Enniskillen Lakelanders Swimming Club held their Spring Junior Gala on Sunday, April 28, an event aimed at younger swimmers. 

Joining competitors from the local club were 10 visiting clubs from all over Ulster. For many of the 8-13 year-old competitors, this would be one of their first experiences of individual competition, that all-important first step for every sportsperson.

Swim Ireland referee Lars Beheme oversaw almost 700 entries from the 190 excited swimmers in attendance. Lars was supported by a strong group of over 50 parents and older swimmers volunteering from the Lakelanders club which helped ensure 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 practice and show off their talents with a large haul of medals and an abundance of PBs on the day.

Gold medals were achieved by Niamh Howell in 50m Backstroke, 50m Breaststroke and 100m Individual Medley, Katie McGowan in 50m Backstroke, Myleene Leonard in 50m and 100m Backstroke, 50m and 100m Freestyle and 100m Individual Medley, Jakub Mikievicz Lumayad in 50m Backstroke, 50m Butterfly, 50m Breaststroke, 50m Freestyle and 100m Individual Medley, Anton Neal in 50m Backstroke, Maeve Rolston-McAuliffe in 50m Butterfly, Crea Mullen 50m Butterfly and 100m Individual Medley, Darragh Collins in 100m Backstroke, 50m Freestyle, Michael Carron in 50m Freestyle and 100m Individual Medley and Charlie Brewster in 50m Breaststroke.

The medals continued to flow with silvers awarded to Sophie Hanna in 50m Backstroke, Holly McCabe in 50m Backstroke, Charlie Brewster in 50m Backstroke and 50m Freestyle, Clara Leonard in 100m Freestyle, Crea Mullen in 100m Freestyle, Maeve Rolston-McAuliffe in 50m and 100m Freestyle and 100m Individual Medley, Michael Carron in 50m and 100m Breaststroke, 100m Freestyle and 50m Butterfly, Darragh Collins in 100m Freestyle and 100m Individual Medley, Niamh Howell in 50m Butterfly, Orlaith Howell in 50m Breaststroke, Finn Coyle in 50m Breaststroke, Emmett Coyle in 50m Breaststroke and Keira Salcedo picked up silver in the 50m Breaststroke.

There were also bronze medals for Finn Coyle in the 50m Backstroke, James McSorley in the 100m Freestyle, Crea Mullen, Holly Barkley and Darragh Collins, Clara Leonard in 50m Breaststroke and 100m Backstroke, Tara Collins and Kealan Rice in 50m Breaststroke and Niamh Howell Sophie Hanna picked up bronze medals in 50m Freestyle. Keira Salcedo, Holly Barkley and Emmett Coyle also secured bronze in the 100m Breaststroke.

Chairperson Aideen Speer expressed her thanks to a wide range of people who all came together to make the Junior Gala a success - praising all club members for their help and support, events like these can only run with the help and hard work of the volunteers.

Thanks were also expressed to the staff at the Fermanagh Lakeland Forum for facilitating the event.

The club are indebted to the generous support provided by local businesses: Balcas, Beechvale, Encirc, The Boatyard, Mannok, MTL Marine, Lough Erne Resort, Lisdergan Butchery, Net-A-Deal, Charisma Blinds, Share Discovery Village, Mariusz Plesner Spray Painting, Cadco, Swift’s EuroSpar Lisnaskea and Smyth & McAloon. They are also very grateful to all parents who donated and sourced the raffle prizes and donations to their gala cafe.

Aideen praised Michelle Reihill, gala secretary, for her trojan work behind the scenes ensuring the smooth running of the gala.

She also thanked the coaching team led by Ben Wiffen and Claire Morris for their commitment to all the swimmers.

The support of the coaching team ensured we had a competitive event which was also an enjoyable learning experience for all. We now look forward with renewed confidence to the rest of the season.

The Senior swimmers are in action this coming weekend with the three-day Ulster Championships in Bangor.