Huge Lisburn swimming success at Antrim Open

The Antrim Open Swimming Championships were held last weekend amd produced some very good results for members of Lisburn City Swimming Club.

Every year Lisburn City Swimming Club and Larne Swimming Club co-host the Antrim Open Swimming Championships.

Competition on the Saturday is held in Lisburn, and on Sunday, Larne.

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Lisburn City had a fantastic number of 88 swimmers competing over the two days, so this gala report will not be able to list all the swimmers who achieved personal best times.

There were 276 individual personal best times recorded by Lisburn over the two days.

Saturday morning in Lisburn had 76 Lisburn Swimmers competing. (100 PB’s, 22 medals)

Womens 800free Three of the girls from senior squad competed in this event, and all three came away with medals; Leah Bethel, Gold (12&U); Lauren Walker, Gold (13-14) and Caoimhe Quinn, Silver (13-14)

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Mens 50 Breast. 50 metre races are ‘open’ so there is no age group classification. Jamie Allison (14) won Gold, and Ryan McCracken (15) Bronze. Twelve other boys from Lisburn got personal bests in this event.

Womens 200 back Caoimhe Quinn, Gold (13-14), Zoe Dickey, Silver (13-14) Fiona Cash, Gold (15-16), Sarah McCracken, Bronze (15-16) and Natasha Pollock, Gold (17&over) Twenty four other girls competing in this event came away with personal best times.

Mens 100 Back. Noah Poots, Gold (10&U),Jamie Allison,Gold (13-14),Nathan Wiffen, Silver (13-14),Keelan Logan, Gold (15-16),Nathan Jennings,Silver (15-16). Sixteen other boys in this event swam personal best times.

Womens 400IM. Four girls from National Senior and Junior squads competed in the 400 IM, and all four reached medal positions; Leah Bethel, Gold (12&U),Elise Smyth, Bronze (12&U) Caoimhe Quinn, Gold (13-14) Nadine Pollock, Bronze (13-14)

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Mens 200 Fly. Six boys from National Senior and Junior squads competed in this event; Dylan Griffiths, Silver (11-12), Jamie Allison, Gold, (13-14), Keelan Logan, Gold (15-16), Nathan Jennings, Silver (15-16). Jack Fleming and Nathan Wiffen also achieved a personal best time.

Every year at the Antrim Open there is a very exciting 50 freestyle event for both men and women.

Following the heats, the fastest eight men and fastest eight women compete in the ‘Skins Final’.

A tough elimination process follows with the slowest swimmer being eliminated after every round.

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The competition is fast moving and the swimmers who successfully make it to the next round have very little time to recover before racing again.

The rounds continue until only the fastest two remain in the pool.

Mens - 50 Free Twelve Lisburn swimmers swam personal best times in the 50 free. Lisburn had three boys in the Skins final this year. Craig Boyce (26.46secs) finished in 8th place, Nathan Jennings (26.10secs) 7th, and Keelan Logan (26secs) finished 6th in this highly competed for event. Well done boys.

Womens - 50 Free Seventeen Lisburn Swimmers swam personal best times in the 50 free. Lisburn had two girls in the Skins final this year.

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Lauren Walker (28.86secs) finished in 5th place. Natasha Pollock, defending her Skins title from last year had to work very hard to retain her title, with a very exciting swim against a City of Belfast swimmer. Well Done Natasha, Gold with a time of 27.79secs.

Saturday afternoon in Lisburn had 67 Lisburn Swimmers competing. (85 PB’s 18 medals)

Mens 400 Free. Ronan Lawlor, Silver (13-14). Seven other boys swam personal bests in this event.

Womens 100 Fly. Natasha Pollock, Gold (17&over). Eight other girls swam personal best times.

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Mens 50 Fly. Four boys swam personal bests; Nathan Wiffen, Caleb Maguire, Lewis McCracken and Daniel Marsh.

Womens 200 Free. Fiona cash, Gold (15-16), Natasha Pollock, Gold, (17&over). Twenty Eight Lisburn swimmers swam personal best times in this event.

Mens 200IM. Noah Poots, Gold (10&U), Dylan Griffith,Gold (11-12)Nathan Wiffen, bronze, (13-14) Ryan McCracken,Bronze, (15-16). Lewis McCracken, Oliver Kidd, Adam Crawford and Conal Campbell also swam personal best times.

