Irish Age Group Division 2 Finals
The journey to the Irish Age Group Nationals in Limerick at the start of July, is not just measured in miles for the 5 members of the Enniskillen Lakelanders who made the round trip, but also in the hundred plus hours of training over a season in the pool which helped them succeed in reaching such an outstanding achievement.
Molly Johnston (13) made her debut appearance in the competition in the 100m breaststroke. The long journey to Limerick was worth it, Molly swam a fantastic 3sec PB to finish in the top 20. A great experience and achievement for Molly, her training and commitment throughout the year has certainly paid off.
12yr old Isobel Lannon arrived in Limerick with 4 days of competition ahead of her. On Thursday Isobel smashed her Pb in the 200m freestyle by 3 seconds in a time of 1.30.90. Her back crawl told a similar story with another 4 second Pb. The finals in these events resulted in additional time improvements and coming in as the 3rd fastest 12yr old in both the 200 free and 100m backcrawl. On Friday morning the Isobel achieved another PB in the 100m free in a time of 1.09.90 proving how tight the freestyle margins are, she missed out on the finals by a 20th of a second. The 100m breaststroke resulted in her 3rd final of the meet and a 7th place finish with a division 1 time of 1.27.80. On Saturday in the first of three events Izzy swam an impressive 6 second Pb in the 200 backcrawl. Stunning performances in the 50 free and its subsequent final resulted in her hitting 30.94s a fantastic time considering she just turned 12yrs last week. Competing the 400 free for the second time only, Isobel achieved a 6second PB and a 9th place finish overall. On Sunday Isobel achieved PBS in both her 200m breastroke and 200IM and her last final of the competition. Finally, to top the weekend Izzy won the bronze in the 800m free. Isobel was incredibly proud to be place top ten in 8out of 10 of her events and top 5 12yr old in all 10 events not forgetting winning her first national medal.
Niamh O’Kane was competing for the Lakelanders at her 4th National Finals in a row, a fantastic achievement in itself. She found herself in the 15 and over category, and in many cases competing against 19 and 20 year olds for a podium finish. With the 200 Free, 100 Back and 100 Free ahead of her, Niamh used her training and experience at the Nationals to take the occasion in her stride. First up, Niamh set a new PB in the 200 Free in a time of 2.28.77, and closely followed that excellent swim just 30 minutes later with a top 5 finish in her heat in the 100 meter back. On day 2, Niamh again powered her way to a fantastic finish in the 100 Free, narrowly missing out on a pb.
Ciosa McConnell was making her debut at National level. She competed in 2 individual events and a relay. Her individual events were in her favoured breaststroke. On Friday she swam a 3 second PB in the heats of the 100m which secured her a top ten finish and a place in the final were she finished 8th overall. On Sunday morning she swam in the 200m. Again in the heats she achieved a 4 second PB which was once again rewarded with a place in the final, finishing 9th overall.
The Lakelanders squad of Cora, Isobel, Molly and Ciosa swam the 200m freestyle relay. Starting off first in the relay was Cora Cassidy who was excited to join her team mates in Limerick, and she cruised in at 35 seconds setting the pace. Next up was Isobel Lannon, then Molly Johnston and finally Ciosa McConnell to close the relay in which the girls touched home in 6th place in their heat.
Overall the Lakelanders swim club was proudly represented by the 5 young swimmers in Limerick at the Nationals, and we thank club coaches Fionna and Rob, the parents and all the volunteers within over the past year who have helped these girls achieve the incredible success in the pool at this showcase year end event.
- 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. - 15 Mar 2025Ellie and Hannah swim for Ulster
Enniskillen Lakelanders' swimmers Hannah Lynch and Ellie Dunlop travelled to High Wycombe as part of the team of Ulster Regional and National programme athletes to race at the Wycombe Premier Open meet from Friday 7th March to Sunday 9th March. - 15 Mar 2025Lakelanders Secure Medal Haul in Bangor
12 Enniskillen Lakelanders’ swimmers travelled to the Aurora Aquatic & Leisure Complex, Bangor to compete in Round 2 of Swim Ulster’s ‘Aspiring Champions’ Meet Series on 15th & 16th 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. - 02 Mar 2025Fermanagh Swimmers Shine for their schools at Ulster Schools Championships
Swim Ulster Primary Schools Cup and Championship was held in the Lagan Valley Leisureplex in Lisburn on Saturday 1st March.
Excited for this opportunity to represent their schools, 30 swimmers across 9 local schools headed to Lisburn, determined to do the Southwest 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 5 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 later this month. - 23 Feb 2025Lakelanders impress at McCullagh International Gala
Four Enniskillen Lakelanders Club swimmers qualified for the prestigious McCullagh International swim meet, held at Bangor’s Aurora Aquatic Centre over three days last week.
A huge achievement in itself, this was a unique opportunity to compete against the best in Ireland and further afield. The event attracted a large contingent of competitors from overseas, including Olympians! - 16 Feb 2025Lakelanders Swim to Success in Lisburn
A squad of 25 Enniskillen Lakelanders’ swimmers attended the Swim Belfast Meet on Sunday the 16th of February in Lagan Valley Leisureplex, Lisburn. The gala was a great success for the Fermanagh swimmers who returned home with numerous medals and personal best times.
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