By Stephen J. Thomas <\/p>\n
SYDNEY, March 28. QUEENSLANDER Ashley Callus took the 50 meter sprint in 22.47 (PR 22.37) on Day 7 of the Australian Championships to give him the sprint double for the meet after having dead-heated with Ian Thorpe in the 100. <\/p>\n
Callus, who also won this title last year, came over the top of national record-holder Brett Hawke in the last five meters to win by just 0.06. Hawke clocked 22.53 with his fellow Sydney Uni club mate, David Carter, third with a PR 22.73. <\/p>\n
Callus\u2019 effort was all the more impressive given the battle he has had will ongoing illness that has left him unable to train anywhere near normal load in recent months. <\/p>\n
\u201cAll I wanted to do was race here and I\u2019m very happy with what I\u2019ve achieved. I will be having more tests as soon as I get home to sort out this problem and be fully fit for Barcelona,\u201d an exhausted Callus said after his race. <\/p>\n
Men\u2019s 100m butterfly<\/b>:
\nGeoff Huegill won his 5th title in the 100 fly at the nationals but not before he gave the field a start. The easygoing Queenslander slipped off the blocks and by his own admission \u201cfell into the water\u201d but easily managed to catch likely challenger Adam Pine at the turn 24.76 to 25.19. <\/p>\n
The world record-holder over 50 fly fought off a determined effort from Pine to hit the wall in a relatively slow 53.27 (Huegill clocked 52.30 in 2002 with a PR 51.96 from Sydney 2000). AIS-based Adam Pine clocked 53.51 to take the silver from 18-year-old Robert Sharp who slashed home from lane 8 in a PR 54.27. The third fastest qualifier, Jason Cohen, was DQ\u2019ed for a false start.<\/p>\n
Women\u2019s 50 butterfly<\/b>:
\nAustralian record-holder Petria Thomas won her sixth title in this event tonight in 27.01, her last race before going under the surgeon\u2019s knife, from eye-catching newcomer, 18-year-old Libby Lenton in a PR 27.24 (3rd best Aussie all-time). Lenton edged out Jordana Webb who also clocked a PR of 27.27 (4th best Aussie all-time) and both will most likely make the World Champs team. Seventeen-year-old Marieke Guehrer also swam a PR taking 4th in 27.43 (6th best Aussie all-time).<\/p>\n
Women\u2019s 200 backstroke<\/b>:
\nFifteen-year-old Cairns-based Queenslander Zoe Tonks cut a full second of her PR prior to the meet to win her first national title and a place on the team to Barcelona clocking 2:14.30. Tonks edged out Frances Adcock 2:14.41 with AIS-based Karina Leane third in 2:15.90. <\/p>\n
The race was won in a relatively slow time compared with the 2:11.59 posted by 2002 title-holder Clementine Stoney who pulled out of this meet at the last minute with illness. <\/p>\n
Women\u2019s 800 freestyle<\/b>:
\nTitle-holder Amanda Pascoe came home with a withering burst in the last 50-meters to pick up almost 4-seconds on leader Linda MacKenzie to touch first in a relatively slow 8:40.25 (PR 8:34.19). MacKenzie clocked 8:40.47 for silver with Belinda Wilson taking the bronze in 8:44.43. <\/p>\n
Semi-finals<\/b>:<\/p>\n
Women\u2019s 50 freestyle<\/b>:
\nLibby Lenton continued her quick ride to prominence in Australian women\u2019s swimming with a fast 25.31 (2nd all-time Aussie), just 0.02 outside the Australian record held by Jodie Henry and just short making the list of all-time top 25 global performer. Lenton\u2019s PR at the end of 2002 stood a 25.93. <\/p>\n
Sixteen-year-old Alice Mills is also making waves. Tonight she broke the Australian age record to qualify second in 25.36 (3rd all-time Aussie), then came 100 gold medalist Jodie Henry 25.43, Sophie Edington 25.89 and title-holder Sarah Ryan 25.95. <\/p>\n
Women\u2019s 50 breaststroke<\/b>:
\nBrooke Hanson 31.54 PR
\nLeisel Jones 31.65
\nJade Edmistone 32.12 PR
\nSarah Kasoulis 32.25
\nTarnee White 32.29<\/p>\n
Men\u2019s 50 backstroke<\/b>:
\nMatt Welsh 25.61
\nJosh Watson 25.66 equal PR
\nEthan Rolff 26.53
\nHayden Stoeckel 26.72
\nJosh Taylor 26.84<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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