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.
- 08 Jun 2025Medals and PBs for Lakelanders at Banbridge Open
Banbridge Open Long Course Meet took place in Craigavon’s South Lakes Leisure Centre on Saturday the 7th of June.
A squad of 13 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. - 07 Jun 2025Young Lakelanders fought fierce battle with Lecale in AquaSprints Final
A team of 39 young swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders ASC travelled to the Lagan Valley LeisurePlex in Lisburn last Friday to compete in the A final of this year’s Forest Feast AquaSprints League.
The event saw the young Lakelanders compete in a head to head battle against a strong squad from Lecale Swimming Club, while Swim Belfast and Olympia battled it out in the Division 4 B final, making the night a double event. - 01 Jun 2025Lakelanders success in Bangor
Seven Enniskillen Lakelanders' swimmers travelled to the Aurora Complex in Bangor to race at the Ian Wright Memorial Gala at the weekend. - 18 May 2025Young Lakelanders give Lecale a tough battle for Aquasprint League Round 3
A team of 35 young swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders ASC travelled to Downpatrick on Saturday to compete in the third meet of this year’s Forest Feast AquaSprints league.
The annual Swim Ulster competition offers an opportunity for younger swimmers born between 2017 and 2012 to race over 25m sprints in all four strokes, in both individual and relay events.
The young Lakelanders who recently moved to Omagh for training following the closure of their home pool in the Lakeland Forum, took on the battle against Lecale with gusto. - 04 May 2025Quartet of Ulster titles and a slew of medals & PBs at Ulster LC Champs
A squad of 12 swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders Swimming Club attended the Ulster Age Group and Senior LC Championships at the Bangor Aurora Leisure Complex on 2nd, 3rd & 4th 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. - 19 Apr 2025Lakelanders light up the NAC at Irish Open
Swim Ireland’s Irish Open Swimming Championships started on Saturday (12th April) at the Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre in Dublin. The 5-day event saw over three hundred swimmers from over fifty clubs compete for National titles in thirty-four individual events. The competition saw twelve Championship Records broken as well as three Irish Senior and four Irish Junior Records across the five days of racing as swimmers aimed for places on Senior National Teams. This meet is also the first opportunity for athletes to qualify for the Regional and National programmes for the 2025-2026 season. Three swimmers from the local Enniskillen Lakelanders swim club attended the prestigious meet keen to compete with the best in the country and witness some of the top swimmers the world in action. - 05 Apr 2025Cracking Racing in Craigavon for Enniskillen Lakelanders' Swimmers
Portadown ASC and Lurgan ASC hosted the South Lake Open Meet 2025 at South Lake Leisure Centre, Craigavon on Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th April. A total of 32 Enniskillen Lakelanders’ swimmers competed over the two day meet. - 30 Mar 2025Lakelanders' Swimmers Sparkle for their Schools at Irish Minor Schools Champions
The Irish Minor Schools Championships 2025 took place on Sunday 30th March at the National Aquatic Centre, Dublin. 17 Enniskillen Lakelanders swimmers aged 12 and under made the journey, having qualified earlier this month at the regional schools gala in Lisburn and were high with excitement as they headed off to Dublin to do their schools proud on the National stage. - 23 Mar 2025Young Lakelanders successful at Future Challengers Gala in Lisburn
Ten junior members of Enniskillen Lakelanders Swimming Club travelled to Lisburn on Saturday 22nd March to compete in the fourth meet of the Swim Ulster Future Challengers series at the Lagan Valley Leisureplex.
This gala series is for swimmers aged 10-14 and provides competitive racing opportunities at junior level.
Several medals and lots of new personal best times were secured by the young Lakelanders who displayed their continual improvement and commitment to the sport. - 23 Mar 2025Lakelanders Aquasprinters Victorious over Belfast Olympia
The second round of this season’s Aquasprint League for the Enniskillen Lakelanders took place on Sunday morning at home to Belfast’s Olympia. 40 of their younger swimmers born between 2017 and 2012 took to the pool. There was lots of excitement but a tinge of sadness knowing this would be the last home Aquasprint of the year. The swimmers, committee and parents were hoping for a great morning.
The Aquasprint league, sponsored by Forest Feast, is a starting point for the younger swimmers to compete in all strokes in individual and relays over 25m. Aquasprints are a great opportunity for children to build on what they have been learning in the pool with coaches Ben and Claire, adding speed to this and a competitive edge.
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