July 20, 2022
Day one of the 2022 Summer National Championships got underway in the National Aquatic Centre today. The first medal of the week was up for grabs in the Male 13 yrs 400m IM, Luke Merrigan (Dolphin) touched the wall with a time of 5:20.86 to finish in first place, Scott Duda (Longford SC) finished second with a time of 5:27.84, followed by Conor Carroll of Kilkenny SC finishing in third place with a time of 5:47.46.
The second medal event of the afternoon session was the Male 13/14 yrs 400m Freestyle Relay, Aer Lingus SC finished first place to win gold with a time of 4:09.46. Sunday Wells finished second following a time of 4:12.67, in third place was Lurgan, coming home in 4:13.33.
This was quickly followed by the Female 13/14 yrs 400m Freestyle Relay, which was the final event for the afternoon session, Cork club Sunday Wells picked up gold with a time of 4:23.30. Fellow Cork club, Dolphin, finished in second place following a time of 4:24.62, while Banbridge came home in third place touching in 4:27.01. Italy picked up a commemorative gold medal after finishing in a time of 4:14.80.
The first evening finals of the week kicked off with the Male 400m IM, the crowd was treated to a fantastic battle in the 14 yrs age group between Ryan Griffin (Cookstown SC) and Ben Bickerstaffe (Lisburn). Griffin came home in 5:08.69 to claim gold, Bickerstaffe picked up silver with 5.11:39. Ben Wilson (Ards) finished in third place with a time of 5:21.86.
There was another titanic battle in the next race, this time it was in the 15 yrs category. Glanalbyn's Sean Donnellan and Hamilton Aquatics Rohaymen Tolba battled to the touch with Tolba just getting there in 5:51.68 ahead of Donnellan in 4:51.74.Donnellan took home the national gold medal while Tolba received a commemorative gold. Alex Barrett (Blackrock) picked up silver with a time of 5:01.49, with Daragh Horgan (Limerick) taking the bronze in a time of 5:02.07.
In the 16 yrs 400m IM Final, Emmet Cousins (New Ross) won a brilliant gold medal with a time of 4:58.97. The silver went to Aleksandr McAleer (Galway), who clocked 5:00.03, with bronze going to Ben Merrigan (Dolphin) finishing in a time of 5:05.38.
The 17s age group were next in the pool, Adam Colgan (Lisburn) in lane four clocked an excellent time of 4:35.23 to finish in first place. Picking up silver was Ronan Fahey (Trojan) with a time of 4:43.85. Taking the bronze medal was Cormac Donnellan (Glenalbyn) clocking 4:47.18.
The 18 yrs final was another closely contested race as Danylo Chobanian (Czech) finished in first place with a time of 4:34.13. Daniel Kennedy (Ards) finished a close second with a time of 4:35.38, taking home the gold medal. Picking up the silver was Niall McGeown (Banbridge) with a time of 4:55.60. Chobanian was awarded a commemorative gold medal.
The final event in the Male 400m IM was the 19s age group, Adam Wilson (Banbridge) won gold clocking a time of 4.37.57. The silver went to Robin Pfeiffer (Bluefin) touching in 4:49.27, while Daniel Mulholland (Lisburn) claimed bronze with a time of 4:57.00. Matthew Randle (Tukks) received a commemorative gold following his excellent time of 4:34.23.
The Female 200m Backstroke was next up this evening with the 13 yrs age group first on the blocks in this event. Sarah Keane (Portmarnock) came home in 2:31.53 to pick up a gold medal, while Emily Hughes (Larne) clocked a time of 2.35.41 to take the silver medal. In third place was Larne's Emily Hughes with a time of 2:35.41.
The 14 yrs took to the blocks next, Clare Custer (Sunday Wells) finishing in first place with a time of 2:28.40. In second was teammate of Cluster, Asha Mahanta (Sunday Wells) with a time of 2:30.95. Holly McInerney (Templeogue) finished third to take the final place on the podium with a time of 2:31.37.
Zophia Quigley (Ards) clocked a brilliant time of 2:26.64 to claim the gold in the 15 yrs age group, followed by Louisa Humphries (Larne) in second in 2:29.46. In third place was Isla Henry (Lisburn) touching the wall in 2:30.25 to take the bronze medal.
There was another great battle to gold between Leagh Bailey (Nenagh Neptune) and Aoife Doran (Aer Lingus) in the 16 yrs group, with Bailey pipping to first place with 2:22.08, Doran claimed silver with a time of 2:22.97. In third place and taking the bronze medal was Roisin Lawless (Wexford) with a time of 2:30.81.
