Lakelanders blaze a trail in Bangor!
19 Mar 2023
Lakelanders blaze a trail in Bangor!
Photos by Susan James
13 local swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders travelled to the Aurora Aquatic & Leisure Complex, Bangor to compete in Round 2 of Swim Ulster’s ‘Aspiring Champions’ Meet Series on 18th & 19th March. This spectacular 50m pool was the perfect venue for the many challenging events the Fermanagh swimmers were eager to dive into over the weekend.
Senan Burke (15) picked up new PBs in both 100m Breaststroke and 100m Freestyle.
Kiril Chursin (17) gained a new PB in the 50m Breaststroke along with a Qualifying time for the Summer Nationals. He followed up with more PBs in 50m Freestyle, 100m Breaststroke and 50m Butterfly.
Ellie Dunlop (14) demonstrated the fantastic results of dedicated training with top 3 finishes in all 4 of her events. She placed 2nd in the 100m Breaststroke, 1st in the 50m Breaststroke, 3rd in the 200m Individual Medley along with a 3s PB. Ellie hit the wall in 2nd place in the 200m Breaststroke event to finish a great weekend of further Irish National qualification times. Delighted Ellie also had the opportunity to compete along side Olympian and Irish record holder Danielle Hill in her 50m Breaststroke heat!
Hayden James (16) had a very successful meet.
He earned himself a 3.96s PB in the 200m Freestyle, finishing in 5th place. He took a whopping 5s off his 400m Freestyle PB placing 2nd.
On Sunday, Hayden swam the 100m Freestyle finishing in 9th place. He went on to make a fantastic first attempt at the gruelling 1500m Freestyle where he placed 5th.
Hayden was very satisfied with his progress which resulted in qualifying times for both Ulster Long Course Championships in April and Irish Summer Nationals in July.
Vita Lavrenova (16) picked up new PBs in the 100m Freestyle and the 50m Butterfly events.
Hannah Lynch (14) competed in 6 events achieving 4 new pbs and 5 new qualifying times for Irish Nationals. Hannah placed first in both the 200m Backstroke and 400m Freestyle and third in the 200m Freestyle.
Anna Mc Dade (16), competing in the over 17 age group, swam 4 long course PBs, to place 1st and 2nd in 100m and 200m Breaststroke respectively. A top 5 place in 200m Individual Medley and top 10 finish in 100m Freestyle secured qualifying times for Ulster long course and summer nationals.
Younger sister Kate Mc Dade (14), was in superb form, demonstrating versatility across a range of strokes she smashed PBs in 7 events, achieving top 10 finishes in the highly competitive 15-16 year old category. Most notable were in the Breaststroke securing 2nd place finishes across three events. PBs in 200m Individual Medley, 100m and 200m Freestyle, have added to the tally of qualifying times for Ulster long course and summer nationals. An impressive weekend’s swimming for the McDade sisters.
James Mongan (16) reaped the rewards of his hard work in training, competing in 6 events over the 2 day meet. He shaved 3s off his 200m Freestyle PB, maintained his time in the 100m Backstroke, took a massive 17s off his 200m Breaststroke PB, maintained his 100m Breaststroke and 100m Freestyle times and finished his weekend on a high with a 19s PB in the 200m Backstroke event, adding to his growing collection of Qualifying times for Ulster Long Course Championships and ‘consideration’ times for the Summer National competitions.
Ava Neal (13) enjoyed her first long course meet, achieving a PB of 1.79 sec in the 100m Breaststroke, & another PB of 1.46 in 100m Freestyle.
Niamh O’Donnell (15) competed in 6 events across the weekend. She took 3s off her 50m Butterfly PB, 3s off her 100m Backstroke PB, 6s off her 200m Individual Medley time and gained another PB in the 50m Freestyle. Niamh was also pleased to gain qualifying times for the Ulster LC Championships and ‘consideration’ times for Irish Nationals in two events over the meet.
Erin Salcedo (13) competed in four events and picked up new PBs in 200m Freestyle, 200m Individual Medley and 100m Backstroke.
Conal Walker (15) was delighted with his performance, he achieved PBs in both 100m Breaststroke and 100m Freestyle and maintained his time in the 50m Backstroke.
The swimmers’ families expressed their gratitude and praise for the coaching team led by Head Coach Ben Wiffen and the club volunteers who helped out over the 2 days. They hailed the 13 swimmers who demonstrated the fruits of committed training in the weeks and months leading up to this Meet. Another successful weekend for the Lakelanders, representing the South-West region in Bangor. Many of these swimmers will travel to Dublin to compete in the Irish Minor Schools’ Championship next weekend and we wish them well as they represent their schools at this National competition.
