Source: www.guardian.co.tt
USA-based Kimberlee John-Williams and Joshua McLeod head a top quality field of local swimmers who will have one final chance to attain the qualifying times for the Carifta Games in Barbados from April 23-26 when they compete in the National Age-Group Short Course Swimming Championships from today. The five-day meet, hosted by Atlantis Aquatics under the Amateur Swimming Association of T&T (ASATT), splashes off at St Michael’s Swimming Pool Facility, Presentation College, San Fernando from 6 pm. A Carifta Games multi-medallist and record-holder, John-Williams is coming off an impressive first season at Baylor High School in Tennessee where she helped the school to the Tennessee Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association (TISCA) State Championship Meet title last month. Prior to that title, she was also part of Baylor’s 200-yard freestyle relay team which also comprised Kristen Vredeveld, Bria Deveaux and Ashley Yearwood which smashed the Southeastern Swimming record for 15-16 girls at the Martha Bass Invitational.
John-Williams and her schoolmates posted a 1:35.57, easily breaking the old record of 1:38.77 set by a Baylor team in January of 2009. This was also a new Baylor School Natatorium record, breaking the old record of 1:36.87 established by Baylor in 2008. Mc Leod, meanwhile is coming off a boys’ 18 & Over age-group title at ASATT’s pentathlon held at the same venue two weeks ago. He was a member of the T&T contingent at the World Short Course Championship last December and, a winner of a gold medal at the Canada Cup and will be eager to put on some good performances as he looks ahead to Barbados next month.
Other top pentathlon performers expected to compete from today are Jewel Mulrain, Shania David Arielle Downes, D’Rell John, Aaron Acres and Canadian-based Tariq Lashley in the 11-12 age-group. Syriah David, Sangeeta Maharaj, Rebekah Mendoza, Jabaria Baptiste, Jonathan Gonzales, David Mc Leod and Dylan Carter head the field in the 13-14 category while Kadeja Phillip, Kimberly Joseph, Noelle Smith, Joshua Romany, Jonathan Cabral, Blaine Sobrian are main attractions in the 15-17 Division. In addition to Mc Leod, his brother Abraham Mc Leod, Ryan Rigues, Stefan Sharpe, Meagan Mark and Rochelle Pierre will be the main candidates for Carifta places. The meet will continue until Friday with warm-ups beginning from 4.30 followed by competition from 6pm while on Saturday and Sunday there will be two sessions. The first session swims off from 7.30 am will competition from 9 am while the evening sessions begins at 4.30 and competition from 6 pm.
Order of Events
Today:
1–2: 200m breaststroke 11 & over time finals
3–4: 100m butterfly 9–10 time finals (slower heats only)
5–6: 50m butterfly 11–12 heats
7–8: 50m butterfly 13–14 heats
9–10: 50m butterfly 15–17 heats
11–12: 50m butterfly 18 & over heats
13–14: 200m freestyle 9–10 time finals (slower heats only)
15–16: 400m freestyle 11 & over time finals.