Up next was the 17 yrs age group, Cora Rooney (Enniskillen) put on a show for the crowd clocking a time of 2:20.33. Kallie Walsh (Terenure) finished second place with a time of 2.28.69, Ellie Bingham (Banbridge) edged bronze touching in a time of 2:30.43.
The final age group competing in the 200m Backstroke was the 18 yrs, Maria Godden (Kilkenny) took home the gold medal, clocking 2:13.77. In second place was Rebecca Lowe (UCD) with a time of 2:20.25 and in third, taking the bronze medal was Jena Macdougald (UCD) with a time of 2:21.63.
The Male 200m Freestyle was the next event with the 13 yrs first up, Phelim Hanley (Blackrock) claimed gold with a time of 2:10.00, in second place was Cameron Jackson (Coolmine) clocking 2:16.56. Taking the bronze medal was Jan Boersma (Leander) with a time of 2:17.62.
The 14 yrs were next on the blocks with Ian Middleton (Glenalbyn) taking the gold medal with a time of 2:05.60. In second place and taking the silver medal was Ashley Weafer in a time of 2:06.90. Third place and picking up the bronze was Andrew Mullen (Templeogue) in 2:07.22. Hussein Shawky (Hamilton) took a commemorative gold medal with a time of 2:04.01
In the 15 yrs group John Shortt (Bluefin) came out on top to take gold with a time of 1:57.11, in second place was Gene Smyth (Bangor) clocking 1:57.23. Touching the blocks in 1:58.46 was Denis O’Brien (Limerick) to finish in third place.
The 16 yrs was another excellent battle for all three podium spots, taking gold was Killian O’Loughlin Brophy (Coolmine) in 1:59.20, silver went to another Coolmine swimmer, as Darragh Morgan clocked 1:59.46, and bronze went to Sean Bulger (Sunday Wells) with a time of 2:03.67.
Evan Bailey (New Ross) claimed first place in the 17 yrs age group, who on the back of competing at the recent European Juniors, clocked a time of 1:52.54. In second place and taking silver was Adam Colgan (Lisburn) with a time of 1:56.58, closely followed by Ben Riddell (Ards) in a time of 1:57.65.
The 18 yrs was won by Danny Morgan (Coolmine), coming home in 1:54.11 to take the gold medal, second place went to Thomas Leggett (Ards) with a time of 1:54.58. The bronze medal went to Matthew Hussey Walsh (NAC) who clocked a time of 1:55.53.
The final age group of the 200m Freestyle was the 19 yrs and over, Olympian Finn McGeever (Limerick) won gold with a time of 1:51.39. In second place was Nathan Wiffen (Larne) with a time of 1:53.41, followed by Robert Powell (Athlone) who took home bronze in 1:54.31.
The Female 200m Freestyle was next up, Lexi Dunne (Dolphin) came home in first place claiming gold in the 13 yrs with a time of 2:16.23. In second place was Lucy O’Brien (Limerick) with a time of 2:16.23. Taking the bronze was Emily Hughes (Larne) in 2:19.17. Italian, Elisa Giacometti won a commemorative bronze after finishing in 2:18.98.
The 14 yrs was won by Ava Jones (Portmarnock), touching the wall in 2:11.16 to take the gold medal. In second place and claiming silver was Laura Potts (Templeogue) in a time of 2:13.35, with Jessica Purcell (Aer Lingus) finishing in third place, clocking 2:15.82.
It was a tight race in the 15 yrs as Olivia Miskelly (Banbridge) came out on top with a time of 2.10:62 to win gold. In second place with a time of 2:11.03 was Rosie Whitten (Swim Belfast), closely followed by Grace Cochrane (Lurgan) in a time of 2:11.30 to take the bronze medal.
It was a great showing in the on front of a packed NAC, as 16-year-old Leagh Bailey (New Ross) pipped first place with a time of 2:09.45. Finishing in second place and bagging silver was Rebekah Friel (Trojans) in a time of 2:10.12. In third place taking bronze was Megan Jones (Portmarnock) with a time of 2:12.47.
Grace Hodgins (17) was back in action following her European Junior Championships, Hodgins (Trojan) took home gold with a time of 2:08.51. Ella Carroll (Limerick) finished in second place with a time of 2:09.33, followed by Toni Jamison (Lisburn), who took home bronze in a time of 2:11.45.
The 18 yrs and over was won by Sharon Semchiy (Sunday Wells) in a time of 2:08.49, in second place with a time of 2:08.91 was Éle Donegan. In third was Naomi Trait (Kilkenny) with a time of 2:08.99 to take home the bronze medal.
