From 2013 the 50 metre backstroke record for Team Bahamas has been in the hands of the Carey family at the end of each calendar. Older brother Dionisio started the run with his initial record swim of 27.40 since then younger brother Davante has kept the record at home. At Nationals Lamar Taylor took the record to 25.93 with Davante just behind in 25.99.
Chris Vythoulkas
Photo courtesy of Bahamas Olympic Commitee
In Birmingham Carey would re take the record with a swim of 25.86. This would earn Davante a historic semifinal berth and make him the fastest Bahamian ever at the Games in the race. He bettered the time 27.55 by Chris Vythoulkas, a former record holder in the event. He set that time at the 2006 Melbourne Games. This would be a major achievement for the McKendree University student who was making his senior team debut.
George Bovell III
Photo courtesy of theunbreakablebody.com
In the semifinals he placed 16th with yet another sub 26 performance of 25.98. His record swim in the heats makes Carey the third fastest CARIFTA performer at the Games. Only Legendary Olympians from Team Trinidad and Tobago George Bovell III 25.39 and Dylan Carter from these Games 25.81 have swum faster.
Davante Carey
Carey this season set his school record again in the 50 yard backstroke with a swim of 21.41. That ranked him fourth in Division II and the fastest CARIFTA region swimmer of the season. He gave his thoughts about his record breaking feat
“Coming into the meet I knew there was a possibility I could make semifinals. I wished we could have been seeded by the times we did at Nationals but that was not possible because it was too late. In the morning swim knew I had to get out and get after it because I knew it was going to take under 26 to make finals. I had that in the back of mind and just executed the start, hit the under waters and breakout and after that it is just swing after it. I think the execution was really great. There are a few things I could have done better like finish on a full stroke instead of gliding. For the most part I thought it was good race overall however I do think I can go a little faster. I need to clean somethings up and get ready for the next long course international competition”.
DaVante Carey .Photo courtesy of McKendree University
Yet another of the CARIFTA region’s swimmers continue to make their mark at the NCAA collegiate level as well as setting new standards for their nations. On November 24 at the Purdue Invitational McKendree University long course time trial freshman DaVante Carey swam his way to history in the 100 metre backstroke. He recorded a time of 58.12 to become the fastest Bahamian of all time in the event. He had been missed the record previously with times of 58.94, 58.64 and 58.91 earlier this calendar year.
Carey competing at the 2019 CCCAN Championships.Photo courtesy of Harold Wilson
This time the defending CARIFTA, CCCAN and national Champion would not let 2019 end without claiming the record. DaVante took down the 2004 record of Olympian Chris Vythoulkas of 58.31. Vythoulkas had won heat one of the event on August 15 at the 2004 Athens Games.
Chris Vythoulkas
Photo courtesy of Bahamas Olympic Commitee
100 metre backstroke
Carey
Vythoulkas
First 50
28.31
28.43
Second 50
29.81
29.88
Total time
58.12
58.31
The next standard in Carey’s sights will be the 2020 Olympic B qualifying time of 55.47.
The performance by the Nassau native came right behind a strong Purdue Invite where he set all new personal bests and lowered the school record in the 50 yard backstroke. In the 200 yard medley relay Carey recorded a backstroke split of 22.42.That propelled the Bearcats to the Bronze and a new school record of 1:28.16. That crushed the old school standard of 1:30.27. With his swift opening leg Carey also lowered his school record of 22.96 set on October 26.
200 medley relay
Name
Time
Name
Time
backstroke
DaVante Carey
22.42
Daniel Bujis
23.10
breaststroke
John Heapy
24.64
Matthew Meals
25.15
butterfly
Gregg Lichinsky
21.35
Luca Simonetti
22.27
freestyle
Xander Skinner
19.75
Gregg Lichinsky
19.75
Total Time
1:28.16
1:30.27
The old record was set at the 2019 Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships when they placed fourth. Carey is the third fastest swimmer in the 50 backstroke in the Conference and the Bearcats are second overall in the Conference .
Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship swimmers from the CARIFTA region from left to right Jeron Thompson (Trinidad and Tobago) Indianapolis , Carey (The Bahamas) McKendree,John Bodden (Cayman Islands) McKendree and Kael Yorke (Trinidad and Tobago) Indianapolis
In the 400 yard medley relay he lowered his personal best of 49.93 to 49.46 to help the Bearcats to 5th place in 3:15.88, the second fastest time in school history.
