Busy strokes for all ages and levels

Ten of Cayman’s Junior Representative Team swimmers are competing in the 2014 Southern Zone Senior Long Course Championships in Fort Myers, Florida, this week.

The swimmers left on Sunday and were training in the 50 meters pool at the Florida Gulf Coast University Aquatic Center on Monday, in preparation for the Championships which started on Tuesday.

This is a 50m prelim-finals meet and swimmers are required to achieve qualifying time standards for individual events before being able to compete in this highly competitive meet.

Representing the Cayman Islands are Samantha Bailey, John Bodden, Matthew Courtis, Wunyae Crawford, Alison Jackson, Sarah Jackson, Iain McCallum, Cole Morgan, Zororo Mutomba and Ella Plunkett.

“This is a Cayman Islands Amateur Swimming Association sanctioned overseas meet for our juniors,” said Technical Director Bailey Weathers. “Following CARIFTA, I met with swim club coaches who agreed that our swimmers need to have opportunities to participate more frequently in competitive, prelim-finals swim meets.

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“We found this meet and it was a perfect fit. The times are fast, the competition will be strong and our swimmers will be able to work on their race preparation and execution, as well as getting in and swimming as fast as they can.”

The Cayman team is coached by Brad Hutton and Andy Copley and the team manager is coach Marie Shepheard. The 2014 Southern Zone Senior LC Championships is available on the free app Meet Mobile.

Cayman’s masters are also heading off to another CIASA sanctioned championship. They are taking part in the FINA World Masters Championships, from Aug. 2-10 in Montreal, Canada.

These championships are held every two years and the group from Cayman are Michelle Bailey, William Balderamos, Lee-Anne Corin, Kim Eckart and Elliot Smith.

They look forward to racing against some of the worlds’ best masters.

“We are so happy that Cayman Swimming will be represented in Montreal,” said CIASA President Michael Lockwood.

“With two years until the next competition, I might start some serious training again myself, but in the meantime it is great to see so much happening with swimming this summer.

“From the government swimming camps at the Lions Pool with coach Ryan Mushin, to overseas competitive age group swim meets, Cayman representative teams in Ft. Myers and Montreal and of course the stellar swimmers at the Commonwealth Games, there is no doubt that Cayman Swimming is growing from strength to strength and I am already looking forward to the upcoming season.”