Swimmers helping to lift spirits at Sts Peter & Paul

Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

Outstanding performances - including those of young swimmers Angara Sinclair and Samuel Battick - at the Mayberry Investments Prep Schools' Swimming Championships, has helped to wash away some of the gloom surrounding the Sts Peter & Paul Preparatory School.

Less than a month ago the Sts Peter & Paul family lost one of its members, nine-year-old student Jeremiah Yson - a fourth grader - who passed away under tragic circumstances when he was hit by a falling goalpost on the football field.

But Sinclair and Battick, who were named the school's Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year in 2009, are hoping they and their other schoolmates have done a great deal, at least temporarily, to lift the spirits of the Liguanea-based Prep school, with their outstanding exploits that contributed to Sts Peter & Paul lifting the championship title.

"It was very sad for us, tragic, I am very sure that it (winning) helped (with the mood), it was very uplifting for everyone," Sinclair told The Gleaner.

"Everybody at the school was excited when we brought in the trophy," Battick said.

The swimmer's younger sister, Riana, a part of the girls 7-8 age group medley relay team which broke the meet record, was a classmate of Yson.

Sts Peter and Paul finished atop the standings with 471 points ahead of Hillel and Stella Maris.

They also captured the overall boys' title with 256 points and the girls' title, after accumulating 215 points.

Playing a huge role in those performances were Sinclair, who broke four records. She swept the field in the girls' 11-12 individual medley in a new meet record of 2:57.48 as she erased the previous mark of 3:06.96 set by national swim team representative, Octivia Gray.

In the girls 9-10 50m free, she obliterated Kendese Nangle's record of 32.67, with a new time of 30.61. She erased another one of Nangle's record in the 9-10 50-metre backstroke, posting a new mark of 35.94 to better the national swimmer's mark of 36.84. Sinclair was not done yet, as in the girls 12 and under 50m free, she bettered Rashida Shurland's 2008 record of 1:15.57, by clocking 1:09.64.

"I was a little nervous, but I just kept telling myself that I just have to do this, so I did what I had to do," Sinclair said.

"I actually expected to win, I have been training so hard, so I expected it. I was confident."

Sinclair added: "It was very exciting for me because I have been swimming on the school's team for seven years and we have never won it, this time we did, so it was very exciting."

other interests

In addition to her exploits in the pool, the 11-year-old is also a part of the netball team and hopes to do the long and high jumps, having recently joined the track team.

Battick, for his part, captured the boys' 9-10 50m freestyle in 34.04 ahead of Kevon Findlay (35.02) of Our Lady of the Angels and Hillel's Cole Nash. He also captured the boys 9-10 50-metre backstroke, getting the better of his teammate, Jessie Marsh.

Battick also captured the boys 9-10 50-metre butterfly with a time of 41.53, also getting the better of Marsh, who posted 41.65 seconds.

"When I was up on the blocks I was excited and a little bit nervous before the race," Battick said.

"I wasn't expecting to win, but sometimes you just have to put your mind to it."

Although currently making waves in the pool, the swimmer also has an interest in track and field, where he competes in the 100m and 200m.

Such events, will no doubt present other opportunities for the budding star to continue contributing to the lifting of spirits among the family at Sts Peter & Paul.