By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

BARRON Musgrove Jr and Lyall Menzies both won two medals each for Team Bahamas as the CARIFTA Triathlon and Aquathlon Championships came to a close yesterday.

The official results have not yet been released, but The Bahamas is expected to leave Trinidad & Tobago with a fifth-place finish, an improvement on their sixth place last year.

After watching 17 of the 27-member team compete in the triathlon on day one on Saturday and the rest in the aquathlon yesterday, assistant coach Grant Menzies said they were pleased with the overall performances.

“We are extremely proud of the entire team for their individual and team performances over the past two days of competition,” said Menzies, who assisted head coach Marco Aballi.

“After a long summer of training each team member gave everything they had amid fierce competition and tough conditions.”

One of Menzies’ three sons on the team, Lyall Menzies, twin brother to Fraser, both 12 and entering grade seven at Windsor High School, got his gold in the 11-12 triathlon and a bronze in the aquathlon. 

Their older brother, Malcolm Menzies, competed in the 16-9 division. 

Musgrove Jr, a student at the University of The Bahamas, got a silver in the boys’ 20-21 triathlon and came back and picked up the silver in aquathlon.

“This is like every child’s dream come true,” said Musgrove Jr about winning his medals. 

“But at a top level representing your own country, this is definitely a moment I will remember and a story for me to tell.”

Musgrove Jr, the 20-year-old son of former national cyclist Barron Musgrove Sr, said the competition was very tough “fighting through the roaring waves, cycling up the high hills and running in the heat. But I managed to stick to my number one plan, which was to have fun and treat it like training.” As for Team Bahamas, Musgrove Jr said while this was his fourth CARIFTA, being a part of this team was very special for him.

“I got very close with my teammates and coaches,” he said. “This team has very good sportsmanship.”

Musgrove Jr thanked God for making it possible; his parents for showing him the path for anything that’s comes my way; his coaches Aballi and Menzies for working him very hard and his teammates for being so supportive and having that team spirit.

Just outside of the medal count in the triathlon, Erin Pritchard, Malcolm Menzies, Launy Duncombe, Fraser Menzies and Sophie Brueckner all finished inside the top 10.

As for the aquathlon, the Bahamas had several top ten finishes across the various age groups and the mixed relay teams got a sixth place and ninth place finish.