Thirty-three members of the St. Croix Dolphins Swim Team competed in the 2016 Puerto Rico Short Course Championship at the San Juan Natatorium, which took place from Friday, Dec. 2, to Sunday, Dec. 4.
The swimmers included Erin Andrews, Lidia Boguslaska, Alexandra Bonafe, Joaquin Bonafe, Hannah Boring, Alex Bourque, Webster Bozzo, Michael Dizon-Bumann, Jean Jacques Dongar, Carter Fauquher, Colton Fauquher, Sierra Franklin, Joseph Freeman, Kaeden Gleason, Anasha Gomez, Emelyn Gray, Kira Griffith, Maya Griffith, Nyla Griffith, Thalia Hendricks, Natalia Kuipers, Antonio Lewit, Shauni Lustig, Brianna Mattis, Matthew Mays, Marshall McCormick, Brice Richards, Faith Snow, Victoria Sperber, Jonathan Thomas, Layalie Washshah, Lydia Wilson, and Maria Wilson.
The Dolphins swimmers ranged in ages 7-18 years old and competed in six different age group categories: 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18. During the competition, two new Dolphins swimmers qualified for the Virgin Islands National Swim Team and will compete in the 2017 CARIFTA Championships in Nassau, Bahamas, in April.
Brianna Mattis qualified in the 11-12 girls 50-meter freestyle with a time of 32.43 and 50m breaststroke with a time of 40.65. Victoria Sperber qualified in the 11-12 girls 50m breaststroke with a time 41.28.
Twelve individual V.I. Swimming Federation Records were broken over the weekend by four Dolphins swimmers. 17-year-old team co-captain Matthew Mays broke a total eight records in six races including 15-17 boys 100m freestyle (53.32), 15-17 boys 200m freestyle (1:56.72), 15-17 and open boys 200m backstroke (2:03.10), 15-17 and open 200m butterfly (2:08.03), 15-17 boys 100m I.M. (58.47), 15-17 boys 200m I.M. (2:09.68).
Natalia Kuipers broke the 13-14 girls 400m freestyle record with a time of 4:41.13; the 13-14 girls 200m butterfly record with a time of 2:33.74. Joaquin Bonafe broke the 8-and-under 50m breaststroke record with a time of 47.71. Kaeden Gleason broke his own 100m freestyle record with a time of 1:21.14. The relay team, composed of Joaquin Bonafe, Alex Bourque, Joseph Freeman and Kaeden Gleason, set a new V.I. record in the 8-and-under 200m freestyle with a 2:42.32.
Webster Bozzo earned the high point award for boys 15-16 age group. He placed 1st in the 200m backstroke and freestyle, 200m individual medley, 100m backstroke and 100m freestyle. He placed 2nd in 100m individual medley and in the 50m backstroke.
The swimmers had many personal best times and the opportunity to compete against some of the regions fastest swimmers. This competition was successful and a great experience for all the Dolphin swimmers.
For additional information about the swim meet, contact head coach Brian Brady at 856-776-6794 or Cinthia Sanes at 719-7946, or e-mail stcroixdolphins@gmail.com. For full meet results, go to natacionpr.org.
The Dolphins’ next event on the calendar is the 13th Annual Sea Swim, a one-mile swim from the Frederiksted Pier to Rainbow Beach, to be held Jan. 8, 2017. To register for this event, visit the Web site: www.stcroixdolpins.org or call 719-SWIM.
Anyone who would like to be a part of this rewarding sport, should contact the Dolphins Swim Team at 719-7946 or e-mail stcroixdolphins@gmail.com.