- 16 Feb 2026Lakelanders take the Lead in Lisburn
A squad of 33 Enniskillen Lakelanders’ swimmers attended the Swim Belfast Open Meet on Sunday the 15th of February in Lagan Valley Leisureplex, Lisburn. The gala was a great success for the Fermanagh swimmers who relished the opportunity to compete against swimmers from clubs across Ulster, Leinster & Connacht, returned home with numerous medals and personal best times. - 12 Feb 2026Past & Present Lakelanders lead the way for Fermanagh at Swim Ulster’s Senior Sc
Local Swimmers Sparkle for their Schools as Past & Present Lakelanders lead the way for Fermanagh at Swim Ulster’s Senior Schools’ Cup & Championships in Bangor
The Swim Ulster Schools Cup & Championships 2026 took place on Friday 6th February at Aurora Aquatic & Leisure Complex Bangor. Over 1000 swimmers from more than 130 schools across the province of Ulster took part in the one day event. Three local schools were part of the action with 22 local swimmers taking part. - 01 Feb 2026Young Lakelanders Swim to Success in Belfast
On Saturday 31st January, 13 young swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders Swimming Club competed in Round 3 of the Swim Ulster Future Challengers Series at Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre, Belfast. The meet attracted over 450 swimmers aged 10–14 from across Ulster, all taking on the more challenging events of Individual Medley (IM), Backstroke and Butterfly.
The Lakelanders squad rose to the occasion, relishing the opportunity to race against strong provincial competition while aiming for personal best performances. - 26 Jan 2026Lakelanders Secure Medals & PBs at Swim Ulster Open Meet in Bangor
6 Enniskillen Lakelanders’ swimmers competed at Swim Ulster’s Open Long Course Meet at the Aurora Aquatic & Leisure Complex in Bangor on the 24 & 25th January. Swimmers from clubs all over Ireland attended this exciting start to the Long Course season and the Lakelanders were eager to race their fellow athletes in the fabulous 10 lane 50m pool at the Aurora. - 07 Dec 2025Lakelanders’ future challengers deliver strong swims in Omagh
A strong squad of Lakelanders junior swimmers took part in Swim Ulster Future Challengers Meet 2 at Omagh Leisure Centre on Saturday.
Coach Chelsey Weir was there to support the young swimmers who brought home a substantial haul of medal award pins and a raft of new personal times. - 07 Dec 2025Success for Lakelanders at Sliabh Beagh Winter Gala
6 Enniskillen Lakelanders’ swimmers made the journey to the Coral Leisure Centre Monaghan for Sliabh Beagh Swimming Club’s Winter Cluster Meet on 6th & 7th December. - 30 Nov 2025Lakelanders Swimmers Shine for their schools at Ulster Schools Championships
Swim Ulster Primary Schools Cup and Championship was held at the Aurora Aquatic & Leisure Complex, Bangor on Saturday 29th November 2025. Excited for this opportunity to represent their schools, 22 swimmers across 10 local schools headed to Bangor determined to do the South-West proud and qualify for the All-Ireland Championships held in Dublin in March. Although a school competition, all the students attending are committed members of the Enniskillen Lakelanders swimming club and mustered all their skills and training in competing against the best swimmers from schools across Ulster. A successful day saw 4 podium finishes and an amazing number of swimmers qualify for the All-Ireland primary school championship to be held at the National Aquatic Centre Dublin next year. - 10 Nov 2025Lakelanders push for top performances at Dungannon’s 40th Anniversary Gala
A squad of 10 Enniskillen Lakelanders’ swimmers attended Dungannon Swimming Club’s 40th Anniversary Gala on Sunday the 9th November at Dungannon Leisure Centre. The gala was a great success for the young swimmers who returned home with numerous personal bests. - 27 Oct 2025Lakelanders Host First Home Gala in Omagh
Enniskillen Lakelanders Swimming Club held their Autumn Junior Gala on Sunday 26th October, an event aimed at younger swimmers. This was the club’s first Gala in their new temporary base at Omagh Leisure Centre and there was much excitement among the swimmers from the outset with 37 swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders taking part. They were joined by competitors from nine other Ulster swimming clubs. For many of the 8-14 year-old competitors, this would be one their first experiences of individual competition, that all important first step for every sportsperson. - 19 Oct 2025Lakelanders secure awards and new PBs at Belfast Aspiring Champions Gala
11 swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders swimming club made their way to the Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre in Belfast to compete at Swim Ulster's Aspiring Champions Meet; the first Gala of the season for swimmers aged 13 and over. The event was held over two days, 18th & 19th October. Coaches across Ulster use this gala to assess and monitor swimmers' skills, providing the scaffolding for the building blocks for success in the coming season.
All the work so far on skills and technique resulted in a slew of Swim Ulster Awards, personal bests and many top ten finishes for the Enniskillen Lakelanders.
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