Fast Swimming in Records Gala.

Last Saturday a very successful club event was held in the Monaghan Leisure Centre. This gala was deferred from just before Christmas because of a clash of fixtures. However last Saturday all swimmers attacked the races with purpose and enthusiasm. Fast swims, new records and for some getting their first taste of competition were all in the mix.

It was very encouraging from a coaching perspective to see great efforts to swim fast and more importantly execute the skills well at the same time. While most swam well, a few had a bad day at the office.  This needs to be addressed by the swimmer and the cause identified.  To this end the coaches are having one to one with most swimmers and this process has already begun. However there is no excuse for not attending to the elements involved in turns and also working at the required intensity based on you individual lactate test result.  The season is now heading for the championship time. The first of these will be the Ulster Age Group and Youth Championships in March. After that the big events come thick and fast all the way to July. So if you are social loafing at present you need to get with the programme and up your performance in training if you are not to be passed out and left wondering what happened, in the summer.    

 Check out some great pics from the Gala: Club Record Gala January 2014

		RESULTS OF THE CLUB Record Gala on 25 Jan 2014
			400 Freestyle
Boys	U 12	Connor	Comiskey	05:14:08	New
	U 14	Ciaran	Deasy	04:52:08	New
	U 16	Nathan	Shields	5.09.35	Dec-12
Girls	U 12	Claragh	McGahon	05:11:57	New
	U 14	Shauna	McGahon	05:19:00	Dec-12
	U 16	Shauna	McGahon	04:54:33	New
	U 18	Alexandra	Germain	5.35: 02	Dec-12
	Open	Sinead	Madden	09:06:47	Dec-12
			200 Backstroke
Boys	U 12	Sean	McKenna	2.56.62	Dec-12
	U 14	Sean	McKenna	2.47.44	New
	U 16	Caolan	McGee	2.31.09	Dec-12
	U 18	Ross	Delaney	2.20.34	New
Girls	U 12	Claragh	McGahon	2.45.02	New
	U 14	Emily	Madden	3.08.93	New
	U 16	Alannah	Leonard	2.31.90	Dec-12
	U 18	Alannah	Leonard	2.30.09	New
			200 Breaststroke
Boys	U 12	Gearoid	Coyle	4.02.30	New
	U 14	Ciaran	Deasy	2.52.94	New
	U 16	Nathan	Shields	2.54.67	New
	Open	Peter	O’Hara	3.03.88	Dec-12
Girls	U 12	Megan	McShane	3.19.03	New
	U 14	Jordan	McShane	3.02.49	New
	U 16	Derbhile	Coll	3.03.69	New
	U 18	Alannah	Leonard	2.58.58	New
			200 Butterfly
Boys	U 12	Connor	Comiskey	3.31.53	Dec-12
	U 14	Colin	Gorman	3.09.27	Dec-12
	U 16	Colin	Gorman	2.43.33	New
	U 18	Ross	Delaney	2.20.74	New
	Open	Peter	O’Hara	2.51.85	Dec-12
Girls	U 12	Allison	Gorman	3.57.49	New
	U 14	Shauna	McGahon	2.53.29	Dec-12
	U 16	Shauna	McGahon	2.41.13	New

Victory for Aquasprint Team.

Last Saturday our Aquasprint team travelled to Belfast to compete against City of Belfast in the next competition of the Forest Feast League. This was a good spirited gala, with lots of exciting close finishes.  The coaches are delighted with our young team progress with great improvements shown in their starts and underwater work. This is what made the difference when the score was totalled, with a convincing win from Sliabh Beagh of 214 to City of Belfast 186. Thanks to City of Belfast for hosting the gala, and as always thanks to our parents whose help, allowed the gala to run smoothly.

The next competition will be a home gala against Newry and Mourne on 5^th April.

Irish minor schools

Good luck to the following swimmers who travel to the NAC next weekend to compete in the Irish Minor Schools. Connor Comiskey, Matthew Comiskey, Caragh Leonard, Allison Gorman, Claragh Mc Gahon,  Cillian Mc Gahon, and Caolan Roberts.  Fast swimming!

Swim Ulster Valentines Gala.

This gala takes place in Lisburn over the coming weekend, beginning with the challenge of the 1500m and 800m on Friday evening and continuing with all other strokes and distances over the next two days. Nine swimmers will compete. In all cases, swimmers are hoping to improve on existing times to qualify for Ulster Age Group, Division Two and Division One Championships later in the summer.  Good luck to the following. Deirbhile Coll,   Caragh Leonard, Caoimhe leonard, Jordan Mc Shane, Megan Mc Shane, Nathen Shields, Colin Gorman, Lorcan Roberts, Emer Sheridan,

 

Alannah Represents Ulster in Edinburgh

Alannah Leonard who swims for Sliabh Beagh swimming club in Monaghan and who is a member of the Ulster Senior Squad went to Scotland at the weekend to compete in the Scottish Swimming Grand Prix in Edinburgh.  Alannah travelled on Friday with the ulster squad to the Royal Commonwealth Pool to compete in this 3 day event in her favoured Backstroke & Individual Medley events.  This is a highly competitive meet and Alannah was happy to have come near her personal best times considering she was in heavy training right up to the meet.  The best of her results at the weekend was to finish 10th overall in the 200m Individual Medley and she also made the final for the 200m backstroke.  Training resumed as normal on Monday in preparation for the long course season at home, beginning with the Dave McCullagh Memorial Gala which takes place in the Aurora High Performance Centre in Bangor at the end of February.