Gold-en finish at Queensland titles

Published 1:00pm 3 January 2023

Southern Cross swimmers finished 2022 with a host medals at the McDonald’s Queensland Championships in Brisbane.

The Scarborough club had 15 swimmers in individual races and relays and four in Brisbane Region relay teams, returning five top 10 and 11 top 20 finishes.

Barry Pope is a Queensland champion after stopping the clock at 26.36 seconds to win gold in the boys’ 50m butterfly.

He also won bronze in the 100m butterfly in 59.82 seconds and was second reserve for the 200m butterfly final.

From left, Mara Hoefel, Barry Pope, Luke Mcdonald and Josh Mcdonald with their state championship medals

Lucas Want was a finalist in the 200m backstroke finishing eighth in the final in a time of 2 minutes 17.47 seconds.

He was also reserve for the 200m individual medley final. Zoe Wright was reserve for the 50m butterfly final.

The boys 14 and under team of Spencer Harrold, Lucas Proenca-Faulkner, Luke Mcdonald and Barry Pope finished ninth in the freestyle 200m relay with a national qualification time of 1:45.80.

The same team also swam a national qualifying time in the 200m medley relay with 2:01.24.

The girls' 14 and under medley relay team, from left, Sami Chandler, Issah George, Ella Sweeney, Amelie Hoefel.

Barry Pope, Luke Mcdonald and Zoe Wright have qualification times for individual races at the National Age Championships in April 2023 on the Gold Coast.

There were also medals for Josh Mcdonald, Mara Hoefel, Luke Mcdonald and Barry Pope representing Brisbane in the Regional relays.

Josh Mcdonald won gold with the boys’ 10 years medley relay team and in the boys’ 10 years freestyle relay helping set a state record in the latter with 2:05.08.

Mara Hoefel won gold swimming the breaststroke leg of the girls’ 10 years medley relay, as did Barry Pope in the boys’ 14 and under freestyle relay.

Barry Pope with his state championship medals

Luke Mcdonald won a silver medal with the boys’ 14 and under freestyle relay team.

Southern Cross state championship squad was - Tabitha Borger, Sami Chandler, Alia De Leeuw, Katelyn Engst, Issah George, Spencer Harrold, Iona Hearsum, Amelie Hoefel, Luke Mcdonald, Barry Pope, Ella Pope, Lucas Proenca-Faulkner, Ella Sweeney, Lucas Want, Zoe Wright.

Coaches Jayden Hadler and Yvonne Bosch, of Ripple Swim, said they were very excited and proud of all the swim performances.

Feature picture top: Southern Cross at the States: back row from left - Lucas Want, Spencer Harrold, Barry Pope, Luke Mcdonald, Lucas Proenca-Faulkner. Middle row - Yvonne Bosch (coach), Issa George, Iona Hearsum, Zoe Wright, Amelie Hoefel, Jayden Hadler (coach). Front row - Katelyn Engst, Ella Pope, Sami Chandler, Alia De Leeuw.