SAINT Lucia’s Seajays swim club emerged as champions of the 19th edition of the annual Rodney Heights Aquatic Centre (RHAC) Invitational Swim Meet, held this past Sunday, April 8.
The four-day championship saw well over 320 swimmers representing 20 clubs from six Caribbean Islands competing and when the final points were counted, Seajays Swim Club amassed 818 points — 270 points clear of the second place finisher Marlins Swim Club out of Trinidad and Tobago with 548 points.
In 3rd was Sharks Swim Club of Saint Lucia with 510 points, 4th was Pirates Swim Club of Barbados with 436 points, 5th was Black Sands Swim Squad of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 405 points, 6th was Shoelcher Natation 2000 of Martinique with 373 points, 7th was Wadadli Aquatic Racers of Antigua and Barbuda with 359 points, 8th was L’Espadon C.N. of Martinique with 279 points, 9th was Lightning Aquatics Swim Club of Saint Lucia with 279 points and 10th was Blue Marlins of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines with 272 points.
Other finishers from Saint Lucia included 15th place RR Aquatic Swim Club 165 points, 17th place Southern Flying Fish 121 points and 18th place finisher Sports Academy Swim Team 63 points.
Seajays Swim Club also topped the medal count with 32 gold, 27 silver, 20 bronze – 79 in total), followed by Marlins Swim Club (41 gold, 15 silver, 10 bronze – (66), Pirates Swim Club Barbados (23 gold, 14 silver, 12 bronze – 49), L’Espadon C.N. (17 gold, 6 silver, 6 bronze – 29), Sharks Swim Club, Saint Lucia (12 gold, 25 silver, 16 bronze – 53), Wadadli Aquatic Racers (11 gold, 11 silver, 13 bronze – 35), Atlantis Aquatics Swim Club (11 gold, 9 silver, 8 bronze – 28), Lightning Aquatics Swim Club (10 gold, 5 silver, 5 bronze – 20), Alpha Sharks Swim Club (10 gold, 2 silver, 7 bronze -19), High Tide Stingrays Swim Club ( 8 gold, 11 silver, 9 bronze – 28) round off the top 10 spots.
Also from Saint Lucia: Sports Academy Swim Team (3 gold, 1 silver, 4 bronze – 8), RR Aquatic Swim Club (1 gold, 12 silver, 5 bronze – 18) and Southern Flying Fish (1 silver, 1 gold – 2).
Some of the outstanding swimmers 6 and Under Girls were: (1) Taylor Marchan of Marlins Swim Club 99 points, (2) Zaina Brathwaite Sharks Swim Club 42 pts, (3) Amara Reece -RR Aquatic Swim Club (38 pts)
In 6 and Under Boys: (1) James Sylvester, Sea Jays Swim Club (90 pts), (2) Daniel Ambler RR Aquatic Swim Club (51 pts).
In 7-8 Girls: Heidi Stoute, Pirates Swim Club Barbados (90 pts),(2) Fayth Jeffrey, Pirates Swim Club Barbados (68 pts)
In 7-8 Boys: Ryan Thomas, Marlins Swim Club (86 pts), (2) Cain Edwards, Pirates Swim Club Barbados (61.50 pts).
In 9-10 Girls: Kenyah Deane, Pirates Swim Club Barbados (81 pts), (2) Shauna Nelson, Tidal Wave Aquatics (72 pts),
In 9-10 Boys: Zachary Anthony, Marlins Swim Club (82 pts), (2) Antoine Destang, Sharks Swim Club, (70 pts).
In the 11 -12 Girls: (1) Adara Stoddard, High Tide Stingrays Swim Club (80 pts), (2) Angelique Gittens, Wadadli Aquatic Racers (62 pts),
In 11 -12 Boys, Khaleb Gaskin, Khaleb, Alpha Sharks Swim Club (83 pts), (2) Tony Goodwin, Wadadli Aquatic Racers (56 pts).
In 13 -14 Girls, (1)Shalini Joseph, Sports Academy Swim Team (63 pts),(2) Marisa Louisy, Sea Jays Swim Club (59 pts),
In 13 -14 Boys, (1) Malik Nelson, Atlantis Aquatics Swim Club (95 pts), (2) Adrien Cheri-Zecote, Shoelcher Natation 2000 (74 pts),
In 15 and Over Girls (1) Jada Chatoor, Marlins Swim Club (86 pts), (2) GittensGabriella Wadadli Aquatic Racers (58 pts),
In 15 and Over boys, (1) JayhanOdlum-Smith, Sea Jays Swim Club (63 pts), (2) Omar Alexander, Sea Jays Swim Club (59 pts).
On the final day of competition, in the Open Water swim meet held at the Reduit Beach on Monday 9th in the 500 meters: 1st place Male, Matthew Decosta-Hinds, 1st place Female, Heidi Stoute; 1 Kilometre – 1st place Male, Aaron Defreitas, 1st place Female, Mya Defreitas; 3 Kilometres -1st place Male, Zachary Anthony, 1st place Female, Anna Benson – Zeclar; 5 Kilometres – 1st place Male, Andria Cheri-Zecote, 1st place Female, Jada Chatoor.
Meanwhile, like last year, the championship saw a record number of younger swimmers competiting for the various clubs, which gave them regional exposure to swimming at that level.
It was also a test of endurance, especially for some of the swimmers who had just returned from the 33rd edition of the Carifta Swim Championship in Jamaica, where they represented their respective countries.
