By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ALTHOUGH they fell short of Team Bahamas' performance in Cuba in 2010, Bahamas Swimming Federation (BSF) president Algernon Cargill was still beaming with excitement over the results posted by this year's team at the XIX Caribbean Islands Swimming Championships.

The team will return home from Savaneta, Aruba, with 460 points for fifth place and a total of 28 medals, including 13 gold, 10 silver and five bronze.

At the biannual championships in Cuba, the Bahamas was third with 578 points and 39 medals - 12 gold, 14 silver and 13 bronze.

"We think it's very good what the team is doing and it shows that swimming is making a lot of progress," Cargill said. "To be able to win medals at this regional meet is very impressive."

Cargill said the performances bode very well for a lot more swimmers to qualify for international meets in the future and he commended all of the coaches who have been putting in the time to get them ready to compete.

As the meet wrapped up on Wednesday night, the Bahamas secured four more medals, including a gold from Margaret Higgs in the girls' 11-12 100m breast. She won the race in one minute and 21.46 seconds.

Leslie Campbell picked up a silver in the girls' 13-14 100 back in 1:10.57, while Jenna Chaplin added another in the girls' 15 and over 800 free in 10:00.73.

The other medal - a silver - came from the team of Campbell, Simone Sturrup, Andreas Weech and Joanna Evans in the girls' 13-14 medley relay in 4:48.87.

The other medal winners over the first three days of competition were as follows:

11-12 girls

Margaret (Albury) Higgs - gold in 200 breast, gold in 50 breast, silver in 400 free and bronze in 200 IM

13-14 girls

Simone Sturrup - gold in 50 free, gold in 100 fly and gold in 50 fly

Joanna Evans - gold in 200 free, gold in 400 free and gold in 800 free

13-14 boys

Dionisio Carey - gold in 50 back

15-17 girls

Bria Deveaux - silver in 50 free, silver in 50 back and silver in 100 back

Taryn Smith - gold in 200 fly and bronze in 100 fly

18 and over girls

Jenna Chaplin - gold in 200 fly, silver in 100 fly and bronze in 200 free

Miriam Crispo - bronze in 200 fly

13-14 girls 400 freestyle relay - gold - Simone Sturrup, Leslie Campbell, Andreas Weech and Joanna Evans

18 and over boys 400 freestyle relay - silver - Armando Moss, Inoa Charlton, Chadeau Wilson and Mancer Roberts

400 medley relay - silver - Armando Moss, Inoa Charlton, Chadeau Wilson and Mancer Roberts

A number of swimmers came close to getting a medal in their respective events. They were Zach Moses and Miriam Crispo in the 400 IM, Jenna Chaplin in the 400 free, Drew Bastian and Chadeau Wilson in the 50 breast, Bria Deveaux and Armando Moss in the 100 free, Jenna Chaplin, Evante Wilson and Taryn Smith in the 50 fly, Joanna Evans in the 100 free, Dionisio Carey in the 100 back and the 400 medley team of Dionisio Carey, Drew Bastian, Farion Cooper and Gershwin Greene.