Simmons, van Lange and Grant set new national marks
RECORDS tumbled in the first swim meet hosted by the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) – the Mashramani Meet  – over the weekend at the new National Aquatic Centre that boasts an Olympic-size pool at Liliendaal. Soroya Simmons, Britney van Lange and Amy Grant set new national marks, while Hannibal Gaskin had one new mark to his credit.
The meet was described as successful by the organisers, attracting swimmers from four GASA-affiliated clubs, while soon-to-be-affiliated Sliver Gilders Swimming Club of Moruca fielded 12.
Fourteen-year-old Gaskin of Dorado Speed Swim Club smashed the first record in the 200 metres freestyle for the Boys 13-14 category, erasing the previous 2 mins 19.82 seconds for the National long course time, finishing in 2:18.32 mins, with club mates Omar Adams placing second and Omari Dunn third.
Grant of Silver Shark Aquatic Swim Club became the second record smasher on Saturday, finishing the 50 metres Backstroke for Girls 9-10 in 46.88 seconds to erase Asanti Mickle’s 16-year National record of 52.59 set in August, 1995. Deborah Scott of Dorado was second in that event.
On the final day, Sunday, 10-year-old Grant again notched her name in the record books, again bettering a Mickle 1995 record of 40.94 seconds in the 50 metres Freestyle for the same age category, setting a new mark of 39 seconds flat.
In the 50 metres Backstroke for Girls 15-17, two swimmers passed the old mark of 37.38 seconds set by Noelle Smith in December, 2010. Simmons of Dorado got the record finishing first in 36.75 seconds with club mate van Lange taking the silver in 36.92 seconds. The bronze went to Athena Gaskin, also of Dorado, with Region One swimmer Catalena Jerome placing a creditable fourth.
Fifteen-year-old Simmons returned on the final day with another recording performance in the 100 metres Backstroke in the same age group. Again, she and 15-year-old club mate van Lange passed the old 1:41.98 minute mark set in May, 2008 by Tiffany Nedd. Simmons struck gold in 1:17.35 minutes and van Lange silver in 1:21.98 minutes.
van Lange’s record-setting performance came late Saturday. She first erased 100 metre Freestyle for Girls’ 15-17 time of 1:06.51 minutes set by Jessica Stephenson last December, clocking 1:03.86 minutes. Athena Gaskin placed second, Simmons third and Silver Shark’s Keziah Nestor fourth.
The final record of the meet went to van Lange in the 50 metre Freestyle for the same age category. Last October Athena Gaskin set a 29.93 seconds mark, which van Lange bettered with 28.06 seconds, while Gaskin finished second in 30.26 seconds.
But it was Stephenson who qualified for three events in the upcoming Carifta Games. Her first qualification came in the 100 metres Breaststroke for Girls 15-17, clocking 1:18.46 minutes to claim gold. The qualifying time is 1:20.49 minutes. Silver went to Athena Gaskin and bronze to Keziah Nestor.
The 16-year-old Dorado simmer again booked her place in the international meet by clocking 36 seconds flat in the 50 metres Breaststroke in the same age category for gold. The Carifta qualifying time is 36.37 seconds. Again Gaskin was second and Nester third.
CARIFTA qualification for Stephenson was also in the 200 metres Breaststroke in which she clocked 2:51.16 minutes, below the 2:56.20 minutes for the Games. This time Nestor grabbed the silver.
The most successful swimmer in the meet was Hannibal Gaskin, striking gold ten times and silver once, while on the distaff side, Britney van Lange was decorated with nine gold and three silver medals.
National swimmer 18-year-old Noelle Smith of Dorado also had a haul of nine gold medals. 12-year-old Accalia Khan of Orca had a similar number,
Twenty-two-year-old Andy Atkinson of the Region One club was the most successful, taking home two gold, two silver and two bronze medals. On the distaff side, 20-year-old Duanna Heyliger had two gold and two silver medals.