By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net    

ALTHOUGH they increased the qualifying standards for CARIFTA 2025, Bahamas Aquatics president Algernon Cargill was pleased with the performances of the swimmers at their Winter Invitational.

The two-day meet held on Friday night and Saturday morning at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex saw more than a dozen swimmers attaining the qualifying standard for CARIFTA.

According to Cargill, who has served as the head of Bahamas Aquatics since 2003, the Bahamas will go into Trinidad & Tobago over the Easter holiday weekend for their “seventh heaven” CARIFTA championship title.

“The season started from October last year, but this is the first event for the year,” Cargill said. “One thing we did was we increased or made the qualifying times faster because we want to have a faster team.

“We go into Trinidad and they have already said they expect to win CARIFTA at home, so we want to carry our best team. We think the faster times for the swimmers will motivate them even more.” Swimmers from both New Providence and Grand Bahama were quite thrilled with their performances, despite the fact that it was a bit more chilly than expected.

Mako’s Saleste Gibson, a 14-year-old tenth grader at Genesis Academy, said the meet was a good way to get back in that competitive form, competing in the girls 13-14 division.

“I had four events and I dropped my best time in the 50m backstroke (32.80 CARIFTA cut) and I was on my best times in the 100m freestyle (1:02.56 CARIFTA cut), 400m freestyle (4:57.94) and the 50m fly (30.64 CARIFTA cut). I think this was a good way to get back into it.

She said her plans for this year is just to stay “focussed” in her practices as she trains hard to get on her fourth CARIFTA team and to win some medals to “show my appreciation.”

Isabella Munroe, also from Mako, said she was thrilled to have made several CARIFTA cuts in the girls 11-12 division.

“My 200m freestyle (2:25.59 CARIFTA cut) was very good,” said Munroe, an 11-year-old sixth grader at St Andrew’s. “My plans are to make the CARIFTA team for the first time and to go to Trinidad and win.”

She also surpassed the CARIFTA cut in both the 200m freestyle in 2:25.59 and 200m IM in 2:47.29 and also won both the 50m freestyle in 30.14 and the 100m backstroke in 1:22.87. 

Grand Bahamian Isabella Cuccurullo, a 13-year-old ninth grader at Lucaya International, said she was impressed with the progress she made in the girls 13-14 division. 

“My 200m breaststroke (2:53.57 CARIFTA cut) was really good. I felt good in the race and I dropped a lot of time,” said Cuccurullo, who is aiming for her second CARIFTA appearance. 

“My plans for this year is to make the CARIFTA team and to go and represent the Bahamas and get some medals and hopefully help us continue the winning streak.”

Currurullo also won the 100m fly in 1:12.51. 

Another Grand Bahamian Nitayo Knowles, a 12-year-old eighth grader at Sunland Baptist Academy, considered his performance to be a “decent” one.

“Last night (Friday), I didn’t perform so well, but I was a lot happier with what I did today (Saturday),” he said. “I was pleased with my 50m freestyle (28.38) and my 200 IM (2:43.76).

“All of these swims are to make the CARIFTA team, so hopefully I can make it. I missed it last year, but I really want to go this year. I’m working hard towards that goal.”

He also won the boys 11-12 200m freestyle in 2:22.65, the 200m breaststroke in 3:13.87 and the 100m breaststroke in 1:31.06.

Alpha Aqutic’s Siann Isaacs, a 14-year-old ninth grader at Windsor High, said she felt she could have performed better, but she will settle for what she did in the girls 13-14 division. 

She won the 200 butterfly in 3:01.11 and was third in the 200m IM in 2:54.11 with Jaylah Threadgill winning in a CARIFTA cut of 2:40.76, followed by Samirah Donaldson in 2:51.10. 

“My plans are to get top times in the 400m IM and the 800 free snd the 1,500m free,” said Isaacs, who is seeking her second straight appearance on the team. “I’m looking forward to it this year.”

Mako Swim Club’s Kai Bastian, a 12-year-old seventh grader at St Augustine’s College, said he was thrilled to have dropped some of his times in making a few cuts for CARIFTA in the boys 11-12 division. 

“I’m looking forward to making CARIFTA and winning some gold medals for my country. I hope I get on that podium,” said Bastian, who did the standard in the 50m backstroke in 33.11.

He also won both the 50m free in 28.92 and the 50m breaststroke in 41.01.

Barracuda’s David Singh, a 14-year-old tenth grader at Heuristic Academy, said he was pleased with his performance, achieving the CARIFTA cut in the boys 13-14 200m backstroke in 2:27.05 and the 200m IM in 2:26.87.

“This wasn’t one of my top meets. I’m training for CARIFTA, so it;s more like a preparation meet,” said Singh, an individual medley specialist who is looking forward to making his fourth CARIFA team.

“I’m just trying to put in my energy and how I would swim at CARIFTA. I think I did pretty good. Hopefully when CARIFTA comes I will be in top performance and help the Bahamas repeat as champions.”

Blue Waters’ Christon Joseph, a 13-year-old ninth grader at St Anne’s College, admitted that he didn’t perform as well as he’s capable of doing in the boys 13-14 division. 

He made the CARIFTA cut in the freestyle in 57.39 and won the 200m breaststroke in 2:58.55 and was second in the 50m breastroke in 35.36 behind his team-mate Alexander Murray, who the CARIFTA cut to win in 32.90.

In the 50m fly, Joseph (28.18) turned the table on Murray i(28.43).

“I have other things to worry about and I haven’t fully recovered, but it was a good meet,” he said. “I will have better meets this year, so I’m not too concerned.”

Joseph said his aim as well is to go to CARIFTA and back home some with a number of gold medals

“I want to win high point nationals as well,” said Joseph, who is seeking to make his third straight appearance on the CARIFTA team. “I know I can do it.”