An experienced Saint Lucia national team will aim to arrest the nation’s recent slide when the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Swimming Championships take place next month.
The three-day meet will be held November 7-9 at the Shrewsbury Aquatic Centre in Ratho Mill, St Vincent & the Grenadines. Last year, at the same venue, Saint Lucia finished fourth, behind three-time champions Antigua & Barbuda, Grenada and the host nation.
Olympic swimmers Mikaili Charlemagne and Jordan Augier headline the team, with the Saint Lucia Aquatics Federation including 20 of the 34 swimmers from 2024. Also competing are CARIFTA champions Sapphire Parks and Antoine Destang, a freshman student-athlete at the University of Michigan.
Among the girls, Charlemagne leads a three-member group that also includes UNC Pembroke’s Naekeisha Louis, along with Allysia Alfred. Parks will be moving up to the 11-12 girls’ category after a breakout year in the 9-10 class in 2024. Also moving up will be Maya Andrew. The pair will join returnee Aniyah George and Jaimie Devaux.
In the Under-9 division, Saint Lucia will be represented by Kayla Rose Richards and Kenya Andrew. The 9-10 girls comprise Chloe Emanus, Zoe Fortune, Amber Francois and Leona Edward. Amara Reece and Zaina Brathwaite graduate to the 13-14 ranks. Alexandra Bristol and Fayth Lubrun will once again contest the 15-17 events.
Augier makes his way back to the pool at the age of 31. The Tokyo 2016 Olympian joins Nyeem Rosemond in the 18-plus group. Destang is back in the reckoning for OECS after a one-year absence. In the 15-17 division, he is joined by holdovers Ethan Hazell and Shemar James-Nicholas.
Keyanno Elibox will be in his second year Under-9, and he will be joined by Andrew Charlemagne. Last year’s Under-9 male swimmers, champion Miles Andrew and Tiago Nelson, go up to the 9-10 division, where they will team up with Tyler Frederick.
Looking at the 11-12 category, Nathan Lewis remains, Tre Theresine comes in, and Tyler Dantes steps up from the 9-10 group. Three of the four boys in the 13-14 class are back from last year, regional veterans Noah Dorville, Jayden Xu and Aaron Charles, whilst Caden Calderon was an 11-12 swimmer last season.
Though the team will be missing the likes of Naima Hazell, last year’s 13-14 champion Fayth Jeffrey and Tristan Dorville, Saint Lucia look poised to improve from last year.
The coaching team is led by Marlon James, with support from Abbie Pultie and Sherma Bernard. The manager and chaperon are yet to be named.
