The Hancock Prospecting State Championships wrapped up its individual events on Day four, leaving us all in astonishment of the incredible performances by our local WA athletes.
The day's record-breaking highlight unfolded in the Men’s 100m Butterfly, where Daniel Boshart (Highlanders, c: Ryan Steenkamp) clocked in at 53.63, destroying the 18 years WA Residential Record. Damian Badenhorst (Rockingham/WAIS) secured silver, and Sean Alcorn (St Hilda’s, c: Zoe Baker) finished with a record-breaking time of 55.10, breaking the 16 years WA Residential Record.
A riveting race unfolded in the Men’s 1500m Freestyle, as North Coast’s Kyle Lee and Highlanders’ Johann Szymanski battled neck and neck. With each lap, the pair pushed the limits, pacing off each other until the final 50m sprint. Lee touched in at 15:23.16, with Szymanski milliseconds behind at 15:23.53, dropping an incredible 22.42 seconds from his entry time. UWA West Coast’s Braden Fyneman secured third position. What a race!
Tex Cross (Highlanders, c: Ryan Steenkamp) destroyed in the Men’s 400m Individual Medley (IM), securing gold with a time of 4:38.37. South Shore's Daniel Eve and Westside Christchurch’s Hayden Ferguson followed in his wake.
In the Women’s 200m Freestyle, Inez Miller (Fenix, c: Deb Jones) snuck in for the win at 2:01.08, leaving Breaker’s Elysa Weston and Highlanders’ Helen Smith chasing her tail.
Jamie Anderson (UWA West Coast, c: Rob Palfery) ruled the Men’s 50m Freestyle, finishing half a body length ahead with a time of 22.60. Southside Penrhos’ Tyrone Crees and Breakers’ Tom Wyatt raced to the finish for second and third place.
Alyssa Burgess (Breakers/WAIS) showed an exceptionally fast backstroke rate in the 50m, securing gold with a time of 1:01.72. Fenix teammates Isabel Sheldrick and Inez Miller followed in close pursuit.
Joshua Yong (UWA West Coast/WAIS) owned the Men’s 200m Breaststroke, clocking in at 2:12.81. Breakers’ Harrison Farmer and Southlake Dolphins’ Thomas Beardmore secured silver and bronze, respectively.
Lucy Porter's (St Hilda’s, c: Zoe Baker) powerful breaststroke and straight-arm freestyle clinched her gold in the Women’s 200m IM at 2:22.70. Highlanders’ Helen Smith and Southside Penrhos’ Nouk Potter finished with second and third.
It was Sally Hunter's (Central Aquatic) time to shine in the Women’s 50m Breaststroke, securing gold with a fantastic time of 32.03. St Hilda’s Talara-Jade Dixon and Breaker’s Lauren Gastevich made it a podium to remember.
Among the Multi-Class events, the Men’s 200m IM Multi-Class saw Morgan Hill SM19 (Australind, c: Taarna Cam) securing gold, while UWA West Coast’s Zachary McCamley SM19 and Kwinana’s Alexey Ulupov SM6 claimed silver and bronze. Ulupov's outstanding performance included a new personal best time of 4:24.88, quicker than his entry time by 10.57.
In the Women’s 100m Breaststroke Multi-Class, Jordan Berryman SB7 (UWA West Coast, c: Brett Tongue) secured gold, while Riverton’s Rebekah Fraser SB15 and Australind’s Miranda Kiewiet SB19 took home silver and bronze.
