GPS swimming championship won by Brisbane Grammar School

An electric GPS swimming championship at Chandler before a roaring crowd, with the winner claiming the title for the first time in three years. See the full story here.

Brisbane Grammar School has stormed to victory to claim the prestigious GPS swimming championship staged tonight at Chandler.

It was BGS’s first title since 2018 and snapped a three year winning streak by Nudgee College.

Brisbane Grammar School, The Southport School and Nudgee College were neck and neck throughout, with the relays deciding the winners late in the piece.

There was also a record to Joshua Conias (BSHS, 50m freestyle) in a dramatic championship that came down to the 6x50m medley and freestyle relays.

The final placings were: BGS (302), TSS (285), Nudgee College (276), Terrace (224), Churchie (212), BBC (206), TGS (144), IGS (89).

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The eight relays became a competition within a competition, with BGS and TSS initially trading first with second, and then second with first in a thrilling finale.

BGS drew first blood (13 years medley), then TSS (14 years medley) struck back, only for BGS to beat TSS (second) in the 15 years medley.

Brisbane Grammar school support their team. Action from the GPS swimming championships. Thursday March 10, 2022. Picture, John Gass

The 6x50m freestyle relay competitors were then ushered into the fray, with Terrace twice causing a boilover in the 14 years and in the 15 years relays, while BGS and TSS finished out of a placing in both.

Nudgee’s flame flickered three events from home with a win in the 16 years medley relay followed by a second placing, and then BBC spoiled the party with a huge 16 years relay victory, with BGS second and Terrace third.

Were those minor placings by BGS, and victory in the second last event of the night, enough to carry them to the championship?

If they were not, victory in the final event of the evening had surely handed Brisbane Grammar School the championship.

Action from the GPS swimming championships. Thursday March 10, 2022. Picture, John Gass

The Championship started with a bang when the ever improving Thomas Connellan put another notch in his belt with a booming victory in the 400m open freestyle.

The Nudgee College swimmer beat George Sayer (BGS) and Blair Roper (TSS) to the finishing post.

Anglican Church Grammar school support their team. Action from the GPS swimming championships. Thursday March 10, 2022. Picture, John Gass

In the prestigious 200m IM, William Jordan (BGS) came home ahead of Callum Lee (BSHS) and elite age group swimmer Ike Martinez.

TSS were off to a flying start in the 50m freestyle sprints, winning the 13 years (Ishaan Mehra) and 14 years (Hudson Harwood), with Sam Zhang (13 years) and Max Ford (14 years) second in those respective events.

BSHS’s Joshua Conias (15 years, 50m) then steamed to a GPS record, while the good start by

St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace continued with another second placing (Jack Moore).

St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace support their team. Action from the GPS swimming championships. Thursday March 10, 2022. Picture, John Gass

Brisbane Grammar School then went bang-bang, winning both their 50m freestyle events (Edward Sommerville and Ronan Mellick) before BSHS’s Mehra was among the medals again with a win in the 50m backstroke (13 years).

Churchie then got on the board with a victory by Ethan Norton (14 years backstroke) while Terrace continued to track upward when Jack Moore touched first (15 years).

Blair McKitrick (Nudgee) then rounded off the 50m backstroke with a victory.

Toowoomba Grammar School's Ryan Thorton, yellow cap, celebrates his win with school mates.

Toowoomba Grammar School’s squad was in an uproar when Ryan Thornton thundered to victory (100m backstroke), while BSHS claimed the 13 years 100m courtesy of Oscar Kolenbet and early leaders, TSS, cheered Hudson Sheehan to the wall in the 100m free.

Churchie’s squad, their preparation disrupted by the floods, watched in awe as William Shepherd-Smith thumped into the wall (15 years 100m freestyle), followed soon after by Thomas Pattison (16 years, 100m free).

What a night Shepherd-Smith was having for Churchie.

Brisbane Boys College support their team. Action from the GPS swimming championships. Thursday March 10, 2022. Picture, John Gass

Sommerville’s good meet for BGS then continued with his victory in the final 100m freestyle event.

BSHS Kolenbet 50m breaststroke, 13 years, hit the wall first again while Max Gao made his swim in the 14 years breaststroke count with a rousing victory. TSS maintained momentum when Oscar Eddy (15 years breaststroke) touched first.

Action from the GPS swimming championships. Thursday March 10, 2022. Picture, John Gass

When the 100m breaststroke swung around, Josh Anderson had Grammar cheering with a rollicking victory, followed soon after by schoolmate Declan Simpkins (50m butterfly).

Churchie were also having a good meet, with their spirits raised by wins from Thomas Pattison and Shepherd-Smith again, before Terrace young star Martinez snared the 100m butterfly.

Ipswich Grammar school in action. Picture, John Gass

TSS’s Hudson Sheehan, whose father was a Commonwealth Games swimmer for Australia, had a big win in the 14 years 200m freestyle, while Shepherd-Smith night of nights just kept getting better and better for Churchie.

Ike Martinez of Terrace, middle, with his squad mates.

Sommerville then had the honour, and a rather appropriate honour given his performances on the night, of winning the last individual event prior to the relays when he churned through the water to claim the 200m freestyle.

Prior to that event, Matthew Lowe of TSS collected first place in the 16 years 200m free.

Action from the GPS swimming championships. Thursday March 10, 2022. Picture, John Gass

The 14 years Terrace 6x50m relay team of Ford, Voltz, Small, Griffin, Slack and Bressington did a grand job for their school late in the piece.

Then the Terrace 15 years team of Moore, Mann, Tolhurst, Young, Clifford and Pagano snared another victory to put the cat among the pidgeons.

When the relays swung around, BGS snared the 200m medley relay (13 years), anchored by Sam Zhang, beating Nudgee College and the Toowoomba Grammar School foursome of Healey, Hardgrave, Best and Leslie.