Your guide to the annual QGSSSA swimming championship

An Olympian will add additional star power to this year’s QGSSSA championship that, for the first time, will include four multiclass events for students with a disability. SEE OUT LIST OF THE TOP 50 COMPETITORS

Olympian Mollie O’Callaghan will add additional star power to the annual QGSSSA championship on March 2 which, for the first time, will include four multiclass events for students with a disability.

O’Callaghan, from St Peters Lutheran College Springfield campus, finished the Tokyo Olympic Games with three medals (two gold, bronze) for her role as a relay heat swimmer.

In one event, the 200m freestyle, she broke the world junior record.

In the race for the Mollie Gould Cup next Wednesday, O’Callaghan will be a headline act among a crop of brilliant young swimmers – many of whom were either Australian junior merit team selections, Queensland representatives, age group state medallists or finalists.

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But another dimension has been added to the QGSSSA program, with four events for multiclass swimmers – a first for the association.

Holly Warn of St Hilda’s will swim in the QGSSSA multiclass Picture: Tertius Pickard

Leading the charge in these divisions will be outstanding St Hilda’s School swimmer Holly Warn.

St Peters Lutheran College, coached by Olympic coach Dean Boxall, were favourites to claim a ninth successive Mollie Gould Cup as they field several world junior championship Australian merit team selections.

Aside from O’Callaghan, the Saints’ Ella Ramsay, Ainsley Trotter, Jaclyn Barclay, Amelia Weber, Semra Olowniyi and Jamie Perkins will lead a squad with great depth.

But on a high class night of competition, expect the likes of Sophie and Isabella Martin (St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School), Francesca Chitukudza (Moreton Bay College), Tylah Crabtree (St Hilda’s School), world junior merit selection Tiana Kritzinger (Clayfield College),

Jacqueline Davison-McGovern (Somerville House), Angie Wong (St Aidan’s) and Hannah Allan (BSHS) to throw a spanner in the works.

Mollie O'Callaghan and Jacqueline Davison-McGovern at last year's Mollie Gould Cup.

All will rise to the occasion at the championship which features such an electric atmosphere, that it is considered one of the state’s finest sporting events on the calendar.

In addition Meaghan Gutherie-Quinn (Clayfield College) won five gold medals at the state titles in December while Kritzinger gained valuable race experience at the Olympic trials after winning six medals at the Australian Age Championships.

St Margaret’s sprinter Sophie Martin will shake things up after winning the state titles 16 years 200IM in December and the 100m freestyle 15 years at the Australian Age Championships.

St Hilda’s Tribeca Liu also cleaned up at the state titles and was never off the podium.

One of the exciting rookies is Somerville House’s Eloise McLellan (12-13 age group) who broke many 12 years age group records at the December state titles, and last weekend broke another few records at Brisbane Junior Mets meets. Watch for her breaststroke performance at the QG meet.

BSHS also has another young one on the rise - Annika Sylvester who wiped the Brisbane butterfly record off the map last weekend by over four seconds.

There’s a few young guns doing big things - perhaps you didn’t pick them up as they would not have raced in December’s State Titles (too young then) but much faster.

Mollie O'Callaghan at the state titles in December. Pictures David Clark

KEY SWIMMERS TO WATCH

St Peters Lutheran College

Mollie O’Callaghan

Ella Ramsay

Gun schoolgirl swimmer Ella Ramsay. Picture, John Gass

Amelia Weber

Jamie Perkins

Semra Olowniyi

Ainsley Trotter

Jaclyn Barclay

Claveria Johnson-Tiumalu

Hana Lingo

Sophie Lambourne

Hannah Morton

Ava De Tina

Kaci Curtis

Summer Phillips

Isabella Morris

Moreton Bay College

Francesca Chitukudza

Siena Gibson

Mila Stribling

Holly Warn of St Hilda’s. Picture: Tertius Pickard

St Hilda’s School

Tylah Crabtree

Ava Brickley

Holly Warn

Lucinda Macleod

Tribeca Liu

Distance swimmer Tiana Kritzinger is a world junior merit team selection. Picture by Richard Gosling

St Margaret’s Anglican Girls’ School

Sophie Martin

Isabella Martin

Sienna Timms

Anna Lincoln

Abigail Anderson

Ruby Gowns

Mena Bertinato

Clayfield College

Hana Costello

Tiana Kritzinger

Poppy Stephen

Ema Costello

Meaghan Gutherie-Quinn

Mali Schwarz

Ella Wohlsen

Laura Poon

Somerville House

Aspen Stewart

Jacqueline Davison-McGovern

Olivia Hine

Tahlia Hanson

Eloise McLellan

St Aidan’s Anglican Girls School

Angie Wong

Chloe Kyprios

Charlotte Boothey

Jorja Lennon

Brisbane State High School

Hannah Allan

Isla Watson

Annika Sylvester

Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School

Anna Hammant

Alexis Kerle

Jessie Iacuone

Olympic Games champion Ariarne Titmus is a St Peters alumni. Pictures David Clark