USA-based Dylan Carter and Joshua Romany were both in record breaking form as T&T swimmers continued to enjoy stellar performances at the 30th Central American and Caribbean Swimming Confederation (CCCAN) Championship continued at the National Aquatic Centre, in Balmain, Couva on Friday night.
Carter who attends the University of Southern California won another two gold medals, one again in 18& Over Boys relay to double his tally to four from as many starts while Christopher Dieffenthaller also won two and Romany, Kael Yorke, and the 13-14 Girls 400m freestyle relay team also won gold.
Overall, T&T won 20 medals on the third night, seven gold, five silver and eight bronze for a three-day tally of 39 (12 gold, 15 silver, 12 bronze) to lead the 23-country table with 504 points, 25 more than Puerto Rico (14 gold, 8 silver, 14 bronze) while Costa Rica (five gold, five silver, seven bronze) is a distant third with 306.
Having broken the 18 and Over Boys 100m butterfly record on Thursday, both in the heats and finals, as well as the 200m freestyle relay mark, FINA World Championship and Olympian, Carter, was in record setting mood again, in Friday’s 200m freestyle when he cruised home in one minute, 48.91 seconds to erase the 2009 mark of 1:52.43 set by Mario Montoya.
Marcelo Acosta of El Salvador took silver in 1:51.73 and Aruban, Mikel Schreuders, bronze in 1:51.76, both under the old record as well.
While not setting another record, the team of Jabari Baptitse, Joshua Romany, Tariq Lashley and Carter clocked three minutes, 29.81 seconds in the 18 and Over 400m freestyle relay splash for gold well ahead of Bahamas (3:32.42) and Puerto Rico (3:36.00).
Dieffenthaller added to T&T’s gold tally when he won the 13-14 Boys 200m freestyle in two minutes, 02.34 seconds followed by Puerto Rico’s Minfer Lebron (2:02.51) and T&T’s Aqeel Joseph (2:02.68).
He then doubled his win tally on the night in the 400m individual medley in four minutes, 46.09 seconds, well clear of Barbadian N’Kosi Dunwoody (4;50.97) and Honduran Alejandro Panting (4:55.02)
Romany won the 18 and Over Boys 50m butterfly in a meet record of 24.40, just faster than the 2011 record held by countryman Joshua Mc Leod, 24.43. Second home was Bahamian N’Nhyn Fernander in 24.94 and third, T&T’s Christian Awah in 25.06.
Yorke swam to top honours in the 15-17 Boys 50m butterfly in 25.07 well ahead of Bermuda’s Jesse Washington (25.23) and Costa Rican Bryan Alvarez (25.24) with T&T’s Jeron Thompson, seventh in 25.71.
And the 400m freestyle relay quartets of the 13-14 Girls (Jada Chatoor, DeNicha Lewis, Jahmai Harley and Gabriela Donahue) combined for a time of 4:04.83 to beat Costa Rica (4:05.89) and Barbados (4:10.85) into second and third respectively
Harley had to settle for silver in the 13-14 Girls 100m backstroke in one minute, 08.27 seconds well off of Barbadian winner Danielle Titus (1:07.21) while Guatemalan Vanegas Yanei took bronze in 1:09.12 and T&T’s Adrianna Gooding, was eighth in 1:11.09
In the 18 and Over Boys 400m individual medley, Lashley got silver in four minutes, 39.52 seconds with Puerto Rican Christian Bayo taking gold in 4:36.01 and Costa Rica’s Russel Brown, bronze in 4:44.77
There were also silver medals from the 400m freestyle relay teams of the 11-12 Boys, 13-14 Boys and 15-17 Boys.
The 11-12 Boys team of Riquelio Joseph, Nikoli Blackman, Kadon Williams and Zarek Wilson combined for 4:04.73 minutes while Puerto Rico won in 4:02.00 and Honduras took bronze in 4:05.28.
Malik Wilson, Christopher Dieffenthaller, Jonathan Constantine and Aqeel Joseph formed the 13-14 boys’ team which touched the wall in 3:44.72 to follow Bahamas (3:44.57) with Puerto Rico, third in 3:45.78, and the 15-17 combination team of Yorke, Emil Goin, Kegan Ford and Jeron Thompson got home in 3:34.60, ahead of Suriname, (3:37.44) with Puerto Rico taking gold in 3:33.30.
Jada Chatoor, T&T’s first swimming medal winner of the championship in the 800m freestyle on Wednesday added bronze in the 13-14 Girls 200m freestyle in 2:11.17 to trail Costa Rican winner, Beatriz Padron (2:08.96) and Honduran silver medallist, Michelle Ramirez (2:10.54)
Emil Going picked up a bronze on the 15-17 Boys 200m freestyle with a time of 1:55.84, the same as Costa Rican, Marcelo Valverde as both trailed Aruban Daniel Jacobs (1:54.82) and Puerto Rico’s Jarod Arroyo (1:54.99).
Kadon Williams added bronze in the 11-12 Boys 50m butterfly in 28.74 behind Jamaican Nathaniel Thomas (28.53) and Bermudan Sam Williamson (28.56) with countryman Riquelio Joseph sixth in 29.62.
Gabriel Donahue was another third placed T&T medallist in the 13-14 Girls 50m butterfly in 28.85 to trail fellow record breakers Costa Rica’s Beatriz Padron (28.36) who lowered the 2011 mark of Dorian Mc Menemy (28.89) and St Lucian Katie Kyle who got silver in 28.80 with T&T’s Jahmia Harley fifth in 29.64
There was also bronze for Kristin Julien, in the 18 and Over Girls 50m butterfly in 29.28 well behind winner Patricia Casellas of Puerto Rico who won in 28.53, and second placed Jamaican, Kelsie Campbell (28.60) with T&T’s Johnnya Ferdinand, sixth in 29.92.
Julien later added another bronze in the 100m backstroke in 1:07.68 minutes behind Honduran Karen Vilorio (1:05.20) and Panama’s Melisa Murua (1:06.48) with T&T’s Ariel Cape sixth in 1:11.58.