East’s best to contest nationals

A SQUAD of eight from Bendigo East will race at this month’s Swimming Australia age and open national championships in Brisbane.

The pool is where Jenna Strauch, a Tokyo and Paris Olympian and dual winner of Bendigo’s Sports Star of the Year award began her swimming journey.

Among the top contenders for the John Jordan-coached squad for medals at April 10-18 age titles is Henry Allan.

The 16-year-old will contest the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke; 50m and 100m butterfly; and 50m and 100m freestyle.

The Cyril Michelsen Trust Fund recipient in Bendigo’s Sports Star of the Year awards for 2023 and 2024, Allan is aiming to qualify for this year’s world junior titles in Romania.

At the New South Wales Open, Allan’s times of 25.00 seconds in 50m backstroke and 54.23 in the 100m backstroke broke the Australian record for the 16-years category.

The teen is ninth and 13th in world age rankings for the events.

A busy campaign for Azia Fong-Sutton at her second Australian age titles includes 50m freestyle, backstroke and butterfly; 100m freestyle and backstroke; 50m freestyle relay, and the freestyle leg in the 200m medley relay.

Stand-out performances in her fifth season with East include winning and personal bests in the 50m freestyle and backstroke at the 2025 Victorian Sprints.

At the Victorian Open, Fong-Sutton was a finalist in all her events.

Zarah Reynolds will contest 50m and 100m backstroke, and 50m and 100m freestyle at her third nationals.

Her favoured event is the 50m backstroke, where she has a best time of 30.15.

Reynolds struck gold in the 15-years 50m backstroke and 50m freestyle at the Victorian State Sprints.

Marley Addlem took up competitive swimming eight years ago and has raced with East the past four. It’s a hat-trick of age titles for Addlem, who will be aiming to lower a PB of 35.72 in the 50m breast-stroke.

Gus Addlem is in his fourth season at East and will mark a second nationals in the 50m freestyle. He swam a personal best of 25.52 at this season’s Victorian Country All Junior Championships.

Addlem also plays football for East Loddon Rams under-18s.

It’s a first age nationals for 13-year-old Mila Abley, who will swim all three distances in breast-stroke. East clubmates Telani Bibby and Cameron Jordan will contest the open titles on 21-24 April.

Bibby, 18, will race in 50m butterfly, and Jordan in 50m, 100m and 200m breast-stroke.