National Age Swimming Championships - 2023

The National Age Club Swimming Championships were held on the Gold Coast from 7 to 15 April 2023. The Meet is the pinnacle of age group swimming for Australia and features the best swimmers from around the nation in the highest level of Club competition.

Somerset had a great meet with some outstanding results as well as a great participation rate from both College students and the Somerset Swim Club. To qualify and race at this level of meet is a feat in itself and Somerset had a number of first-time swimmers as well as some more experienced swimmers competing over the week long meet with some very impressive results.

Somerset’s results were as follows:

National Age Champions

• Olympia Pope (14 Years) - 1st 50m Breaststroke, (QLD record of 32.24sec), 1st 100m Breaststroke 1st 200m Breaststroke, 1st 14G/15B 4x50m State Mixed Medley Relay
• Kyla Brown (16 Years) – 1st 50m Breaststroke, 5th 100m Breaststroke, 5th 200m Breaststroke
• Milla Jansen (16 Years) - 1st 15-16 years 4 x 50m Club medley relay, 2nd 13-17 years 4 x 100m Club, 2nd 15-16 years Club Freestyle relay, 2nd 100m Freestyle, 3rd 50m Freestyle, 4th 200m Freestyle
• Holly Hembling (15 Years) – 1st 15-16 years 4 x 50m Club medley relay, 2nd 13-17 years 4 x 100m Club medley relay, 2nd 15-16 years Club Freestyle relay, 9th 50m Breaststroke, 10th 100m Breaststroke

National Age Medallists

• Sebastine Du Preez (18 Years) – 2nd 50m MC Breaststroke, 2nd 100m MC Breaststroke
• Zahri Jarrett (14 Years) – 13th 50m Freestyle, 3rd 200m Freestyle, 11th 100m Freestyle, 2nd 13-14 years Club medley relay, 6th 13-14 Club freestyle relay
• Jessica Melo (13 Years) – 2nd 13-14 years Club medley relay, 11th 50m freestyle, 11th 100m Backstroke, 14th 50m Backstroke, 11th 100m Freestyle, 6th 13-14 Club freestyle relay
• Jamison Morgan (17 Years) – 3rd 50m Freestyle, 5th 50m Backstroke, 11th 100m Freestyle
• Lacey Strachan (14 Years) – 2nd 200m Breaststroke, – 2nd 13-14 years Club medley relay, 4th 100m Breaststroke, 4th 50m Breaststroke,
• Matilda Grimson (14 Years) – 2nd 13-14 years Club medley relay, 6th 13-14 Club freestyle relay

National Age Finalists (including A and B finals)

• Annabelle Aulert (15 Years) – 19th 100m Fly
• Bessie Dear (16 Years) – 11th 50m Breaststroke
• Jada De Gelder (13 Years) – 6th 13-14 Club freestyle relay
• Ciara Fay (17 Years) – 16th 100m Breaststroke
• Sasha Henrison (15 years) – 4th 50m Breaststroke, 12th 100m Breaststroke

National Age Competitors

• Aveline Rounsley
• Nina Ciolli
• Cady Daniels
• Jada De Gelder
• Charlotte Gavenlock
• Amelia Hart
• Isabelle Sly
• Charlie Henrison

Across the week, standout swims came from Milla Jansen and Olympia Pope who have been selected in the Australian Team for the 2023 World Junior Championships in Netanya, Israel from the 4 to 9 September 2023. This is a great reward for their performances and we wish them well in their preparation for this big event.

In addition, Kyla Brown recently swam at the New Zealand Open Swimming Championships placing fifth in the 200m Breaststroke and sixth in the 100m Breaststroke overall. Being only 16 years of age, this is a great achievement and opens the possibility of international competition in the coming years.  

Well done swimmers on these impressive results. The weeklong meet requires the support from coaches, parents and families to ensure swimmers race at their best and these results clearly show Somerset has displayed great character in supporting the swimmers to achieve their best.