In the individual 100 back he posted the second fastest time of his career 49.72. That earned him as spot in the C final .In that race he proved himself a class above the rest, stopping the clock in 48.95 (split time 23.57).That time would have earned sixth place in the Championship final. He is not the second fastest performer of all time in school history ,just off the Bujis mark of 48.74.
In the 200 yard freestyle relay his second leg was timed at 20.25 that helped in the total team effort 1:22.69.It helped the B team to third in the B final.
The 400 yard freestyle saw the Queen’s College past student clocking 45.21 on the second leg.That helped them to eighth place in 3:00.51 , currently third in the conference and fourth all time in school history .
In the 200 yard individual medley he dropped from 1:57.98 to set a new personal best of 1:53.58.in the heats.He went onto place 7th in the C final in 1:54.79.
In the 200 yard backstroke he entered the meet with a time of 1:55.83. He took it down to 1;55.50 in the heats and yet again to 1:54.93 in the D final.
Carey competing at the 2019 CCCAN Championships .Photo courtesy of Harold Wilson
He registered a massive drop of 51.94 to 49.72 in the 100 yard butterfly to place 27th overall.
The Bearcats competing against such Division I heavyweights such as Louisville placed 5th amassing 266 points. Lousiville won the men’s title with 615 points.
Carey along with older Dionisio own all the Bahamas 50 metre backstroke records except 8 and under boys. Dionisio owns the 9-10 records and was the former senior national record.
Age Group
Time
Year
9-10
33.45
2008
11-12
29.80
2015
13-14
27.61
2017
15 and over
26.46
2019
DaVante’s senior national record tally now stands at five.All were set in 2019
Senior national record holders in the 400 metre freestyle N’Nhyn Fernander,Gershwin Green,Carey and Jared Fitzgerald
Event
Time
50 metre backstroke
26.46
100 metre backstroke
58.12
400 metre freestyle relay
3:28.22
200 mixed medley relay
1:59.21
200 medley relay
1:46.12
Draftingthecaribbean spoke to DaVante about his national record and his first major collegiate meet
“The Purdue Invite was a meet I was really looking forward to.It was my first major mid season meet in college.It was not just a mid season meet but a meet where McKendree, Division II school was competing against all Division I teams so we knew the meet was going to be fast.I like racing fast swimmers.They help me to push harder and swim faster times.I knew I was going to swim well but I did not know the out come would have been this great with just two days of rest and no shaving and just a suit.In the 200 yard freestyle relay I was on the B team I had a split of 20.25 with a reaction time of 0.67. That was pretty slow because most persons on the relay are o.o something .I felt I could do 19 something if I had a faster reaction. After that I had the 200 yard IM I dropped three seconds and finished with a new personal best time of 1:53.That is the fastest time for the season for McKendree University.In the 400 medley relay I swam 49.46 which was still my fastest time at that point as it was the first night of the meet. We had a solid swim and finished in the top out the entire field.In the 100 butterfly I went 49 another personal best for me.In the 100 backstroke which was phenomenal for me . I did not have great swim in the morning.I was not disappointed with it but I knew I could have done better.I came back in the night for finals I did what I had to do and that made the NCAA B cut.I am now third in the GLVC Conference which is a big accomplishment for me. I was so excited to see that time.Even though I am in Division II my time was the sixth fastest at the meet.In the 200 medley relay we broke the school record by over two seconds.I led off in 22.42 which is very solid time.Swimming the 200 yard backstroke in the morning session on the last day was a bit of a struggle as my legs were pretty tired from all the other races because of all the racing I had done.I did a best time and came back in the night and dropped even more time.I did not get a B cut but I know I can work on some areas to get there.Overall it was really solid swim for a mid season meet.My last race of the short course invite was the 400 yard freestyle relay.I got promoted to the A team so I was excited about that.I split 45.21 .I felt that it was a great swim after three hard days of racing.We had some swimmers who stayed back for the Invite Long course Time trial who are trying to make US Olympic trial cuts I am not eligible for that but I swam because I needed some Long course times.I swam the 100 metre backstroke and I was really excited going into the meet because based on my conversion time from Invite that I knew I should be under the record and my personal best. I just went out there and did what I had to do.I had a different racing strategy this time I did not take it out extremely fast as I normally do. I held back a little. I went out in 28. I just had to shift gears when I hit that 50 metre mark.It was the fastest I have ever come back in the 100 metre backstroke in 29 , which is a big accomplishment for me bringing it back under 30.Also breaking the 15 year old record by Chris Vythoulkas at the 2004 Athens Olympics.So the swim places me as the fastest Bahamian 100 metre backstroke ever. I very happy to have broken the record”.
