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.
- 27 Jul 2026Lakelanders Shine at the National Championships in Dublin
Swim Ireland's Irish Youth and Senior Summer National Championships 2026 took place from Tuesday 21st to Saturday 25th July at the Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre, Dublin. The five-day event saw 1125 swimmers from over 120 clubs compete from all over Ireland to as far afield as Dubai. The path to nationals is paved by hundreds of hours in the pool so to qualify for this prestigious competition is a huge achievement for the swimmers. There was high excitement among the Enniskillen Lakelanders swimmers who had qualified to compete. - 12 Jul 2026Lakelanders Sparkle at National Championships in Limerick
Enniskillen Lakelanders Swimming Club were well represented on the National stage at the 2026 Irish Age Group National Championships at the University of Limerick Sports Arena last week. Two young Lakelanders’ swimmers joined almost 700 swimmers from over 100 clubs competing over four days of exciting competition, bringing home a National title to Enniskillen. - 03 Jul 2026Enniskillen Lakelanders will be well represented at Summer National Competitions
With the 2025/2026 swimming season coming to an end, the finale for the competitive swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders is the Irish Summer National competitions. These competitions will take place across two meets in July with Age Group Championships will take place in Limerick, followed by Irish Summer National Youth & Senior Championships in Dublin. There is great excitement among the 7 local swimmers who have qualified to compete at these events. - 28 Jun 2026Lakelanders Deliver Outstanding Results at Swim Ulster Swim Festival 2026
A squad of 21 swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders showcased their talent at the Swim Ulster Swim Festival 2026, held at Lagan Valley LeisurePlex, Lisburn, on Sunday 28 June, delivering a series of outstanding performances against strong competition.
The Lakelanders rose to the occasion in style, returning home with an impressive haul of medals and personal bests (PBs), highlighting the hard work, determination and commitment of these talented young athletes. - 27 Jun 2026Enniskillen Lakelanders Celebrate Season Successes
Enniskillen Lakelanders Swimming Club held their annual End of Season Gala on Saturday 27th June. This marked the end of the club's 10 month season, and their first year training in Omagh Leisure Centre. The gala was an opportunity for swimmers across all training groups to compete side by side and a fun relay rounded off the event. - 07 Jun 2026Lakelanders Deliver Outstanding Results at Swim Belfast Invitational 2026
A squad of 20 swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders ASC made a big splash at the Swim Belfast Invitational 2026, held at Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre, Belfast, on Sunday 7th June, delivering a series of outstanding performances against strong competition.
The Lakelanders rose to the occasion in style, returning home with an impressive haul of medals and personal bests (PBs), highlighting the hard work, determination, and commitment of these talented young athletes. - 06 Jun 2026Medals and PBs for Lakelanders at Banbridge Open
Banbridge Open Long Course Meet took place in Craigavon’s South Lakes Leisure Centre on Saturday the 6th of June.
A squad of 11 Enniskillen Lakelanders’ swimmers, along with Head Coach Fionna Orr, made their way to the fabulous South Lakes Leisure Centre long course (50m) swimming pool for the final club meet of the season for the older swimmers. This meet provided the final opportunity for competitive swimmers to qualify for Swim Ireland's Irish Summer National competitions. As a bonus Banbridge swimming club had extended their invitation to clubs from all over Ireland. The chance to achieve qualifying times and compete against the best in Ireland was too good to miss. - 31 May 2026Lakelanders' successful weekend in Bangor
Seven Enniskillen Lakelanders' swimmers travelled to the Aurora Complex in Bangor to race at the Ian Wright Memorial Gala at the weekend. - 03 May 2026An Ulster title, a slew of medals and PBs home to Enniskillen from Ulster Champs
A squad of 9 swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders Swimming Club attended the Ulster Age Group and Senior LC Championships at the Bangor Aurora Leisure Complex on 1st, 2nd & 3rd May. Competitors from across 32 clubs in Ulster met the tough qualification standards to take part in this key meet over three days, targeting Ulster podium spots, and those important Summer National qualification times. - 26 Apr 2026Lakelanders top the medal board at Spring Gala
Enniskillen Lakelanders Swimming Club held their Spring Junior Gala on Sunday 26th April, an event aimed at younger swimmers. As the Lakelanders approach the first year complete at their temporary base at Omagh Leisure Centre and there was much excitement among the swimmers from the outset with 41 swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders taking part. They were joined by competitors from eleven 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.
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