WILDEY, Barbados (CMC) – Bahamian Joanna Evans broke two long-standing records and Barbadian Nkosi Dunwoody reset another en route to two gold medals, as both countries dominated day two of the 30th CARIFTA Swimming Championships here last Sunday.Barbados’ medal quest was helped by the outstanding Danielle Titus who picked up three gold medals in the girls 11-12 age category while the Bahamas were further boosted by their capture of two of the 400 metres medley relays.

Both teams finished day two with eight gold medals, but the headlines belonged to Evans, though, as she took control of the girls 15-17 category for the second straight year, following her exploits in Aruba during the last CARIFTA Games there.
She claimed the 200 metres freestyle, clocking two minutes and three seconds, to touch the wall well ahead of Barbadian Hannah Gill who was timed at 2:09.81, with Jamaica’s Michelle Dols third in 2:10.92.
Evans’ new time eclipsed Olympian Janelle Atkinson’s 15-year-old record of 2:03.72, and the victory was in her second straight in the event after also winning last year.
She wrote her name in the record books for a second time dismissing her challengers in the 400 Individual Medley to win in a time of 4:59.25 and the time erased the old mark of five minutes flat set by Evans’ compatriot McKayla Lightbourn back in 2008 in Aruba.
Teammate Albury Higgs finished second in 5:07.81 with Rebecca Maduro of Aruba claiming bronze in 5:22.89.
Dunwoody, meanwhile, streaked to victory in the boys 11-12 400 IM in a record time of 5:08.18, to make up for last year’s disappointment when he finished down the field, his time breaking fellow Barbadian Luis Sebastian Weekes’ two-year-old mark of 5:09.20.
Guadeloupe’s Lucca Batrin claimed silver in 5:14.99 and Trinidadian Aqeel Joseph, bronze in 5:26.07.
Dunwoody also won the 200m freestyle – an event dominated by Barbados – clocking 2:11.47 to finish ahead of the US Virgin Islands’ Ky Odlum in 2:12.89, and Antigua and Barbuda’s Lleyton Martin who was timed at 2:14.38.
Barbados won four of the 200m freestyle events, with Titus picking up one of her gold medals here when she clocked 2:18.63 to beat Trinidadian Jahmia Harley (2:19.31) into second and Cayman Islands’ Holly Stradling (2:19.97) into third.
Titus added to her tally the 100m backstroke in a time of 1:09.60 and also picked up the 400m IM in 5:37.51, as Barbados completed a one-two with Ashley Weekes second in 5:40.92.
Barbados laid claim to another record in the 13-14 400m medley relay when the team of Jack Kirby, Jumar Walrond, Luis Sebastien Weeks and Damon St Prix, broke the three-year-old mark of 4:12.25 with a new time of 4:11.48.
Not to be left out, Aruba also rewrote the record books in the girls 13-14 400m medley relay, posting a time of 4:38.35 to erase another three-year-old mark of 4:40.03.