Australian Age Group Swimming Championships: Cameron McEvoy Picks Up Fourth Gold Medal

BRISBANE, Australia, April 14. GOLD Coast teenager Cameron McEvoy has rounded out a memorable month of swimming winning his fourth gold medal at the 2012 Australian Age Swimming Championships with a world-class time of 49.01 for the 100m freestyle.

Already on the plane to London to represent Australia in the 4×100 and 4x200m freestyle relay, McEvoy has used the age group meet to maintain the confidence he found in Adelaide last month, setting a new record over 50m and shadowing his own mark in the 100m free tonight.

“I'm really happy with how I've come back after the Olympic Trials (last month), to keep my speed up and the way I raced everything this week, so it looks good for things to come,” said McEvoy.

“I've done PBs in all of my form strokes, the races that I didn't swim at Trials three weeks ago, so to back up like this after a big meet, gives me confidence that I can back up and I now I know that I can perform at that level again.”

A debutant on the Olympic Team for London, but veteran of the Australian Age nationals, the 17-year-old says it has been impressive to see what the likes of Kyle Chalmers, Mack Horton and Nicholas Groenewald have done this week.

“Some of the kids are flying and it's just ridiculous to see the times that they are doing,” said McEvoy.

“I remember swimming national Age at that age and I was three or four seconds behind the times that they are posting for the 100m free. It's not just one swimmer either, there's a lot of depth so it's really promising for what's to come over the next few years.”

McEvoy was too quick for Southport Olympic training partner Andrew Digby who took silver in 50.61 while Nathaniel Romeo from Trinity Grammar won bronze in 50.91.

World Short Course bronze medallist Emma McKeon (54.90) was unable to capitalise on her quick qualifying time, settling for silver between Olympic bound swimmers Brittany Elmslie and Bronte Campbell. Seventeen-year-old Elmslie powered ahead to claim the title in 54.67, taking her gold medal count to four including a clean sweep of the 50, 100 and 200m free, while the bronze medal went to Campbell for her time of 55.18.

The Port Lincoln 'Express' Kyle Chalmers was back in the water for the boy's 12/13yrs 100m backstroke, winning his fifth gold medal of the meet by more than a second. Having already broken four age group records at the meet, Chalmers was too powerful in the backstroke, winning by half a body length in 1:00.62 from Surrey Park swimmer Leo Wong (1:01.76) and Melbourne based Benno Negri (1:02.21).

Queenslander Shayna Jack won her first gold medal of the meet taking out the girl's 100m backstroke in 1:04.14. Cranbrook swimmer Monique Rae (1:05.90) took silver while Annie Pepper from Traralgon won bronze in 1:05.56.

Nicholas Groenewald also finished the meet as he started, picking up his sixth individual gold medal overall in the boy's 14yrs 200m breaststroke. Having now won a staggering 14 gold medals at the Age Championships over the last two years, including setting eight age group records, the Nunawading juggernaut won in a time of 2:24.86. Queenslander Joshua Zuill won silver in 2:25.99 with Ashton Milligan from WA taking bronze in 2:26.34.

The girl's 14yrs 200m breast saw Karlene Pircher take gold over 100m champion Georgia Bohl from St Peters Western. A silver medallist in the 100, Pircher fought back hard over the final 50m to win in 2:31.29 with Bohl taking silver in 2:31.46 and Shannon Ashton (2:39.05) taking home the bronze.

In other events…

Girls 17/18yrs 200m Butterfly
Jordan White showed her butterfly supremacy to win the opening event of the night by more than a body length in an impressive time of 2:13.35. Having already won the 400m free earlier in the meet, White was too strong for Mikkayla Sheridan (2:15.79) with Leah Bird taking bronze in 2:16.67.

Boys 17/18yrs 200m Butterfly
The boy's 200m fly was a battle right to the end, with Hugo Morris and David Morgan fighting it out to the final touch. Turning second at the 150m mark, Canberra based Morris showed a stronger back end to take gold in 1:59.59, from 100m fly title holder Morgan who won silver in 1:59.84. Brandon Grochala from Liverpool was awarded bronze in 2:03.19.

Girls 15yrs 200m IM
Hunter swimmer Meg Bailey put in a strong breaststroke leg to secure the girl's 15yrs 200m IM in a time of 2:19.47. Bailey was chased down by Eliza Ham (2:20.41) and visitor Sara Suwannachet from Hong Kong who hit the wall third in 2:20.83. Elise Pidutti was the third Australian to the wall in 2:22.63

Boys 15yrs 200m IM
Ryan Leonard made it an IM double for Hunter and coach Shane Arnold taking out the boy's 200m in a commanding performance. The multiple age group Champion from last year, covered the four disciplines and laps in 2:07.58, with James Traiforos finishing strongly to take silver in 2:08.17. Kiwi Max Polianski was third to the wall in 2:08.47 while Mack Horton picked up his sixth medal of the meet in 2:08.47.

