On night five in Sydney, Manly’s Lillie McPherson picked up where she left off in January, battling yet another 50m Butterfly Record. McPherson holds the 12-13 Years 50m Butterfly NSW Record after taking it down at 2022 NSW Senior State Age Championships. Last night, she nearly added the Girls 14 Yrs Record to her accolades as well, storming in to the wall in 27.87 to claim gold. Steadfast competitor Jade Mayne (SOPAC) earned the silver medal in 29.06, followed by Lara Valmadre (Macquarie Uni 29.08).
The 15-year-old boys cranked up the temperature in their 50m Butterfly event, Cash Milner (Kincumber Pacific Dolphins) nudging the NSW Record in 25.68. It was a hard-fought battle for spots on the dais between Warringah’s Rhys Thomas and Cronulla’s Soloman Freeman. Thomas (26.02) touched ahead of Milner (26.08) to round out the podium.
Wests Illawarra’s Jessica Cole has established a name for herself as a serious butterfly contender these championships. Cole blitzed the field in the Girls 15 Yrs 100m Butterfly, winning the gold in 1:00.84, and breaking her own NSW Record. SOPAC’s Rafaela Kopellou hasn’t been giving Cole an easy ride, relentlessly pushing her opponent along. Kopellou earned the silver medal in 1:03.16, followed by Ebony Nix with the bronze (Nelson Bay 1:03.31).
NSW’s flying fish kept the momentum going in the 200m butterfly events.
Bella Grant delivered a convincing win in the Girls 17 Years & Over category. Body lengths ahead of her competitors, Grant pulled into the wall in an impressive 2:11.82. Ava Jankovic (Valley Aquatic) took out second place in 2:17.02, followed by Bridie De Lutiis (Wests Illawarra Aquatic) in third 2:21.20.
Valley Aquatic representative and newly-minted NUsport Performance Hub athlete Reece Caddy is the Men’s 18 Years & Over 200m Butterfly champion, driving hard through his final 50m to touch in 2:02.89. Caleb Dryer (Trinity Grammar) kept the pressure on ACU Blacktown’s Joshua Toisuta until the very last. Toisuta claimed second place in 2:04.03, ahead of Dryer in 2:04.16.
13-year-old Sienna Toohey from Albury turned it up for the win in the Girls 12-13 Yrs 100m Breaststroke. Toohey executed a sensational race and touched first in 1:13.79 – a comfortable two seconds ahead of silver medallist Sophie Mcaneney (Dubbo City Swimtech 1:15.97) and bronze medallist Tiana Silva (Sydney Uni 1:16.78).
Toohey moved methodically through her race prep, visualising the win. She credits her self-belief as a key element behind her win.
“I am very pleased with my time – it’s my best time ever and it’s an Open National time.”
“My coach always says you have to go into a race believing that you can win it, and the whole time I was just thinking that I could do it.”
NSW’s top backstrokers had their time to shine on night five, showcasing their talent in the 100m event.
Swimming Auckland representatives put up a tough fight for NSW competitors in the Girls 16 Years and 17 Years events, stamping the silver fern on the dais.
Carlile teammates Tegan Kim and Olivia Wunsch took out first and second place for NSW in 1:05.24 and 1:06.01 respectively. Swimming Auckland’s Danielle Asiata got her hand on the wall first overall from lane 6 in 1:04.87, along with fellow Kiwi Alexandra Campion who shared second place on the podium in 1:05.71. Knox Pymble’s Jessica Munk earned third place in 1:06.28.
It was Tameeka Johnson (Sans Souci Sea Devils) v Tess Whineray (V – Swimming Auckland) for first place, and Emily Ryan (Manly) v Liv Peebles (V – Swimming Auckland) for second place in the 17 Years category. Johnson came through with a strong back end to steal first in 1:03.10, followed by Whineray in 1:03.93 who shared the second spot on the podium with Ryan in 1:04.44. Peebles took the third-place visitors medal in 1:04.24, while Alstonville’s Sophie Mayes claimed third for NSW in 1:05.39.