The first day of the 2019 Rev Bahamian National Championships got underway on Thursday June 20 at the Betty Kelly- Kenning Pool in Nassau.
Davante Carey
The highlight of the day was the new national and Championship record in the 15 and over 50 metre backstroke set by Davante Carey of the Mako Aquatics Club.
Carey ,who is the reigning CARIFTA 15-17 and 2018 Nationals Champion went into the the meet in Good form. At CARIFTA earlier this year he had lowered his own national record from the 2018 National Championships from 26.75 to 26.66 to take the Gold. He lowered that mark even further as he stopped the clock in a time of 26.46. Winning the Silver was Lamar Taylor of Freeport in Aquatic club in 271.14. Taylor had won the Silver at CARIFTA in 27.41.The Bronze went to Armando Moss of Alpha Aquatics in 28.02. Reigning UWI Games champion, former national record and older brother of Davante ,Dionisio was eighth in 29.21.
Davante, who will swimming for the senior team later this summer in Peru for the PAN American Games is steadily climbing the all time rankings in the 50 metre backstroke for the 15-17 age group.
Country
Time
Name
Year
Trinidad and
Tobago
25.99
Dylan Carter
2013
Barbados
26.07
Jack Kirby
2018
The Bahamas
26.46
Davante Carey
2019
Aruba
26.66
Patrick Groters
2017
Jamaica
26.71
Timothy Wynter
2013
Carey will also be competing at CCCAN in Barbados also holds the Championship record at that competition with a time of 26.84 from 2018. Draftingthecaribbean asked Davante today about his reaction to his new national record
“Overall the 50 backstroke was a good race seeing that I came off a bit of a struggle in the prelims as I did not have a good start and I went straight to the bottom.But despite all of that I came back in the night for finals ready to defend my title and possibly even breaking my record and that was what I did.I had a great start.I came up a little bit early out my underwater but I made it work and then I really finished strong”.
Ariel Weech
In the female equivalent Ariel Weech of the Alpha Aquatics team put the 2011 national record of 29.40 by Alana Dillette on notice when she recorded the fourth fastest time in Bahamian history of 29.84. She becomes only the second Bahamian woman under the 30 seconds barrier. First to the wall was visitor Maddie McDonald who touched in 28.61
Davante Carey butterfly
It would be Double gold for Carey as he took the 100 metre butterfly title in a new personal best of 55.54.In the process he defended his title that he won in 2018 in 56.26. He came from behind to nip N’Nhyn Fernander of Barracudas at wall who won the Silver in 55.85. Fernander who won the B final of this event at the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games. Bronze to reigning CARIFTA 15-17 Champion Ian Pinder in 56.80. Visitor Will Pisani touched first in 54.92. Carey will now be eyeing the 15-17 CCCAN record of 55.25 held by Puerto Rico’s Arsenio López from the 1997 edition of the meet held in Cuba.
The women’s 15 and over race went to Katelyn Cabral of the YMCA Waverunners in a time of 1:05.80. She topped the field easily by over four seconds.
In the distance freestyle events Zaylie -Elizabeth Thompson of Alpha topped the girls 13-14 800 metre race with a time of 9:35.07.The 15 and over event went to Anya Macphail of Mako in 10:00.01. The 13-14 1500 metre race was won by Hodari Prince of Barracudas in 18:44.39.
Luke-Kennedy Thompson
The 15 and over race went to another Thompson , CARIFTA 15-17 Champion Luke Kennedy in 17:20.76. He was followed to the wall by brother Mark-Anthony in 17:28.16.
