Barbados’ swimmers on top at Day Two of Carifta Swimming Championships

It would be the 100 metres backstroke event that saw Barbados grabbing medals in five of the six contested events as action continued in Jamaica on the second night of the Carifta championships.

Milli-Jo MacDonald in the girls 11-12 age group would improve on her silver medal performance in the 50 metres event on Day One, this time stealing the gold in the 100 metres distance with a time of 1:12:39 ahead of Keianna Moss of the Bahamas (1:13:01) and Morgan Cogle of Jamaica (1:13:55).

Next up would be Danielle Treasure in the girls 13-14 age group. She swam a text-book perfect race and was only out-touched at the wall to come away with the silver medal in a time of 1:08:56 with gold going to Martinique (1:08:50) and bronze to Guadeloupe (1:08:63).

Tristan Pragnell came off the block leaving no doubt as to his intention to stand on the podium having missed it narrowly on Day One in the 50 metres event. He would stop the clock at 1:01:55 to earn silver behind Lamar Taylor of the Bahamas (1:01:41) with bronze going to Youris Geran of Guadeloupe (1:03:79).

In a repeat of her gold medal performance on Day One, Danielle Titus would touch the wall in 1:04:79 for gold, well ahead of second place Virginia Stamp of the Bahamas (1:07:52) and Jamaica’s Shaun Johnson (1:08:45). Titus’ time was a new Barbados age group and national open record as well as a “B” qualifying time for the Youth Olympic Games. The final medal in the 100 metres backstroke event would be secured by Jack Kirby, a second gold for him in this meet, along with a second Carifta record. His time of 56:59 convincingly erased the previous record of 57:17 held by Patrick Groeters and was four seconds faster than silver medalist Davante Carey of Bahamas (1:00:62). Bronze went to Wendell Zinhagel of Suriname (1:01:09).

The gruelling 400 metres Individual Medley event would secure Barbados an additional four medals with the 13-14 boys’ duo of Roan Baker and McCallum Clarke finishing in gold and silver medal position respectively. Jake Bailey of the Cayman Islands would finish a distant third in 5:01:38.

In the boys’ 15-17 distance of the same event, it would be Luis Sebastian Weekes and Nkosi Dunwoody who would reel in the hardware with Weekes’ finishing atop the podium in a time of 4:42:71 well ahead of Nicolas Beauzor of Guadeloupe in second (4:52:55). Dunwoody, competing in his first year of the 15-17 age group was impressive in his bronze medal victory (4:55:47).

The tenth medal of the evening would be compliments of the 13-14 boys relay team of Tristan Pragnell, McCallum Clarke, Roan Baker and Niel Skinner. In the 4 x 100 metres Medley Relay the boys would secure the bronze medal in a time of 4:19:61 behind Guadeloupe and the Bahamas.

Also making it to finals but finishing outside the medal table were Omari Sealy and Keilani Talma in the 50 metres butterfly and 200 metres freestyle events respectively.