“It was an excellent weekend of swimming and fun at the Lions Aquatic Centre, highlighted by Pirates walking the plank; records tumbling, fast races and big time drops – and fun was had by all…a fitting legacy for Mike Lockwood.”

Stingray Swim Club, Grand Cayman, 22 November 2012: The Pirates Week Mike Lockwood Memorial Swim Meet took place November 14th, 16-18th at the Lions Aquatic Centre; hosted by Stingray Swim Club and attended by approximately 150 swimmers from Stingray Swim Club (SSC), Team TI (TI) and Camana Bay Aquatic Club (CBAC) as well as a couple of unattached swimmers – including a couple of Masters Swimmers.

Michael Lockwood, son of the late “Chief Pirate” Mike Lockwood, Masters Swimmer and CIASA Vice President was on hand, along with his mother Mrs Ella Kaye Lockwood at the official opening of the Swim Meet and Michael had this to say: “…my father was not a swimmer but he believed firmly in children and in community. He saw the benefits of swimming … and I still swim today. My family and I thank Pirates Week and the Stingray Swim Club for hosting this meet again. It is a fitting memorial to my father.”

It was an excellent weekend of swimming and fun and over the four days of competition, with swimmers’ competing in longer distance events such as 200m and 400m events – some of them for the first time – Stingray Swim Club saw team members getting Personal Bests (PBs) in every race, and every team member getting at least one PB!

There were many notable swims over the four days, but special mention goes to Samantha Bailey who reached her first AA time of 30.91 in the 50m Freestyle; Cole Morgan who dropped 6 seconds in his 200m backstroke to post his first AAA time in 2.19.83, giving him his second qualifying time for CARIFTA and Alex Dakers who dropped 6 seconds in his 100m breaststroke, coming from behind by more than a body length to win the event by a fingernail!

In addition to the great atmosphere, huge swims and fun – a number of records also took a tumble over the weekend with the following Stingray Swim Club and Lions Pool records being broken:

SIX new Stingray Swim Club Short Course Records:

– 9-10 Girls 50 FREE – Alison Jackson (SSC) with a time of 33:37(AA) broke J Foster’s 2000 Record of 33:87

– 8 and under Boys 100 IM – Corey Westerborg (SSC) lowered his own record of 1:43:18 set in June 2012 to 1:42:50(B)

– 8 and Under Boys 50 FLY – Corey Westerborg (SSC) lowered his own record of 43:84 set in October 2012 to 43:74(BB)

– 8 and Under Boys 50 BACK – Corey Westerborg (SSC) broke Alex McCallum’s 2003 Record of 48:13 with his time of 47:08(BB)

– 8 and Under Boys 50 FREE – Corey Westerborg (SSC) lowered his own record of 38:81 set in June 2012 to 37:52(BB)

– 8 and Under Boys 100 BREAST – Corey Westerborg (SSC) broke Iain Macrae’s 2009 Record of 1:58:97 with his time of 1:57:43(B)

FOUR new Lions Pool Records:

– 13-14 Girls 200 BACK – Catriona Macrae (SSC) broke J Foster’s 2004 record of 2:32:66 with her time of 2:31:81(AA)

– 9-10 Girls 50 FREE – Zororo Motomba (CBAC) lowered her own record of 33:62 set in June 2012 to 32:82(AA)

– 9-10 Girls 100 FREE – Zororo Motomba (CBAC) set a new record with her time of 1:11:96 (AA). The previous record of 1:15:09 was held from 1997 by J Diaz of Staten Island

o SSC’s Ali Jackson and CBAC’s Zororo Motomba both clocked record breaking times in this event; Zororo with the faster time replaces J Diaz as the new record holder.

– 8 and under Girls 100 BACK – Avery Lambert (CBAC) broke L Butlers 2003 record of 1:54:25 with her time of 1:48:86(B)

This was Westerborg’s last meet as an 8 year old so he will now have to turn his sights on new records in the Boys 9-10! Nine Stingray members having posted CARIFTA qualifying times for CARIFTA 2013 in Jamaica so far this season, and the team is focussed and looking to see more records falling in the coming months, more blazing fast swims and more Stingray Swim Club Spirit.

The next Meet on the books for Stingray Swim Club is the Christmas Open Swimming Championships, a Long Course meet which takes place in Jamaica at the National Stadium. There will then be the traditional Back to School Burner and Sprint Meets in January and then a Long Course meet in the Bahamas in February.