Girls 16yrs 800m Freestyle
Age champion from the 400m freestyle Leah Neale set the pace early cruising to victory in the girl's 16yrs 800m freestyle final. Neale gained two body lengths over her competition to take the race in 8:39.83 nearly four seconds ahead of New Zealand swimmer Tabitha Bauman in 8:43.25. Bauman will share the silver medal with City of Perth Swimmer Brianna Throssell who couldn't keep up with a fast finishing Bauman touching in 8:46.16. Emily Kayser will take home the bronze in 8:50.28.

Girls 14yrs 200m Freestyle
Hong Kong swimmer Siobhan Haughey will take home four gold medals from the 2012 Australian Age Championships with a win in the girl's 14yrs 200m freestyle final. Queenslander Taylor Green will add gold to her medal collection and as the first Australian swimmer to the wall she will also take the title. Canberra's Bonnie Zhang powered home to hit the wall in 2:04.55 and pick-up the silver medal for the second year in a row. Visiting swimmer Sumin Song was awarded bronze with a time of 2:03.87 along with Amy Forrester in 2:04.94.

Boys 14yrs 200m Freestyle
Triple title holder Damian Fyfe impressed in the boy's 14yrs 200m freestyle final to steal the gold medal, in 1:54.58, from fastest qualifier Joshua Parrish (1:56.16). Parrish was able to do one better than his bronze medal winning swim from 2011 just out-touching Max Carleton who was awarded bronze in 1:56.55.

Girls 16yrs 200m Backstroke
Four is the magic number for Victorian Hayley Baker (2:14.68) who secured her fourth gold medal and Australian Age title in the final of the girl's 16yrs 200m backstroke. Baker took the lead early and couldn't be caught despite a late challenge from Tianni Gilmour who touched in second with 2:16.20. Fresh off the back of her 800m freestyle win Leah Neale had enough left in the tank to take home the bronze medal in 2:16.79.

Boys 16yrs 200m Backstroke
Jordan Harrison (2:03.47) from Miami Swim Club on the Gold Coast managed to back-up from his fast heat swim to record a win in the boy's 16yrs 200m backstroke final. Harrison was too strong for Victorian Mitchell Pratt (2:04.99) who knocked four seconds off his heat swim to claim the silver medal in front of Queensland's Regan Leong (2:06.47).

Girls 15yrs 100m Butterfly
The girl's 15yrs 100m butterfly final came down to the touch with Megan Gianotti eventually victorious in 1:01.12. Meg Bailey had to settle for a silver medal behind the Queenslander for the second time when she touched in 1:01.98. Carlile's Emily Washer (1:02.71) was relegated to bronze when she was overtaken by a fast finishing Bailey.

Boys 15yrs 100m Butterfly
2011 title holder Edward Marks was able to defend his title in the boy's 15yrs 100m butterfly final in an impressive time of 54.49. Despite posting the fastest time from the heats, St Peter's Western swimmer Cameron Jones couldn't catch Marks and will take home silver in 55.33 leaving Western Sprint swimmer Andrew Walker (56.53) to collect the bronze.

Girls 12-13yrs 400m IM
Chelsea Gubecka got one back on Novocastrian Abbey Harkin with a win in the girl's 12-13yrs 400m IM. Harkin had previously got the better of Gubecka in the 200m IM and the girls now have an equal three titles each from the meet. City of Perth swimmer Tamsin Cook rounds out the top three, stopping the clock at 5:05.64

Boys 12-13yrs 400m IM
Queensland continued to dominate at the Australian Age championships with a clean sweep of the boy's 12-13yrs 400m IM final. The Queensland boys Alan Gibson Mitchell Simmons and Damien Tronc stood proudly on the dais to collect their medals. Gibson clocked 4:53.09 with Simmons chasing in 4:56.25 and Tronc competing the trifecta in 5:00.18.

Boys 16yrs 1500m Freestyle
A gold medallist in the 400m freestyle, Jordan Harrison from Miami Swim Club demonstrated his distance dominance to win the boy's 16yrs 1500m free in 15:42.73. The Gold Coaster was too strong for Sean Maloney from Woden in the ACT who won silver in 15:57.52, while Mathew Myers from New Zealand finished third in 16:01.04.

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World Magazine. It has been posted in its entirety without editing. Swimming World offers all outlets the chance to reach our audience by contacting us at Newsmaster@swimmingworldmagazine.com. However, Swimming World reserves the right to choose what material is posted.

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