The 2023 Irish Age Group Championships continued today in the University of Limerick Sports Arena with swimmers aged 12, 13, and 14-years old batting it out for national medals throughout the day.
There was a host of exciting racing from the get-go as the Mixed 200 Medley Relay event took to the blocks to compete for the first medals on offer today, the 12 yrs gold went to Glenalbyn with a combined time of 2:27.56, silver going to Limerick (2:27.84) and Bangor taking the bronze in 2:27.88.
The Mixed 13-14 yrs 400 Medley Relay was up next and it was a tightly contested affair as three clubs battled it out for gold, it would be Sunday Wells taking the gold back to Cork with a time of 4:35.64, Banbridge closely behind (4:35.98) to take silver, with bronze going to Trojan (4:36.37).
The afternoon session included the Girls 800 Freestyle HDW with Julia Dziedzic (Aer Lingus) touching first in 10:09.72, Galway’s Neysa Connolly stayed with her competitor stroke for stroke, winning silver with 10:11.19, Roisin Feerick (Limerick) clocked 10:35.88 to finish third and take bronze.
The Boys 200 Backstroke got evening proceedings underway in Limerick as the 12 yrs age group took to the blocks first, Anton Nieuwoudt (Limerick) bagged the first gold with a time of 2:37.98, Owen Fitzpatrick of Sliabh Beagh touched second (2:46.84), Dan McBride (Templeogue) would take the final podium place with 2:49.29. Fiachra Redington (Athlone) won the 13 yrs national title in a time of 2:28.18, with Aer Lingus’ Helge Ho in second place (2:29.30), Shea Mathers (Banbridge) touched in 2:30.42. The final age group for this event was the 14 yrs, with Phelim Hanley (Blackrock) coming home in 2:18.45 to claim gold, Leon Biss (Swim Belfast) in second with 2:22.19 and Tadgh O’Brien (Dolphin) in third (2:23.55). Visitor Zach O’Sullivan (Uwa-West Coast SC) claimed a commemorative bronze (2:22.32).
There was a change of events as we moved onto the Girls 50 Freestyle, the 12 yrs took to the blocks on front of another energetic crowd, Emma Kwan (Swim Belfast) went 29.86 to claim gold, Trojan’s Sian McCrohan took the silver (30.30) while the bronze went to Mollie McBeth (Riversdale Otters) 30.77. Georgina May Agnew (Trojan) clocked 29.13 to bag the gold in the 13 yrs, Victoria Lynch (ESB) won silver with a time of 29.44 and Amelia Stone (Lisburn) claimed bronze with a time of 29.58.
Hannah Coady (St. Fiaccs) claimed the title of 14 yrs national champion with a time of 27.95, Dolphins Lsxi Dunne (28.28) was in second place to take silver, with bronze going to Larne’s Emily Hughes (28.63).
The boys were up next for the 50 Freestyle event as Lev Lobanets of Blackrock touching the wall first to take gold in the 12-years age group in a time of 29.28. Fraser Prue (30.27) of Bangor would take silver and AJ Rodriguez Mendoza (Glenalbyn) taking the bronze. Riley Browne (Ballymena) was crowned national champion of the 13 yrs following a time of 26.60, Keir Donaghy of Mid Ulster clocked 27.10 to take silver, with bronze claimed by Time Kelly (27.53) of Trojan. Baltazar Allende (26.57) of Trojan was awarded a commemorative gold medal with a time of 26.57.
Dawid Strachera (Trojan) was the winner of the of the 14 yrs with a time of 26.33 seeing him take the gold. Phelim Hanley (Blackrock) clocked 26.40 to claim silver with bronze going to Jan Boersma (26.57) of Leander.
The fast swimming showed no sign of slowing up as moved onto the Girls 100 Butterfly with the 12 yrs up first, Mila Pickett of Ards came home in 1:17.49 to take the gold, Rebecca Lavery (Bangor) claimed silver (1:20.28) with bronze going to Trojan’s Eva Butler (1:22.31). Fiona Weng of Tallaght clocked 1:12.31 to take the gold in the 13 yrs, with Scarlett Watt (Portadown) finishing second in a time of 1:12.97, in third was Mora Knowles (1:14.25) of Templeogue.
Lucy O’Brien (Limerick), swimming in familiar territory claimed top spot on the podium in the 14 yrs, swimming a time of 1:08.21. Elaine Zhang (Tallaght) bagged the silver medal (1:08.76) finishing closely behind O’Brien, with the bronze going to Lurgan with Leah Jacobs (1:08.86).
Sticking with the 100 Butterfly event, the boys were next up with AJ Rodriguez Mendoza bagging another medal with a time of 1:15.10 in the 12 yrs, Limerick’s Anton Niuewoudt (1:18.83) came home second with Fraser Prue (1:21.93) of Bangor finishing third. Shea Mathers (Banbridge) headed to the top spot on the podium with a time of 1:05.59 to take gold, joining him would be Keir Donaghy (Mid Ulster) to take silver in a time of 1:07.76, with Darragh Flanagan (Athlone) claiming bronze (1:07.76), Baltazar Allende (Trojan) was awarded a commemorative gold medal (1:04.16).
In the 14 yrs, Phelim Hanley (1:01.50) of Blackrock won gold to become national champion in his age group, Scott Duda (Longford) finished in 1:02.82 taking silver, the bronze went to Thomas Bulger of Sunday Wells in a time of 1:04.92.
The final event of the evening was the Girls 200 IM as Emma Kwan (Swim Belfast) came home first to take gold in the 12 yrs in a time of 2:45.73, Ella Kanis-Dickson (Portadown) finished second in 2:52.88 and in third place was Sian McCrohan (2:54.90) of Trojan. The 13 yrs were up next with Georgia May Agnew (Trojan) taking the national gold in a time of 2:38.69. Scarlett Watt (Portadown) claimed the second spot on the podium in a time of 2:40.95, with Julia Dziedzic (Aer Lingus) taking third with a time of 2:41.33.
The 14 yrs brought the curtain down this evening with Georgina Walker (Banbridge) claiming the gold medal in a time of 2:28.76, Lucy O’Brien (Limerick) clocked 2:29.94 on her way to silver, while Lexi Dunne (Dolphin) claimed bronze (2:33.01).
