Lifesavers make a splash at National Championship
WEXFORD Surflifesaving sent a 37-strong team to the recent National Pool Lifesaving Championship at the University of Limerick, winning gold, silver and bronze in a number of key disciplines.
Wexford swept the floor in the line throw event with gold coming from the senior women’s pairing of Denise Bolger (current world record holder) and Aoife Milne. Not to be outdone, the junior pairing of John Milne and Ross O’Loughlin, struck gold again in a close-fought competition.
Setting themselves firmly amongst Ireland’s top lifesaving competitors, the Wexford team members battled hard in nine different events and brought home bronzes in three out of the five competing age groups.
The medal haul grew with the junior girls pairing of Ava Ryan and Priya Daly O’Toole taking silver and their Wexford teammate pairing of Katie Rossiter Gargan and Hannah Leacy winning bronze.
Again the Masters, taking inspiration from the younger competitors, Wexford took silver in the women’s event with Suzi Vaughan and Alys Colclough working quickly to a strong finish. În the men’s event the Wexford pair of David Kenny and Mike Ryan were third in an impossibly close event.
Wexford had three junior boys teams competing. The junior boys’ team of Ross O’Loughlin, John Milne, Adam Cleary and Harry McGuckian were narrowly beaten into third by counties Donegal and Clare.
The Wexford Senior Women, who took bronze overall, lost out to counties Wicklow and Clare. Denise Bolger, Aoife Milne, Shauna Ryan, Emma Miley and Anna Kavanagh gave powerful and consistent performances on the day, and at times were unlucky not to score higher.
The Masters Women took third and the men’s team took fourth in a combined score, winning bronze overall, their third year being placed in the top three teams in the country.
Ross O’Loughlin also took bronze in the 50m Manikin carry.
The Senior men’s team of Corey Mahon, Cian Clark, Darragh Sinnot and Bill Milne, who competed strongly with a number of top finishes, were unlucky not to be on the medal podium at the finish.
Surflifesaving, the sport of lifeguards has been the fastest growing sport in Ireland for the past two years. This year Anna Kavanagh, Ross O’Loughlin, Denise Bolger, Daragh Sinnot and Bill Milne were all selected to National Junior and Senior Squads.
Both Denise and Bill represented Ireland in the European Surflifesaving Championships held last September, both reaching finals & Denise, honouring her country with two visits to the medals podium for two events.
To find out more about Wexford Surflifesaving, visit wexfordwatersafety.ie.