It was a thrilling race between Paralympians Jasmine Greenwood (Bay & Basin) and Taylor Corry (Kincumber Pacific Dolphins) in the Girls 17 Yrs & Over MC event. Greenwood worked her backstroke skills with Corry hot on her trail. Campbelltown’s Hannah Price struck gold in 1:15.34, while Greenwood and Corry took silver and bronze just .02 seconds apart in 1:14.11 and 1:14.13 respectively.
Kincumber Pacific Dolphins athlete Alexander Foreman put up a speedy race in the Boys 17 Years 100m Backstroke, earning first place in 56.56. The Knox Pymble duo Kai Lilienthal and Tane Bidois had an exciting push to the finish, taking out second and third places respectively in 57.68 and 58.17.
Wagga Wagga’s Jamie Mooney and Callum Thomas (The Hills) went head-to-head in the Men’s 18 Years 100m Backstroke, challenging each other through the race, but it was Marius Boll (Loreto Normanhurst) who pulled ahead to win the gold in 57.59. Mooney touched in 58.28, followed by Thomas in 58.65.
Central coast native Shaye Booth put up a golden performance in the 19 Years & Over 100m Backstroke, heading in for the win in 55.70. Known for his butterfly prowess, Knox Pymble’s Joseph Hamson held strong through the 100m to claim the silver medal in 56.70, followed by teammate Toby Peknice in 57.64.
The State Age action continues on day 6 with Heats from 9am and Finals from 5:30pm.
Find all the event information you need at nsw.swimming.org.au.
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14 December Congratulations
- Swimmer of the Night
- Medalists
Sienna Toohey (Albury SC) for her performance in the Girls 12-13 Years 100m Breaststroke (1:13.79).
Girls 12-13 Yrs 50m Backstroke
1 Lily Young (Woden) 31.21
2 Heidi Schumack (SOPAC) 31.36
3 Stella Dodwell (Cranbrook) 31.81
Boys 13-14 Yrs 50m Backstroke
1 Victor Strokin (City of Sydney) 27.83
2 Lachlan Davies (Warringah Aquatic) 27.88
3 Jack Mitchell (Knox Pymble) 28.30
Girls 14 Yrs 50m Butterfly
1 Lillie McPherson (Manly) 27.87
2 Jade Mayne (SOPAC) 29.06
3 Lara Valmadre (Macquarie Uni) 29.08
Boys 15 Yrs 50m Butterfly
1 Cash Milner (Kincumber Pacific Dolphins) 25.68
2 Rhys Thomas (Warringah Aquatic) 26.02
3 Soloman Freeman (Cronulla) 26.08
Girls 15 Yrs 100m Butterfly
1 Jessica Cole (Wests Illawarra Aquatic) 1:00.84
2 Rafaela Kopellou (SOPAC) 1:03.16
3 Ebony Nix (Nelson Bay) 1:03.31
Boys 16 Yrs 100m Butterfly
1 James Gauci (SOPAC) 55.43
2 Caleb Yago (The Hills) 57.04
3 Hayden Hoang (SOPAC) 57.17
Girls 12 Yrs & O 50m Butterfly MC
12-14 Yrs Medalists
1 Summer Klein (Kincumber Pacific Dolphins) 39.09
2 Ali Green (Ascham) 39.63
3 Emilee Pratt (Novocastrian) 48.17
15-16 Yrs Medalists
1 Yasmine-Bella Younes (Bankstown Sports) 31.96
2 Stephanie Bruzzese (Trinity Grammar) 33.48
