Galway Girls set a New Irish Junior Record!
At the Irish National Age-Group, Youth and Open swimming championships held in the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin at the weekend, the Galway SC Junior girls relay team set a new Irish Junior record in the 4X200 Freestyle record, claiming the gold medal and Irish title in the Open event.
Setting the new Irish mark, the record time was set by the quartet of Ruth Keogh, Kate Kavanagh, Kate Finn and Keena Walsh. The girls also set a new Connacht Junior record in the process in a new best time of 8.52.26.
The National meet proved to be a very successful meet for the swimmers of Galway Swimming Club who also won another 11 National titles, 14 silvers, 4 bronzes medals and set nine new Connacht Junior and Senior records.
The National titles and Connacht records came from Kate Kavanagh who made it a double, winning the U16 girls 100 and 200 Backstroke events and setting a new Connacht Junior and Senior record in the Open 50 Backstroke.
Bryan O’Sullivan, in the U15 Boys category won the 200 Butterfly and 1500 Freestyle, while U15 team mate Andrew Moore won the 200 Breaststroke and the two boys were later joined by Daniel Scully and Conor Snowdon to win gold in both the 4X100 Freestyle and Medley relay events in the U15 Age Group.
In the overall top performance categories for the Irish Age -Groups, Bryan and Andrew finished second and third respectively. In the girls U16 Youth category, Keena Walsh continue her relay record form, winning the 200 and 400 Individual Medley and also helped team mates, Ruth Keogh, Kate Kavanagh, Kate Finn and Alex McFarland to a second and third podium finish in the Open 4X100 Medley and Freestyle respectively, setting new Connacht Junior records in the process.
In the Open category, there was a new Connacht Senior record for Dairne Ryan who won silver in the 50 Freestyle and broke the 27 seconds barrier for the first time swimming 26.96. Dairne backed up this excellent performance in the 50 with a further two silver medals in the 100 and 200 Freestyle.
In the U17 Boys category, Ireland’s recent international European Junior representative, David O’Sullivan won the 100 and 200 Butterfly and set new Connacht Junior and Senior records in the 100 Butterfly and was later joined by brother Bryan, Andrew Moore and Cian Duffy in setting a new Connacht Junior record in the Open 4X200 Freestyle relay in a new best time of 8.04.38 and finished second overall.
This proved to be another very successful national meet and finish to the swimming season for the swimmers from Galway SC.
Over the next two weeks, nine swimmers from the club will be representing Connacht and Ireland at the British Age, Youth and Open championships which are being held in Sheffield and David O’Sullivan will be jetting out with a ten strong Irish team to compete at the US Open which is being held in Irvine, California, concluding another highly successful season for swimmers from the club and its representation on Irish international swimming teams.
Girls relay team of Kate Kavanagh, Keena Walsh, Kate Finn and Ruth Keogh
U15 Boys Relay Team: Andrew Moore, Daniel Scully, Bryan O’Sullivan and Conor Snowdon
Full report and photos to follow shortly.
