Cork schools deliver again at Munster swimming finals
Cork Swimming: The girls from St Mary's Secondary School, Mallow, who competed in the Munster Senior Schools Championships in UL, with teacher and team manager Louise Heavin.
HISTORICALLY, Cork Senior Schools have performed exceptionally well at the Munster swimming finals and this year continued in that trend.
The first medal of the day went to Orna Higgins, St. Aloysius Carrigtwohill, who led an all-Cork podium at Junior 100m backstroke. Aoife Gardiner, Glanmire CC was 2nd and Margaret Verling, Colaiste an Phiarsaigh was 3rd. Higgins placed 2nd in 100m Butterfly with schoolmate Rene Malley in 3rd. The event was won by Roisin Brannigan, Colaiste an Phiarsaigh. Malley topped the 100m breaststroke podium with Faye Carroll, St. Angela’s in 2nd and Virag Szatmari, Ursuline Cork completing the podium.
Brannigan claimed a second gold on the day when she topped the 200m IM podium. Brannigan led for the first half of the race, but Siobhan O’Mahony, Presentation Tralee, started to claw back that lead with a strong breaststroke leg. There was just one second between the girls as they turned into the final leg, but Brannigan clinched the victory 2:46.04 to O’Mahony’s 2:46.11. Gardiner added gold at 100m freestyle.
Lev Lobanets, Glanmire CC led an all-Cork podium at Junior 100m freestyle, ahead of Andy Switzer, Midleton College and Dylan Mulcahy, Clonakilty CS. Lobanets added bronze at 100m butterfly. The 100m butterfly was won by Garvan Gillad, CBC Cork. Adam Mikolaj, St. Coleman’s CC Midleton was the silver medallist at 100m backstroke. The two boys featured again on the 200m IM podium with Gillard in 2nd and Mikolaj in 3rd. Cian O’Sullivan collected gold at 100m breaststroke for Colaiste Choilm.
The Junior girls from St. Mary’s Mallow narrowly missed out on victory at the 200m medley relay. Collectively, the team Rebecca Reid, Sofie McElligott, Ella Foley and Clodagh Britton posted 2:30.67 to place 2nd behind GC Luimnigh on 2:29.89. The team from Scoil Mhuire Cork placed third, Ellie O’Regan, Ruby Mae Maguire, Claire Bugler and Olivia Healy. The girls from St. Mary’s added bronze in the 200m freestyle relay.
There was great city rivalry on show in the girls' Intermediate 200m Medley relay. Spectators were on their feet as the girls from St. Angela’s, Mary Cassidy, Faye Carroll, Abigeal Logan and Aoibhe Moroney touched on 2:16.74 and held off the challenge of the girls from Scoil Mhuire, Emily Sheehan, Caoilinn O’Connor, Emma Bugler and Lily Olden, who finished with 2:16.92.
A change of personnel on the St. Angelas team which saw Siofra Deasy replace Faye Carroll, ensured a second victory for the school in the 200m freestyle relay. The girls from Scoil Mhuire had to settle for bronze on that occasion.
The boys from CBC Cork, the Hanley brothers Phelim & Pierce, Thomas Bugler and Conal Gillard were the comfortable winners in the 200m Medley relay. A change of personnel, with Pierce Hanley joined by Neil Fitzpatrick, Mattias O’Connaill and Darren O’Connell had to settle for third place in the 200m freestyle relay.
Lexi Dunne, Ashton, who has just been named on the National Squad, won double gold in the Intermediate category with victory at 100m breaststroke and 100m freestyle. She was joined on the breaststroke podium by Abigeal Logan, St. Angelas and Caoilinn O’Connor Scoil Mhuire. O’Connor was the comfortable victor at 100m backstroke. Logan added bronze at 100m freestyle. Shauna Murphy, Colaiste an Phiarsaigh collected gold at 100m breaststroke.
Murphy was in a very close battle with National Squad member Lucy O’Brien, Mungret, but she held on to touch on 2:28.13 with O’Brien on 2:28.31. She added silver at 100m backstroke. Amy Lynch, Regina Mundi collected bronze at 100m butterfly.
Tadgh O’Brien topped the 100m backstroke podium for Pobal Scoil Trionoide, Youghal with Phelim Hanley, CBC, also recently named on the National Squad, in third. Phelim added silver at 100m butterfly. CBC claimed the top two places at 100m breaststroke with Pierce Hanley in pole with Tomas Bugler in 2nd. Pierce added bronze at 200m IM. Bugler added silver at 400m freestyle while Izzy McGrath, Bruce College added silver in the girls 400m freestyle.
The senior category results will appear in the next column.
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