Aussie Age Group Champs: Alice Mills Shoots for Her Own Record

By Kurt Hanson

SYDNEY, April 10. ALICE Mills , the baby of Australia's 2002 Commonwealth Games swimming team, will have her own national 15-years record in her sights, on night two of the Australian Age Championships at the Sydney Aquatic Centre, Homebush Bay tonight.

The success story of this year's Telstra Australian Championships, Mills is the fastest qualifier in the 50 metre freestyle and second fastest for the 100 metres butterfly for tonight's finals competition where she will again be looking to add to her two gold medals won on day one of the championships.

Mills established her current Australian record of 25.76 at this year's Queensland State Championships before clocking 25.97 to finish third behind Sarah Ryan and Chandler clubmate Jodie Henry at this year's Australian Championships in Brisbane, to qualify her for Manchester.

Her time is the third fastest all-time by an Australian, with only Ryan and Olympic champion Susie O'Neill ever having swum faster.

She will be joined in tonight's final by another Shannon Rollason-trained sprinter in Nadine Loof, who qualifed second, with Rachel Goh (Firbank Aquastars, VIC) third.

Meanwhile, Henry and another Chandler ace Cassie Hunt, are set to battle it out in the girls 17 – 18 years 200 metres freestyle final after grabbing the top two qualifying spots in this morning's heats.

Hunt, a member of Australia's up-coming Pan Pacific Championship team will start from lane four after clocking a 2:04.83, while teammate, Henry, a member of both the 2002 Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships teams will be in the opposing lane five after cruising through her qualifier.

Nicholas Sprenger will be in search of his second individual win in as many days when he takes to the water in the 16 years 200 metre freestyle.

Hailing from the Commercial club in Queensland, Spenger, after his most successful year in 2002 which has already seen him qualify for an Australian Commonwealth Games trials final two weeks ago in Brisbane is set for a strong showing over the next four days of competition.

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