Kilkenny students make a big splash in Leinster

Swimming in Kilkenny enjoyed a fantastic weekend in Dublin when a number of local schools were successful at the Leinster Senior Schools Championships.

While almost all swimmers are members of Kilkenny Swimming Club, on this occasion they were representing their own schools.

Kilkenny College won the Boys Senior Cup while CBS finished second.

Key to victory for Kilkenny College was a win in the medley relay where points count double. The team was Sean Cooke, Daran Yalnazov, Doug Duffy and Louis Jordan.

The CBS relay team came fourth with a team of Daragh O’Brien, Brendan Pretorius, Marcas Bowen and Florien Veith.

It was another one-two for Kilkenny in the girls Intermediate with Presentation winning and Loreto second.

The relay was key to Presentation success, when they claimed first place in the 200m freestyle relay with a team of Shelby Newsome, Orlaith Cuddihy, Megan Murphy and Abby Cunningham.  

St Kieran’s College won the Intermediate Cup and, again, the 200m freestyle relay was key when a quartet of Sam Kealy, Sam McAviney, Conor Carroll and Dan Rohan took top spot.

Individual medals at the gala were won by:

• Kate Maher (Loreto), who placed 3^rd in the 100m freestyle
• Abby Cunningham (Presentation), who placed 3^rd in the 400m freestyle
• Dan Rohan (Kieran’s), who came 1^st in the 400m freestyle
• Jane O’Connor (Loreto), who placed 2^nd in the 100m breaststroke

There was excellent swimming throughout the day with many swimmers setting new personal bests. Other schools and swimmers from Kilkenny taking part and not already mentioned above were:

• Gael Scoil Osraí: Kate & Sophie Hoyne
• Castlecomer Community School: Molly Bollard and Isobel Dunne.
• Loreto Kilkenny: Lucy Maher, Aimee Farrell, Laura Kenna, Eve Lehane, Eabha Murphy, Chloe Thompson and Nyah Vaughan.
• Presentation Kilkenny: Lucy Cunningham, Anna Ryle, Sarah Hennessy, Laura Fahy, Katie Boyd, Ella Cleary and Eimear Lannon.
• Kilkenny College: Ella Cooke, Sophie Igoe, Michael Kononov and Ryan Yalnazov
• Kilkenny CBS: Noah Gilsenan and Charlie Ryan