Womens 50 Back. Natasha Pollock, Gold (17&over). Eleven other Lisburn swimmers posted personal bests in this event.

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Mens 100 Breast. Noah Poots, Gold (10&U),Cameron Forrest, Gold (11-12), Dylan Griffith, Silver (11-12), Jack Fleming, Silver (13-14), Paul Cox, Bronze (13-14), Ryan Houston, Bronze, (15-16).Caleb Maguire, Dara Quinn,Ryan Raffo, Ronan Lawlor and Nathan Allen also swam PB’s.

Womens 200 Breast. Andrea Cox, Gold, (11-12), Grace McNamara, Silver (11-12) Holly Dowds, Gold, (13-14). Eight other Lisburn Swimmers swam their personal best in this event.

Day Two of the competition moved to Larne.

Sunday morning had 44 Lisburn City Swimmers competing. (56 PB’s 10 medals)

Womens 50 breast. Caoli Maginess, Robyn Beattie, Ava McNamara, Katie Martin, Alexandra Bull, Abigail Menown,Tanisha Dowie and Chanel Crookshanks all swam PB’s in this event.

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Mens 100 Free. Noah Poots, Gold (10&U),Dara Quinn, Silver (11-12), Daniel Wiffen, Gold, (13-14) Ryan McCracken (15-16). Fifteen other boys swam personal bests in this event.

Womens 100 Back. Abbie Crookshanks, Silver (11-12), Elise Smyth, Bronze (11-12) Seventeen other Lisburn swimmers swam PB’s.

Mens 50 back. Nathan Wiffen (13) Silver. Ryan Raffo, Lewis McCracken, Adam Crawford and Nathan Allen all swam personal bests in this event also.

Womens 100 Free. Abbie Crookshanks, bronze,(11-12). Twenty other Lisburn Swimmers posted PB times.

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Mens 400IM. Dara Quinn, Gold (12&U), Daniel Wiffen, Gold, (13-14),Jack Fleming, Silver, (13-14), Nathan Wiffen, Bronze, (13-14). Ronan Lawlor and Johnny Smyth also swam personal best times.

Womens 200 Fly. Alice Cross, Gold. (13-14)

The final session on Sunday afternoon in Larne saw 28 swimmers from Lisburn City compete. (35 PB’s, 10 medals)

Womens 400 Free. Abbie Crookshanks, Gold, (12&U). Toni Jamison, Katie Martin, Bea Cross, Amy Jennings, Rachel Ledbury and Hannah Fleming also swam personal best times in the 400 free.

Mens 100 Fly. Noah Poots, Silver (10&U). Oliver Kidd also swam a personal best.

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Womens 50 Fly. Amy Jennings and Katie Martin both swam personal best times.

Mens 200 Free. Noah Poots, Gold (10&U), Cameron Forrest, Bronze, (11-12), Ronan Lawlor, Bronze, (13-14), Ryan McCracken, Silver, (15-16). Johnny Smyth and Nathan Allen also swam personal bests.

Womens 200IM. Toni Jamison, Bronze, (10&U) Seven other Lisburn swimmers swam personal bests.

Mens 200 Breast. Ryan Raffo, Silver (10&U), Ronan Lawlor, Silver, (13-14) Oliver Kidd and Cameron Forrest also swam personal bests.

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Womens 100 Breast. Ava McNamara, Gold, (10&U). Seven other Lisburn swimmers swam PB’s.

Mens 200 Back. Johnny Smyth swam a personal best in this event.

Many swimmers will have qualified for Irish National Age Group Championships Divisions 1 and 2 this summer.

The swimmers were supported at the gala by Head Coach Richard Gheel, Stan Shepard, Davy Wilson, Sophia Cross, Joanne Crookshanks and Nathan Taylor.

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A large number of Lisburn volunteers were needed on Saturday with Lisburn hosting, many thanks to all parents who came forward to help with the smooth running of the gala.

Also to Alison Bryson, a Lisburn parent who was officiating for Swim Ulster.

Many thanks to the team from Swim Ulster for their support in running the event.

On behalf of the parents, many thanks to the Clubs executive committee who put in a lot of work in the organisation of the event.

Special mention to Mandy McKeown who every year puts a big effort into fund raising at the event with the sale of ballot tickets towards a hamper, and this year the printed gala t-shirts.

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