Lakelanders Annual Performance Gala
14 Apr 2019
Last Sunday 14th April, Enniskillen Lakeland Forum was the venue for the Lakelanders annual Performance Gala. Sponsored by local eatery The Firehouse, The Lakelanders hosted 18 clubs from across the Ulster region with 220 swimmers making for more than 730 individual races.
Swim Ireland race referee Alison Bryson, got proceedings underway at 8.45am with the Boys 9&Over 50m Backstroke, where Lakelanders swimmers Micheal McGowan, Adam Forster, Peter Mc Gowan, Hayden James and Luke Aiken all posted individual best times. In the girls section, Kate Mc Dade, Darcy Balfour, Sarah Speer, Beth Buchanan, Beth Jones and Alisha Farry also posted individual best times.
In the 200m Freestyle, Lakelanders senior boys took Gold and Silver medals with Kealan Mc Shea and Ben Lynch in fine form, whilst for the younger boys Jamie Lannon and Tom Buchanan took Gold and Bronze respectively. For the girls local swimmers Isobel Lannon, Eimear Magee and Emilie Reihill hit the 3 top spots whilst Cora Cassidy came 5th with a 3.67s personal best swim and a new swim Ulster qualifying time, and Anna Cairns dropped an impressive 15.90s.
In the 50m Butterfly Luke Aiken took the Bronze medal whilst Kiril Chursin and James Mongan also posted personal best swims. Ellie Dunlop from the local club hit Gold for the girls 9-11 with Hannah Lynch and Darcy Balfour also posting PBs in this demanding stroke. In the 12&over girls Eimear Magee took the Gold medal with a new personal best time, with Molly Rice also posting a new best time.
Senior swimmer Ben Lynch was in winning form again in the 100m Backstroke, taking the Gold medal whilst Luke Aiken, Kiril Chursin, Austin Cassidy, Tom Buchanan and Michael McGowan also posted personal best time. The girls section saw Isobel Lannon add to her tally with another Gold medal and Emilie Reihill securing the Bronze medal whilst team mates Molly Johnston, Cora Cassidy and Georgia Maravelakis also posted personal best swims.
The 50m Breastroke event saw Oliver Mooney and Michael McGowan from the Lakelanders take Silver and bronze with Kiril Chursin, Hayden James, Darren Woods and Dara Toner also swimming to their best ever times. In the girls 9-11 section, Ellie Dunlop added Silver to her medals with Eloise Boyd, Holly James, Sarah Speer, Darcy Balfour and Beth Buchanan posting those all important PBs. In the older level, Molly Johnston took Gold with Ciosa Mc Connell taking Bronze and fellow Lakelanders Annabel Morrison, Emilie Reihill, Anna Cairns, Molly Rice and Alisha Farry also hitting personal best swims.
With the event approaching the halfway point the swimmers lined up for the 100m Butterfly event where Jamie Lannon took the Silver in the 9-11 category and Tom Buchannan the Bronze. In the upper age group, Ben Lynch took Silver with Luke Aiken narrowly missing out on a medal (PB) and Niall Bruce achieving PBs, whilst Isobel Lannon made it 3 out of 3 with another Gold in the girls event.
Moving onto the 50m Freestyle race, Jamie Lannon from the Lakelanders took a Gold medal in the 9-11 category with younger sibling Luke Lannon joining Oliver Mooney, Michael Mc Gowan & Tom Buchanan to post personal best swims. In the older 12/over section, Luke Aiken, Hayden James, Kiril Chursin, Peter Mc Gowan, James Mongan and Dara Toner all hit best times. For the girls younger swimmers, Kate Mc Dade, Eloise Boyd, Darcy Balfour, Holly James, Cora Mc Connell, Sarah Speer, Beth Buchanan and Beth Jones all put in the work to go faster than previously achieved. For the older girls it was to be another Bronze medal for Emilie Reihill, with Annabel Morrison, Ciosa McConnell, Abigail Boyd, Molly Rice, Anna Cairns and Alisha Farry all hitting new personal best times.
In the 100m Breaststroke event Ellie Dunlop hit top spot again in the 9-11yr old section, whilst Hannah Lynch and Cora Mc Connell posted PBs. Older team mate, Isobel Lannon took the Gold medal and Molly Johnston the Bronze in the 12/Over section with Annabel Morrison, Emilie Reihill, Abigail Boyd and Molly Rice all achieving personal bests. For the younger boys Jamie Lannon added his 2nd Gold of the day with Oliver Mooney taking the Bronze, and in the older section Kiril Chursin and Hayden James also made their coach happy with personal best times.
In the 100m Freestyle race, Kealan McShea secured his 3rd Gold medal with Ben Lynch posting a new PB to secure the Bronze medal, with Hayden James, Kiril Chursin, Peter McGowan, Tom Buchanan and Oliver Mooney all recording personal best times. For the girls 100m Freestyle Emilie Reihill secured the Silver medal for her 4th medal of the morning, while Lauren Keaney took the Bronze medal position, with PB times recorded by Ciosa McConnell, Molly Rice, Georgia Maravelakis and Hannah Lynch.
The 200m Individual Medley closed the event, and saw Ellie Dunlop take her 4th medal of the morning with Silver, whilst Hannah lynch bagged another PB. For the Older Girls Isobel Lannon crowned her star status with her 5th Gold of the morning whilst Emilie Reihill just missed out on a medal by the smallest of margins, but nevertheless posting a personal best swim as did Lauren Keaney, Molly Rice and Anna Cairns.
Jamie Lannon added his 3rd Gold of the morning and Tom Buchanan took Bronze whilst Seniors Kealan Mc Shea and Ben Lynch took Gold and Silver in the older boys race with Luke Aiken and Niall Bruce posting more personal best times.
With the event finished, and everyone's thoughts turning to lunch, the Swim Ireland officials hailed another successful Enniskillen gala. Club Chairperson, Sara Lannon paid tribute to the Galas team of Michelle Reihill, Tara Cassidy, Fiona Johnston and Gala Secretary Noel Mc Manus for this latest event saying, 'the Lakelanders Swimming Club continues to thrive thanks to the hard work and time devoted by parents at all levels who know the real beneficiaries are their children whose lives are so enriched by their participation within the world of swimming.'
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