SHANE FAUL FINALS @ British University Championships

This past weekend in Pond's Forge in Sheffield was the British Universities & Colleges Sports Long Course Championships. While the rest of the TEAM TSC members were organising to be fantastic at the Leinster OPEN Championships, Shane FAUL, who has been studying in Coventry University whilst swimming full time, did himself proud at this year's championships.

On Day 1 Shane swam a LC 1500FC for the very first time to test how his intensive training was going for him. He was delighted with the result of 16:43.27, demolishing any target he had set for himself and to finish 7th overall in an event that was led in the results by David Davies, who won and Olympic silver medal in Beijing in the Open Water event. Shane Splits are below for the 1500

7. Shane Faul COVENTRY 16:43.27
28.99/ 32.19/ 32.55/ 33.35/ 32.69/ 32.97/ 33.42/ 33.94/ 33.96/ 33.74/ 34.39/ 34.05/ 34.08/ 34.04/ 34.27/ 34.24/ 33.49/ 33.99/ 33.65/ 33.97/ 33.70/34.08/ 33.84/ 33.96/ 34.02/ 33.80/ 33.42/ 33.81/ 33.04/ 31.63

After a TEAM Relay and a strong 100FC (54.8) for Shane it was home to bed.

On Day 2 Shane warmed up long and got ready to race the most anticipated race of the weekend. Shane's 200FC has been a strong and ever improving event for him in recent years. In the Heats he swam 1:59.92 to qualify for the finals and then having put on his racing suit he swam to a NEW BEST time of 1:56.87 and another 7th place finish at this championships

Shane's Splits for this event were
7. Shane Faul COVENTRY 1:56.87
27.24/ 56.94/ 1:27.10/ 1:56.87 or by 50 - 27.24/ 29.70/ 30.16/ 29.77

Again a TEAM Relay and another sub 55second 100FC and it was home to bed again

On Day 3 Shane followed his routine and got himself ready to race that session. He completed a long warm up and then wasn't racing till later in the day (Hint Hint TEAM TSC Members !!! - Shane wasn't swimming till later in the session but he still completed a LARGE long volume piece of swimming for a warm-up and recovery from th ep previous day). After two lifetime best swims in the previous two days his hopes for an equally good result were rewarded with the second fastest swim he has done, an 11th place finish and the fastest time of the year to date.
Shane's splits are attached.

11. Shane Faul COVENTRY 4:10.10 - 27.63/ 30.76/ 32.16/ 32.69/ 31.94/ 32.65/ 32.07/ 30.20

Well done SHANE on a great set of swims. We all ackowledge your commitment and dedication to training, studying and living in the UK. Keep it up and we'll see you swimming faster than ever at Dave McCullagh meet in Limerick in March.

Best wishes from ALL @ TEAM TSC.

Brano!, Beaufort & De 'Nure Brilliant @ Irish Schools

Last weekend saw the Irish Senior Schools Championships in the NAC and TEAM TSC had some excellent results across the team in PB swims and some excellent racing.

Top Marks last weekend went to Grace Branagan who, having won the 100Freestyle (1:01.28) in a PB time was selected for the W.I.S.E International Schools team to travel to Wales in March to represent her country for the first time on a representative team. Well done Grace on a great result and the Irish Senior Schools - Junior 100FC Champion 2009!!

A big congrats too to the Relay's from Loreto Beaufort, Rathfarnham who won a double Gold performance in the Junior Girls Relays. Congrats to Grace Branagan, Emma Crossan, Martha O'Donoghue, Alison O'Driscoll & Ciara Feighan who combined over the two relays to deliver such good results for their School. Well done to Irish Senior Schools Girls Junior Freestyle & Medley Relay Champions 2009 - Double Gold Medallists - Loreto Beaufort, Rathfarnham.

Not to be outdone the Senior Boys relays saw Terenure College deliver a Gold medal and Bronze medal performance in their events. A massive result for the school saw Salim Sebaoui partner with the 3 Leaving Cert athletes, Cian Murphy, Finbarr McTeirnan & Ciaran Rogers, who can now move on post LC and be happy that the sporting legacy they have left in the School lives on in earnest. Well done to the Irish Senior Schools Mens Medley Relay Champions 2009 - Terenure College

Across the TEAM TSC Team we saw excellent swims from other competitors. The High School in Rathgar were well represented with Niamh Murphy picking up a bronze medal in the Inter Girls 100BS and Dayna Clegg picked up 3 2nd place finishes in the 200BC, 400FC & 200Fc and a 4th in the 100BC and a 5th in the 100FC. Beaufort girls Emma Crossan, Alison O'Driscoll & Martha O'Donoghue also delivered solid swims in the individual events with Alison finishing 6th in the individual 100BS Emma finishing twice in the top 10 in her individual events and Martha posting a new PB in the 200IM. Our Lady's Girls were well represented by Ciara Robinson in the 100BF who swam to a PB to make the final and finished in a further PB in the final to clock in an 8th place result.

The Boys from TEAM TSC also represented their schools well with Conor O'Keeffe and Brian Feighan flying the flag for Templeogue College and posting solid individual times and Terenure Colleges' Salim Sebaoui, Cian Murphy and Finbar McTeirnan also posing strong results. McTeirnan and Sebaoui finishing in 5th place and 4th place respectively in the 100BC and 200IM. St MAry's in Rathmines were also represented by Daire O'Driscoll in the mens 200BF, 100BF and 100FC and Dair's posted some strong PB or Seasons best times in the 4th place, and 2 6th place finishes in his events.

The final session of the day also saw the Templeogue College Relays battle out for national honours but alas, their enthusiastic efforts fell just outside the grade for podium finishes in 2009. Well done to Brendan Hyland, Cade Ryan, Msteslav Couslokov, Michael Devitt and Jack Higgins in the Junior Boys Teams and also to Brian Feighan, Robin Pollard, Eoin Mongey and Conor O'Keeffe who did their school proud in the relay events.

Next up for the TEAM is the Leinster Open LC Championships this weekend in NAC and a large team of 29 athletes are entered from the Team TSC ranks. We wish them well !!!