The Irish Summer National Age Group Championships showcased an array of exceptional performances at the UL Arena, with swimmers delivering a host of outstanding results. The event was a testament to the talent and dedication of these young athletes, as they competed across a range of events, including relays and individual races.
One of the standout moments came in the Male & Open 12yrs 200m Freestyle Relay, where Aer Lingus claimed gold with a time of 2:03.23, just eight hundredths of a second ahead of Ards, who took silver. Trojan completed the podium with bronze in 2:09.31. In the Female 12yrs 200m Freestyle Relay, Trojan secured the national title in 2:06.17, with Dolphin claiming silver in 2:09.63 and Glenalbyn taking bronze in 2:10.61.
The Male & Open 13/14yrs 400m Freestyle Relay was another dramatic contest, with Lurgan edging out Coolmine by just 0.09 seconds. Lurgan touched first in 4:02.93 to take gold, with Coolmine earning silver in 4:03.02 and Trojan winning bronze in 4:08.73. In the Female 13/14yrs 400m Freestyle Relay, Bangor topped the podium in 4:11.18, with Galway claiming silver in 4:18.13 and Aer Lingus securing bronze in 4:18.98.
The Female 800m Freestyle events saw Bangor's Vanessa Hamilton win gold in 10:02.45, followed closely by Curragh's Tara Finnegan in 10:03.61, and Swim Belfast's Annie Francis earning bronze in 10:22.44. The 14yrs title went to Bangor's Chloe Stewart, who impressed with a winning time of 9:26.54, with Limerick's Meadhbh Ní Riain securing silver in 9:42.35 and Waterford Crystal's Lucy Lee O'Donnell claiming bronze in 9:47.66.
The Female 12-14yrs 50m Breaststroke saw Cookstown's Sofiia Kostanetska blaze through the water to win gold in 35.53, with Drogheda's Jessica Sweeney claiming silver in 35.65 and teammate Sophia Winterbach taking bronze in 36.14.
The Male & Open 200m Backstroke events saw Curragh's Zayn Finnegan continue his impressive championship, touching first in 2:35.46 to secure gold. Blackrock's Kristian Jakobsen won silver in 2:39.79, while Ards' Cody Murray claimed bronze in 2:41.90.
The Female 100m Butterfly races produced some of the closest finishes of the session, with Tallaght's Amelia Cray winning gold in 1:11.42, Swilly Seals' Alana McEvoy claiming silver in 1:13.85, and Glenalbyn's Clara Pinschmidt collecting bronze in 1:15.22.
The Male & Open 12-14yrs 50m Freestyle saw Cookstown's Luka Griffin storm to gold in 25.92, with Banbridge's Callum Brown earning silver in 26.21 and Drogheda's Victor Virlan claiming bronze in 26.63.
The Male & Open 100m Butterfly event was next, with three highly competitive age-group races producing some excellent performances. Curragh's Zayn Finnegan claimed the national title after touching first in 1:12.02, Ards' Cody Murray secured silver in 1:14.42, and Aer Lingus' Oliver McEvoy completed the podium with a bronze medal-winning time of 1:16.89.
The Female 200m Individual Medley event brought the night to a close, with Swilly Seals' Alana McEvoy delivering a strong all-round performance to claim gold in 2:45.75, Bangor's Bella Hill securing silver in 2:47.36, and Dolphin's Lily Ha taking bronze after stopping the clock at 2:49.24.
This championship was a testament to the hard work and dedication of these young swimmers, who showcased their talent and spirit in a highly competitive environment.
