Junior Pan Pacs: Commonwealth Games Shooting Star Flynn Southam Headlines Aussies In Hawaii

Queensland’s dual Commonwealth Games gold medallist Flynn Southam will headline Australia’s chances at this week’s Junior Pan Pacs in Hawaii.

The four-day meet featuring the best juniors from the four member nations the USA, Australia, Japan, Canada and countries from within the pacific rim will come together at the K. Mark Takai Veterans Memorial Aquatics Centre in Honolulu, Hawaii from August 24-27.

A former NSW Northern Rivers product, Southam (Bond University, QLD) made his international debut at the recent Commonwealth Games in Birmingham – winning gold as a member of the victorious Australian 4×100 and 4x200m freestyle relays – alongside the likes of Kyle Chalmers, Zac Incerti, William Yang, Mack Horton and Sam Short.

BIRMINGHAM GOLDEN BOYS: Australia’s victorious men’s 4x100m freestylers (L-R) Kyle Chalmers, William Yang, Zac Incerti and Flynn Southam. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

Regarded as one of the teenage rising stars of Australian swimming, Southam has already taken down a Chalmers 100m freestyle record, clocking a sizzling 48.60, also giving  Ian Thorpe a nudge along the way at this year’s Australian Age Swimming Championships in Adelaide.

Southam broke Chalmers 16 years Australian Age record of 48.69, set back in 2015, just 12 months before he captured Olympic gold in Rio.

It came just 24 hours after his impressive display where he gave Ian Thorpe’s 1999 Australian record time (the world record Thorpe set at the Pan Pacs in Sydney) of 1:46.00, a real fright, with his eye-catching 200m freestyle time of 1:46.77 (52.23 and 54.54).

The Gold Coast youngster, is coached by Bond head coach Chris Mooney, who is also the Head Coach of the Australian team in Hawaii.

Also among Australia’s star-studded line up will be Hannah Casey (Marist College Ashgrove, QLD) who clocked 1:58.49 to break Lani Pallister’s 2018 15 years Australian record of 1:59.37 to secure her place on the team.

Casey also leads another group of emerging young freestylers winning the Australian Age 15 years 100m freestyle in 54.30 from fellow Junior Pan Pac team mates Olivia Wunsch (Carlile) 54.82 and Milla Jansen (Bond) 54.94 – impressive times all under 55 seconds from Australia’s next crop of 100m freestyle sprinters.

Amelia Weber (St Peters Western, QLD) earned her place for Hawaii after claiming her individual gold in the 200m (1:58.97), 400m (4:11.72), 800m (8:40.43) and the 1500m freestyles (16:52.90).

Fifteen-year-old former Cairns schoolboy Ike Martinez now under coach Damien Jones at Rackley Centenary in Brisbane and Marcus da Silva (City Of Sydney, NSW) coached by Rebecca Wheatley will also be ones to watch.

Martinez won the 400m and 800m freestyle double and the 100m-200m butterfly double at the Age meet while in the 100 and 200m freestyle it was Da Silva who took the double.

Martinez also won the 800m (8:17.03) from Kai Taylor (Sans Souci, NSW) 8:28.21 with Corben Powell (Marion, SA) 8:29.00 third in an event where Mack Horton holds the Australian record at 8:04.74, set back in 2012.

Martinez (55.64)thenout-touched Da Silva (55.83) and James Gauci (SOPAC) 56.04 in a thrilling 100m butterfly final while in the 200m it was Martinez (2:01.33) ahead Joshua Moore (USC Spartans) in 2:04.84 withGauci (2:05.85) third.

Da Silva (1:50.72) was a comfortable winner of the 200m ahead ofMartinez (1:54.24) andLeigh (1:55.61) while it was Da Silva (50.33) who took the 100m freestyle ahead of Gauci(51.96) and Sam Coveney (UWA West Coast WA) in 52.00.

St Peters Western’s 15-year-old Jaclyn Barclay will be one to watch in the backstroke winning the backstroke treble – the 50m backstroke in 28.26, the 100m in 1:01.06 and the 200m in 2:12.84.

While Nunawading’s William Petric will feature in the 400IM with a personal best of 4:25.85 as will Jesse Coleman (Bond Swimming) with his 53.27 in the 100m butterfly.

Australian Junior Dolphins Swim Team, 2022 Junior Pan Pacs

When: August 24-27, 2022

Where: K. Mark Takai Veterans Memorial Aquatics Centre in Honolulu, Hawaii

Women:

Iona Anderson (Breakers WA), Jaclyn Barclay (St Peters Western, QLD), Isabella Boyd (Nunawading, VIC), Hannah Casey (Marist College Ashgrove), Bella Grant (Trinity Grammar, NSW)) Milla Jansen (Bond UNI, QLD), Isabella Johnson (SOPAC, NSW), Tiana Kritzinger (Nudgee College, QLD), Sophie Martin (Somerville House, QLD), Jamie Perkins (St Peters Western, QLD), Georgie Roper (Griffith University, QLD), Sally Vagg (Rocky City, QLD), Amelia Weber (St Peters Western, QLD), Olivia Wunsch (Carlile, NSW).

Men:

Anthony Boussounis (Surrey Park, VIC), Haig Buckingham (SOPAC, NSW), Evan Chee (Nunawading, VIC), Jesse Coleman (Bond Uni, QLD), Joshua Collett (Bond Uni, QLD), Marcus Da Silva (City of Sydney, NSW), Benjamin Goedemans (Acacia Bayside, QLD), Alistair Gorgijovski (Wests Illawarra, NSW), Noah Kamprad (Hobart Aquatic, TAS), Mathew Magnussen (Nudgee College, QLD), Ike Martinez (Rackley Swim Team, QLD), Anders McAlpine (Chandler, QLD), Fergus McLachlan (Norwood, SA), Daniel McLoughlin (Kincumber Pacific Dolphins, NSW), Jamie Mooney (Wagga Wagga, NSW), William Petric (Nunawading, VIC), Flynn Southam (Bond Uni, QLD), Joshua Staples (St Peters Western, QLD).

Head Coach: Chris Mooney (Bond University).

Coaches: James Boyce (Marist College Ashgrove, QLD), Michaela Pattinson (Carlile, NSW), Richard Sleight (St Peters Western, QLD), Benjamin Tuxford (Trinity Grammar, NSW), Harry Clark (Breakers WA), Rebecca Wheatley (City of Sydney, NSW).