The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

IT WAS a strong opening night performance for Team Bahamas at the XXI Caribbean Island Swimming Championships as the team looked to set the tone for a possible historic meet.

The Bahamas topped the medal podium numerous times on day one and set several new CISC records last night at the Betty Kelly Kenning National Swim Complex.

Joanna Evans and Olympian Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace lived up to expectations with gold medal swims and CISC records in their respective events.

Evans took the first medal for the Bahamas on the night with a finish of 8:40.60 seconds in the 800m Free while Vanderpool-Wallace took the 100m Fly in 1:00.49.

Other senior members of the team were able to lead the way for the 68-member Bahamian contingent with the 1550m/800m Free, 200m Breat, 100m Fly and Mixed Relay 200m Free on the schedule.

Matthew Lowe took gold in the 1500 Free in a CISC record setting time of 16:22.01, while Laura Morely won the 200m Breast in 2:39.34.

Dustin Tynes won silver in the 200m Breast in 2:20.97 and Vereance Burrows took bronze in the 100m Fly in 55.81.

In the 15-17 age group, the Higgs sisters took their familiar spot atop the medal podium in the 200m Breast.

Albury Higgs finished first in a CISC record setting time of 2:36.43 while Lilly Higgs was second in 2:42.87.

N’Nhyn Fernander won bronze in the 100m Fly in 57.01.

In the Boys 13-14 200m Breast, Izaak Bastian won gold and also set a new CISC record in 2:23.43. 

Lamar Taylor was the youngest individual medal winner for the Bahamas on the day with gold and a new CISC record in the Boys 11-12 100m Fly with a time a 1:04.59.

In the Mixed Relay 200m Free, the Bahamas won gold in the 11-12, silver in the 15-17 and bronze in the senior divisions.

Day two will feature the 200m Free, 50m Fly, 100m Back, 400m Individual Medley and 400m Free Relays.

The opening prelims session begins at 9am and the evening session of the finals begins at 5:30pm.

Earlier this month, Bahamas Swimming Federation President Algernon Cargill said the 69-member team was comprised with the goal of winning the CISC at the forefront.

“It’s the first time that we are hosting the CISC in the Bahamas and our goal is to win the CISC, so we have put together a balanced team because there are no size limitations for us as the host country,” he said.

“So we picked a team that we know will provide us with some quality swims and will have excellent representation here at home as we try to win the CISC title for the first time.”

The team features 34 male and 35 females between the ages of 11 and 26.

In the past, the Bahamas has placed second and third, but never has the team been as large as this.

The largest CISC team to represent the country prior to this year’s meet was about 30 members.