Cork Swimming: Records broken at Short Course Championships in UL
Cork Swimming: Sunday Well's relay team who set two new Munster records: Eva Harrington, Isabel Kidney, Izzy McGrath and Ellen Lee. Picture: Munster Swimming
The Munster Short Course Championships were held at UL and the move to three full days greatly enhanced the championship experience for all athletes.
The top performer of the championships was the July winner of the award Isabel Kidney. Isabel had five victories from six events and was placed 2nd in the sprint 50m freestyle final. As expected, her victories came in the breaststroke and IM events.
She also added victory at 100m freestyle. She topped an all-Cork podium at 100m breaststroke, touching on 1:12.84. She was joined by Dolphin teammates Lexi Dunne, 1:17.79 and Shauna Murphy 1:18.19. Holly Marx of Clonakilty won the ‘B’ final on 1:21.19. The Cork ladies dominated the 50m breaststroke finals with Kidney again in pole 32.59 followed by her SWSC club mate Eva Harrington 34.59.
In a close finish for the remaining podium places, Lexi Dunne was edged out into 3rd on 34.82. It was an all-Cork top three in the ‘B’ final also, with victory going to Dolphin’s Michelle O’Shea 36.88, Virag Szatmari, SWSC in 2nd 37.12 and Heather Fane, Dolphin 3rd on 37.70.
Kidney was pushed in the 100m IM final by Molly Nulty, Swilly Seals, but held on to clinch the victory on 1:05.16 with Nulty on 1:05.18. Eva Harrington placed 3rd on 1:05.93. Kidney posted 2:23.54 for victory at 200m IM with Lexi Dunne in 3rd on 2:27.85. The two girls from the Well claimed the top two places at 100m free with Kidney on 58.46 and Harrington on 59.06. Harrington reversed the result over the sprint 50m posting 26.35 with Kidney on 27.23.
Isabel also won the Exhibition Medley Skins event on Day 2.
Caoilinn O’Connor, SWSC, claimed the first gold medal of the meet with victory in a closely contested 200m breaststroke final. She posted 2:50.10 and was followed home by three Dolphin ladies vying for the remaining two podium positions. Abigeal Logan was 2nd on 2:50.67, Shauna Murphy claimed third on 2:51.11 and edged Heather Fane into 4th on 2:51.77. O’Connor added bronze at 200m backstroke 2:22.26. That final was won by her clubmate, Antonia Sech on 2:19.63 with Fane in 2nd on 2:22.08.
Izzy McGrath was another to shine for SWSC. She stopped the clock on 30 seconds to win 50m backstroke final. She was joined by clubmate Ellen Lee in 3rd on 30.74. Dolphin clubmates Shauna Murphy & Ruby Swinburne could not be separated in the ‘B’ final when they tied for first place on 32.16. McGrath doubled up with victory in the butterfly events, posting 1:04.73 for 100m.
Heather Fane placed 3rd on 1:06.29. It was a close affair in the 50m final with three Cork ladies all sub 30 seconds. McGrath reached the wall first on 29.04, Fane in 2nd on 29.42 and Eva Harrington in 3rd on 29.80. Lee improved her ranking in the 100m backstroke final claiming victory on 1:04.66. Fane won the battle for 2nd place, posting 1:05.26 ahead of McGrath in 3rd on 1:05.93. Lee added a second bronze at 200m freestyle 2:09.95.
It was an all-Cork affair in the ‘B’ final with Dolphin duo James McIlroy in 1st on 30.03, & Adam Spillane 2nd on 30.49. Balint Szatmari, SWSC completed the podium on 30.87. Irwin posted 56.97 for victory over 100m. On that occasion, he was joined by clubmate Ben Merrigan in 3rd with 59.75. The pair featured again on the 200m podium, with Irwin at 2:04.40 and Merrigan in 3rd at 2:12.78. The ‘B’ final at 200m also produced a Cork top three, with Spillane in pole on 2:21.89, Evan Buckley, Mallow in 2nd on 2:27.46 and Charlie Duggan, SWSC in 3rd on 2:28.14.
Charlie Cassidy topped the 200m freestyle podium with 1:54.37. He was joined by clubmate Noah Switzer in 3rd on 1:56.61. Cassidy found himself in a close battle at 100m IM but held on to clinch victory on 59.29 ahead of Sean Bugler, SWSC on 59.67. Switzer collected a second bronze with 1:00.51.
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