DAY 5 FINALS - AUS AGE CHAMPS: RECORDS FALL

HERE they come.

On Day 5 of the Australian Age Championships at the Gold Coast, Generation Next showcased their intention to write their own headlines.

Two Australian Dolphins – the heavyweight names of Isaac Cooper and Zac Stubblety-Cook – had their age group records rubbed out by the fearless ambition of youth.

First, Bendigo East’s Henry Allan, who smashed Mitch Larkin’s 200m backstroke national age record on opening day, erased Cooper’s 17-year boys 100m backstroke all-comers record of 53.49 by a whisker with his new mark of 53.45.

And then New South Wales’ Nash Hawkins announced his arrival on the national stage by erasing Stubblety-Cook’s 13-year boys’ 200m breaststroke Australian record of 2:24.83 – which had stood since 2012 – with a cracking new time of 2:23.05.

Stubblety-Cook showed his class by immediately “socialling” a round of applause.
Speaking of applause, the orange cap of Carlile – spearheaded by a 13-year-old Molly Young and Mia Hoo – is dominating the medals and club point score.

Led by Daniel Marshall, Carlile’s crop of Brisbane 2032 hopefuls has been on full display at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre.

Tonight, Young claimed back-to-back golds in the 13-year girls’ 200m freestyle (2:04.79) and the 100m fly (1:03.12), adding to her 1500m, 400m freestyle and 200m butterfly national titles.

Meanwhile Hoo picked up silver in the 1500m and 400m freestyle behind her. Hoo is part of the open water cohort that will head to Argentina later in the year to contest the World Junior Open Water Championships.

For some, like 13-year-old first-timers, the Australian Age Championships is a stepping block on to the national stage, for others an opportunity to be selected for the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Vancouver later this year.

In other events: 
17y Girls’ 400m Individual Medley: Rocky City’s Amelie Smith picked up her fifth gold medal of the meet when she stopped the clock at 4:42.66, well under qualifying time for Junior Pan Pacific Championships. Chandler’s Ava Gaske was next to wall in 4:51.64, followed by New Zealand visitor Ariella Riley (4:59.88) and Maya Bearman (Logan Vikings – 5:01.76).

16 Years Boys’ 200m Breaststroke: Somerset teen Leny Grigor put down a cracking 2:12.48 to claim gold, an all-comers record and another likely swim at the Junior Pan Pacs in Vancouver this August.

He was just outside Matthew Wilson’s national record that was set in 2015 to show he is in monster form. Earlier this week, Grigor ripped a lifetime best to smash Mitch Larkin’s 400IM Australian record in the 16 years final – a record set 16 years ago. His 4:16.15 erasing Larkin’s 4:20.48.
15 Years Boys’ 50m Freestyle: Koa Stotz (22.89) made some noise, and it wasn’t just his change-up to bleached blond, and superbly used all 200cm of his reach to out touch Kai Perry (23.51) and Hudson Hegarty (23.63). Stotz had already claimed a new Aussie Age record in the 50m breaststroke at this meet for which he consecutively holds the 13yr, 14yr and 15yr boys’ national age record in.
16 Years Boys’ 50m Freestyle: As far as breaststrokers go, Christopher Montana makes a damn good freestyler. Montana upset the starting favourite Ethan Haegebaert to continue his dominance in this age group.

Haegebaert was all the talk after his sizzling morning heat swim of 22.39 that missed Kyle Chalmers’ Australian and all-comers record by just 0.06.

But Trinity Grammar’s Montana continued his outstanding meet and dominance in his age group claiming gold in 22.59 ahead of Haegebaert (22.77). Montana had already smashed his own national record in the boys’ 16-year 50m breaststroke earlier in the meet.

Knox Pymble’s Lukas Dunn touched third (23.07).