaway Bay second (459) and Mingara third (439).

As a snapshot to the week that attracted almost 30,000 fans through the gates, individual standout performance include:

• Sienna Toohey (Albury): 16 years – 4 gold, 2 national records: Stunning performances have the teenage sensation being mentioned as a potential bolter for the World Championships in Singapore later this year. The 16-year-old’s head-turning performance include a 1:07.04 in the girls 100m breaststroke that broke Dolphins’ great Leisel Jones 23-year-old national age record (1:07.31). She then backed this up with a national record in the 50m breaststroke (30.73). Also won 200m IM and 200m breast.
• Henry Allan (Bendigo East): 16 years – 5 gold, 1 silver, 2 national records: The boy from Bendigo scooped the pool in his age group and smashed two national records with his lightening quick 53.73 in the boys’ 16-years 100m backstroke and a world-class 24.88 in the 50 back. In his final hit out, Allan produced a Junior World Championships qualifying time in the 200m backstroke (1:59.53). He also won the 100 free, 100 fly and 50 fly.
• Koa Stotz (Somerset): 14 years – 3 gold, 2 silver: The Gold Coast schoolboy, coached by Chris Urquhart, surprised himself by firstly hitting the 2m mark in height and then using every centimetre of that frame to claim two national records in the 14 years, clocking 29.52 to win the 14 years 50m breaststroke – and then 1:04.21 in the 100m breast also in record time. Stotz punched the air to celebrate and then hit the stands to celebrate with his nan caught on camera. Also helped himself to gold in 50m free and two silvers in 200IM and 100m free.
• Hayley Mackinder (Griffith): 18 years – 3 gold: An impressive win in the girls’ 100m breaststroke put Mackinder on World Junior Championships watch – her time of 1:07.7 meeting qualifying. Coached by dual Olympian Tommy Fraser-Holmes, Mackinder also won the 50m and 200m breaststroke.
• Tex Cross (Highlander): 18 years – 2 gold, 1 silver:  WA’s Cross smashed out a negative split to win the 800m (8:01.02) free and closed his 400m race with a blistering 28.72 final lap, not only hitting a new PB of 3:50.92 but also a qualifying time for World Juniors.
• Macey Sheridan (Darwin) : 15 years – 3 gold, 1 bronze: One of 11 Northern Territory swimmers at National Age Championships, Sheridan was the most prolific. Deservedly named the NT’s Junior Sportsperson of the Year in 2024 and made history in 2025 by becoming the youngest recipient of the NT Sportsperson of the Year award. At this meet she’s taking home gold in the 15 years’ 100m free, 100m back, 50m back and bronze in 50m free. Sheridan closed off her stacked program with a top five finish in the 200m backstroke.

 The final night of the meet also included:

• Luke Higgs finished his program with four golds and two silvers after his winning performance in the boys’ 16-years 400m freestyle tonight. The Warringah athlete dominated his age group’s middle to long-distance events, taking out the 1500m, 800m, 400m free and 400 IM national title. He also won silver in the 200 IM and 200 freestyle events.
• Rockhampton’s Amelie Smith took the chocolates in the girls’ 16-years 400m freestyle (4:15.75), marking her fourth gold of the meet. Chandler’s Ava Gaske won silver in front of a home crowd (4:16.75). Iona’s Maya Bearman (4:22.02) won bronze.
• Lukas Dunn: A magnificent meet for the Knox Pymble swimmer. The son of three-time Olympian Matt, the 15-year-old dominated his age group to claim a medal in each of his eight individual events. Tonight’s final delivered a bronze in the 50m backstroke adding to the Dunn family pool room: five gold (100m free, 100, fly, 100m back, 50 fly, 200 IM); and two silvers (50m back). Pedigree bloodline perfectly complimented with a green Corolla’s reliability – this Dunn is not dusted.
• A rising star in the freestyle and butterfly events, Mikayla Bird from Bond University scooped the pool with four golds, including her win in tonight’s girls’ 17-years 100m butterfly (59.73), and two silvers. On her 18th birthday (16 April) she qualified for World Juniors in the 200m fly with a cracking time of 2:11.80.
• Zoe Ammundsen: Coached by Shawn Melton at Nudgee, the form backstroker in her age group over the past two years claimed the 100m-200m double for the third consecutive year. After a day off, a rested Ammundsen, 17, put on the afterburners in the last of her four laps in the 200m backstroke to stop the clock under qualifying time at 2:12.26. Second-placed Isabel Sheldrick (Fenix) also ticked off a qualifier (2:13.12).

The Australian Junior World Championships team for Romania will be announced later this month.

Full results can be found here: https://liveresults.swimming.org.au/sal/2025Age/