After breaking two CARIFTA records during day one of 36th edition of the championships, Caymanian swimmer Jillian Crooks returned on Friday, 7 April, for more gold and glory.
In the 50 metre butterfly finals, Crooks, 16, stopped the clock at 27.82 seconds to shatter the CARIFTA record which stood at 28.72. Her gold winning time also marked a national record – making her the only woman in history from the Cayman Islands to ever go sub-28 in the 50-fly.
Crooks then won gold in the 100m backstroke – again setting a new CARIFTA record of 1:03.00. Cayman’s Lila Higgo finished only 0.7 seconds behind Crooks during that event for silver.
Following that, Higgo finished her racing for the day in the 400m individual medley, where she dominated in every stroke; pulling away from her competition to take gold in 5:17.99.
Sierrah Broadbelt also left a gap between herself and the rest during her 13-14 age group individual medley. Broadbelt won gold in 5:19.97 – touching the wall almost 20 seconds before second place Malia Soroman of Martinique.
Broadbelt also secured gold in the 50m butterfly in 29.25 seconds and gold in the 100m backstroke, clocking in at 1:08.56.
“The last two days have been really humbling,” Broadbelt told the Compass. “Being at the top of my age category helps boost my confidence and getting all those medals are really nice.”
Broadbelt noted that representing her country is indescribably special to her, saying “I can feel the support.”
Fellow Seven Mile Swimmers Harper Barrowman, James Allison and Will Sellars did their part in winning silverware for Cayman on day two. Barrowman won gold in the 200m freestyle and Allison followed that up with a silver in the same event for the boys’ group.
In the 15-17 back, Sellars swam to silver in 1:00.52, a new personal best. In the boys 15-17, 400m individual medley, Dominic Hilton, after falling behind for the first 200 metres, made a comeback to capture silver.
For the 11-12 back finals, Lev Fahy took bronze, while Cassidy Coles swam to bronze in the 11-12-year-old 400M individual medley.
“What time is it? It’s relay time”
Broadbelt returned with teammates Eva Oldfield, Riley Watson and Reagan Lisle to win silver. Up next was the Olympian Crooks, partnering with friendly rival Higgo, Kaitlyn Sullivan, and freestyle specialist Barrowman.
Crooks and Higgo led the charge for Cayman, but the Bahamas and Jamaica’s breaststrokers on the third leg proved to be too much for Sullivan, putting Cayman in fourth before Barrowman, took over. Barrowman a Commonwealth finalist, was head down – all speed to regain a podium finish at second in 4:31.60 in one of the most exciting races of the night.
For the boys, Cayman’s 11–12 team, consisting of Fahy, Gabriel Bispath, Chase Watson and Eli Bain earned themselves a silver medal in the 400m medley relay. Sellars, Jordan Lisle, Danny Kish, and Allison closed the show, taking bronze in the 15-17 boys relay.
Artistic Swimming
At the Pisina Benny Leito swimming pool on Friday, 7 April, Cayman synchronised swimmers also delivered a couple of medals for team Cayman.
After earning top position yesterday during her solo performance, Nicole Kazakova returned to compete in her figures, where her efforts were awarded with a silver medal.
That was followed 12-and-under display by Leila Coak and Georgie Head, who “smashed” their 80’s ladies themed routine to earn another silver.
Taking bronze in the 13-15 age group for Cayman was Millie Travers and Heidi Hayward.
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