Lev Lobanets (13), from Dolphin was the top Cork swimmer with four victories from his four events

THE second day of the Aspiring Champions took place in UL on Sunday 10th March. 

Again, the athletes were restricted to four events over the course of the day. 

The top Cork performer was Lev Lobanets (13), Dolphin with four victories from his four events.

He began his day with victory at 400m freestyle 3:53.69 ahead of the Blackrock duo, and former teammates, Rasmus Jakobsen 5:54.59 and Sonny Barrett 6:10.78. 

He followed this with victory at 50m breaststroke 39.56 with Barrett in 3rd 41.18. 

He had a strong performance at 200m backstroke, touching on 2:40.31 with Ruairi O’Sullivan, Blackrock in 3rd on 2:58.15. 

He closed out his day with victory at 50m butterfly 31.02.

Rene Malley (14) was another to impress for Dolphin. She won the 200m breaststroke 3:01.79 ahead of clubmate Clodagh Martin 3:07.65. 

She also won the 200m freestyle2:22.4 and 100m butterfly 1:18.56. Lucy O’Mahony, SWSC placed third in that 100m butterfly posting 1:25.05 for an 11 second PB. 

She had to settle for 2nd at 50m freestyle 30.51 ahead of clubmate Roisin Brannigan in 3rd on 31.06. 

Brannigan claimed the 100m backstroke1:16.96 ahead of Matilda Higginbotham, Fermoy 1:20.49 and Aimee O’Herlihy, Blackrock 1:20.85. Brannigan placed 2nd at 400m freestyle 5:25.19.

13 year old Jess Merrigan, Dolphin placed 2nd at 200m freestyle 2:39.60. 

Of note, her time was an impressive 21.62 seconds improvement on her previous best. She also placed 3rd at 200m IM 3:00.58 behind her clubmate, Isabella Malley 2:59.10 in 2nd. 

Malley also placed 2nd at 100m backstroke1:21.65. The event was won by Maeve O’Reilly, Mallow on 1:21.14 In the 17 & Over age group, Ellen Lee, SWSC continues to impress at the freestyle events. 

She won 400m freestyle 4:40.55 ahead of Fiorna O’Keeffe, Mallow in third on 4:55.51 and also won 200m freestyle, leading an all SWSC top three 2:11.69, Antonia Sech, on a brief return from college in the States, was 2nd 2:14.59 and Eva Harrington third with 2:15.27. 

She had to settle for 3rd at 100m backstroke 1:08.36 behind Sech on 1:07.43. Sech was in a close battle for the 200m IM title but narrowly lost out to Heather Fane, Dolphin 2:31.64 with Sech posting 2:31.77. 

Daisy O’Toole, Mallow, was third with 2:37.90. Sech had a fourth 2nd place finish at 50 freestyle 28.53. It was won by clubmate Eva Harrington on 27.10 with Fane in 3rd with 28.76. 

Harrington closed out her day with victory at 50m breaststroke 35.50 ahead of Anna Van Wijen, Streamline in 3rd with 38.30. Fane was the comfortable victor at 100m butterfly 1:06.48 with Amy Hawe, Fermoy in 2nd with 1:11.70 and Mia Dowling O’Mahony, SWSC in 3rd with 1:17.44.

Balint Szatmari (17), SWSC was victorious at both 50m & 100m breaststroke. 

He posted 30.45 at 50m ahead of the Dolphin duo, Ewan Fane 31.85 and Sasha Lychuk 32.03. 1:09.11 yielded victory at 100m with Eanna Garvey, Mallow in 2nd with 1:11.70 and Lychuk again in 3rd with 1:12.29. 

Younger sister, Virag Szatmari (14) won 50m breaststroke 36.82 ahead of clubmate Cara O’Farrell 42.21.

The Roche sisters from Mallow were in top form with Victoria (16) victorious at 200m breaststroke 3:18.03 ahead of Aine O’Brien, Dolphin in 3rd with 3:25.65. 

Victoria held on to place second in a close 50m freestyle sprint to touch on 31.14 for 2nd place ahead of the chasing Camellia Entcheva, SWSC 31.18. Younger sister, Caroline had three second place finishes. 

These came at 200m breaststroke 3:05.77, 200m IM 2:45.41 and 100m backstroke 1:17.46. The 100m backstroke was won by Emma Crowley, Dolphin 1:15.55 with Poppy Nolan, SWSC in third with 1:18.52.

Zach Daniels Howard (17) won the 50m backstroke for Fermoy 30.21. David Dixon (16), Fermoy was second at both 50m breaststroke 37.46 and 100m breaststroke 1:25.17. 

The 100m was won by Vincent Kopczynski, SWSC on 1:24.21. Daniel Galvin, Fermoy placed second at 50m backstroke 34.47. The event was won by Lewis Timmons, Clonakilty on 32.64 which was a 12 second PB for Timmons. 

Galvin added a third place finish at 50m butterfly 31.56 narrowly missing out on 2nd place to Billy Anglim, Dolphin on 31.34. 

Ruth O’Flynn (13) Fermoy was third at 50m freestyle 32.88. The event was won by Claire Bugler, Dolphin on 31.79.