3 Nicole Taylor (Griffith) 31.72
17 Yrs & Over Medalists
1 Taylor Corry (Kincumber Pacific Dolphins) 30.11
2 Jasmine Greenwood (Bay & Basin) 31.02
3 Ashley Van Rijswijk (Wagga Wagga) 33.41
Boys 12 Yrs & O 50m Butterfly MC
12-14 Yrs Medalists
1 Liam Togher (Knox Pymble) 37.72
2 Jayden Van Stralen (Picton) 37.40
3 Adriano Sorrentino (SOPAC) 33.78
15-16 Yrs Medalists
1 Darren Sisman (Sans Souci Sea Devils) 28.95
2 Harry Keane (Wagga Wagga) 30.38
3 Samuel Gardiner (Nepean Aquatic) 39.00
17 Yrs & Over Medalists
1 Jarred Dyer (Wollongong) 27.88
2 Henry Hughes (Warringah Aquatic) 28.41
3 Lachlan Lau (St George) 31.82
Girls 16 Yrs & O 100m Backstroke
16 Yrs Medalists
1 Danielle Asiata (V – Swimming Auckland) 1:04.87
1 Tegan Kim (Carlile) 1:05.24
2 Alexandra Campion (V – Swimming Auckland) 1:05.71
2 Olivia Wunsch (Carlile) 1:06.01
3 Jessica Munk (Knox Pymble) 1:06.28
17 Yrs Medalists
1 Tameeka Johnson (Sans Souci Sea Devils) 1:03.10
2 Tess Whineray (V – Swimming Auckland) 1:03.93
2 Emily Ryan (Manly) 1:04.44
3 Liv Peebles (V- Swimming Auckland) 1:04.24
3 Sophie Mayes (Alstonville) 1:05.39
18 Yrs & O Medalists
1 Elizabeth Gan (Sydney Uni) 1:03.74
2 Meg Senior (Cruiz) 1:04.02
3 Anneke van Zoggel (SOPAC) 1:04.42
Boys 17 Yrs & O 100m Backstroke
17 Yrs Medalists
1 Alexander Foreman (Kincumber Pacific Dolphins) 56.56
2 Kai Lilienthal (Knox Pymble) 57.68
3 Tane Bidois (Knox Pymble) 58.17
18 Yrs Medalists
1 Marius Boll (Loreto Normanhurst) 57.59
2 Jamie Mooney (Wagga Wagga) 58.28
3 Callum Thomas (The Hills) 58.65
19 Yrs & O Medalists
1 Shaye Booth (SOPAC) 55.70
2 Joseph Hamson (Knox Pymble) 56.70
3 Toby Peknice (Knox Pymble) 57.64
Girls 12-13 Yrs 200m Freestyle
1 Charli Barbour (Manly) 2:08.49
2 Denise Grabe (Campbelltown) 2:09.06
3 Bridget Bass (SLC Aquadot) 2:11.11
Boys 13-14 Yrs 200m Freestyle
1 Luke Higgs (Warringah Aquatic) 1:56.89
2 Noah Maggs (Manly) 1:59.81
3 Dylan Zhou (Knox Pymble) 2:00.16
Girls 14 Yrs 100m Freestyle
1 Heli Childs (PLC Sydney) 57.75
2 Lillie McPherson (Manly) 57.78
3 Kira Long (Wenona) 58.51
Boys 15 Yrs 100m Freestyle
1 Liam Zhuang (Knox Pymble) 53.41
2 Oscar Kreutzberger (Albury North Lavington) 53.81
3 Alexander Clarence (AquaBlitz Toongabbie) 53.90
Girls 15 Yrs 400m Freestyle
1 Dominique Melbourn (Warringah Aquatic) 4:26.02
2 Rafaela Kopellou (SOPAC) 4:27.39
3 Chloe Brodrick (Tuggeranong Vikings) 4:29.63
Boys 16 Yrs 400m Freestyle
1 Samuel Higgs (Warringah Aquatic) 4:04.28
2 Brayden Woodford (Wests Illawarra Aquatic) 4:04.51
3 James Robertson (Trinity Grammar) 4:10.27
Girls 12 Yrs & O 100m Backstroke MC
12-14 Yrs Medalists
1 Emilee Pratt (Novocastrian) 1:36.20
2 Rada Bhummisri (City of Sydney) 1:37.07
3 Ali Green (Ascham) 1:38.56
15-16 Yrs Medalists
