GPS swimming championships claimed by Nudgee College
Records tumbled as Nudgee College stormed to victory in two thrilling junior and senior titles at the GPS swimming championships.
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St Joseph’s Nudgee College claimed a last-event thriller at the GPS swimming senior championship after earlier claiming the junior title today at Chandler’s Brisbane Aquatic Centre.
The scene of the 1982 Commonwealth Games was rocking and rolling all these years later as Nudgee College and 2022 winners Brisbane Grammar School went toe-to-toe in the relays – including in the last event of the night which decided the championship.
Final placings, seniors
1. Nudgee College 303
2. BGS 296
3. Terrace 242
4. TSS 229
5. Churchie 211
5. BSHS 198
7. BBC185
8. TGS138
9. IGS 120
BSHS also hit the jackpot to snare two GPS records when Joshua Conias lowered the previous under 16 50m freestyle mark, and then Oscar Kolenbet beat the under 14 50m breaststroke.
The famous Terrace army also had plenty to cheer with the resurgent Red and Blacks coming third.
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Earlier, Nudgee fought off a spirited Churchie to claim the junior championship.
Final placings, juniors:
1. Nudgee College 624
2. Churchie 552
3. BBC 529
4. BGS 507
5. IGS 507
6. Terrace 474
7. TSS 420.50
8. TGS 309.50
9. BSHS 182
Nudgee also won last year’s junior championship, breaking Churchie’s 2020-21 run of success.
The juniors was a highly competitive meet with every school having something to sing about, a championship also noteworthy for Ipswich Grammar School’s string of successes culminating in a 4x50m relay record.
The IGS team of Gilbert, Kim, Cameron and Carvolth (team photo further down the story) produced a golden finish, one of three GPS junior records.
Earlier Nudgee College’s Levi Thorley was in complete control winning his 100m under 11 freestyle in record time, while IGS’s Zacharias Carvolth won a sensational 12 years 50m breaststroke (36.86 against a prior record of 37.74).
Both Carvolth and BSHS’s Joshua Lambert went under the old mark, but the IGS swimmer finished first, therefore is the new record holder.
The relays were a thrilling affair, with Nudgee College’s Bennie Williams bringing home the bacon in the Div 1 10 years, 4x50m.
Brisbane Boys College, with Justin Lau as the anchor, then won a fantastic Div 1 4x50m dash, and soon after Churchie mums and dads and fellow students were cheering when Lucas Pollick carried his team home.
Nudgee College then put a down payment on the championship when Max Bertinatoa anchored one of the under 12 teams to victory.
But Ipswich Grammar School finished on a high in the other under 12s relay, with Jack Gilbert touching first ahead of Nic Bourne (Churchie) and Tamanaeli Taoso (BSHS) who both ensured minor placings for their school.
Under 11 50m freestyle action included wins to Nudgee’s Hudson Cavanagh (Div 5), Nudgee’s Aston Harrison (Div 4), Churchie (Div 3), BBC’s Justin Lau (Div 2) and Nudgee’s earlier record breaker Thorley (Div 1).
In the under 12s, IGS pair Lachlan Cameron (Div 1) and Carvolth (Div 2) continued to have big meets with wins, while BSHS pair Tamanaeli Taoso (Div 4) and Joshua Lambert (Div 3) enjoyed victories.
When the backstrokers hit the water, BBC’s Ryan Hudson claimed the 10 years Div 3 and TSS’s Lee Aston the 10 years Div 2 before Toowoomba Grammar School’s Charlie Beverland continued his great meet with a surging to victory in an exciting Division 1 final.
The under 11 50m backstroke started well for Churchie when Jacob Choi (Div 4) won, then came wins to Nudgee’s Max Poter (Div 3), Churchie’s Harris Shonhan (Div 2) before victory again to Thorley (Nudgee Div 1).
Thorley touched the wall ahead of BBC’s Justin Lau and Churchie’s Fraser Kilimnik.
Ipswich Grammar School were mounting plenty of points and they continued to accumulate podium finishes across the 12 years backstroke.
Jack Gilbert (first, Div 4, 12 years 50m backstroke) and Liam Kim (Div 2) won their events, with IGS’s Lachlan Cameron second in the Div 3 and Carvolth first in the Div 1.
The Div 3 swim was won by BGS’s Nicholas Bourne which broke IGS’s run of victories.
The Churchie cheer group sprung to life to salute Nate Keily’s win (under 10s Div 2 50m butterfly), and then Nudgee supporters had their turn when Maximus Scott surged to the front (Div 1).
Nudgee students were on their feet again when Thomas Kennedy won the under 11 Div 2 butterfly, a forerunner to Boston winning again for Ipswich Grammar School in Div 1.
Ipswich Grammar School were atop the podium again in the 12 years Div 2 butterfly courtesy of Liam Kim, but BSHS’s Luka Green broke the run with a splendid Div 1 victory.
Earlier in the meet, the honours were shared across the opening 10 events, with Terrace and TGS (under 10, 100m, Div 1) enjoying early success, while Churchie (under 11, 100m) and Nudgee (under 11,100m) shared honours.
Ipswich Grammar School then went bang-bang-bang courtesy of Eli Bruggemann, Lachlan Cameron and Zacharias Carvolth driving to the wall first.
Those results were a nice early boost to the IGS campaign.
Churchie had a strong of successes in the under 11 50m breaststroke, a run broken when BBC had a win while BGS’s Jai Mason won the 50m Div 8, followed by Harry Quaas (TSS), William Bennie (Nudgee), Ari Tjin (Nudgee), Theodore Theiss (Terrace), Clayton Pearse (Churchie) and Frederick Creagh (Terrace).
In the boys senior championship, the stars came out to play when Blair Roper of The Southport School won a high class 400m freestyle from Edward Nelson (BGS) and Thomas Connellan (Nudgee).
Gregory Terrace’s Ike Martinez then added to the all-star power of the meet by winning the 200m IM from BGS’s Sebastien Roy-Bryant.
In the multi-class 50m freestyle, Lachlan McNamee (TGS), Luke Sahlqvist (BBC), Hamish Lilley (BGS), Kelly Vincent (BSHS) and Baxter Notting (Churchie) all competed, with Baxter touching the wall first.
The 13 years and under was then claimed by Brisbane Grammar School’s Eugene Lee and the meet was up and running with gusto.
Nudgee’s Edward Berry found his way to the wall first in a hotly contested 14 years 50m dash, and Max Ford then lit up the Terrace section of the crowd with a withering 15 years 50m freestyle effort. BSHS’s Joshua Conias also claimed the 16 years and under 50m free.
Thomas Symonds placed BBC on the podium with a tremendous effort in the 13 years and under backstroke, while BGS’s Samuel Zhang maintained his team’s early momentum with a win in the 14 years backstroke.
It was a terrific battle in the under 15s with Charles Tongia prevailing over second placed Luo Cashy (BGS), with Churchie’s Ethan Norton third, while in the 16 years Terrace’s Ethan Dent claimed victory over Jacob Raine (BGS).
When the championships swung into the 100m freestyle, Nudgee’s Blair McKitrick had first success marginally ahead of TGS’s Ryan Thornton who left nothing in the tank after leading at the turn.
The freestyle sprinters then unloaded as Churchie pair Duncan Boe (13 years) and Maxwell Cunningham (14 years) reeled off wins, before TSS’s Hudson Sheehan (15 years) crashed the party.
William Shepherd-Smith (Churchie) then returned to his happy hunting ground, enjoying victory in the 16 years despite Conias (BSHS) pushing him to the brink.
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