SEVEN overseas-based swimmers are in a Barbados 17-member national swim team contesting the inaugural three-day Union Americana de Natacion (UANA) Swimming Cup Competition starting at the Coral Springs Aquatic Complex, Florida, from tomorrow and ending Saturday.
The ten local swimmers left the island yesterday along with head coach Aisha Norville, assistant coach Ancille Inniss, manager Andrea Titus and chaperone Debbie Talma.
The long course meet, while being held in the United States, is designed for athletes from Central America, South America, and the Caribbean that are in UANA Zones 1 and 2. That means no Americans nor Canadians will be competing.
“The meet will be challenging seeing it is a time finals but we believe the swimmers will accomplish best times,” manager Titus told NATION SPORT after the team landed safely in Florida following their early morning flight from the Grantley Adams International Airport.
They will be joined by the overseas swimmers, who include Baylor College’s Jack Kirby, who was a double Caribbean Amateur Swimming Confederation Championships (CCCAN) gold medallist in the 50 and 100 backstroke, and Luis Sebastian Weekes
The other United States-based swimmers are DamonSt Prix (Peddie College); Mckayla Treasure (St Andrews College); Roan Baker, who is at Roosevelt Intermediate School but trains with Berkeley Aquatic Club; Tristan Pragnell, who is studying at Stuyvesant High School but trains with Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics and Zarah Gaskin of Bishop’s High School, who trains with Tidal Wave.
The meet which include three age groups for swimmers aged 11-12, 13-14 and 15-17, is a golden opportunity for Barbados to improve on last year’s performances.
Barbados finished a disappointing fifth at the 32nd CARIFTA Championships in The Bahamas and sixth at CCCAN in Trinidad and Tobago.
Heading the local swimmers are triple CCCAN gold medallist Danielle Titus and double CARIFTA and CCCAN gold medallist in the 50 and 200 metres breaststroke Nkosi Dunwoody.
Titus, who set a new CCCAN record of 2:22.39 minutes in the 13-14 200 metres backstroke and is also a double CARIFTA gold medallist, and Treasure, are the only two girls selected for the 15-17 division. Dunwoody and Kirby are joined by Weekes and St Prix in a strong Boys’ 15-17 age category.
Adia Deane and Omari Sealy are the lone girl and boy in the 11-12 age group. The 13-14 boys’ have the most competitors with the quintet of McCallum Clarke, Baker, Pragnell, Kai Trotman and Niel Skinner.
The four 13-14 girls should give a good account of themselves with the likes of Aza Dunwoody, Kelani Talma, Danielle Treasure and Gaskin. (EZS)
Officials: Andrea Titus (manager), Debbie Talma (chaperone), Aisha Norville (head coach), Ancille Inniss (assistant coach).