Swimming
There are up to 7 school swimming competitions each year, run by Swim Ulster, Swim Ireland or Ulster Schools Swimming. These competitions are open for any student who either currently swims for a club or is a keen novice. These competitions include:
September
Ulster schools swimming relay gala for all students
October
Swim Ulster Schools Gala for all students in Years 8-14 – this gala is used for interprovincial team selection. The Inter-pro Team Event is held in the NAC Dublin in April/May each year.
Swim Ulster minor schools section for students in Year 8 & 9 – students must compete in this meet to qualify for the Irish minor schools meet.
November
Ulster schools Grammar schools gala is for all students in Years 8-14
January
Ulster Schools Secondary schools gala for all students in all Years 8-14 – students can qualify from this meet onto the junior Tenerife Schools training camp or the Senior London Training camp.
February
Swim Ireland Irish Minor schools held in Dublin – Qualification for this gala is through the Swim Ulster schools meets.
May/June
Ulster schools Minor schools gala for Year 8 & 9 students
Students are invited to nominate themselves for selection if they wish to participate and represent the school at any or all of the above meets.
Swimming Annual Report 2017-18
This year was busy for the school Swimming Club in the Ulster Grammar Schools’, Swim Ulster Schools’, the Ulster Secondary Schools’ and Irish Minor Schools’ Galas. The year started with success for twelve pupils in the Swim Ulster Schools’ Gala. Year 8 – Gemma Clyde, Matthew Loughlin, Year 9 – Oonagh Lamont, Year – 10 Aimee Hill, Year 11 – Keri Hoey, Sophie Leetch and Adam Lamont all represented the school at the Swim Ulster Schools’ Gala. Special mention to Gemma Clyde who swam in the 50m Fly and Freestyle events in the Minor category as well as the 100m events in the Junior Section, achieving personal best times in all events and qualifying for the Irish Schools’ Finals, which she attended at the NAC Dublin in February.
Aimee Hill, Year 10, made finalist of 100m Fly, finishing 5th in a new personal best time, as did Adam Lamont in 100m Fly. Both received finalist certificates.
Several of these pupils participated at the Ulster Schools’ Grammar Schools’ Gala, in November. Personal Best swims were achieved in the Year 8-10 Junior age category by Jack Adair, Gemma Clyde, Grace Fisher, Oonagh Lamont, Matthew Loughlin, Sam Wainwright and Niamh Wilson. Special congratulations to Jack Adair who made the Junior Finals of both 50m Breaststroke (finishing 5th) and the 50m Freestyle event (finishing 3rd). The Junior Girls’ Relay Team, consisting of Gemma Clyde, Niamh Wilson, Oonagh Lamont and Grace Fisher also finished 8th in both Relays in the Junior category.
The Middle School age was represented by Keri Hoey and Adam Lamont. Both made personal best times and Finals for their events, with Keri finishing 6th in 50m Fly and 7th in 100m Individual Medley and Adam finished 6th in both 50m Fly and 7th in 100m Individual Medley events.
The final meet of the season was the Ulster Schools’ Secondary Schools’ Gala. Nine pupils (Aimee Hill, Grace Fisher, Oonagh Lamont, Matthew Loughlin, Gemma Clyde, Niamh Wilson, Sam Wainwright, Keri Hoey and Adam Lamont) represented Ballymena Academy at the Ulster Secondary Schools’ Swimming Competition. Oonagh Lamont, Year 9, narrowly missed a medal in the Junior 100m Breaststroke. Aimee Hill was also very unlucky in the Junior 100 Fly, finishing 4th. Adam Lamont was a finalist in the Intermediate 100m Fly but unfortunately he too just missed out on a medal in the Finals. Special congratulations to Year 11 pupil, Keri Hoey. Keri made the Final of both 100m Fly and Individual Medley event, in which she won Silver in the Intermediate age group. These fabulous results from Keri won her a place on the Ulster Schools’ Intermediate and Senior Training Camp to London in September 2018.
All pupils should be very proud of their performances; some brilliant personal bests throughout the season. Well done!
