Zarek Wilson and Kael Yorke added to T&T’s gold medal tally when competition in the Central American and Caribbean Swimming Confederation (CCCAN) Championship continued at the Rolly Bisslik Olympic Pool in Oranjestad, Aruba, on Saturday night.
Wilson was first to earn gold when he led team-mate Nikoli Blackman to a one-two finish in the Boys 11-12 age-group 50 metres backstroke event with times of 30.04 seconds and 31.23, respectively. Third was Bahamian Marvin Johnson in 31.47.
In the penultimate event on the night’s programme, Yorke raced home in 55.28 seconds to take top honours in the Boys 15-17 category of the 100m butterfly contest. He produced 55.59 which fell well under the Youth Olympic Games A qualifying standard. Yorke was followed home by Curacao’s Mauricio Payne (56.54) and Jamaican Nicholas Vale (56.67).
It was a very productive night for T&T, the defending champion. The team picked up four other silver medals and six bronze for a two-day total of 16 medals (three gold, seven silver and six bronze).
Zoe Anthony was a double silver medal winner after she ended second in the Girls 11-12 division in the 200m breaststroke swim behind a time of 2:53.23 to trail Panama’s Emily Santos (2:40.25) with Bermuda’s Giada Dudley-Pun, third in 2:53.32.
Anthony was also second in the 100m butterfly event in a time of 1:06.87 behind Cayman Islands’ Jillian Crooks (1:06.87) with another T&T swimmer Caitlyn Look Fong, third in 1:10.68.
Wilson also added to his medal haul with a silver in the Boys 11-12 age-group 100m butterfly event in a time of 1:02.16. He trailed Bahamian Nigel Forbes (1:01.95) to the wall with Guatemala’s Christopher Gossmann, third in 1:02.23 and T&T’s Josiah Changar fifth in 1:06.33.
Jeron Thompson was T&T’s other silver medallist after he touched the wall in 26.99 in the Boys 15-17 category of the 50m butterfly test. Bahamian Davante Corey secured the gold in 26.84 and Colombian Juan Manu Morales bronze in 27.46, all Youth Olympic Games B qualifying times.
T&T bronze medal winners on Saturday were Neishelah Caseman, Ornella Walker, Malik Nelson, Racine Ross and Josiah Morales.
Caseman picked up her first medal in the Girls 11-12 50m backstroke event in 32.57, just ahead of team-mate and relay gold medal winner Gabrielle Vickles (32.81), all behind Crooks (32.11) and Bahamas’ Keianna Moss (32.44).
Walker’s time of 30.43 was good enough to secure the Girls 15-17 50m backstroke bronze medal behind Bermuda’s Madelyn Moore (30.23) and Barbadian Danielle Titus (30.33).
Not to be left out, Ross clocked 1:05.47 in the Girls 15-17 age-group 100m butterfly event with Colombian Barbara Munoz (1:04.17) and Panama’s Ireyra Tamayo (1:05.36) taking gold and silver, respectively.
Morales got home in 56.73 for third in the Boys 18 and Over 100m butterfly swim. Panama’s Franco Reyes won in 55.20 and Steven Aimable of French Guiana was second in 55.56.
