Cayman torpedoes make big splash

The Cayman National Junior Swim team arrived in Curacao, a country known for its passion for baseball with a swing for the fences attitude – and they certainly hit some home runs.

Over the fourth and penultimate day of competition, Easter Sunday, the young athletes stepped up to the starting blocks focused and determined to deliver even more points for their team.

A balanced line-up of swimmers contributed points on the board. Jillian Crooks, holder of the 100 metres freestyle CARIFTA record, added the 50m freestyle meet record in spectacular fashion, by clocking in at 26.08 seconds. Dominic Gunn placed fifth in the 13-14-year category.

Harper Barrowman hit for the freestyle set, adding the 400m gold medal to her previous winning performances in the 800m, 200m, and 1500m distances. Teagan Nash won 200m fly gold. Teammate James Allison ran his streak to the medal stand to three nights in a row by claiming silver in the 15-17 men’s age group in the same event. Impressive 400m performances were also turned in by Cassidy Coles, Lev Fahy, and Chase Watson in the 11-12 age groups.

Sierrah Broadbelt and Riley Watson produced a spectacular double, going one, two in the 200m backstroke final. Broadbelt, after sweeping the butterfly, backstroke, and individual medley series in the 13-14 age group, also secured bronze in her 50m freestyle final.

Higgo kept the fireworks going, racing away from the field to win gold in the 15-17 backstroke final. Anna Oldfield gained valuable experience, placing sixth in her 11-12 group. Will Sellars and Lev Fahy collected silver and bronze medals, respectively in their age groups with tremendous efforts. Earlier in the day, Tate Marr swam well in his 200m heat, narrowly missing a spot in the finals.

The 100m breaststroke series produced no medals, but Rufy Lovett, Kaitlyn Sullivan, and Jordan Lisle all shaved times off their preliminary swims and kept the momentum going.

Late night drama came in the 4x50m freestyle relay. Sofia Bonati anchored the gold winning 15-17 relay team along with Crooks, Higgo, and Barrowman. They received an assist from teammate Ava Butler, who was stellar in the qualifying heat earlier in the day. The 13-14 girls, Broadbelt, Watson, Oldfield and Lisle bagged a bronze with the 11-12 relay team of Cassidy Coles, Anna Oldfield, Lucy Butler, and Francesca Altamura performing admirably in their heat, barely edged out in their quest for the medal stand. The boys 11-12 relay team of Fahy, Bispath, Bain and Watson secured another silver medal for Team Cayman Islands and banked more valuable points.

It was quite a road trip for the Cayman Team, with the Open Water competitors ready to step up for the final innings in Caracas Baai, Curacao.