The Male 100m Breaststroke was the next on the schedule, with the 13 yrs on the blocks first. Emilian Petrea (Tallaght) won gold with an excellent time of 1:18.86. In second was Pierre Foster (Lurgan) clocking 1:21.57. Bronze went to Scott Duda (Longford) with a time of 1:21.73.
14 yrs were next up, Cathal O’Brien (New Ross) won gold with a time of 1:13.52, silver went to Jamie Lannon (Enniskillen) after he clocked a time of 1:16.26. Bronze was won by Ross McCombe (Banbridge) in a time of 1:17.05.
The 15 yrs was won by James Green (Ballymoney) in a time of 1:10.99, Aiden Mallet (Lisburn) finished in second place to take silver in a time of 1:11.64. In third and taking bronze was Jake Logan (Banbridge).
Benji Cummings (Ards) clocked an impressive 1:07.27 to take first place in the 16 yrs event. The silver medal went to Cian George (Tullamore) in a time of 1:10.69. While bronze was won by David Leggett (Larne) with a time of 1:11.34.
There was little between the top three swimmers in the 17 yrs age group. Evan Bailey (New Ross) came out on top with a time of 1:05.45. Finishing second was Liam O’Connor (Terenure) with a time of 1:06.12. Third spot and a bronze medal went to Matthew Hand (Ards) with a time of 1:06.59.
The 18 yrs was another close encounter, this time between Cody Dunnion (Ards) and Ewan Fane (Dolphin). It was Dunnion who touched the blocks first in 1:07.01. while Fane (Dolphin) took home silver in 1:09.04. The bronze medal went to Euan Maguire (NAC) clocking a time of 1:11.70.
The neck and neck battles kept coming, this time in the 19 yrs and over. Eoin Corby (Limerick) came out on top this time, with a time of 1:02.14 to take the gold. Uiseann Cooke (Tuam) came home in second place with a time of 1:02.56 to take the silver. Darragh Green (Longford) was in third place clocking 1:02.56.
The Female 100m Breaststroke got underway with the 13 yrs first up, Lexi Dunlop (Dolphin) finished in first place with a time of 1:19.83. In second was Ellie Dunlop (Enniskillen) with a time of 1:21.25, while Georgina Walker (Banbridge) finished with a time of 1:21.87 to take third place.
In the 14 yrs Niamh Connery (Shark) bagged gold with a time of 1:13.76, with the silver going to Ava Jones (Portmarnock) following a time of 1:16.31. The bronze medal went to Jane Ryan (Athlone) after she touched in 1:18.31.
The 15 yrs was a titanic battle with very little between each swimmer, the eventual winner was Louise Hartnett (Laois Marlins), who touched the wall in 1:18.66. The silver medal went to Darcy Walker (Banbridge) following a time of 1:18.69, with Holly Clifford (Portmarnock) taking bronze in a time of 1:19.09.
16 yrs title went to Keira Aiken (Ards) following a time of 1:15.00, Isabel Kidney (Sunday Wells) took home the silver medal with a time of 1:15.47. The bronze was won by Megan Jones (Portmarnock) following a time of 1:15.77.
Ava McNamara (Lisburn) won gold in the 17 yrs with a time of 1:18.20, the silver medal went to Paralympian, Róisín Ní Riain (Limerick) with a time of 1:19.67. Third and bronze was claimed by Yna Cisnero (Limavady) with a time of 1:20.23.
The final individual event of the day was the 18 yrs and over, Niamh Coyne (Tallaght) put up a strong 1:08.55 to take the gold medal. In second and taking silver was Eimear Doyle (Limerick) with a time of 1:12.01 while NAC's Beth Gardiner won bronze. here was a commemorative silver for Caitlin DeLange of Tuks Swimming in 1:11.70.
The Male 15 and Over 400m Freestyle Relay, the second last event of the evening, was won by NAC in a time of 3:32.66. A special mention to Cillian Colvin of NAC, who helped his teammates win gold, in what was his last race as he is retiring from swimming. Limerick touched the wall in a close second, with a time of 3:33.67. The bronze went to Ards following a time of 3:38.82.
The Female 15 and Over 400m Freestyle final was won by Sunday Wells, who clocked a time of 4:04.48 to take the gold medal home, second place went to Banbridge in a time of 4:08.49, while Limerick claimed bronze with a time of 4:10.65.
The action continues tomorrow morning from 8:45am, you can catch it all live on the Swim Ireland Youtube channel.
