The Cayman National Fall Sprint Meet opened the 2018-2019 competitive age group season with a splash this past weekend with over 100 of Cayman’s swimmers stepping up on the blocks for the always popular sprint meet. Hosted by Stingray Swim Club, the meet also had athletes from Camana Bay Aquatic Club, Darren Mew Swimming, Seven Mile Swimmers, and Special Olympics Cayman Islands competing in the 100m IM and sprints of the Freestyle, Breaststroke, Backstroke and Butterfly events.

“Cayman National is a wonderful supporter of swimming,” said Stingray club president Kathy Jackson. “This meet is really important to us for a couple of reasons,” she continued. “First – it is a great opportunity after the summer holidays to get back on the blocks and race; and secondly we have our Senior swimmers pair up with our younger swimmers – helping them figure out, how to read the heat sheets, when to go down for their race, how to step up to the blocks. It gives the younger swimmers a sense of comfort knowing they are not on their own at, what for some, is their first meet; and it gives the older swimmers the opportunity to develop their mentoring and leadership skills. It’s a win-win and we thank our Head Coach, David Pursley, for introducing this concept to our club – it is just one of the many things he has introduced to us that create a strong sense of family and friendship on deck and in the pool.”

On hand at the start of the meet to welcome the swimmers and their families was Mrs. Donna Thompson, Manager Sales & Services at Cayman National Bank who commented that, “The growth and development of the Stingray Swim Club is commendable, and the time, dedication and commitment, exuded to ensure the athletes learn discipline, teamwork and leadership is testament to the well balanced students we are developing in, and for, our society.”

High point winners were: Girls 7-8 Charlotte Duivenbode, SMS; 9-10 Allie Capesso, CBAC; 11-12 Jillian Crooks, CBAC; 13-14 Kyra Rabess, SSC and 15&O Alison Jackson, SSC and Boys 6&U Noah Watson, SSC; 7-8 Chase Watson, SSC; 9-10 Ben Coak, SMS; 11-12 Will Sellars, SMS; 13-14 Corey Frederick-Westerborg and 15&O Jordan Crooks.

Overall team standings saw Stingray in first with 414 points; Seven Mile Swimmers came second with 273 and Camana Bay Aquatic Club in third with 105.

“Meets like this don’t happen without the support of our volunteers – the officials and the parents who time and run the meet, so a big than you to them all,” said Kathy Jackson who also served as Meet Director.

The next event on the Stingray Swim Club Calendar is the Mike Lockwood Memorial Pirates Week Meet, November 15-19, which offers a full array of events – sprint, middle and long distances; and Stingray swimmers will also compete in CIASA’s 800m CUC and Pirates Week 5K Open Water events, and will travel across town to Camana Bay to compete in the CBAC Fall Kick Off meet.