Lakelanders Shine at three day Aspiring Champions Gala in Belfast

18 Oct 2026

Lakelanders 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 Lakelandersswimmers.

Holly Barkley (15) had a very successful first gala of the season achieving PBs in her 100m Individual Medley and 50m Butterfly, earning her two silver pins. She then claimed a massive PB in her 200m IM, knocking 26 seconds off her time, achieving a bronze pin. She maintained her times in the 50m and 100m Breaststroke, 50m & 100m Freestyle and 50m Backstroke.

Sophie Hanna (14) had an outstanding performance at the Swim Ulster Aspiring Champions Series Meet. Her remarkable consistency across her events earned her 2 gold and 3 silver time band pins. The absolute standout moment of her weekend came in the 50m Freestyle, where she clocked another brilliant PB, securing her second qualification time for the upcoming Swim Ulster Short Course Championships.

Anna May Hill (15) got her season off to a terrific start at the Aspiring Champs. She started off with a super 6 second PB in her 200m Backstroke followed by a solid performance in her 50m Butterfly. In her 100m Freestyle she held her time and secured a further PB in her 50m Freestyle. She finished off the meet with a fabulous 4 second PB in her 200m Freestyle.

Martha McCreesh (15) had a very successful gala focusing on sprint racing. She gained  PB's in the 50m Freestyle and 50m Butterfly races and maintained her entry time for the 100m Freestyle.  Martha had a top ten finish in the 50m Backstroke with a new PB, completing a great weekend of swimming.

James McSorley (13) claimed new PBs in all four of his events – a whopping 18 seconds off his 100m Butterfly time followed by a super 8 seconds off his PB in the 200m Breaststroke, in addition to new PBs in the 50m & 100m Freestyle races.

Ryan Mongan (16) secured new PBs in the 100m Individual Medley, 50m, 100m & 400m Freestyle and the 50m Backstroke, placed 5th in his age group in the 50m Breaststroke having met the qualifying time for the Ulster Short Course Championships. Ryan collected 2 silvers and 1 bronze time band award across the three day meet.

Anton Neal (15) clocked new PBs in the 100m IM, 50m & 100m Freestyle and 100m & 200m Breaststroke, maintaining his time in the 50m Breaststroke. He was delighted to clinch a qualifying time for the Ulster Short Course Championship in the 100m Breaststroke.

Younger sister Ella Neal (14) claimed new PBs in 50m, 100m & 200m Backstroke, 100m Freestyle and the 50m Butterfly, maintaining her time in the 50m Freestyle.

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 three day gala, in addition to the support of coaches Chelsey Weir & Liam Campbell throughout the weekly training schedule. Club PRO Janette Mongan praised all the club volunteers who helped out over the three days but also hailed the swimmers for their maturity in how they approached this start to the new racing season saying, 'The 8 Lakelanders here this weekend have done themselves and their club proud with amazing individual swims. The team spirit amongst these young athletes throughout the meet 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 25th 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 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.

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