National swim titles: A to Z guide of Queenslanders

The All Ages swimming titles start Tuesday on the Gold Coast. Here is an A to Z guide of key competing Queensland swim rookies.

The Australian Age Swimming Championships start Tuesday on the Gold Coast.

Here is an A to Z guide of key Queensland swim rookies to keep an eye on.

Some, like Super Six contingent Mollie O’Callaghan, Elizabeth Dekkers, Tom Neill, Tom Hauck, Lani Pallister and Meg Harris, were past stars of the All Ages who were now chances of posting Olympic qualifying times.

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But for most, they will be looking for PBs, gold medals and possible selection in the Australian world youth championship merit squad which will compete at an event in Australia later in the year in lieu of Australia not sending teams to the FINA World Junior Championships in Kazan in August and the World Universiade Games in Chengdu, China.

THE A to Z LIST

A is for Anders McAlpine who broke the Brisbane 15 years record in the 100m and 200m freestyle at the Brisbane championship last month. The Chandler Swimming Club member also won five gold medals. Another strong competitor in the 17 years age group will be Nudgee Swimming’s Dylan Andrea (50m, 100m free) while Ainsley Trotter is in good for St Peters at the recent QGSSSA meet.

Bryce Belcher and Thomas Brentnall of BBC.

B is for Brisbane Boys College talent Bryce Belcher, Rackley Centenary’s Bronte Job and All Hallows’ School’s Piper Brien. Brien is coming off an all-star performance for All Hallows at the CaSSSA Cup while 2020 school leaver Job is a 2019 world junior championship backstroke gold medallist. At the GPS championship Belcher beat a 1988 record held by former Australian swimmer Andrew Baildon. B is also for Belcher’s BBC teammate Thomas Brentnall.

C is for Claveria Johnson-Tiamalu and Cosette Cooke. Johnson-Tiamalu, a big hearted junior swimmer from St Peters Western. A school mate of both Mollie O’Callaghan and Ella Ramsay at St Peters Lutheran College Springfield campus, you know you have been in a race if you defeat Johnson-Tiamalu. Cooke was one of the swimmers of the meet at last month’s QGSSSA Mollie Gould Cup championship where she represented St Margaret’s. Nudgee College’s Tom Connellan (16 years 100m, 200m freestyle) is also a fine prospect.

Ellizabeth Dekkers and Piper Brien.

D is for All Hallows’ School student Elizabeth Dekkers, a stunning 100m and 200m butterfly swimmer who, under the Miller family’s Newmarket Racers Swim Club program, could make the Tokyo Olympics and is tracking toward Commonwealth Games (2022) selection.

E is for St Peters Western’s Ella Ramsay who broke the Brisbane championship 16 years 200m freestyle in 2:02.35 and the 100m butterfly in 1:01.09 at the Brisbane championships, in all claiming four gold medals.

F is for Phoebe Fredericks (All Hallows; School) who was in the shadow of Elizabeth

Dekkers, Piper Brien and Josephine Crimmins when All Hallows’ won a 10th straight CaSSSA Cup, but who still had an outstanding meet.

H is for Meg Harris from St Peters Western and Nudgee Swimming’s Harry Turner. A Mt St Michael’s alumni, Harris is freestyle sprinter and a very, very good one with international honours written all over her. H is also for Chelsea Hodges (Southport Olympic).

I is for Isaac Cooper who, at the Brisbane championships, was good in breaking the Queensland and Queensland all comers 17 years record (100m backstroke, time of 55.04) and also breaking the 50m freestyle mark (23.22 seconds). Cooper is a Bundaberg boy who bordered at Toowoomba Grammar School and who is now with Rackley Centenary,

J is for tough as teak Jenna Forrester of St Peters who is chipping away in the gruelling 200m and 400m freestyle and IM disciplines. J is also for thrilling sprint prospect Jamie Bayliss (17 years butterfly, backstroke) from Nudgee College who is a real racer. J is also for exciting 100m and 200m backstroker Jaclyn Barclay, a St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School swimmer who has linked with St Peters Western.

Hayley Lewis with her swimming son Kai Taylor. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

K is for Kai Taylor, the son of Australian champion Hayley Lewis. After a PB 50.01 (100m freestyle) at the AIC school meet in March, he again impressed at the Vorgee Brisbane Metropolitan Championships, breaking the Brisbane 17 Years 100m freestyle record. T is also for Tiana Kritzinger, the Nudgee Swimming club youngster (16 years 800m, 1500m and 400m).

L is for Hana Lingo who starred for St Peters Lutheran College in the 14 years age group at the Mollie Gould Cup QGSSSA championship last month.

Action from the recent QGSSSA meet.

M is for St Margaret’s Anglican schoolgirl Sophie Martin who is gaining strength and confidence after returning from an injury disrupted 2020. Her sister Isabella is also one to watch.

O is for Mia O’Leary who, at the Vorgee Brisbane Metropolitan Championships, broke the Brisbane 18 years and open 200m freestyle (1:59.82). Earlier in March she was a leading light for St Peters in the QGSSSA championship.

Lani Pallister (left) with mother and coach Janelle Pallister. Picture credit: Delly Carr, Swimming Australia.

P is for Lani Pallister, the Sunshine Coast middle distance freestyle exponent now swims under Australian coach Michael Bohl at Griffith University Gold Coast. An 800m swimmer, she comes from good stock – her month is Janelle Elford, the 1988 Olympic 400 and 800m freestyle finalist

Q is for Meghan Guthrie-Quinn. The Clayfield College student warmed up for the All Ages with winning efforts in the 13 years at the QGSSSA championship, including a QG record in the 13 years breaststroke.

Ella Ramsay, left, with the St Peters team mates, including Mollie O'Callaghan.

R is for Rebecca Ramsay, a year 11 student at St Peters Lutheran College Springfield. Mark her down in your little black book as one of our best Rookies on the Rise in the 200m-400m IM events. R is also for Robert Thorpe, an Australian open water champion who across the 16 years age groups will do freestyle events of 400m, 800m and 1500m)

Olympic Swimming Prospect Samuel Short in the pool at Centenary Swimming Pool. Sunday April 4, 2021. Picture, John Gass

S is for Samuel Short, an elite 400m, 800m and 1500m 17 years swimmer. This boy is the real deal. He swims alongside Tom Neill and Bronte Job under Damien Jones at Rackley Centenary. Also watch for St Margaret’s Stella Stuart, BSHS’s Saxon Scheffler (14 years) and Bond Uni’s Flynn Southam, a real mover and shaker in the 100m-200m freestyle and the 100m-200m backstroke. S is also for St Peters Western’s Josh Staples, the current IM champion in his age group who will complete against Short as well.

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Bond University's Flynn Southam Photo: Supplied.

With Thomas Neill and Tom Hauck headed to the open nationals, T is for Harry Turner, with the 17 years No. 1 ranked butterfly exponent in his age group. He broke an 11 year old GPS record with a sizzling butterfly effort recently. Hauck, from All Saints on the Gold Coast, is also a rookie powerhouse who excels in the 200-400m freestyle space, plus the gruelling 200/400 IM and 200m backstroke spaces while Neill excells from 200m to 1500m.

W is for Amelia Webber of St Peters Western. Watch for her in the 15 years 800m, 400m and 200m freestyle.