Bond University’s swim team has once again proven itself the class of the pool, claiming the men’s and women’s titles on their way to a fourth consecutive UniSport Swimming Nationals championship.
More than just a medal haul, the result is a reflection of the program’s culture of excellence — where high performance is matched by humility, team spirit and a genuine passion for representing Bond on the national stage.
In a sport often defined by individual results, the Bull Sharks stood out for their depth, unity and determination.
Brilliantly led by coaches Chris Mooney and Zander Hey, the Bull Sharks produced dominant relay performances and clean sweeps of key events in a campaign defined by the kind of team-first attitude that has become a trademark of Bond Swimming under Director Kyle Samuelson.
What it means
Winning four in a row is a great feeling. We value this competition, not only as a chance to race as a university but also to support the broader UniSport system. Juggling sport and academics is not an easy feat but we believe we do it better than anyone here at Bond.
How it was won
We did not have swimmers competing in every event, which emphasised the need for depth and quality in our main events. The girls delivered across the freestyle and breaststroke events and the boys delivered across the breaststroke and butterfly events. Placing 1-2-3 in the women's breaststroke events and 1-2 in the 100m butterfly helped us secure maximum points.
The highlight
It was definitely the clean sweep of relays in the men’s and women’s. It shows the great depth in our program and also a desire from our athletes to compete as team in a largely individual sport.
Ones to watch
Jesse Coleman is coming off a character-building season in 2024 where he narrowly missed selection on major Dolphins teams. He was excellent in backing up for relays as well.
Hannah Casey showed a strong return to form winning the 400m free in a massive PB time. Her form is headed in the right direction after her first year of university.
Trademark Swimmers
Josh Collett and his unwavering positivity on deck and around his teammates. He is a real student of the sport, and his energy is infectious.
The work to do
We need to encourage more participation across all the distances of events. This means reaching into a surf lifesaving and open water base of students to compete in longer events where this is more points to be won.
The final word
I am incredibly proud of the achievements of the team. Yes, there are some highly talented swimmers in our squad, but it is the way they carry themselves and compete is what makes them true Bondies. Congratulations to all student- athletes and staff on a successful campaign.
With Kyle Samuelson