Cork Swimming: Dolphin Minnows Gala nurtures young talent

THE Dolphin Minnows Gala is a stable event on the Munster calendar. 

It is designed to celebrate and nurture the talents of young athletes between the ages of nine to 13 and provides a platform for them to showcase their skills in a friendly, yet competitive environment. The ethos of the Dolphin Minnows is to protect these young stars and an upper cut-off time is in situ which prevents faster swimmers from competing.

The format is set to include heats and finals and therefore provides a real opportunity to simulate regional and national events.

The most exciting final of the two days was the boys 10-11 100m IM final. Conor Dunne, Mallow was the comfortable winner 1:35.94 but nothing separated the remaining four finalists. Spectators looked anxiously at the scoreboard to establish the remaining places. Ryan Herlihy, Dolphin was second 1:37.73, Oisin O’Donnell, SWSC 3rd on 1:37.80, Tadgh O’Dowd, SWSC 4th on 1:37.82 and Thomas Anglim, Streamline Cobh, 5th on 1:37.84.

The girls 12-13 50m freestyle final was another to grip attention. Martha Walsh, Streamline was the third fastest qualifier to the final 36.09, missing out on the 2nd seed position to Ellie Moroney of Dolphin 36.08. Walsh suffered a similar fate in the final, placing 3rd 35.61 behind Aoife Song, Dolphin, who jumped from 4th in the heats, to 2nd on 35.60. The event was won by Rosie Monaghan, SWSC on 35.90.

In the nine-year-old category, Finn O’Dowd, SWSC was the star of the show winning double gold at 50m breaststroke and 50m backstroke. It was an all-Cork podium in the girls 50m breaststroke. Robyn Walsh, Streamline won gold, and SWSC teammates Isabella Cregan and Holly O’Connell in 2nd & 3rd.

O’Connell added a second bronze at 50m butterfly. Henry Moore, Mallow won gold at 50m freestyle and silver at 50m backstroke. Alexandra Hayes, Dolphin won gold at 50m backstroke ahead of teammate Hannah Aherne with Neasa Burke Deasy, Mallow completing another all-Cork podium with bronze.

Sean Casey, Mallow touched for 2nd in the 12-13 100m IM and split the Streamline teammates on the podium. Alex O’Shea won the event with Patrick McLoughlin in 3rd. O’Shea claimed a second gold at 100m freestyle with Casey in 3rd. O’Shea added silver at 50m butterfly ahead of Dolphin’s Eoghan Looney in 3rd. SWSC teammates, Saoirse Flynn and Cara Buckley topped an all-Cork podium in the equivalent girls 100m freestyle with Regina Orban, Streamline in 3rd. Flynn added silver at 50m breaststroke.

TOP

Ruby Morrisson topped an all SWSC podium at 50m butterfly along with Cara Buckely 2nd and Abigeal Cregan in 3rd. Buckley added a third silver at 50m backstroke.

Iris McCarthy was the star for SWSC in the 10-11 age group winning four gold medals. She topped the 50m breaststroke, 47.50 in a close battle with Pana Sipos, Streamline 47.72. Sipos teammate, Lexie O’Keeffe completed the podium 51.55. She had another close battle at 100m IM, but held on to win 1:33.59 with O’Keeffe in 2nd on 1:33.88. 

The two put on another display at 50m backstroke with McCarthy again getting the touch 44.17 ahead of O’Keeffe on 44.95. Dolphin’s Elise Arrigan completed the podium 45.38. The two girls went head to head again in the 100m freestyle final with McCarthy in pole with 1:25.92, O’Keeffe 2nd with 1:26.83 and Dolphin’s Lily Ha completing the podium 1:30.34. O’Keeffe got her moment to top the podium at 50m butterfly, with a comfortable victory 44.25 ahead of Ha 47.81, marginally clinching silver ahead of Kaya Deasy, SWSC 47.92.

If three or more swimmers swam faster than the cut-off time in the heats, they competed in an A final. This was to protect the ethos of the ‘Minnows’ philosophy. 

Lexie O’Keeffe added silver to her haul of medals in the ‘A’ final at 50m freestyle 37.72. The event was won by her teammate Pana Sipos 36.72 with Eve Courtney, SWSC in 3rd with 38.41. Nessa Martin, Dolphin placed 3rd in the regular final 40.74.

Ryan Herlihy, Dolphin won the 10-11 50m backstroke 40.41. There was a close battle behind for the remaining podium places with Jack Cruise clinching 2nd 42.41 ahead of Mallow’s Conor Dunne 42.55. Herlihy added double silver at 50m freestyle and 50m breaststroke and double bronze at 50m butterfly and 100m freestyle.