FIVE members of the Enniskillen Lakelanders Swimming Club recently excelled in the pool at the hugely competitive Irish Age Group National Championships at the University of Limerick Sports Arena.
The young Lakelanders’ swimmers joined almost 700 swimmers from 100 clubs competing over four days of competition.
Sophie Hanna (12) qualified in the 50m Freestyle for her first National Competition and picked up a new PB in the event, taking 1.04 seconds off her entry time which moved her up the final ranking by ten spots.
13-year-old Martha Mc Creesh qualified for four events and really enjoyed her second trip to Irish Summer Nationals.
She competed in all four strokes and was delighted with PB’s in her 100m Breaststroke, 100m Backstroke and swam strongly in her 100m Butterfly and Freestyle.
The youngest Lakelander to compete was Crea Mullen (12) who competed in three events and thoroughly enjoyed her first experience at nationals.
She secured PBs in both the 50m and 100m Freestyle races. The highlight of the week for Crea was gaining a place in the 100m Backstroke final where she finished eighth in Ireland.
The young talent also received a Swim Ireland award for her 100m Backstroke time.
Ava Neal (14) qualified for six races at Irish National Age Group Championships 2024 and competed in the 50m,100m, 200m Freestyle, 100m and 200m Breaststroke and 200m Individual Medley.
She achieved some great PBs and was awarded a special Swim Ireland Certificate for the highest improvement points in her age group in the 200m Individual Medley where she shaved a massive 4.37 seconds.
Emma Speer (13), qualified for three events over the four days. On day one, she took a second off her PB in the 100m Breaststroke finishing in the top 30 in her age group.
She then peeled 11 seconds off her PB in the 200m Individual Medley, moving her up the rankings by 40 spaces into the top 30.
She also received a Swim Ireland certificate in recognition of her time improvement.
Day three was the highlight for Speer when she had another fantastic swim in the 200m Breaststroke where she took four seconds off her entry time and achieved a Dave McCullough qualification time.
She also secured a spot in the finals where she was placed 17th in Ireland.
Head Coach, Ben Wiffen, was pleased with the swimmers’ efforts over the four-day meet.
“This championship has been a fantastic event for our club swimmers with a great atmosphere. I would encourage anyone who qualifies to attend this event in future years,” he said.
“Our swimmers have performed well over the meet, focusing on improving racing strategy and gaining great race experience, qualifying for finals and taking home several improvement recognition certificates.”
Club Chairperson, Aideen Speer, congratulated the young talents on their achievements.
“These swimmers have been training hard over the season and their success is testament to their dedication in the pool,” she said.
“All the swimmers and their families are also grateful to our main club sponsors the Lough Erne Resort and all the businesses that have helped us throughout the year.
“Special thanks is reserved for Enniskillen Lakelanders’ Head Coach Ben Wiffen for his hard work with the swimmers throughout the season and during the four days of the event.”
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