Enniskillen Lakelanders Swimming Club were well represented on the National stage at the 2024 Irish Age Group National Championships at the University of Limerick Sports Arena last week.

Five young Lakelanders’ swimmers joined almost 700 swimmers from 100 clubs competing over four days of exciting competition.

Sophie Hanna (12) was delighted to qualify in the 50m Freestyle for her first National Competition and was thrilled to pick up a new PB in the event, taking 1.04 seconds off her entry time which moved her up the final ranking by 10 spots. A great experience for Sophie to take into next season.

Martha Mc Creesh (13) qualified for four events and really enjoyed her second trip to Irish Summer Nationals. Martha competed in all four strokes showing her versatility and had great swims over the competition. Martha 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. Crea 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 8th in Ireland. Crea was delighted to receive a Swim Ireland award for her 100m Backstroke time and will now carry this valuable experience into the new season ahead.

Ava Neal (14) was thrilled to have successfully qualified for six races at Irish National Age Group Championships 2024.

Ava swam brilliantly and with super technique in the 50m,100m, 200m Freestyle, 100m and 200m Breaststroke and 200m Individual Medley. Ava achieved some great PB’s throughout and was delighted to be 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 off her PB.

Emma Speer (13), qualified for three events over the four days. Emma was on the National stage for the second year and had a fantastic Championship. Day one saw Emma take a second off her PB in the 100m Breaststroke finishing in the top 30 in her age group. Emma saw further success on day two as she peeled a magnificent 11 seconds off her PB in the 200m Individual Medley, moving her up the rankings by 40 spaces into the top thirty. She also received a Swim Ireland certificate in recognition of her time improvement. Day three was the highlight for Emma as 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 and a spot in the finals where she was placed 17th in Ireland. A great championship for Emma as she looks forward to next season.

Head Coach Ben Wiffen praised the swimmers’ efforts over the four-day meet stating: "This Championships 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. Our swimmers have performed extremely well over the meet, focusing on improving their racing strategy and gaining great race experience, qualifying for finals and taking home several improvement recognition certificates."

Club Chairperson Aideen Speer added: "These swimmers have been training hard over the season and their success is testament to their dedication in the pool. 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."