The island’s two biggest clubs were locked in battle all of last weekend at the 13th Annual CapriSun Swim Meet, with Seajays emerging the champions after two days of competition at the Rodney Heights Aquatic Centre. Under brilliant, beautiful sunshine, the national championships and Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Trials featured over 190 swimmers from six clubs across the island.
Seajays held off their closest rivals, Sharks, 1 284 to 1 219, largely on the strength of their boys’ team, but with key contributions from Sapphire Parks and Kenya Andrew. The Seajays’ boys got to 867 points, 292 points clear of Sharks in second place. Among the girls, Sharks won 644 to 417. Lightning Aquatics were third overall, as well as third in both boys and girls. Also competing were Southern Flying Fish, RR Aquatic, and RHAC Swim Club.
CARIFTA Aquatics medallist Parks dominated the 11-12 category. She won seven of the eight gold medals on offer. Parks, a Form 1 student at St Joseph’s Convent, took the 50m, 100m, 200m, and 400m freestyle, the 50m and 100m butterfly, and the 200m individual medley. Seajays got three of the top four spots in the division.
Kenya Andrew compiled 61 points, capturing gold in the Under-9 25m, 50m, and 100m freestyle, 25m backstroke and butterfly, and 100m individual medley. Hillarie Edward of Southern Flying Fish won the 25m breaststroke, but was ten points adrift.
Sharks had four of the top six girls in the 9-10 class. Zoe Fortune and Amber Francois tied for high points with 60 each. Fortune was triumphant in the 200m and 400m freestyle, and 100m individual medley. Francois took the honours for the 50m and 100m backstroke, as well as the 50m and 100m breaststroke. Chloe Emanus and Isabella McLean also featured in the top six.
Amara Reece won the 13-14 girls, ahead of five swimmers from Sharks. Her Lightning Aquatics teammate Fayth Lubrin also did the trick in the 15-17 girls, completing a 1-2 with another LA swimmer, Alexandra Bristol. Katelin Samuel was one of only two swimmers in the 18 and over group, both from Sharks.
Miles Andrew led the charge for the Seajays boys, with 81 points in the 9-10 rankings. Andrew swept the board with nine gold medals, as he touched the wall first in the 50m, 100m, 200m, and 400m freestyle, the 50m and 100m backstroke, 50m and 100m butterfly, and 100m individual medley.
Also outstanding for the champions was Nathan Lewis, the 11-12 boys’ winners. He held on to six gold medals from nine on offer, including the 200m freestyle, 50m and 100m breaststroke, 50m and 100m butterfly, and 200m individual medley. Teammate Tre Theresine was second, and Seajays took four of the top five spots.
Noah Dorville copped the high points trophy for 13-14 boys. He swept the four freestyle races and the two breaststrokes, winning by just two points from fellow Seajays swimmer Jayden Xu. Shemar James extended the advantage for Seajays in the 15-17 ranks, with four of the nine gold medals in that division. And Shaquil Flavius was the better of the two athletes in the 18-and-over, giving Seajays five of the six divisional crowns.
“The CapriSun Swim Meet remains a staple on the Seajays Swim Club calendar, fostering excellence, sportsmanship, and growth in the next generation of swimmers,” said Seajays’ president Denise Parks.
Head coach Brian Charles praised the swimmers for their dedication and teamwork, saying, “Our athletes have worked tirelessly in training, and this victory is a reflection of that commitment. I’m extremely proud of their performance, determination, and the spirit they showed throughout the meet.”
The Seajays Swim Club extended sincere thanks to CapriSun, the Saint Lucia Aquatics Federation, and all their sponsors for coming on board to help make this meet a success. Appreciation was also expressed to the volunteers, officials, and parents whose continued support ensured the smooth running of the event.
