The 2018 Swim Ulster Short Course Championships concluded in Ireland last weekend, with two notable National Records biting the dust when all was said and done.
Last year’s World Junior Champion in the women’s 100m breaststroke, Mona McSharry, got her sprint on in Ulster, taking down the Irish National Record in the SCM 50 freestyle. She crushed a time of 25.12 to overtake Danielle Hill’s previous NR of 25.49 from the 2017 European Short Course Championships.
McSharry also fired off a new national standard in the 100m IM, where the 18-year-old powered her way to a win in a time of 1:00.66. That obliterated the previous Irish NR of 1:01.12 set by Sycerika McMahon back in 2012, as well as places McSharry just outside the top 25 performances in the world so far this SCM season.
These record-breaking performances add to McSharry’s already prolific presence on the Irish National Record board. She holds the SCM 50m and 100m breaststroke national marks, while she also is the LCM record holder across the 50m free, 50m breast, 100m breast and 200m breast events.
Also cracking a new record in Ulster was Michael Hewitt, as the City of Belfast swimmer produced a new Irish Junior Record in the men’s 100m butterfly. His winning time of 54.61 surpassed Brendan Hyland’s previous Junior NR of 54.73 that’s been on the books since 2012.