Coaches laud swimmers after Mayberry performances
Hillel dominant, Immaculate, Campion find ways to win
Published:Wednesday | April 6, 2022 | 12:11 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
DESPITE A year’s hiatus, Hillel Academy ensured that the Prep Schools Boys and Girls swimming titles would not change hands.
The 2022 Mayberry Investments Prep/Primary Swim Meet concluded on the weekend at the National Aquatic Centre (NAC) with Hillel successfully defending their boys’ and girls’ championships from 2020.
The race for the boys’ title was almost a dead heat between the 2020 champions and Sts Peter and Paul Preparatory, with the former accumulating 225 points to hold off their challengers, who amassed 211. Mount Alvernia were third with 90 points.
The girls’ category was not close, as Hillel amassed 275 points for victory while Mona Prep were second with 160 and St Hugh’s Prep were third with 151.
The annual event made its return after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of last year’s competition even though the NAC had been open for club and national swimmers.
Hillel head coach Wendy Lee said her group managed to supersede their initial targets given the year’s hiatus.
“We were happy to have senior swimming back but that has kind of plateaued and we really needed some new excitement. The swimmers have not had consistent training but the way they performed was exceptional,” Lee told The Gleaner.
“They outperformed the expectations of the coaches, and not only from Hillel but from all the other schools.”
Windward Road Primary won the Primary School boys’ title while Excelsior Primary captured the girls’ title.
COMPETITION
In the high school section on Friday’s day one of the competition, Immaculate Conception High School retained the girls’ title, amassing 628 points. Campion College were second with 369 while St Andrew High School were third with 300.50 points.
The boys title went down to the wire but it was Campion College who dethroned Wolmer’s Boys’ School, amassing 434.50 points. Wolmer’s came close with 425 points for second place, while Kingston College were third with 345 points.
Immaculate Conception High coach Teddy Hayles said that despite challenges in getting competitors for the senior class, as well as the 11-12-year-old age group, he credited the coaching staff who prepared the team to repeat their 2020 triumph.
“We have a few club swimmers but you can’t win the meet with just club swimmers. We have a good support staff with Chanel Hill, who now runs the programme, and (national coach) Rory Alvaranga. We have a good coaching team and that is the main thing,” Hayles said.
Campion head coach Gillian Millwood said the boys’ title was sweeter, given the challenges they had to overcome on the day, not just because of the absence of last year’s event.
“It is special because of the gap but more so because we didn’t enter in 2020. There were a number of athletes who couldn’t come out on the day. We got two disqualifications to start the morning. (But) all in all the children did really well. The boys really turned up for themselves,” Millwood said.
Nineteen records fell at the High Schools Championships with national junior swimmer Zaneta Alvaranga setting new marks in the girls 15-16 50-metre freestyle, 100 freestyle and the 50 butterfly. Campion College’s Nathaniel Thomas had three new records in the boys’ 17 and over 50-metre backstroke, 100 freestyle and 50 butterfly.