Australian Age Championship, Night 4: National Records Fall in Fast And Furious Finals Night At Brisbane Aquatic Centre
2025 AUSTRALIAN AGE – Full Results
The National records have continued to tumble in a fast and furious night four of the Australian Age Swimming Championships at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre.
Both marks came in 50m form stroke events just days after the 50m breaststroke, butterfly and backstroke had been added to the LA28 Olympic program – which will be 27 years after they were swum at their first World Championships in 2001.
REACHING OUT: Koa Stotz at full stretch in Brisbane. Koa Stotz (Somerset, QLD) sets new Aust 14 years record 1200 breast 25 Aust Age Photo Courtesy Bec Ohlwein/Swimming Australia.
Gold Coast-based schoolboy Koa Stotz (Somerset, QLD; Coach Chris Urquhart) even surprised himself, firstly hitting the two-metre mark in height and then using every centimetre of that frame to claim his first National record, clocking 29.52 to win the 14 years 50m backstroke. The time taking 0.32 seconds off the 2022 mark of 29.84 set by Cranbrook NSW’s Nicholas Stoupas.
“That was incredible … I just can’t believe it. This is my first Age Nationals … I hit two metres (tall) last week, now I just have to start filling out … and I am just so excited about the 50 free in a couple of days,” Stotz said.
Later in the night Stotz won silver behind Hudson Hegarty (Knox Pymble, NSW) who set a personal best time to win the boys 14 years 100m freestyle in 52.34 seconds, touching just 0.04 seconds ahead Stotz (52.38), with Cael Engelbrecht (St Peters Western, QLD; Coach Cameron Gledhill) 53.19) third.
In the second National record of the night; Toowoomba’s Bryce Krause (Fairholme, QLD; Coach Micheal Wise) shaved 0.02 off his own mark clocking 26.65 in the lead off in Queensland’s State 13-14 years’ medley relay victory to kick start his meet and continuing a record-breaking season.
Then less than 24 hours after his first gold Lincoln Wearing (Chandler, QLD), followed his National Age record in the 15 years’ 800m, touched first in the 200m backstroke in 2:04.72.
Wearing, coached by Tsuyoshi Kimura, and his twin brother Isaac will swim 15 events between them at this meet with Lincoln adding the 200m backstroke, 200m butterfly and 400IM to his busy freestyle program of 100 through to 1500m.
Meanwhile Sam Higgs (Warringah Aquatic, NSW; Coach: Angelo Basalo) reeled off a 2:01.49 to win the 18 years 200m IM, following his night three win in the 200m breaststroke.
And in a real family affair, his younger brother Luke Higgs, 16, clocked 15:42.88 to win gold in 16 years 1500m free.
In other events:
Albury’s Sienna Toohey, (Coached by Wayne Gould) and hot off her Australian Age record of 1:07.04 in the girls’ 16-years 100m breaststroke, claimed the 200m individual medley in 2:16.28).
Trinity Grammar’s Grayson Doig (2:04.71) was also one of the night’s surprise packets, improving his heat time by almost five seconds to claim the 17 years 200m individual medley, making it the fourth consecutive year of owning this event in his age group.
Olivia Hine edged out New Zealand visitor Zoe Pedersen by 0.03 seconds to win her first gold medal of the meet. Hine (Somerville House, QLD; Coach Tim Lane), touched the wall in 25.56 in the Girls 17 years’ 50m butterfly. Pedersen was second in 26.69, the visitor sharing silver medal with Mikayla Bird (Bond, QLD; Coach Chris Mooney) in 27.46 with bronze going to Alice Monaghan (Griffith University, QLD) in 27.53.
In the boys 15 years 100m freestyle, Lukas Dunn (Knox Pymble, NSW) son of triple OlympianMatt Dunn defended his 2024 National title in 51.17 to take the win after a stroke-for-stroke battle with teammate Ethan Haegebaert in 51.58.
Maxwell Cunningham (Brisbane Grammar, QLD) clocked 52.03 to take bronze.
Far North Queenslander Amelie Smith (Rocky City, QLD) dominated the Girls 16 years 1500m freestyle, leading from start to finish, touching in 16:51.70 from Delta Cross (Highlanders, WA) clocking 17:13.34 for second with Charlotte Bowmer (Trinity Grammar, NSW) was third in 17:30.02.
Sunshine Coast QLD, backstroke prodigyJack Morrow took out his first gold in a stellar fashion in the boys 17 years 50m backstroke. The St Andrew’s swimmer winning in 25.54 seconds, followed closely by Caulfield VIC’sCampbell Wilson-Moran (25.89) and Morrow’s fellow teammate Cash Milner (26.22).
In the girls 17-years Julia Remington (All Saints, QLD) the silver medallist in the 200 breaststroke on day three, won gold with a time of 2:16.38 in the 200IM from Rafaela Kopello (SOPAC, NSW) touched in second at 2:17.80 to add another silver to her tally, (another silver) of the meet with Ava Rollason (Cruz, ACT), the daughter of Olympic gold medal coach Shannon Rollason, the bronze medallist in 2:19.55.
While Hudson Hegarty (Knox Pymble, NSW) set a personal best time in winning the boys 14 years 100m freestyle in 52.34 seconds, touching just 0.04 seconds ahead of Somerset’s Koa Stotz (52.38), followed by Cael Engelbrecht from St Peters Western (53.19).
