Queensland Short Course Champs: Top Teens Unleash A Record Splash As Former World Champion Jade Edmistone Returns To Racing
Two 15-year-old schoolboys have stolen the show with a record-breaking onslaught at the 2026 Hancock Prospecting Queensland Short Course Championships at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre which saw a return to competition from former world champion breaststroker Jade Edmistone.
JUST FOR THE RECORD: Fairholme coach Micheal Wise and his teenage record breaker Bryce Krause. Photo Courtesy Wade Brennan Photos
With 75 of Australia’s best swimmers away in the US and Canada preparing for the Senior and Junior Pan Pacific Championship meets over the next fortnight, Fairholme Toowoomba’s Bryce Krause and Somerset Gold Coast’s Koa Stotz have let loose.
The two teens delivering a two-pronged attack on the record books as they continue their own rise up the age group ranks – their eyes firmly set on a home Games in Brisbane 2032 – when both boys will be 21.
While Edmistone (Moreton Bay) finished ninth in the 50m breaststroke – an impressive return to racing from the 44-year-old former long course and short 50m breaststroke world champion and world record holder – celebrating 20 years since she set the world long course record in Melbourne in 2006.
Edmistone clocking an impressive 33.49 -lining up against 12, 13 and 14 year-olds.
LOOK WHO’S BACK: Twenty Years after breaking her world record, Jade Edmistone is back in the swim. Photo Courtesy Wade Brennan Photos
One of the stars of a golden era in Australian women’s breaststroke swimming in the early-to-mid 2000s, Jade gave away an extraordinary 30 years to her youngest rivals but the world beater of 2006 certainly showed she still has what it takes to mix it with the Class of 2026.
(Edmistone was crowned world long course champion in Montreal in 2005 and World Short Course champion in 2006 – a time when she re-wrote the 50m breaststroke record books to 30.31 (long course) in 2006 and 29.90 in 2004). Watch this space!
And there was no stopping Stotz and Krause – who have been among an exciting list of emerging stars from Queensland – a breeding ground for Australia’s flourishing age group swimming programs.
Gold Coaster Stotz started the ball rolling in the 15 Years 100m freestyle, clocking 49.13 to better Lincoln Wearing’s 2025 Queensland Age record of 49.71 – with Krause second in 51.22.
And Stotz wasn’t that far away from the Australian 15 years record of 49.05 set in 1998 by none other than Ian Thorpe.
And anything Koa can do, Bryce can do too…the boy from Toowoomba’s “Garden City” – 125km west of Brisbane setting a new Queensland and Queensland All-Comers mark of 53.71 – also nudging the National 15 years record.
The Micheal Wise-coached Krause just 0.24secs outside the 15 Years Australian Age 100m backstroke mark of 53.47 set by Joshua Edwards-Smith in 2018.
Bryce wasn’t’ done yet, bettering his own Australian and Queensland records in the 15 years 50m backstroke – clocking a sizzling time of 24.16 – as he continues to chase down the big boys over the next couple of years towards LKA28 and Brisbane32.
And either was his mate Koa, from the Chris Urquhart squad at Somerset, who shattered the long-standing 15 years 50m breaststroke Queensland Age and All-Comers records – which had stood for 12 years.
His time of 27.74 was just 0.21 outside Trinity Grammar NSW’s Christopher Montana’s Australian Age record of 27.53, set last year in Auckland.
ABREAST OF THE TIMES: Bond breaststroke record breaker Gideon Burnes. Photo Courtesy Wade Brennan
And while the “teen machines” enjoyed their record-breaking feats, two boys from Bond Gideon Burnes and Joshua Collett were making their presence felt too and couldn’t let two up-start teenagers dominate all the headlines.
Burnes and Collett both swimming under Grayson Bell’s 2024 Queensland All-Comers record in the 50m breaststroke – Burnes taking the win and proclaimed the new record holder with his time of 26.48 – Collett second in 26.52 – both times under Bell’s mark of 27.09 – but outside his Australian record of 26.02.
Both boys personal best times surging up the Australian All-Time Top 10 in the new Olympic event for LA28 with only two current day swimmers, Bell and former World Champion and newly crowned Commonwealth champion Sam Willaimson ahead of them on the short course rankings.
