Youngsters Leon Seaton and Jonathan van Lange stole the limelight on Saturday last when the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) held its first event of the year, the January Splash, at the Colgrain Swimming Pool, Camp Street.
According to a press release from the GASA, Seaton and van Lange battled tooth and nail in the eight years and under, 25-yard kickboard (tummy) event.
Seaton duly clipped van Lange for first place his 32.91 seconds finish just surpassing van Lange’s 33.88 seconds ending. Joel Najeer finished third in 59.35 seconds.
Lian Winter won the female race in 25.55 seconds with Donna Carter, 26.32s, in second place and Danielle George, 31.06s, third.
Carter turned the tables on Winter in the 25-yard backstroke event where her 24.72s finish was more than enough to trump Winter’s 28.41 finish.
Meanwhile, Seaton held strong for another win in the boys’ 25-yard backstroke event which he completed in 30 seconds flat.
Second place went to Aram Chan who clocked 47.19 seconds while Najeer placed third yet again.
The girls’ 9 – 10 years 25-yard kickboard race was won by Jenell Watson in 24.53 seconds while Nkosi Beaton won the boys’ event clocking 21.57s.
Beaton was the star performer in the boys’ 9 – 10 category winning all of his events.
He won the 25-yard backstroke in 20.19s, the 25-yard breaststroke in 22.27s and the 25-yard freestyle in 16.41s and the 25-yard kickboard (back) in 30.41s.
Brittany van Lange won the girls’ 15 – 17, 50-yard backstroke race in 34.00s; the 50-yard butterfly event in 31.05s; the 50-yard breaststroke event in 37.18s and the 50-yard freestyle race in 27.72s.
Onika George and Hannibal Gaskin ruled the girls and boys 13-14 categories respectively making a clean sweep of all four events in each category.
The event was held as a prelude to the association’s first major meet set for the February 16-19 at the National Aquatic Centre. The upcoming meet is expected to be a combination of last year’s postponed National Swimming Championships and the 2012 Mashramani Meet, the release said.
