The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WITH all the success they have achieved so far this year, the Bahamas Swimming Federation is still not done yet.

Still basking in the accomplishment of its national team at the XXII Central American and Caribbean Games, the federation is preparing to take a four-member team to the FINA Short Course World Championships in Qatar December 3-7. The team is made up of Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace, Ariel Weech, Joanna Evans and Elvis Burrows.

The quartet were a part of the six-member team that represented the Bahamas at the CAC Games in Veracruz, Mexico. The team, coached by Andy Knowles, wrapped up competition on Thursday with Vanderpool-Wallace picking up her fourth gold medal, winning the 50 metres freestyle in 25.24, narrowly missing the CAC record of 25.18 set by Vanessa Garcia back in 2010.

Also in the 50 free, Weech finished 7th in 26.46, Burrows won the B final in 23.43 and the 4 x400m medley relay team of Weech (1:07.63 in the back), Albury Higgs (1:13.05 in the breast), Vanderpool-Wallace (1:01.69 in the fly) and Evans (57.88 in the free) finished 4th in 4:20.25.

At the end of the competition, Team Bahamas collected a total of six medals, including Vanderpool-Wallace’s four gold and Joanna Evans’ two silver.

“Out of 20 swims at the games, our swimmers made 19 A finals and 1 B final,” said federation president Algernon Cargill. “Arianna set two new CAC records in the 100 free and 50 fly. There were three new national records set by Albury Higgs in the 100 (1:14.07) and 200 (2:38.67) breast in the 13 & 14 age group, and Joanna Evans lowered the national standard in the senior girls’ 800 free (8:39.61).”

Cargill said Team Bahamas’ performances continued the fantastic year in swimming by the federation, adding to the CARIFTA Team Championship in Aruba in April with 55 medals (23 gold, 22 silver and 10 bronze) and 736.50 points, Vanderpool-Wallace’s silver in the 50m fly at the XX Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland in July and Evans’ bronze in the 800m at the 2nd Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China, in August.

With only the FINA Short Course World Championships in Qatar left, Cargill is looking forward to Team Bahamas making some more history next month.