By: Duke Sullivan
Cayman Islands swimmers went dancing in the rain Saturday evening, collecting 13 more medals at the 36th Carifta Swimming Championships in Curacao. Led by Sierrah Broadbelt and Lila Higgo, the Cayman team continued to show their best moves on their way to the medal stand.
For the third night in a row, Harper Barrowman made the most of the first dance, earning gold by distancing herself from the field in the 1500m Freestyle.
The procession to the podium continued in the 200m Individual Medley series, where Broadbelt and Higgo duplicated their 400m victories in dominant fashion. Riley Watson accompanied Broadbelt on the medal stand via a strong finish to secure bronze.
Broadbelt and Higgo once again hit the right notes in the pool, Sierrah claiming gold in the 200m Butterfly and Lila taking silver in the 50m Breaststroke. Cassidy Coles gutty performance in the 11–12-year-old 200m Butterfly final earned her a bronze medal, while Teagan Nash nabbed gold and teammate Allyson Belfonte bronze in the thrilling women’s 15-17-year-old race.
Jillian Crooks remained at the top of the charts in the 100m Freestyle, lowering the time of her Carifta record in the process, which now stands at 56.44. James Allison brought home silver in a stellar 100 Free heat, as he continued his friendly rivalry with Nikoli Blackman.
Backed by the Bahamas band section, the relays kept the crowd dancing to the music. The 15-17-year-old relay team of Barrowman, Sofia Bonati, Higgo, and Nash dominated in their gold winning effort.
Allison, joined by Connor Macdonald, Dominic Hilton, and Will Sellars swam brilliantly to claim the bronze in their highly competitive 15-17-year-old relay. Cayman’s 13–14-year-old relay team of Tate Hilton, Jack Clark-Terrell, Luke Higgo, and Dominic Gunn were edged off the podium, but earned valuable points in the chase to claim the overall points title.
Cay 3 Sports 