By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

With a series of dominant performances over the past two years at both the local and regional level, Margaret Albury-Higgs has established herself as a rising swim star.

Albury-Higgs completed her second stint at the CARIFTA Swimming Championships and debut in the 13-14 age group with a  total of five gold medals.

The Abaco native dominated her group with the high point total for the second consecutive year.

On the first day of competition, she took gold in the 200 metre breaststroke in 2:49.32s, and followed on day two with gold in the 50m breaststroke in 35.54s. She closed out her sweep in the breaststroke Tuesday night with gold in the 100m in 1:18.32s.

Her versatility stretched to the individual medley when she took first place in both the 200m and 400m IM.

In the 200m, she took first in 2:33.61s and finished the 400m in 5:21.91s.

At the 2012 CARIFTA Championships hosted in the Bahamas, Albury-Higgs burst onto the scene and was named the top athlete in the girls 11-12 division with 65 points.

She totalled five gold medals, two silver and one bronze.

Her gold medal performances included a sweep in all three backstroke events, winning the 50m in 37.0s, the 100m in 1:22.17s, and the 200m in 2:57.61s.

In just a year, she was able to reduce her 200m time by eight seconds, her 100m time by nearly four seconds and 50m time by nearly two seconds.

In June, Albury-Higgs continued her impressive streak at the bi-annual XIX Caribbean Islands Swimming Championships in Savaneta, Aruba.

She again swept the breaststroke in the girls 11-12 divison with gold medals in the 50m, 100m and 200m and also added silver in 400m free and bronze in 200m IM.

Locally, Higgs was one of the top performers at the RBC National Swim Championships, taking home the high point trophy.

She won 10 gold medals and two silver medals in individual events, along with three gold medals in relay events. 

Albury-Higgs has excelled in the classrom as well, finishing as the 2nd runner-up at the Bahamas Primary School Student of the year Awards in 2010.