50 Breaststroke Short Course
Australian Top Ten
World record 24.95 (Hüseyin Sakçi (Turkey)
26.02 Grayson Bell
26.24 Christian Sprenger
26.25 Samuel Williamson
26.42 James McKechnie
26.48 Gideon Burnes
26.52 Joshua Collett
26.52 Nash Wilkes
26.54 Joshua Yong
26.55 Matthew Wilson
26.62 Brenton Rickard
JUST JOSHIN: Bond’s multi-talented Josh Collett after a successful Short Course meet. Photo Courtesy Wade Brennan Photos
Bond’s breaststroking brotherhood, under Head Coach Chris Mooney and Director of Swimming Kyle Samuelson leaving the field shaken and stirred when they dead-heated in 57.90secs in a cracking 100m breaststroke final.
With Collett then adding the 200m breaststroke in a “Josh-athon” – winning the gold in 2:08.16 from Joshua Anderson (Brisbane Grammar) 2:10.62 and
Joshua Kerr, who has moved from Manly to Miami, third home in 2:10.73.
Collett thriving in the short-course atmosphere – showing all his versatility to score an impressive victory in the 100IM clocking 52.59 – adding silver in the 50m freestyle behind Thomas Nowakowski in 22.21 – and fourth in the 100m freestyle in 48.96.
Jade Starr did star in the women’s freestyle events winning the 200, 400, 800m treble.
The girl from Griffith University, winning the 200m in 1:58.01, the 400m in 4:09.49 and the 800 in 8:40.58.
The 50 and 100m backstroke double going to the Ash Delaney-coached Mackenzie Burns -leaving Poppy Stephen with the silver on both occasions.
Poppy turning those silvers into gold to win the 200m backstroke in. 2:11.50 from Chandler’s Dory Lee and New Zealand’s Jess Welsh – who dead-heated in 2:11.50.
TURNS SILVERS INTO GOLD: Poppy Stephen. Photo Wade Brennan Photos
Before the impressive 16-year-old Lee added the 200 and 400Ims in 2:13.27 and 4:44.90 respectively.
Bond’s Kyla Brown won the 50, 100m breaststroke double in 31.13 and 1:07.54 respectively. Twenty-year-old Stephen topping off her week, winning the 200m butterfly in 2:07.56 after placing third behind Japan’s Ai Soma in the 100m fly.
2026 QUEENSLAND SHORT COURSE Championships, Sleeman Aquatic Centre, FINALS:
MEN
FREESTYLE
50m
- Thomas Nowakowski (Uni Sunshine Coast) 21.78
- Joshua Collett (Bond) 22.21
- Michael Pickett (New Zealand) 22.30
100m
- Jesse Coleman (Bond) 47.15
- Alex Quach (Nudgee College) 48.30
- Campbell Wilson-Moran (Bond) 48.84
200m
- Anders McAlpine (Chandler) 1:46.17
- Charlie Russell (Ambrose Treacy) 1:47.59
- Noah Kamprad (Bond) 1:47.84
400m
- Noah Kamprad (Bond) 3:44.95
- Tomo Shadforth (Miami) 3:50.18
- Thomas Raymond (Kawana Waters) 3:54.29
800m 15 Years and Over
- Tomo Shadforth (Miami) 7:53.34
- Thomas Raymond (Kawana Waters) 7:54.22
- Isaac Wearing (Chandler) 8:07.38
1500m
- Thomas Raymond (Kawana Waters) 15:03.78
- Jesse Hamilton (Chandler) 15:37.15
- Douglas Richmond (Miami) 15:49.03
BACKSTROKE
50m
- Cash Milner (St Andrews) 24.28
- Ryder Lambert (Southport) 24.68
- Xavier Melcalfe (Rackley Swim Team) 24.89
100m
- Alex Quach (Nudgee College) 52.16
- Xavier Melcalfe (Rackley Swim Team) 53.00
- Ryder Lambert (Southport) 53.35
200m
- Josh Edwards-Smith (Griffith Uni) 1:54.04
- Matthew Magnussen (Nudgee College) 1:56.09
- Chrissander Cerda (New Caledonia) 1:57.85
BREASTSTROKE
50m
