The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS 

Senior Sports Reporter 

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AS 2017 BTC CARIFTA Swim Championships reel in closer, Travano McPhee said the coaching staff is ensuring that Team Bahamas is ready to make their splash as they face stiff competition in the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex.

The Bahamas will host the swimming competition over the Easter holiday with a 36-member BTC Team Bahamas that will compete against 24 visiting countries. Selected to carry the national flag by the Bahamas Swimming Federation are the following:

Girls 11-12 - Abayomi Brown, Salene Gibson, Rachel Lundy, Liya Moncur and Zayle Elizabeth-Thompson

Girls 13-14 - Katelyn Cabral, Jamilah Hepburn, Anya MacPhail, Jolise Newbold and Katherine Slatter

Girls 15-17 - Jasmine Gibson, Lilly Higgs, Albury Higgs, Brianna Nesbitt, Victoria Russell and Virginia Stamp

Boys 11-12 - Brayden Dam, Nigel Forbes, Jarad Reckley, Ishan Roy, Jake Thompson and Erald Thompson III

Boys 13-14 – Trent Albury, DeVante Carey, Kevon Lockhart, Sean Neely, Ian Pinder, Tristan Russell and Lemar Taylor

Boys 15-17 – Miller Albury, Izaak Bastian, Samuel Gibson, Peter Morley, Joshua Roberts, William Russell and Alec Sands

McPhee, who will coach the team along with Jorge Rodriquez, said they are ready to take advantage of the home field in their bid to regain the title they lost to Guadeloupe in Martinique last year.

“We are looking good. We have about 23 swimmers in the pool because the others are away,” McPhee said. “We are looking pretty good.”

McPhee said as the meet draws near, they should have the entire team working out together. But despite not having everybody here right now, he still likes what he sees in the make-up of the team.

“The strength all across the board will see us filling all of the gaps that we had last year,” he said. “This is definitely a stronger team than we had last year.”

McPhee highlighted the Higgs sisters (Albury and Lilly), who will lead the girls’ 15-17, Izaak Bastian and Alec Sands in the boys’ division, Rachel Lundy and Nigel Forbes in the girls and boys 11-12 and Anya MacPhail and DeVante Carey in the 13-14 categories.

At their team practice on Saturday, some of the competitors expressed their excitement in competing here at home.

“I’m happy that I’m a part of the team,” said Katherine Slatter, who will be competing in the girls 13-14 division. “I feel very good.”

This is Slatter’s third appearance on the team, but she’s hoping that it will be her charm as she finally wins her first medal or two.

“I’m in a stronger age group, but I’m better prepared so hopefully I can get it this time,” projected Slatter, the 14-year-old tenth grader at St Andrew’s who specialists in the breaststroke. “I think we have a very good team and I think we’re going to do very well.”

Izaak Bastian is one of the veteran male competitors on the team as he’s making his fifth appearance and has been on the podium to receive a medal in all but his first trip when he got off to a rough start.

“I’m looking forward to a good home crowd as the people come out and support us,” said Bastian, a 16-year-old student, who was home from his studies at St Andrew’s School in Boca Raton, Florida.

“I hope that we can develop a good comradary as a team and I’m also hoping that I can win some more medals, hopefully gold and maybe set some Carifta records. I’m really excited about competing at home.”

Zayle Elizabeth-Thompson is back for her second competition in the girls 11-12 division and having won multiple medals, she’s looking for an encore.

“I’m looking forward to the team spirit in the relays,” said Elizabeth-Thompson, a 12-year-old ninth grader at St Andrew’s. “I think we have a very foo chance of winning.”

As for her own aspirations, Elizabeth-Thompson has one thing on her mind: Gold.

“It’s going to be tough, but we’ve been training for it,” she insisted.

Jolise Newbold is back for her second appearance after making her debut in 2015 when she missed out in winning a medal, but she’s confident that she can at least get one, preferably the gold this time around when she compete in the 13-14 division.

“I just want to do my best,” Newbold said. “This is a good team that we have and I feel that the Bahamas will come first. I think we will be more comfortable with this being our home pool.”

And Jarad Reckley, a competitor in the boys’ 11-12 category, is making his debut, but he said he’s “excited, I’m happy and I feel accomplished.

“I expect to do my best and see if I can get a medal,” said Reckley, a 12-year-old Home School student. “I feel we have a strong team this year and with the games here at home, that will make is more energetic and more happy to go out there and fight for our team.”

The swimming competition will start on Saturday, April 15 at 9 am and continue with the evening session at 6 pm at the Betty Kelly Swim Complex. The competition will continue on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, April 16-18 at the same times.

The open water competition, covering a 5-kilometre course, will be held on Long Wharf Beach on Wednesday, April 19 at 8 am. The water polo championships will take place from April 7-9 at the BKKSC where the Bahamas will be out to win the title for the first time.