Lakelanders secure awards and new PBs at Belfast Aspiring Champions Gala
19 Oct 2025
Lakelanders secure a slew of 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.
Holly Barkley (14) had 3 great swims. She maintained her time in the 200m Individual Medley and achieved PBs in the 100m Backstroke and 50m Freestyle, where she also achieved a bronze medal.
Darragh Collins (14) began the season with an impressive performance, securing a gold in the 50m Freestyle, a silver in the 100m Freestyle and a bronze in the 200m Individual Medley.
Sophie Hanna (13) wiped a fantastic 7.6 seconds off her entry time in the 100m Butterfly. She went on to clock another new PB in the 200m Individual Medley, collecting a bronze award. Further strong performances in the 100m Backstroke and the 50m Freestyle ensured she maintained her entry times in both.
Anna May Hill (14) had a great day at her first aspiring champs. She claimed a new PB in her 50m Freestyle achieving a bronze medal. She secured a 4 second PB in her 100m Backstroke and held her own in her first ever 200m Freestyle race.
Russell Mikiewicz Lumayad (15) had two great swims. He achieved a bronze medal award in 100m Freestyle followed by a new PB in 100m Butterfly .
Ryan Mongan (15) shaved a whopping 29.68 seconds off his PB in the 200m Individual Medley, 6 seconds off his 200m Breaststroke PB and claimed further new PBs in the 100m Breaststroke and Freestyle races to clinch a total of 3 bronze awards and 3 top ten finishes in all.
Anton Neal (14) secured new PBs in both the 200m Breaststroke and 50m Freestyle events.
Emma Speer (14) swam the 200m Breaststroke and achieved a silver pin for her time, finishing third fastest 14 year old.
Haralds Uzulins (14) was delighted to secure a 3 second PB in 100m Freestyle, winning a bronze time banded medal. He also produced strong a swim in the 50m Freestyle.
Conal Walker (17) swam well in 6 events across the 2 days, claiming PBs in 100m Freestyle, 100m Individual Medley, 200m Freestyle and 50m Butterfly.
Finley Walker-Leonard (14) achieved two PBs in both the 100m Backstroke (taking 16 seconds off) and 100m Individual Medley (taking 13 seconds off).
Head Coach Fionna Orr was pleased to see the swimmers’ dedication to training pay off with a great start to the competitive season. The swimmers benefitted greatly from her guidance on racing approach & strategy throughout the two day gala. Club PRO Janette Mongan, praised all the club volunteers who helped out over the two days but also hailed the swimmers for their maturity in how they approached this start to the new racing season saying, 'The 11 Lakelanders here this weekend have done themselves and their club proud with amazing individual swims. The team spirit amongst these young athletes throughout the two days was fantastic to see, a shining example for our club and for our younger swimmers back home in particular’.
‘We look forward to our Junior Gala on Sunday 26th October, where junior swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders will enjoy competing against visiting swimmers from other clubs from the surrounding regions. Our senior swimmers will form an important part of the team of volunteers needed to run this type of gala, ensuring an enjoyable event for the younger swimmers as well as hopefully raising some much needed funds for Enniskillen Lakelanders ASC.’
The club express their gratitude to Lough Erne Resort and Western Cars Enniskillen for their continued support of the swimmers.
aspiring champions series 2025 - 2026 meet 1 - pdf results.pdf
- 25 Oct 2026Enniskillen Lakelanders Sparkle at Home Gala in Omagh
Enniskillen Lakelanders Swimming Club held their Autumn Junior Gala on Sunday 25th October at their temporary base at Omagh Leisure Centre, an event aimed at younger swimmers. This was the club’s first home Gala of the new season and there was much excitement among the swimmers from the outset with 40 swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders taking part. They were joined by competitors from thirteen 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.
Swim Ireland referee Lars Behme oversaw 1027 entries from the 279 excited swimmers in attendance. Lars was supported by a strong group of over 30 parents and older swimmers volunteering from the Lakelanders club which helped ensure that the busy gala ran smoothly. It was a very successful event for the Lakelanders, raising much needed club funds and giving swimmers the chance to put their training into practise and show off their talents with a large haul of medals and an abundance of PBs on the day. - 18 Oct 2026Lakelanders Shine at three day Aspiring Champions Gala in Belfast
8 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 three days, 16th, 17th & 18th 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 swimmers. - 11 Oct 2026Enniskillen Lakelanders make successful season debut at Lisburn Gala
Eleven young swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders Swimming Club travelled to Lisburn's Lagan Valley Leisureplex to kick-start the new swimming season at the Swim Ulster Future Challengers Gala on Saturday 10th October.
Accompanied by Head Coach Fionna Orr, the team took to the pool, ready to put their training into practice, challenge themselves and get the season off to a fantastic start. - 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.
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