CAC 100 metre breaststroke championship finalists in 2018 and 2014
Lilly and Albury Higgs
Photo courtesy of Bahamas Aquatics
In the women 15 and over 200 metre breaststroke the top two spots were dominated by the Higgs family as Albury defended her title to win the Gold in a time of 2:34.09.Sister Lily won the Silver in 2:39.99 and the Bronze to Jemilah Hepburn of Mako in a time of 2:50.88.
The men’s equivalent was won by Andre Walcott of Mako in 2:30.88.Silver went to teammate Tyler Russell in 2:31.78 and the Bronze to Mark Anthony Thompson in 2:31.95.
The Alpha Aquatics quartet of Jazmine Trotman,Virginia Stamp,Ariel Weech and Celia Campbell set a new Championship record of 1:50.48.That lowered their 2017 mark of 1:50.97.
Marvin Johnson
CARIFTA 2019 standout Marvin Johnson dominated the field in the 11-12 50 metre backstroke to win in a time of 30.92 just off the Championship record held by Carey of 30.76.At CARIFTA he won Gold in a personal best 30.75 . In the 100 metre butterfly he would lower the Championship record of 1:03.27 set by teammate Nigel Forbes with a winning time of 1:02.10. He took the 2019 CARIFTA title in 1:03.27 .The CCCAN record which stands at 1:01.83 set by Emir Quintero by Mexico from 2005 seems set to go in Barbados later this summer.
Nigel Forbes en route to Gold at UANA in 2018
Forbes has improved tremendously from 2018 after winning the 11-12 National Championship title in 1:03.27 he won convincingly in his first year of the 13-14 in a new personal best of 57.98. His performance is the the second fastest all time in the age group. The National and Championship record is 57.81 held by Ian Pinder.He will have more than a year to lower that mark.At CARIFTA he won the Silver in a time of 59.45.
The 2016 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships (PSAC) got underway on Thursday February 18 at the York County YMCA and Graham Aquatic Center in York Pennsylvania. The CARIFTA region was represented by Gannon University’s Bahamian freshman Dionisio Carey.
Carey would earn a spot on the medal podium in the 200 yard medley relay. His Golden Knights team broke the school record of 1:33.70 to win the Bronze medal. The team of Carey backstroke 24.09, Michael Smith breaststroke 26.86, Nils Groeppler butterfly 22.15 and Denys Fedorchenko freestyle 20.21 lowered the school record to 1:33.31. The old school record had stood from the 2007 -2008.
Carey also contested the 200 yard individual medley where he finished 36th in 2:04.00.
Gannon University’s Bahamian freshman Dionisio Carey ended 2015 by breaking his personal standards. Carey lowered his personal bests at the Wooster Invitational which was held from Dec 3 to 5 in Ohio. In the 400 yard medley relay the Golden Knights A team finished 5th in a time of 3:28.56. It was a massive time drop for the Knights as their previous season best was 3:37.50 set in early November. Carey started off the relay with a backstroke time of 52.63 which had crushed his season best of 54.61.He also lowered his personal best for the 100 yard backstroke of 53.05 set in February 2013. He would lower that even further when he placed 4th in the individual 100 yard backstroke in a time of 52.10.
In the 200 yard medley relay the Golden Knights would see another big time drop. Heading into the Invite their season record was 1:37.05.They took off more than 3 seconds and stop the clock in 1:33.89 and finish 3rd . They were just off the school record by 0.19 of a second set in the 2007-2008 season. Carey again started off the relay splitting a time of 23.83 bettering his best relay start of the season of 24.79. That relay performance was the best backstroke effort of the relays. Dionisio also edged his personal best of 23.84 which he set in February 2013.
Carey also saw improvement in his 200 yard backstroke. He finished 2nd in the B final in a time of 1:57.17.That was another big drop time as his previous season best was 2:04.29.Dionisio finished 6th in the 200 yard individual medley in 2:03.82 .He was faster in the preliminaries having clocked 2:02.64.
Carey won Gold in the 50 metre backstroke in his final year of eligibility at the 2015 CARIFTA Swimming Championships in Barbados. He is the defending 2015 Bahamian national champion in the same event in the 15 and over category. Dionisio also holds the senior national record with a time of 27.40 which he set at the 2013 CARIFTA Championships in Kingston Jamaica.
Gannon which competes in the NCAA Division 2 finished second at the Wooster Invite with 1236.5 points.
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