Lyford Cay International School (LCIS) hosted its inaugural Invitational Swim Meet at the Betty Kelly-Kenning Aquatic Centre on Saturday 18 January 2017. 287 young athletes participated in more than 50 races that included all four competitive strokes - freestyle, backstroke, breastroke and butterfly. The event was a major success for the school and the LCIS Swim Team. There are plans to host the meet on an annual basis.
The meet featured 12 swim clubs from around The Bahamas: Lyford Cay Swim Club, Alpha Aquatics Swim Club, Barracuda Swim Club, Grand Bahama Tritons, Swift Swimming, The Dolphin Swimming Club, Team Orca, St Anne’s School Blue Waves, Mantas Water Polo Club, Blue Marlin Aquatics, Freeport Aquatic Club, and Sea Waves Aquatic Team.
The aptly timed event offered great practice to athletes who will be representing The Bahamas in the upcoming Carifta 2017 Swimming Championships to be held in Nassau. All swimmers performed exceptionally, with many of them swimming Carifta-qualifying times.
LCIS is especially proud of the performance of its athletes during this event, the school’s first invitational meet. Many students improved upon their personal best times, even though for some of them (as young as 5 years old) this represented their first experience in an Olympic-sized pool and competing against swimmers from other clubs. The tremendous support of the parents, faculty and staff of LCIS greatly assisted in the coordination of the event, as well as provided encouragement to competing athletes.
Coordinator of the Elite and Developmental Sports (EDS) Programme at LCIS Mr Javier Lamas expressed his appreciation for the event’s success, stating, “We are very proud that in our first attempt at hosting an event of this size everything has run so smoothly, and we have received so much support and positive feedback from local swim clubs. We are deeply appreciative of the turnout and sportsmanship of the many athletes who participated, with some coming from as far as Grand Bahama to take part in our meet.”
The EDS Programme at LCIS has greatly contributed to the improvement of the school’s athletes. Swimmers as young as 5 years old are able to hone their strokes and techniques during weekly training sessions, in an on-campus pool, with highly qualified professional coaches who are dedicated to their growth and improvement. LCIS Assistant Principal Mr Frederic Bournas has witnessed the programme’s impact on students firsthand: “The EDS Programme really has made a difference in the performance of our athletes. As we continue to develop and improve upon our sports programme, LCIS will continue to engage in competition with local and international schools and clubs to ensure that our students take part in transformative experiences that will lead to their success as athletes.”
Founded in 1962, Lyford Cay International School (LCIS) is a fully accredited international day school located in western New Providence offering an educational programme that inspires, challenges and transforms students. LCIS is the only school in The Bahamas to offer three International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes. Upon graduation, LCIS students move on to top colleges and universities around the world, with 100% of students being accepted to their first-choice school. Visit: www.lcis.bs
O'Niel Bain
Communications and Development Assistant
Lyford Cay International School
