By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Head coach Travano McPhee liked what he saw from the Bahamas’ 36-member team at the 2019 CARIFTA Swimming Championships at the Barbados Aquatic Centre.

The team wrapped up its third straight and five out of six titles last night. “It feels good to win, but amazing to win three straight and five out of six years,” said McPhee, a former CARIFTA swimmer. “Our swimmers showed up and did what they came here to do. We are coming home as champions - again.”

They did it by collecting a total of 889.5 points to take the title where it mattered the most.

Jamaica followed with 748 points and Trinidad & Tobago rounded out the top three with 676 points.

Unlike the CARIFTA track and field competition that saw a reverse in the Cayman Islands where Jamaica dominated the medal table, the total points decide the winner in swimming.

And female team captain Katelyn Cabral summed it up best when she put the focus on the Bahamas Swimming Federation, led by president Algernon Cargill and their team manager Georgette Albury.

“This victory is amazing because it is our first ever three-peat for swimming,” she said.

“Every swimmer worked hard. The coaches, team manager, chaperones, our federation president and executives powered us this win.”

For the record, the Bahamas accumulated a total of 73 medals, inclusive of 35 gold, 18 silver and 20 bronze to top that segment of the games.

Jamaica was second with 59 medals, including 22 gold, 25 silver and 12 bronze.

With 17 gold, 12 silver and 14 bronze for their total of 43 medals, Trinidad & Tobago placed third overall.

The Bahamas brought the curtain down on the games in the final event with the boys’ 15-17 relay team smashing their third CARIFTA record. The team of Izaak Bastian, Davante Carey, Kevon Lockhart and Lamar Taylor put the icing on the cake in the 4 x 50m freestyle in 1:35.18.

Complete results will be published in another edition of Tribune Sports.

Today, the ocean water swim competition is set to take place before the team makes its trek home and starts the preparation to defend their title in Kingston, Jamaica, in 2020.