The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Swimming Federation has selected a 36-member team, all of whom have made the qualifying standards, along with ten competitors for the Open Water swim team that will travel to Martinique next month to defend the title at the Carifta Swimming Championships that the Bahamas has won for the past two years.

The BTC-sponsored team was selected yesterday following the two-day trials over the weekend at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex.

“We feel pretty good about the team because all of the swimmers have met the qualifying standards,” said Algernon Cargill, the federation president. “We feel that with the team selected, we will be able to successfully defend our two-time champion title this year.”

The swimming championships will be held in Fort-de-France, Martinique, over the Easter holiday. The Bahamas won the title for the first time in Savaneta, Aruba, in 2014 and retained the title in Bridgetown, Barbados, last year.

When asked if there’s going to be any pressure on the team to win the title for the third time, Cargill admitted that there would be but that he is confident that the team is prepared and ready for the challenge.

“We know that everybody will be coming for us because we are the two-time defending champions,” he said. “But we feel we have put together a team that will be very competitive. We know that all of the swimmers are performing at their best and so we expect that they will perform very well in Martinique.”

The swim team, coached by Allan Murray, assisted by Sara Knowles and Travano McPhee, will comprises six competitors in the girls 11-12 age group, four in the 13-14 and six in the 15-17 category. The boys will have five swimmers in the 11-12 group, seven in the 13-14 and seven in the 15-17. One additional swimmer is still waiting ratification.

The open water team, coached by Andy Loveitt and Mancer Roberts Jr, will be made up of 10 swimmers in the boys and girls 13-14 and 15-17 divisions only.

Cargill noted that now that the team has been selected, it’s up to the swimmers to continue to perform and stay in shape heading into the games. He noted that the coaches will work with them, making sure that they still fit and ready to compete in Martinique.

The team will leave on March 20 and the swimmers compete in the pool from March 22 to 25 with the open water swim on March 26. The team will return from Martinique that day.

THE BAHAMAS TEAM

Girls 11-12 - Katelyn Cabral, Jamilah Hepburn, Madison Mortimer, Charlot Russell, Mandia Roberts and Zayle Elizabeth-Thompson.

Girls 13-14 - Anya MacPhail, Tenniya Martin, Katherine Slatter and Virginia Stamp.

Girls 15-17 - Celia Campbell, Lilly Higgs, Albury Higgs, Brianna Nesbitt, Simone Sturrup and Andreas Weech.

Boys 11-12 - Brayden Dam, Rommel Ferguson, Romin Pinder, Taro Sears and Lamar Taylor.

Boys 13-14 - Izaak Bastian, DeVante Carey, T’Lez Foulkes, Samuel Gibson, Darren Laing, Peter Morley and Joshua Murray.

Boys 15-17 - Miller Albury, Alexander Encinar, N’Nhyn Fernander, Jared Fritzgerald, Gershwin Greene, Joshua Roberts and William Russell.

Open Water team

Girls 13-14 - Tenniya Martin and Anya MacPhail.

Girls 15-17 - Lauren Albury, Jasmine Gibson and Keitra Lloyd.

Boys 13-14 - Trent Albury, Darren Laing and Joshua Murray.

Boys 15-17 - William Russell and Kris Smith.