Local swimmers were in action for the first time in the calendar year on Saturday and made CARIFTA cuts at the 1st Bert Bell Memorial Meet at the Betty Kelly-Kenning National Aquatics Center. Freeport Aquatics Club was the host club.
The Barracuda Swim Club's Saleste Gibson, who swam in the 11-12 girls category, made the cuts in five of her six individual races. She also won the high point award for that category with 52 points.
Gibson clocked 1:05.78 in the 100 meters (m) freestyle to go under the 1:06.84 CARIFTA standard. Her teammates Alisson Ferguson and Madyson Julien were second and third, respectively. Ferguson clocked 1:08.06 while Julien swam 1:08.23.
It was another quick time for Gibson in the 50m butterfly when she clocked 31.77 seconds. She led three swimmers under the CARIFTA cut of 32.80 seconds in that event. Her teammate Christin-Alyssa Clarke qualified with a time of 32.72 seconds, finishing second. Lyford Cay's Violet Saralegui was close behind Clarke in a time of 32.74 seconds.
In the 50m free sprint, Gibson powered her way to touch the wall first in a time of 29.60 seconds, going under the CARIFTA standard of 30.18 seconds. Julien was second in a time of 30.52 seconds. Finishing third was Mako Aquatics' DNDN McKenzie in 30.67 seconds.
Gibson had to settle for second in the 100m backstroke as Ferguson touched the wall first in a time of 1:16.65. The CARIFTA standard is 1:19.01. Gibson finished in 1:18.85. Clarke was third after posting a time of 1:22.21.
In the 100m butterfly, Gibson powered her way to a time of 1:13.93 to win that event. She went under the standard of 1:15.88. Saralegui swam 1:17.79 to place second and Ferguson swam 1:24.95 to place third.
The Barracuda's David Singh, a competitor in the 11-12 boys category, had a strong outing on the way to winning the high-point award in that division. He scored 59 points.
Singh comfortably went under the CARIFTA mark of 3:05.91 in the 200m breaststroke with a time of 2:56.31. He finished ahead of Black Marlins Swim Club's Alexander Murray who swam 3:18.82.
Singh had a strong swim in the 50m back as he outperformed the field with a time of 33.59 seconds to go under the CARIFTA qualifying time of 33.92 seconds. He finished significantly ahead of Mako's Sean Norville-Smith who was second with a time of 40.45 seconds. The Mantas Swim and Water Polo Club's Caylen Brown was a close third with a time of 40.84 seconds.
Singh had to settle for second in the 100m breast when he clocked 1:21.64 to go under the CARIFTA standard of 1:24.55. Winning that race with a time of 1:19.52, and also going under the standard, was Mako's Trace Russell. Murray was third after touching the wall in 1:25.21.
In the 50m free, Singh finished ahead of Russell with a time of 28.53 to dip under the CARIFTA standard of 28.59 seconds. Russell was second in this race as he touched the wall in 28.61 seconds. Murray was third in 28.96 seconds.
Singh and Russell switched places again, this time in the 50m breast with both going under the CARIFTA qualifying time of 37.57 seconds. Russell won with a time of 35.45 seconds while Singh was second in 36.72 seconds. Murray was third when he touched the wall in 37.92 seconds.
Donald Saunders, who has represented The Bahamas at CARIFTA, was in action in two races in the 13-14 boys category and was able to go under the CARIFTA times in both races. The Lightning Aquatics swimmer achieved the standard in the 50m fly with a time of 27.57 seconds. He held off Mako's duo of Damari Butler and Maxwell Daniels who finished second and third, respectively. Butler swam 30.89 seconds and Daniels swam 31.05 seconds for third. The CARIFTA standard is 28.35 seconds.
Saunders also went under the CARIFTA standard in the 50m back with a time of 30.84 seconds, The standard is 31.10 seconds. Finishing second and third were the Black Marlins Swim Club's Orion Moss and Malcolm Menzies. Moss posted a time of 33.30 seconds while Menzies clocked 34.35 seconds.
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