The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

One week after being named by Bahamas Aquatics, members of the 36-member team heading to Trinidad & Tobago on a quest for their seventh straight CARIFTA swimming title began their training sessions in unison.

After selecting its six team captains, the team members went through a gruelling workout session on Saturday morning and they returned for another afternoon session at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex where the workout intensified under veteran head coach Travano McPhee.

“We’re going for seven straight as the defending champions,” said McPhee of the CARIFTA Swimming Championships that will be held simultaneously in Trinidad & Tobago over the Easter holiday weekend with the track and field and cycling competition. 

“We have some swimmers who have been on the team before and we have a number of new swimmers, but they’re all ready and experienced. 

“But all in all, it’s a strong team. We have put together the team that we could assemble, so hopefully we can bring home the seven-peat.”

McPhee, a former CARIFTA swimmer, headed Team Bahamas as the head coach for the six-straight titles run. He also served as head coach for the CAC Games, CISC, Pan American Games, Commonwealth Games and last year at the Olympic Games in Paris, France.

Assisting McPhee in Trinidad will be Camron Bruney and Jasmine Gibson. Allan Murray will be the open water coach. Celestial Darville is the team manager and Therell Smith and  Melvin Rolle are the female and male chaperones.

Following their selections, based on their experiences and leadership qualities, the team captains were all eager to express their desire to lead Team Bahamas into the competition from April 18-22 on their chartered Bahamasair flight. 

One of the male captains, William Farrington, a 16-year-old student of St Andrew’s School, will be back for his fourth appearance on the team. 

“I’m really excited to go into Trinidad and to represent the team in a different age category,” Farrington said. “I think we have a really strong team, as we’ve done every year, but I think we should really be able to maximize on our breaststrokes and in the sprint races this year.

“I just want to have a good swim, score some points and just encourage my team-mates. I wany to make sure we get this seven-peat.”

Tia-Isabella Adderley, who came home for the weekend from the University of Tampa where she is studying Sports Medicine, is making her third CARIFTA team, but will only be competing for the second time as the 2021 championships was canceled due to Covid-19.

“I’m really excited, especially to be a team captain and to lead the team. Being in such a leadership role is really a dream, but I’m looking forward to it,” said the 17-year-old Ferguson. 

“I’m looking forward to a seven-peat and just keeping the team focused and motivated and have fun while we are swimming. For me, I just want to finish strong because this will be my last CARIFTA.”

And Caden Wells, who is also making his fourth trip to the championships, said they have a very good team, but they just have to train and stay focused.

“Coach Travano just beat us up today, but if we all just concentrate and do the workouts, I think we have a very good chance of winning the title again for the seventh time,” Wells said.

“This is my last year, so I’m expecting to break some times that I’ve been sitting on for a while. I’ve dropped in my yard times a lot, but I believe if I continue to train hard, I can go and drop my breaststrokes and IUM times.”

Although he’s 18, Wells said his birthday falls in the time frame to allow him to still compete in the 15-17 division, so unlike some of the other swimmers who were on the team last year, they didn’t make it.

“We lost some people, but I feel like the people we lost aren’t enough to make us lose this meet at all,” insisted Wells, a 12-grade student at McCallie School in Chattanoga, Tennessee.

The other two female team captains are Elle Theberge and Mia Patton and Ayrton Moncur is the third male captain. They are all competing in the 15-17 age group.

Team Bahamas was selected a week ago by Bahamas Aquatics following the Last Chance meet. 

The team consist of the following:

Female swimmers

Age Category 11 -12 - Sienna Campbell, Skarlette Donaldson, Isabella Munroe, Taylen Nicolls and Semaiah Rolle.

Age Category 13 -14 - Isabella Cuccurullo, Alissa Ferguson, Saleste Gibson, Siann Isaacs, DNDN McKenzie, Violet Saralegui, Kimaya Saunders and Skyler Smith.

Age Category 15 -17 - Tia-Isabella Adderley, Lelah Lewis, Mia Patton, Elle Theberge, Zoe Williamson and Elyse Wood.

Male swimmers

Age Category 11 -12 - Kai Bastian, Logan Comarcho, Da’Kari Cooper, Nitayo Knowles and Dexter Russell.

Age Category 13 -14 - Christon Joseph, Alexander Murray, Trace Russell, David Singh, Kaylan Williams and Issac Wright.

Age Category 15 -17 - Tristen Hepburn, William Farrington, Ellie Gibson, Ayrton Moncur, Donald Saunders and Caden Wells.

Open water team

Female swimmers 

Age Category 14 -15 - Gillian Albury, Samirah Donaldson and Madison Fox.

Age Category 16 -18 - Madison Gilbert, Alanna Murray and Erin Pritchard.

Male swimmers

Age Category 14 -15 - Lauchlan Menzies, Trace Russell and Kaylan Williams.

Age Category 16 -18 - Kevin Johnson Jr., Malcolm Menzies and Myles Saunders.

Over the next few weeks, McPhee said they will fine tone some relay exchanges and build their team moral and comradery to get them ready for Trinidad.

“We are in a very high adage stage, so we just want to keep them focused and prepared for the task ahead of us and that is to win our seventh straight title,” McPhee summed up.

The team will work out again together this weekend.