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HomeNews ArticlesBond’s Flynn Southam Serves Up A Power Packed 200m Freestyle On Night Eight Of Australian Age
Club and Community | 14 April 2023

Bond’s Flynn Southam Serves Up A Power Packed 200m Freestyle On Night Eight Of Australian Age

Bond’s boy of the moment Flynn Southam has led a flurry of fast times and close racing on night eight of the 2023 Australian Age Championships on the Gold Coast.

The 17-year-old from the Gold Coast clocked a personal best time of 1:46.24 to finish off a cracking night which also saw Darwin’s Macey Sheridan win her sixth gold of the meet.

While Sydney Northern Beaches pair Luke Higgs (Warringah Aquatic, NSW) and Lillie McPherson(Manly, NSW) added their fifth titles respectively to cap a golden meet.

Southam, who has already won the 17-years 50m freestyle in 22.40 and clocked two sub 48 second splits in two of Bond’s relay wins, was on song in the 200, splitting 24.51, 51.58 and 1:18.78 en-route to a pb that will put him very much in the hunt for next week’s Australian Open Meet starting Monday.

His Bond teammate, Mikayla Bird chimed in to win the 15 years girls 200m freestyle in 2:02.55, also finishing second in the 50m butterfly to Olivia Hine (Somerville House, QLD) 26.97 to 27.59.

Darwin 13-year-old darling of the pool, Macey Sheridan took her gold medal tally to six – winning the 100m freestyle in 58.05, pushed all the way by Warringah’s Jaslyn Plummer (58.67) with Maya Zunker(Miami, QLD) taking bronze in 59.63.

And two of the real stars of the week, Higgs and near neighbour McPherson have certainly continued to put the peninsula well and truly back on the National swimming map.

Higgs showed why he is regarded as one of the real rising stars of a multi-talented boys group – again powering home to add the 200m individual medley to his victories in the 200, 400 and 1500m freestyles and the 400IMs.

The 14-year-old unleashed a power-packed six beat kick down the final 50m freestyle leg to swim away from the field – winning in 2:12:09 ahead of the ever present Oscar Kreutzberger (North Albury, NSW) in 2:13.98 with Harrison Tancred (Aquablitz, Toongabbie, NSW) third in 2:14.63.

And he must have been inspired by his 14-year-old Warringah team mate Lachlan Davies who also powered home to win the 100m freestyle in 53.16 – the boys giving coach Cameron Gledhill every reason to leave the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre with a smile on his face.

Davies was never going to lose keeping second-placed dead-heaters Max Mangini (St Leonard’s College, VIC) and Logan Rieck (Norwood, SA) to hit the wall together in 53.80.

While in the 16 years 200m freestyle, it was Cranbrook’s Marcus da Silva who completed the 50, 100, 200 treble in 1:50.48.

While Manly’s McPherson, so impressive in her 50,100m butterfly and 50,100m freestyle wins, also demonstrated her multiple stroke skills, also dominating the 14 years 200IM in 2:19.64 ahead of middle distance freestyle star Ava Gaske (Chandler, QLD) 2:21.44 with Sienna Toohey (Albury, NSW) 2:22.05.

Another impressive performance came from aspiring backstroke star Jaclyn Barclay (St Peters Western, QLD) who sizzled in the 16 years 100m backstroke final, clocking her personal best time of 59.81 (29.06), her first time under the minute.

And nudging the two National 16-years records held by four-time Olympian Emily Seebohm (Australian record of 59.33) and world short course record holder Minna Atherton (Australian All-Comers mark of 59.34).

A nervous Seebohm actually calling the race with another Olympic backstroker in Meagen Nay – saying she was relieved to have the mark still standing, praising Barclay as one of the rising stars of Australia’s backstroking ranks.

The win gave Barclay the 50, 100, 200m backstroke treble.

There was another high standard race in the 16 years 200m freestyle with Hannah Casey (Marist College Ashgrove, QLD) take out the win in 1:59.11 – a pb for her – from triple gold medallist, Carlile’s Olivia Wunsch (2:00.13) and Inez Miller (Bond, QLD) 2:00.22.

Wunsch has earlier won the 50m butterfly in 26.94 – her first time under 27 ahead of Casey and Barclay.

The high-standard 17 years girls 100m freestyle went to Jaimie de Lutiis (Wests Illawarra) in 54.71 ahead of Isabella Boyd (Nunawading, VIC) 55.82 and Amelia Weber (St Peters Western, QLD) 56.02.

NIGHT 8

 2023 Australian Age Swimming Championships, Night 8, FINALS:

 GIRLS

 13 years

 100m freestyle

  1. Macey Sheridan (Darwin, NT) 58.05
  2. Jaslyn Plummer (Warringah, NSW) 58.67
  3. Maya Zunker (Miami, QLD) 59.63

200 individual medley

  1. Eloise McLellan (Somerville House, QLD) 2:19.88
  2. Heidi Shumack (SOPAC) 2:19.99
  3. Lilla Ribot-de-Bresac (Newmarket Racers, QLD) 2:27.03

14 years

200m individual medley

  1. Lillie McPherson (Manly Swimming Club, NSW) 2:19.64
  2. Ava Gaske (Chandler, QLD) 2:21.44
  3. Sienna Toohey (Albury, NSW) 2:22.05

