The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE Barracuda Swim Club dominated their 2014 Leno Corporate Services Barracuda Invite at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex over the weekend, winning by almost 1,000 points over their nearest rival.

The host Barracuda accumulated a total of 1,470 points to win the two-day meet that served as the last chance meet for swimmers wishing to qualify for the Caribbean Islands Swimming Championships.

Trailing the Barracuda were the Alpha Aquatics Swim Club with 492 points. Swift Swimming took third place with 483.50, followed by Abaco with 394 and the Lyford Cay Club, who rounded out the top five with 284.50.

“The meet was good. It was the biggest turnout that we had for the year,” said Barracuda coach Travano McPhee. “It was the last chance for swimmers to qualify for CISC, so we had a lot of swimmers trying to make the final cut.

“Overall, we had a good meet. There was at least one swimmer who made the cut, who didn’t do it so far this year. So the competition was really good. We had some good swims. The junior swimmers really impressed me. They did a good job. Abaco swum very well as well. I was really impressed.”

Maya Thompson of Swift Swimming was the only swimmer in the meet to make the cut for CISC, who had not already done so before. She joined a list of about 36 swimmers, who have already done the qualifying standards to travel to Bridgetown, Barbados, on June 28.

McPhee is expected to travel as the head coach of the team that has not yet been ratified by the Bahamas Swimming Federation. The BSF is now preparing to select the team for the CISC that is scheduled for July 1-7.

Sara Knowles, coach of a 23-member team from Abaco, said she was pleased with the fact that all of their swimmers improved on their times, which was their goal coming into the meet.

“We had a number of swimmers who qualified for Nationals (BSF’s Royal Bank of Canada National Swimming Championships in June),” Knowles said.

“I was really pleased with our eight-and-under swimmers. They performed very well. I think we will have a very good team coming back for the Nationals. We have about 35 of them, so the team will be much bigger than what we had here for this meet.”

Outstanding performances in the various age groups were posted by the following athletes, who were named as the respective high point and runners-up:

Girls Under-8

Devin Cuffy-Bethel, Barracuda, 50 points; Grace Farringrton, Barracuda, 36 points; Ella Albury, Swift Swimming, 28 points.

Boys Under-8

Noah Albury, Abaco Swim Club, 60 points; Marcus Moncur, Alpha Aquatics Swim Club, 38 points; Hodari Prince, Barracuda, 37 points.

Girls 9-10

Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson, Alpha Aquatic Swim Club, 57; Mandia Roberts, Barracuda, 57 points; Rachel Lundy, Barracuda, 39 points.

Boys 9-10

Roman Pinder, Abaco Swim Club, 63 points; Thomas Bowers, Lyford Cay Swim Club, 33 points; Sean Longley, Barracuda, 32 points.

Girls 11-12

Katherine Slatter, Barracuda, 55 points; Taylor Albury, Abaco Swim Club, 37 points; Jana Johnson, Alpha Aquatics, 36 points.

Boys 11-12

Samuel Gibson, Barracuda, 59 points; Izaak Bastian, Barracuda, 45 points; Kevon Lockhart, Unattached, 43 points.

Girls 13-14

Sian Longley, Barracuda, 56 points; Zoe McCarroll, Alpha Aquatics, 36 points; Kaitlyn Slatter, Barracuda, 33 points.

Boys 13-14

Tyler Russell, Swift Swimming, 41 points; Joshua Roberts, Swift Swimming, 40 points; Paul Bevans, Swift Swimming, 40 points.

Girls 15-and-over

Anna Misiewicz, Barracuda, 50 points; Davriele Butler, Barracuda, 35 points; Nia Scriven, Alpha Aquatics, 34 points.

Boys 15 and over

Nhyn Fernander, Barracuda, 54 points; Meshach Roberts, Barracuda, 50.50 points; Gershwin Greene, Barracuda, 47 points.