Akeem?Nurse, Keisha Rouse and Alex Sobers are quietly reflecting the changing face of swimming.
Established brand-name schools such as Harrison College and Queen’s College remain the powerhouses in schools’ swimming, but it is not all about them anymore.
Nurse was one of the biggest stories of last week’s championships. He kept the flag flying for the newer secondary schools by providing three victories for St George Secondary in the boys’ 15-and-over division.
Nurse, 16, in his first year in this age group, won the 100 metres individual medley (IM), 50 metres butterfly and 50 backstroke, and had a nail-biting loss to Gabriel Gunby of Harrison College in the 50 breaststroke.
The fifth form student is leaving no stone unturned in his quest to make more impact at the forthcoming Short Course National Championships slated for next week at the Aquatic Centre.
“I know I have it in me to go even faster. Swimming is my sport and I want to do well in it,” Nurse said.
One of the biggest stars was little Keisha Rouse of Deighton Griffith Secondary. She had an impressive win over more established swimmers Kimberley Willoughby of Combermere and Amara Gibbs of The St Michael School in an exciting girls’ 15-and-over 50 metres freestyle, smashing the record with a time of 28.39 seconds.
This was the second time that Rouse had defeated Gibbs and Willoughby.
“It was a real joy to win at these championships but it is not the first time I have beaten them. I defeated them for the first time at a Titans International meet,” said a delighted Rouse, who also won the 100 freestyle.
Rouse, who hails from Parish Land, Christ Church, is the fastest schoolgirl in the country.
Nurse, a product of the Pine, is one of the fastest schoolboys. This would have been unlikely and unheard of in the 1960s, 70s, 80s and up till recently. Swimming has truly thrown off its shackles as an elitist sport.
Harrison College, Queen’s College, The St Michael School and Codrington High were 1-2-3-4 in both the boys’ and girls’ divisions and that may not change anytime soon as those schools have depth and the large numbers who are exposed to swim lessons and the best facilities at an early age.
Deighton Griffith Secondary didn’t have the depth, fielding just three swimmers, but were able to make the top six in both divisions. They secured 52 points in the boys’ competition and all 52 came from their only boy, Alex Sobers, who was the class of the 13-14 field.
The 14-year-old from Keizer Hill, Christ Church, captured the 100 metres IM, the 50 metres butterfly and freestyle, and broke the record in the 100 freestyle with a time of 53.67 seconds, lowering the time of 53.94 set by Martyn Forde 13 years ago.
Harrison College must be saluted for their sweep of both divisions for the second straight year. Their boys have now won ten of the last 14 championships, while the girls have triumphed 11 times in the last 12 years.
