The BVI Barracudas Swim Team made a huge splash at the 2024 Virgin Islands Long Course Championships over the weekend, showcasing stellar performances and bringing home an impressive haul of 22 medals.
Competing at the state-of-the-art long course 50-meter pool in St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands, the young athletes demonstrated remarkable talent, tallying 19 individual medals and 3 team medals in the relays.
Saturday’s Successes
On the first day of competition, the Barracudas set the pace with a series of outstanding individual performances. In the Girls 8 and Under category, Skylar Steer shone brightly, securing a gold medal in the 100-meter Backstroke and a silver in the 50-meter Freestyle. Her teammate, William Vergel, also impressed in the Boys 8 and Under events, earning two silver medals in the 100-meter Backstroke and 50-meter Breaststroke, along with a bronze in the 50-meter Freestyle.
The Girls 9-10 category saw Evelyn Freeman claim a silver medal in the 200-meter Backstroke, while Arun Bissoondutt dominated the 9-10 Boys 50-meter Breaststroke, capturing gold. In the Girls 11-12 division, Lily Carey added to the medal count with a silver in the 50-meter Breaststroke and a bronze in the 200-meter Breaststroke.
The team’s relay performances were equally commendable. The quartet of Hannah Kazembe, Laila Flax, Skylar Steer, and Evelyn Freeman clinched gold in the Girls 10 and Under 200-meter relay, showcasing excellent teamwork and coordination.
Sunday’s Triumphs
The Barracudas continued their medal-winning spree on Sunday. Naya Bissoondutt took gold in the Girls 8 and Under 50-meter Backstroke, while William Vergel added a gold in the 100-meter Breaststroke and a bronze in the 50-meter Backstroke to his collection. In the Girls 9-10 category, Hannah Kazembe earned a bronze in the 100-meter Freestyle, and Evelyn Freeman secured a silver in the 100-meter Breaststroke and a bronze in the 50-meter Backstroke. Arun Bissoondutt added to his accolades with a gold in the 100-meter Breaststroke and a bronze in the 100-meter Freestyle.
Lily Carey continued her strong performance in the Girls 11-12 category with a bronze in the 100-meter Breaststroke, while Princess Samantha Vergel captured a bronze in the Girls 13-14 50-meter Backstroke.
The relay teams also contributed significantly to the medal tally. The Barracudas picked up two silver medals in the Mixed 10 and Under 200-meter Freestyle Relay and the Girls 10 and Under 200-meter Medley Relay.
Team Reflections
Officials from the BVI Barracudas Swim Team expressed immense pride in the team’s performance, highlighting the remarkable achievements of the swimmers.
“These swimmers continue to prove that anything is possible with training and determination. The team had never trained or competed in a Long Course 50-meter pool before, with the majority of the team seeing one for the first time Saturday morning! To dive in and bring back results with 19 medals and 3 top relay finishes is a phenomenal achievement,” an official stated.
Under the guidance of Coach Rebecca Nockolds, the team of 10 swimmers ages 6 to 14, including the youngest competitor at just six years old, left a lasting impression with those who were in attendance.