Day 2 Finals: Hancock Prospecting WA Age & Open Championships

Fackerell vs Cross – who hooks the win in men’s 200m freestyle?

In the men’s 200m freestyle, Lucas Fackerell (Hale Aquatics, c: Harry Clark) and Tex Cross (Highlanders/WAIS) battled it out in an edge-of-your-seat race on Day 2 finals of the 2025 Hancock Prospecting WA Age & Open Championships.

Cross held a strong lead in the first 100m, then the pair went stroke for stroke through the turn. The final 50m saw the race neck and neck, before Fackerell edged ahead in the closing 10m to touch first in 1:49.92. Cross was just behind in 1:50.41.

Fackerell commented: “Racing each other makes us better… and to have this good competition in WA, it’s great.”

“It’s been awesome being a part of the junior team the last two years with Lucas,” said Cross.

“We’ve been on the 4×200 both years; we got second at Junior Pan Pacs last year with another West Australian, Xavier Collins. It’s been great coming up through with the boys… and it has taught me so much.

“Racing on the scale that we did at Junior Worlds in Romania was something that I definitely came away with a lot of lessons about how to handle nerves with crowds like that and on an international stage. But it also gave me a lot of confidence… and made me very excited for what’s to come.”

Miron Bunakov (V), competing at his first WA States for Singapore’s Nexus team, claimed a visitor third in 1:54.95, while Boston Yoong (Southside Penrhos), a two-time Tri-Series WA team member, finished a WA third in 1:56.59.

Brielle Dredge (Kwinana, c: Clark Carlson) continued her remarkable form, breaking multiple 15-year-old records in the women’s 50m breaststroke with a blistering 31.96. Sally Hunter (Central Aquatic) secured second, while Maeve McKenna (Fenix) touched third.

Alyssa Burgess (Highlanders/WAIS) dominated the women’s 200m backstroke, touching in 2:12.44 – recording her fastest time in five years. Junior Worlds semi-finalist Isabel Sheldrick (Fenix) took silver, with Violet Reynolds (Riverton) claiming third.

In the men’s 50m butterfly, Alexander Sillitoe (South Lake Dolphins) touched first in 24.62, after his impressive Junior Worlds campaign back in August. Jackson Govers (Fenix) backed up in second following his PB in the 100m butterfly on Friday, and Kai Wylie (Westside Christ Church) completed the podium.

The women’s multi class 100m freestyle saw Rebekah Fraser S15 (UWA West Coast), recently returned from the Deaflympics in Tokyo, take gold in 1:14.03. Busselton’s Grace Ferguson S19 claimed silver in 1:06.30.

Results

Women’s 200m Backstroke: 1.Alyssa Burgess, 2:12.44 (Highlanders); 2.Isabel Sheldrick, 2:18.21 (Fenix); 3.Violet Reynolds, 2:26.74 (Riverton)

Men’s 400m IM: 1.Daniel Eve, 4:44.58 (South Shore); 2.Jurgens Wilson, 4:48.53 (Westside Christ Church); 3.George Galvin, 4:50.17 (Westside Christ Church)

Women’s MC 100m Freestyle: 1.Rebekah Fraser S15, 1:14.03 (UWA West Coast); 2.Grace Ferguson S19, 1:06.30 (Busselton)

Men’s MC 12-18yrs 50m Freestyle: 1.Morgan Hill S19, 26.32 (Australind); 2.Reece Brown-Neaves S14, 31.07 (Celts); 3.Zachary McCamley S19, 27.57 (UWA West Coast)

Men’s MC 19+yrs 50m Freestyle: 1.Michael Bourgault S14, 30.30 (Central Aquatic); 2.Joshua Hofer S14, 33.87 (City of Perth)

Women’s 50m Breaststroke: 1.Breille Dredge, 31.96 (Kwinana); 2.Sally Hunter, 32.08 (Central Aquatic); 3.Maeve McKenna, 33.10 (Fenix)

Men’s 200m Freestyle: 1.Lucas Fackerell, 1:49.92 (Hale Aquatics); 2.Tex Cross, 1:50.41 (Highlanders); 3.Miron Bunakov, 1:54.95 (V); 3.Boston Yoong, 1:56.59 (Southside Penrhos)

Women’s 100m Freestyle: 1.Eloise Sheldrick, 57.60 (Fenix); 2.Anouk Potter, 57.98 (Highlanders); 3.Emma Stewart, 58.11 (UWA West Coast)

Men’s 100m Backstroke: 1.Thomas Prowton, 56.42 (Highlanders); 2.Sam Carmignani, 58.28 (Hale Aquatics); 3.Tadhg Smith, 58.81 (Hale Aquatics)

Women’s MC 50m Butterfly: 1.Kate Wallington S19, 31.58 (City of Perth); 2.Grace Ferguson S19, 31.85 (Busselton); 3.Rebekah Fraser S15, 33.95 (UWA West Coast)

Men’s MC 200m IM: 1.Zachary McCamley, 2:42.02 (UWA West Coast); 2.Alexey Ulupov, 4:26.95 (UWA West Coast); 3.Harley Stokes, 5:25.59 (Celts)

Women’s 200m IM: 1.Anouk Potter, 2:22.00 (Highlanders); 2.Brielle Dredge, 2:23.91 (Kwinana); 3.Aihui Xu, 2:27.82 (V); 3.Ciara Conroy, 2:27.88 (Southside Penrhos)

Men’s 50m Butterfly: 1.Alexander Sillitoe, 24.62 (South Lake Dolphins); 2.Jackson Govers, 24.72 (Fenix); 3.Kai Wylie, 25.07 (Westside Christ Church)

Women’s 800m Freestyle: 1.Delta Cross, 9:01.47 (Highlanders); 2.Eleanor Flowers, 9:07.16 (North Coast); 3.Jemma Apps, 9:13.95 (UWA West Coast)