- Gideon Burnes (Bond) 26.48 (QLD All-Comers record)
- Joshua Collett (Bond) 26.52
- Chi Chong Lam (Lightning Swim Club/Townsville) 26.79
100m
- Gideon Burnes (Bond) and Joshua Collett (Bond) 57.90
3.Joshua Anderson (Brisbane Grammar) 59.24
200m
- Joshua Collett (Bond) 2:08.69
- Joshua Anderson (Brisbane Grammar) 2:10.62
- Joshua Kerr (Miami) 2:10.73
BUTTERFLY
50m
- Alex Quach (Nudgee College) 23.48
- Joshua Collett (Bond) 23.63
- Cash Milner (St Andrews) 23.76
100m
- Thomas Nankervis (Griffith Uni) 52.50
- Cash Milner (St Andrews) 52.73
- Kayden Gibson (Boyne Tannum) 52.85
200m
- Alex Quach (Nudgee College) 1:54.75
- William Jordan (Brisbane Grammar) 1:56.91
- Caio Gallo (Logan Vikings) 1:58.92
INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
100m
- Joshua Collett (Bond) 52.59
- Alex Quach (Nudgee College) 54.32
- Joshua Anderson (Brisbane Grammar) 55.65
200m
- Cameron Ricchini (Miami) 1:57.71
- Josh Kerr (Miami) 1:57.90
- Karl Albertyn (Miami) 1:59.38
400m
- Cameron Ricchini (Miami) 4:12.95
- Kayden Gibson (Boyne Tannum) 4:23.05
- Danny Baxter (Somerset Gold Coast) 4:24.96
WOMEN
FREESTYLE
50m
- Chloe Rowe-Hagans (St Andrews) 24.57
- Mackenzie Burns (St Andrews) 24.87
- Caitlyn Ribbons (Uni Sunshine Coast) 24.89
100m
- Caitlyn Ribbons (Uni Sunshine Coast) 54.15
- Chloe Rowe-Hagans (St Andrews) 54.61
- Dominique Melbourn (Bond) 55.05
200m
- Jade Starr (Griffith Uni) 1:58.01
- Giselle Davey (Griffith Uni) 1:58.60
- Mikayla Bird (Bond) 1:59.80
400m
- Jade Starr (Griffith Uni) 4:09.49
- Giselle Davey (Griffith Uni) 4:10.32
- Olivia Galea (Chandler) 4:12.63
800m
- Jade Starr (Griffith University) 8:40.58
- Olivia Galea (Chandler) 8:43.20
- Giselle Davey (Griffith University) 8:43.66
1500m
- Olivia Galea (Chandler) 16:24.31
- Macy Beuzville (St Peters Western) 16:45.13
- Allegra Anderson (Griffith Uni) 16:51.36
BACKSTROKE
50m
- Mackenzie Burns (St Andrews) 26.56
- Poppy Stephen (Brisbane Grammar) 27.13
- Ainslie Trotter (Bond) 27.51
100m
- Mackenzie Burns (St Andrews) 57.74
- Poppy Stephen (Brisbane Grammar) 59.47
- Layla Day (Bond) 59.70
200m
- Poppy Stephen (Brisbane Grammar) 2:11.15
- Dory Lee (Chandler) 2:11.50 and Jess Welsh (New Zealand) 2:11.50 (dh)
BREASTSTROKE
50m
- Kyla Brown (Bond) 31.13
- Georgia Edwards (St Andrews) 31.72
- Caitlyn Ribbons (Uni Sunshine Coast) 31.88
100m
- Kyla Brown (Bond) 1:07.54
- Lilly King (Bond) 1:07.63
- Elaine Chu (Brisbane Jets) 1:08.31
200m
- Chelsea Strachan (Miami) 2:27.08
- Coco McGrath (Newmarket Racers) 2:28.60
- Tilly King (Bond) 2:30.11
BUTTERFLY
50m
- Ai Soma (Japan) 25.41
- Mackenzie Bruns (St Andrews) 25.83
- Claudia Fydler (Bond) 26.17
100m
- Ai Soma (Japan) 57.26
- Claudia Fydler (Bond) 57.29
- Poppy Stephen (Brisbane Grammar) 58.88
200m
- Poppy Stephen (Brisbane Grammar) 2:07.56
- Mikayla Bird (Bond) 2:12.63)
- Alice Monaghan (Griffith Uni) 2:13.70
INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
100m
- Emma Doherty (Bond) 1:01.14
- Claudia Fydler (Bond) 1:01.54
- Caitlyn Ribbons (Uni Sunshine Coast) 1:01.72
200m
1, Dory Lee (Chandler) 2:13.27
2. Bianca Fuller (Miami) 2:15.19
3. Ainslie Fuller (Bond) 2:16.40
400m
- Dory Lee (Chandler) 4:44.90
- Bianca Fuller (Miami) 4:41.19
- Rebecca Whiting (Chander) 4:53.08
