Courtesy: Rory Alvaranga
The Aquatic Sports Association of Jamaica on Wednesday 9th March, 2022 ratified a 34 member Team to the XXXV CARIFTA Swimming Championships to be held in Christ Church, Barbados.
The regional championship was cancelled for the last two (2) editions due to the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. The team will be headlined by a strong 15-17 male and female members most of whom have been competing from the 11-12 age group.
Zaneta Alvaranga and Sabrina Lyn are many times medalist with Alvaranga holding the 13-14 girls CARIFTA 50m Butterfly championship record. Both Lyn and Alvaranga will age out of the CARIFTA championships with this being their final year of eligibility.
Recently at a school meet in Kingston, Jamaica, Alvaranga in the 15-16 girls 50 metre freestyle she won the event in a Championship record 26.87 , just off her season best of 26.85. It would have won her the CARIFTA Silver in the 15-17 age at the Championships in 2019.With Zaneta not tapered as yet the 15-17 national record of 25.90 by Natasha Moodie is under serious threat this season .That mark was set by Moodie at the 2008 Olympic Games.
In the 100 metre freestyle, Alvaranga set a PB and meet record of 58.35. It would also have won Gold at the 2019 CARIFTA Championships. There is now a tight race to break the 15-17 100 metre freestyle national record held by Olympian Janelle Atkinson of 57.95. She set that time in 1999 when won Gold in the 15-17 age group in Kingston Jamaica.
Countrywomen Sabrina Lyn and Mackenzie Headley have times of 58.36 and 58.38 respectively. The top four Jamaican girls which include Morgan Cogle at 59.35 have a combined time of 3:54.44. That is faster than the 15-17 400 metre freestyle record of 4:00.79 and the CARIFTA record held by the 2008 Bahamas team of 3:59.25.
On the male side Nathaniel Thomas also in their final year of CARIFTA eligibility and will be seeking to defend at least two (2) titles in which they won gold medals in the 13-14 age group.
Thomas have been contesting CARIFTA from the 11-12 age group where he won Gold in 2017 in 31.64 in the 50m Backstroke. At the last CARIFTA in 2019 in Barbados, he took the 13-14 age crown in 27.82. He will be aiming to keep that streak alive in his final year which will again be in Barbados.
Thomas is a versatile swimmer for Jamaica and there is no telling how well he will do at this long-awaited CARIFTA Swimming Championships.
The team comprises of twenty-five (25) qualifiers meeting the qualification criteria with eleven (11) being selected for relays.
The qualifiers includes, 11-12 females Alexandria Cogle and Jessica Dennistan, 11-12 males Kai Radcliffe, Matthew Kennedy and Ethan-George Hunter.
13-14 females are Christanya Shirley, Carolyn Levy-Powel, Leah Chin and Davia Richardson with 13-14 boys being Benjamin Davis, Brady Lewison, Charles McIntosh, Zack-Andre Johnson and Kabiki Thomas.
15-15 females Zaneta Alvaranga, Morgan Cogle, Sabrina Lyn, Mackenzie Headley and Leanna Wainwright with the males Nathaniel Thomas, Devaughn Robe, Kaheem Lozer, Nelson Denny, Jaedon Lynch and Zachary Randle.
Relay selectees are 11-12 female Kara Hutchinson, Alyssa Jefferson and Victoria Vandeleer with the males Talon Longmore and Adlai Nixon. The 13-14 relays will be boosted with the addition of Asha Davis on the female side and on the male side Akeem nicely.
There were no relay booster added for the 15-17 females but on the male side Zachary Jackson-Blaine and Daniel Mair were included.
Open Water entrances are Charles McIntosh and Benjamin Davis.
CARIFTA Debutant for Team Jamaica are 11-12 Alexandria Cogle, Jessica Denniston, Victoria Vandeleer, Kai Radcliffe, Matthew Kennedy, Ethan-George Hunter and Talon Longmore. 13-14 Davia Richardson, Carolyn Levy-Powell, Leah Chin, Benjamin Davis, Charles McIntosh, and Kabiki Thomas. 15-17 Mackenzie Headley.
The team manager is first-time team manager Debbie-Ann Kennedy and coaches Wendy Lee and Lynval Lowe. The medical team will comprise of Dr Carlene Grant-Davis and Dr Dialo-Rudolph Brown DPT, MSSM, CSCS.
