By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE Barracuda Swim Club pulled off another victory on the Bahamas Swimming Federation’s 2012/13 season. This time at their own Insurance Management Invitational at the Betty Kelly Kenning Aquatic Center over the weekend.

In the first meet for the new year as swimmers moved up in different age groups and they start turning more attention on qualifying for the Carifta Games, the Barracuda Swim Club dominated the two-day meet by collecting some 5,992.50 points.

The Swift Swimming Club, which is preparing to host the next meet this weekend, was a distant second with 2,145, while the Sea Bees were well behind in third with 439. The Dolphins got fourth with 280.50 and the Alpha Aquatics Bahamas rounded out the top five with 240.

The Blue Marlin Aquatics was sixth with 199, the visiting Freeport Aquatic Club was seventh with 77 and the Sea Waves Aquatic completed the eight-team field with just 47.

A number of outstanding performances were posted with the following swimmers carting home the high point trophies in their respective age group divisions:

Girls Division

8-and-under - Zaylie Thompson of Swift with 93 points; 9-10 - Anya MacPhail of Swift with 112 points; 11-12 - Victoria Russell of Swift with 125 points; 13-14 - Tremaine Allen of Swift with 113 points and 15-99 - Courtney Neil of the Barracuda with 122 points.

Boys division

8-and-under - Sean Longley of the Barracuda with 97 points; 9-10 -Kevon Lockhart of Swift with 142 points; 11-12 - Samuel Gibson of the Barracuda with 131 points; 13-14 - Tyrique Cox of the Barracuda with 124 points and 15-99 - Meshach Roberts of the Barracuda with 103 points.

“We swam good. We swam good. I was really pleased,” said Barracuda’s assistant coach Travanno McPhee. “We had several Carifta cuts and overall we had a very good meet coming off the Christmas break. I was really surprised to see them perform the way they did.

“We still have some details to work on. The starts could be better. The turns could be better. But overall, I was very pleased. I was very pleased with the way they performed.”

Swift’s coach Andy Knowles said he too was pleased with his swimmers’ performances.

“We had several swimmers who made the Carifta times and Victoria Russell just missed it about three times by a half a second, so it was good,” he said. “Our 10 and under boys swum very well, our 12 and under girls and our 12 and under boys also swum very well, so we had a very good meet.”

Knowles said the focus is on their upcoming meet when they will be bringing in the new swimmers who joined their club from Grand Bahama to compete in their meet, which will return with the format that they instituted last year with the times for the 200 and up races and the heats and finals for the 50 and 100 metre races.

“Everybody gets to have a second swim, so that is going to be interesting for all of the swimmers and the spectators in the stands to watch,” Knowles said. “We also expect to have some swimmers from Abaco as they too prepare for Carifta, so we are excited.”

There was a lot of excitement brewing from the swimmers after they competed. Some of those who received their awards were enthused about the remainder of the season.

“I thought I did pretty good because usually I’m the underdog in swimming, so I felt proud of myself,” said the 12-year-old Swift Swimming member. “I did the 200 IM, 50 back, breast and free and 100 breast and free.”

The St Andrew’s School seventh grader won over Amber Pinder in a keenly contested battle.

“My performance was good. I did very well in all of my races,” said 11-year-old Pinder from the Barracuda, who was second in the 11-12 division with 122.50 points. “I was pleased with my 50 free and 100 back.”

Barracuda’s Courtney Neil was the top senior swimmer at the meet.

“I swum okay. In some events, I knew I could swim better times, but in some of the others I dropped my times, so overall I think I did pretty good in this meet,” said the 15- year-old 10th grader at St Andrew’s School. “My turn overs need to be a little faster. I haven’t done any Carifta times yet, but I’m getting there.”

Her closest rival was Doran Reed, her 15-year-old Barracuda team-mate.

“It was good. I could have swum better in this meet, but it was okay,” said Reed, who competed in the 200 IM, 100 free, 100 back, 50 free and back and 50 fly. “I haven’t done any Carifta qualifier, but I’m getting there.”

Kevon Lockhart, a 10-year-old from Swift Swimming from St Andrew’s School, said he’s slowly progressing.

“I felt pretty good, but I need to work on my turns and my breaststroke,” he said. “I’m not too fast in those areas.”

Samuel Gibson, a 12-year-old seventh grader at Queen’s College, also had a good showing for the Barracuda Swim Club.

“I think it was okay. I have to work on some things like my start,” he said. “I was pleased with my overall performance.”

And Izaak Bastian, another 12-year-old Barracuda Swim team-mate from Queen’s College, was just as impressed.

“I felt it was good, but it could have been a little better,” said. “I need to work more on my IM, but I was pleased with my performance.”