1 Stephanie Bruzzese (Trinity Grammar) 1:17.87
2 Krystal Jessen (AquaBlitz Toongabbie) 1:17.89
3 Yasmine-Bella Younes (Bankstown Sports) 1:19.81
17 Yrs & Over Medalists
1 Hannah Price (Campbelltown) 1:15.34
2 Jasmine Greenwood (Bay & Basin) 1:14.11
3 Taylor Corry (Kincumber Pacific Dolphins) 1:14.13
Boys 12 Yrs & O 100m Backstroke MC
12-14 Yrs Medalists
1 Jack Gibson (Dapto) 1:17.35
2 Liam Togher (Knox Pymble) 1:24.69
3 Jayden Van Stralen (Picton) 1:21.56
15-16 Yrs Medalists
1 Darren Sisman (Sans Souci Sea Devils) 1:13.85
2 Harry Keane (Wagga Wagga) 1:19.60
3 Jack Carey (SOPAC) 1:18.63
17 Yrs & Over Medalists
1 Jarred Dyer (Wollongong) 1:09.68
2 Alexander Tuckfield (SLC Aquadot) 1:14.04
3 Johan Briedenhann (Revesby Workers) 1:21.42
Girls 16 Yrs & O 200m Butterfly
16 Yrs Medalists
1 Gem Crittenden (Hunter) 2:19.25
2 Ruby Tonelli-Smith (Trinity Grammar) 2:20.10
3 Alexandra Murray (Narrabeen) 2:22.30
17 Yrs & O Medalists – Bella Grant
1 Bella Grant (Trinity Grammar) 2:11.82
2 Ava Jankovic (Valley Aquatic) 2:17.02
3 Bridie De Lutiis (Wests Illawarra Aquatic) 2:21.20
Boys 17 Yrs & O 200m Butterfly
17 Yrs Medalists
1 Hugo Batchelor (V – Swimming Auckland) 2:05.07
1 Riley Powell (Wests Illawarra Aquatic) 2:06.36
2 Joshua Fernandez (Randwick City) 2:06.64
3 Petar Karadjov (ACU Blacktown) 2:06.79
18 Yrs & O Medalists
1 Reece Caddy (Valley Aquatic) 2:02.89
2 Joshua Toisuta (ACU Blacktown) 2:04.03
3 Caleb Dryer (Trinity Grammar) 2:04.16
Girls 12-13 Yrs 100m Breaststroke
1 Sienna Toohey (Albury) 1:13.79
2 Sophie Mcaneney (Dubbo City Swimtech) 1:15.97
3 Tiana Silva (Sydney Uni) 1:16.78
Boys 13-14 Yrs 100m Breaststroke
1 Joseph Kim (Knox Pymble) 1:08.99
2 Alessandro Elemento (SOPAC) 1:09.16
3 Nemanya Markovich (V- Swimming Auckland) 1:10.20
3 William Brownlie (MLC Marlins) 1:10.31
Girls 14 Yrs 400m IM
1 Olivia Bates (V – Swimming Auckland) 5:14.13
1 Tilly Fikkers (Wests Illawarra Aquatic) 5:16.97
2 Makayla Larkin (V – Haileybury) 5:17.74
2 Mehnaaz Kahliqi (ACU Blacktown) 5:19.34
3 Heli Childs (PLC Sydney) 5:19.59
Boys 15 yrs 400m IM
1 Oscar Kreutzberger (Albury North Lavington) 4:40.81
2 Alexander Walker (Charlestown) 4:46.31
3 Ned Cane (SOPAC) 4:48.41
Girls 15 Yrs 50m Breaststroke
1 Ava Rollason (Cruiz) 33.16
2 Ella Mounter (NUswim) 34.11
3 Bella Teale (ACU Blacktown) 34.74
Boys 16 Yrs 50m Breaststroke
1 Christian Toia (SOPAC) 29.79
2 Bailey Screen (Warringah Aquatic) 29.86
3 David Kang (MLC Marlins) 30.92
Girls 12-17 Yrs 4x100m Medley Relay
1 V – Swimming Auckland A 4:19.60
1 SOPAC A 4:23.59
2 V – Swimming Auckland B 4:24.90
2 Knox Pymble A 4:27.26
3 Narrabeen A 4:28.42
Boys 13-18 Yrs 4x100m Medley Relay
1 SOPAC A 3:49.03
2 Knox Pymble A 3:52.44
3 Wests Illawarra Aquatic A 3:54.84
