TOP 2 SPOTS: Cayman Islands’ Minister of Youth, Sports and Heritage Isaac Rankine with Connor Macdonald and Dominic Hilton after they took the top two positions in the CARIFTA Games Open Water 5K Swim at Goodman’s Bay yesterday.

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

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After losing out to Team Bahamas in the CARIFTA Swimming Championships at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex, the Cayman Islands wanted to make sure that they made their presence felt in the open water 5K swim in Goodman’s Bay.

On Wednesday, one day after Team Bahamas clinched its sixth straight swim title, the Cayman Islands got a 1-2 punch in the boys’ 16-18 division.

Connor Macdonald snatched the gold from defending champion Dominic Hilton. Macdonald won in 1:02.29 with Hilton get-ting the silver in 1:02.30. The bronze went to Kaeden Gleason of the US Virgin Islands in 1:03.18.

“I’m pretty happy with my performance,” said 17-year-old Macdonald, who also got two silver and a bronze in the pool. “Me and my team-mate Dominic were pretty much racing together the whole time.

“It was a great event. I want to thank the Bahamas Aquatics for hosting us. For me it was a great experience overall. It was a good experience for the Cayman Islands.”

As the defending champion, Hilton said he didn’t want to lose his title, but if there was anyone to lose it to, it was his close friend and teammate Macdonald.

“We had a lot of stiff competition, but we were able to break away from them at the halfway mark. Me and Conner are great friends. We competed against each other in the Caymans finishing one and two, so it was great to be here to be the king of the open water swim.”

The 17-year-old Conner, who won a silver in the 200m breaststroke and a bronze in the 400m IM, thanked Bahamas Aquatics for hosting what he considered the best CARIFTA ever.

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