Chris Mooney’s Bull Sharks have played a starring role in Australia’s record-breaking medal haul at the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California.
Bond University Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Performance student Ben Armbruster got the Dolphins off to a flying start when he claimed Australia’s first gold medal of the meet in the men’s 50m butterfly.
Armbruster stormed home in 22.75 seconds, finishing 0.09 clear of American Van Mathias and just 0.02 outside the Commonwealth Games record he set alongside Kyle Chalmers in Glasgow.
The gold rush continued the following day, with Hancock Prospecting Sports Excellence Scholars Hannah Casey and Milla Jansen combining with Lani Pallister and Inez Miller to deliver a thrilling victory in the women’s 4 x 200m freestyle relay.
After Pallister and Miller built Australia an early advantage, Casey produced a composed third leg to maintain the lead and hand Jansen a 1.6-second buffer over American superstar Katie Ledecky — the most decorated female distance swimmer of all time.
Despite relentless pressure from Ledecky, Jansen refused to surrender her hard-won advantage, producing a brilliant final 50 metres to secure gold for Australia in 7:42.40, ahead of the United States in 7:43.01.
The Australian's time smashed the previous Pan Pacific Championships record on US soil, taking nine seconds off the mark set by the Americans in 2017.
But the Bull Sharks’ impact didn’t stop there.
On the penultimate day of competition, Armbruster added a silver medal to his tally in the men’s 100m butterfly, finishing just 0.20 seconds behind Australian teammate Matt Temple, who broke the Pan Pacs record.
Armbruster’s 50.59 swim was only 0.01 outside his personal best, set at the Commonwealth Games.
Australia finished the championships with a record 35-medal haul, including 15 gold — a significant improvement on the previous edition in Tokyo in 2018, where the Dolphins claimed eight golds.
The Bull Sharks will now turn their attention to the 2026 Australian Short Course Championships, beginning September 29 at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.