SPORTS SECTION E
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2025
Reloaded, Page 7
2025 CARIFTA GAMES @ HASELY CRAWFORD STADIUM
‘Seventh heaven’ By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
T
he streak continued for Team Bahamas, winning the unprecedented seventh straight title at the 2025 CARIFTA Swimming Championships in Couva, Trinidad & Tobago, last night. As the curtain came down at the National Swim Complex, Team Bahamas was in “seventh heaven” as they completed their seven straight team victory. The 36-member team did it by accumulating a total of 979 points, well ahead of second place Jamaica with 795.5. Host Trinidad & Tobago rounded out the top three with 735. And in the medal count, the Bahamas racked up 27 gold, 23 silver and 24 bronze for their total of 74. Trinidad & Tobago had 23 gold, 17 silver and 27 bronze for 57 and Jamaica finished in third with 21 gold, 19 silver and 16 bronze for 56. Glancing over the pair of charts, head coach Travano McPhee said Team
‘JAZZ’ AND YANKEES VS GUARDIANS – SEE PAGE E4
CARIFTA swim team wins 7th straight title Bahamas put on a show in Trinidad & Tobago. “This is an historic moment in Bahamian history. I’m very excited about this team. These swimmers endured a lot over the four days of competition, some of them swum over 20 events and still finished strong,” McPhee said. From the management team of assistant coach Jasmine Gibson, open water swim coach Allan Murray, team manager Celestial Darville, chaperones Therell Smith and Melvin Rolle as well as team doctor Keir Miller, to the support group of family and friends, McPhee said they all came together and it was a successful trip for the swimmers. “They executed. So I’m very proud to call myself a Bahamian,” he said. “I’m very excited to see where swimming is headed in the country.” Now that they have conquered the seven straight crown, McPhee said they will take some time to celebrate, but the focus will shift very quickly on preparing the swimmers to go after the eight straight next year. “I can’t express how I feel. The swimmers are jamming,” was how he summed it all up. “They made me proud.” Male team captain Caden Wells said there was no better way for him to end his CARIFTA career than enjoying the “seventh heaven” feat. “I feel really good sbout what we just did,” he said. “I feel like I did what I had to do and I went out with a bang, so I feel good sbout my performance. I don’t regret anything. I feel like the meet went very well for everyone.” For Wells, he closed it with a gold in the boys’ 15-17 100m breaststroke. He also got a silver as a member of the 4 x 100m
CHAMPIONS FOR THE SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE TIME: CARIFTA swimmers celebrate winning their seventh straight title at the 2025 CARIFTA Swimming Championships in Couva, Trinidad & Tobago, last night. freestyle relay and a bronze in the 200m breaststroke and as a part of the 4 x 400m medley relay team. The highlight of the final day came from the youngest team of Dexter Russell, Nitayo Knowles, Da’Kari Cooper and Kai Bastian, who shattered the games’ boys’ 11-12 4 x 50 metre freestyle. Russell, an individual record breaker in the 50m butterfly, said he knew he had to get the team off to a good start and that was what he did. “I know our team was very strong and we would get the record,” he stated. In Team Bahamas winning seven straight, Russell said he couldn’t ask for a better introduction to CARIFTA. “I am so happy,” he stressed. Bastian was just as jubilant about their success. “I love it. I was happy when we broke that record,” said Bastian, who also won a total of four gold, three silver and one bronze. In making his contribution to the “seventh-peat,”
RECORD BREAKERS: Boys’ 11-12 record breaking team of Dexter Russell, Da’Kari Cooper, Nitayo Knowles and Kai Bastian. Bastian said “it was awesome. I love to be a part of the seventh-peat and I can’t wait to celebrate it.” Cooper was also overwhelmed. “I feel good about the seven-peat and breaking the record,” said Cooper, who also won three gold medals in the 4 x 100m freestyle, 4 x 100m medley and 4 x 50m freestyle relays. “I feel amazing making my first CARIFTA and getting gold in my events.”
And Knowles, winner of a bronze in the 200m butterfly, was thrilled when he got the news that “we just won the seventh straight to make history. I was very happy.” When asked about the record-breaking team, Knowles said “oh man, it was very nice to be on the record-breaking team. Going into it, we saw the time we knew we had to beat and we all went all out and got the record.”
Isbella Munroe, the youngest female on the team, said she was also proud to be a part of the seventh straight. “I felt good that I got to swim for my country and I made my family proud,” said Munroe, who won the gold in both the 50 and 100m backstrokes. As for the seventh straight, Munroe said she was happy that she made the team for the first time this year. And she can be back for another appearance next year when they go for the eight-peat. But there’s still some unfinished business as the 12 swimmers in the open water swim will conclude the competition this morning before the team returns home on their Bahamasair charter to celebrate. Then it’s time to prepare for the trip to Martinique for the 2026 edition of the CARIFTA Swimming Championships over the Easter holiday weekend as Team Bahamas looks for the eight-straight.
JUDOKA XAVION JOHNSON FIFTH AT THE JUNIOR PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net IT wasn’t the result that he expected, but Bahamian judoka Xavion Johnson’s fifth-place finish at the Junior Pan American Championships still enabled him to climb up the ranking. Just two weeks after grabbing bronze in Panama, 18-year-old Johnson made
another strong international showing in what’s shaping up to be a breakout year. Johnson, competing in the -66kg weight class, finished the day with two wins and two losses. Notably, one of those victories came against the very opponent who bested him in Panama — a testament to his growth, grit and determination. “My performance wasn’t as
THE SPORTS April CALENDAR BASKETBALL BBF NATIONALS THE Bahamas Basketball Federation’s Round Robin Tournament is scheduled to take place over the weekend of April 24-26 at the Kendal Issacs Gymnasium.
It’s expected that teams will be in from Grand Bahama and the various Family Islands to play along with the champions from the New Providence Basketball Association in both the men’s division one and
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XAVION JOHNSON good as I wanted it to be, but I was still pleased with the results,” Johnson said. “I was able to beat the guy who beat me in Panama in the quarterfinals. But it wasn’t the result I was looking for.” Johnson, 18, admitted that he just has to continue to improve on every aspect of his craft because, in the world of judo, medals are just part of the bigger picture. “Every match matters. Victories, even without a podium finish,
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