50m backstroke

  1. Kaci Curtis (St Peters Western, QLD) 30.03
  2. Mackenzie Grimes (Toowoomba, QLD) 30.11
  3. Lily Koch (MLC Aquatic, VIC) 30.21

15 years

100m breaststroke

  1. Haylee McKinder (Griffith University, QLD) 1:09.12
  2. Julia Remington (Yeronga Park, QLD) 1:12.57
  3. Ella Mounter (Nuswim, NSW) 1:12.82

50m butterfly

  1. Olivia Hine (Somerville House, QLD) 26.97
  2. Mikayla Bird (Bond, QLD) 27.59
  3. Isabella Osborn (MLC Aquatic, VIC) 27.69

200m freestyle

  1. Mikayla Bird (Bond, QLD) 2:02.55
  2. Piper Asquith (Griffith University, QLD) 2:03.24
  3. Hannah Moreton (St Peters Western, QLD) 2:05.14

16 years

100m backstroke

  1. Jaclyn Barclay (St Peters Western, QLD) 59.81
  2. Inez Miller (St Hilda’s WA) 1:02.69
  3. Mackenzie Burns (St Andrews, QLD) 1:02.95

50m butterfly

  1. Olivia Wunsch (Carlile, NSW) 26.94
  2. Hannah Casey (Marist College Ashgrove, QLD) 27.10
  3. Jaclyn Barclay (St Peters Western, QLD) 27.69

200m freestyle

  1. Hannah Casey (Marist College Ashgrove, QLD) 1:59.11
  2. Inez Miller (St Hilda’s WA) 2:00.13
  3. Olivia Wunsch (Carlile, NSW) 2:00.22

17 years

50m breaststroke

  1. Isabella Johnson (Cruiz, ACT) 32.25
  2. Bella Zhang (Knox Pymble, NSW) 32.38
  3. Sophie Martin (Somerville House, QLD) 32.41

100m freestyle

  1. Jaimie de Lutiis (Wests Illawarra, NSW) 54.71
  2. Isabella Boyd (Nunawading, VIC) 55.82
  3. Amelia Weber (St Peters Western, QLD) 56.02

400m individual medley

  1. Sienna Timms (Newmarket Racers, QLD) 4:55.55
  2. Dakoda Mathers (Nunawading, VIC) 4:56.09
  3. Talia Wilkinson (St Hildas, WA) 5:03.93

BOYS

14 years

100m freestyle

  1. Lachlan Davies (Warringah Aquatic, NSW) 53.16
  2. Logan Rieck (Norwood, SA) and Max Mangini (St Leonard’s College, VIC) =53.80 

200m individual medley

  1. Luke Higgs (Warringah Aquatic, NSW) 2:12.09
  2. Archie Kreutzberger (North Albury, NSW) 2:13.98
  3. Harrison Tancred (Aquablitz, Toongabbie, NSW) 2:14.63

15 years

200m individual medley

  1. Grayson Doig (Trinity Grammar, NSW) 2:07.90
  2. Ryan Bambach (Sunshine Coast Grammar, QLD) 2:10.43
  3. Malik Amin (Blacktown, NSW) 2:11.08

50 backstroke

  1. Jack Morrow (Propulsion, VIC) 27.36
  2. Campbell Wilson-Moran (Haileybury, VIC) 27.40
  3. Samuel Hicks (Westside Christchurch, WA) 27.74

16 years

200m Freestyle

  1. Marcus da Silva (Cranbrook, NSW) 150.48
  2. Xavier Collins (Westside Christchurch, WA) 1:50.27
  3. Liam Molloy (Haileybury, VIC) 1:50.31

100m breaststroke

  1. Albert Damin An (TASS Swimming, Cairns, QLD) 1:04.68
  2. Randal Ingram (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:04.95
  3. Jacob Nimmo (Propulsion, VIC) 1:05.43

17 years

200m freestyle

  1. Flynn Southam (Bond, QLD) 1:46.24
  2. Anders McAlpine (Chandler, QLD) 1:48.24
  3. Hunter Milgate (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:51.81

100m backstroke

  1. Alexander Foreman (Kincumber Pacific Dolphins, NSW) 56.77
  2. Thomas Prowton (Arena, WA) 56.86
  3. Joshua Kerr (Manly, NSW) 57.42

50m butterfly

  1. Thomas Pattison (Churchie, QLD) 23.92
  2. Kai Lilienthal (Knox Pymble, NSW) 24.81
  3. Gus Gyllenhammer (Carlile, NSW) 25.26

18 years

50m breaststroke

  1. Haig Buckingham (SOPAC, NSW) 28.39
  2. Felix Wilson (Rackley, QLD) 28.77
  3. Joshua Anderson (Brisbane Grammar, QLD) 1:12.82

400m individual medley

  1. Noah Kamprad (Miami, QLD) 4:25.97
  2. Callum Thomas (The Hills, NSW) 4:27.43
  3. Robert Thorpe (St Peters Western, QLD) 4:28.75

100m freestyle

  1. Edward Sommerville (Brisbane Grammar, QLD) 49.60
  2. Jamie Mooney (Wagga Wagga, NSW) 50.07
  3. Jack Goyen (Marist College Ashgrove, QLD) 50.44