The Irish National Age Group Championships for 2024 ended on Sunday evening in Limerick after exciting racing throughout the four days of action.
Portadown and Bangor battled it out for the relay gold this morning, with Bangor edging it to secure the first gold medal on offer in the 12yrs Mixed 200 Freestyle Relay. Chloe Stewart, Olivia Falls, Zach Coulter and Zachary Morrow clocked a combined 2:06.43 to take the gold back to Bangor, Portadown finished closely behind in second (2:06.72). Glenalbyn went 2:08.31 to pick up bronze.
In the 13-14yrs Mixed 400 Freestyle Relay, Trojan’s Tim Kelly, Georgia Agnew May, Gracie Mulloy and Baltazar Allende clocked a combined 3:57.57 to win yet another relay gold. Aer Lingus were next to stop the clock (4:06.86) in silver, third and bronze went to Ards (4:09.49).
The 13yrs gold didn’t have to travel far as Niamh Church of Limerick clocked 19:53.60 in the Girls 1500 Freestyle event. Jane O’Connor (Kilkenny) was next home in 20:07.66 to claim silver with bronze going to Ballymena’s Sophie Walls (20:43.35). Lucie O’Keeffe (Aer Lingus) went 18:48.66 to win the 14yrs gold. The silver went to Templeogue as Caitlinn Comerford (19:29.91), Nicole McInereny (Celtic Waves) was in third place with 19:38.63.
The Girls 100 Freestyle was the first session of the final evening of competition with Drogheda swimmer Jessica Sweeney first home in the 12yrs, winning gold in 1:04.65. Meadhbh Ní Riain (Limerick) claimed silver in 1:05.18, bronze went to Chloe Stewart (1:05.99) of Bangor. In the 13yrs, Mila Pickett of Ards went 1:03.10 to win the national gold medal. Trojan duo Sian McCrohan (1:03.59) and Lucy Mowlds (1:03.62) claimed silver and bronze, respectively.
Very little separated the top three swimmers in the 14yrs final. Laois Marlins swimmer Yifei Li continued her impressive week, after she claimed gold in 1:01.57. Trojan’s Georgia May Agnew (1:01.72) finished just .15 of a second behind, while ESB swimmer Victoria Lynch finished third in 1:01.99.
The Boys 400 Freestyle headed to the blocks next as Dara Hynes of Portadown claimed the national 13yrs gold in 4:34.23. Limerick’s Anton Nieuwoudt went 4:37.49 to claim silver, bronze was claimed by Templeogue’s Dan McBride in 4:44.35. Aer Lingus’ Helge Ho (4:24.38) was top of the podium in the 14yrs final, pipping Glenalbyn’s Patrick Reyes (4:24.59) to the wall by just .21 of a second. Limerick’s Dylan McGrath was next to touch the wall and claim bronze in 4:38.77.
In the Girls 400 IM, Rebecca Lavery of Bangor was first home to win the 13yrs gold with a time of 5:28.53. Portadown’s Ella Kanis-Dickson went 5:39.90 to pick up silver, Niamh Church (Limerick) was back on the podium, this time claiming bronze in 5:50.85.
In the 14yrs, Aer Lingus swimmer Julia Dziedzic topped the podium after she finished in 5:20.56. Neysa Connolly of Galway went 5:29.97 to pick up silver, while Cookstown swimmer Eimear O’Neill went 5:29.98 on her way to bronze.
In the Boys 200 Butterfly 12yrs race, Bradley Walker (Portadown) topped the podium in 2:44.06, Eoghan McQuillan (Lisburn) was next home in second place, third and bronze went to Michael Aherne (Glenalbyn).
Dara Hynes of Portadown was first home in the 13yrs race, clocking 2:27.48 on his way to gold. Mendoza Rodriguez of Glenalbyn was next to stop the clock (2:35.57) in second, third going to Logan Wiggins of Bangor (2:35.73).
The Girls 200 Butterfly swimmers were next in the pool. Leah Pinschmidt (Glenalbyn) was national champion in the 12yrs after she posted 2:54.46, next home was Aura Dundalk swimmer, Valentina Grossi who stopped the clock on 3:15.90. Mila Pickett (Ards) went 2:41.22 to win the 13yrs gold medal, Trojan’s Eva Bulter posted 2:44.28 in second, third going to Ellie Tobin (2:56.40) of Templeogue.
In the 14yrs, Fiona Weng brought the gold back to Tallaght following her time of 2:33.28. City of Derry swimmer Grace O’Kane went 2:47.42 to pick up silver, bronze went to Isla Graham (Titan) in 2:49.35.
The Boys 200 IM brought the national championships to a close, with Eoghan McQuillan of Lisburn first home in the 12yrs race, winning the national gold in 2:40.43. In second position was Tallaght swimmer Lucas Li, who clocked 2:41.84 with bronze going to Bradley Walker of Portadown in 2:44.83. In the 13yrs, Lev Lobanets (Dolphin) claimed yet another national medal, adding the gold title to his medal haul in a time of 2:33.21. Egan Hearty was next on the podium, the Sliabh Beagh swimmer clocking 2:34.08 on his way to silver. Dan McBride (Templeogue) was next home in third position in a time of 2:34.37.
Baltazar Allende was back on top of the podium in the 14yrs race, the Trojan swimmer winning the national gold in 2:15.43. Lurgan’s Cian Doyle went 2:22.42 to pick up the national silver, third and bronze going to Aer Lingus’ Helge Ho in 2:23.83.
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