Lakelanders Dev 4 Swimmers Impress
02 Mar 2020
Lakelanders Swim Brilliantly in Belfast
On Saturday 29th February, 9 swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders made their way to The Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre in Belfast for the 4th Swim Ulster Development Meet of the season. These galas are aimed primarily at swimmers who are at Level 3 on their competitive journey in the world of swim competitions, where swimmers aim to gain qualification times to progress to the next level of provincial events. The young Lakelanders did not disappoint,
returning with good memories, medals and most importantly a slew of new personal best swims (PBs).
Hayden James (12) swam very well earning him PBs all round. Most notably he was the fastest boy in the 13 year old age group, earning him Gold medals in both the 200m Freestyle event and the 100m Freestyle events.
James Mongan (12) began his day with a whopping 15 second PB in the 200m freestyle race, finishing in the top 10 in the 13 year old group. He went on to maintain his seed times in the 100m backstroke and 100m breaststroke.
Saoirse McGovern (13) enjoyed a very successful day at the development gala where she swam at a high level for her breaststroke. Saoirse has once again has set herself a PB for her backstroke, improving her time by 2 seconds.
Austin Cassidy (12) swam in three races. He achieved PBs in both the 200m Freestyle and the 100m Breaststroke race and finally put in a good effort with a time of 2min 08:46sec in his 100m Backstroke.
Kiril Chursin (13) enjoyed great success. He achieved a 2 second PB in the 100m Breaststroke with a time of 1.35.92, following that with a whopping 8.37second PB in the 50m Butterfly bringing him down to 39.41s and earning him a bronze medal in the 14year old section. Next up Kiril swam the 100m Freestyle, dropping 7.25s off his previous time, coming in at 1.14.72.
Kate McDade (11) produced an amazing 11 second PB in the 200m freestyle event. She followed that with a 1 second PB in the 100m Backstroke and then finished up her day with another great swim in the 100m Breaststroke.
Peter McGowan (14) enjoyed a great day’s swimming; producing a 5 second PB in the 100m Backstroke and placing 6th, followed by a massive 21 second PB in the 100m Breaststroke also placing in the top 10. He finished of his day with a 9 second PB in the 100m Freestyle.
His brother, Michael McGowan (11), also had a very successful gala producing a 9 second PB in the 100m Backstroke, a 2 second PB in the 50m butterfly and a whopping 14 second PB in the 100m freestyle. Michael’s achievements were also rewarded with bronze, silver and bronze medals respectively.
Dara Toner (13) swam well also, producing a PB in the 100m freestyle event and maintaining his previous time in the 100m breaststroke.
Enniskillen Lakelanders’ Head Coach Aaron Rickhuss said ‘It’s great to again see the younger athletes in the club giving these races a good go. A few swimmers now creeping closer to qualifying to the next step within the Swim Ulster Pathway is a fantastic indication to progression across the whole club’.
- 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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