Cayman swim team enjoys success in the UK

(CIASA): Stingray Swim Club members Lara Butler, Geoffrey Butler and Matthew Courtis put in a stellar performance last weekend at the South West Regional Short Course Championships in the UK, achieving personal bests, a CIASA record and CARIFTA qualifying times. Cayman Swimming’s Technical Director, Coach Ian Armiger, was delighted with the results, saying, “Cayman’s swimmers are training hard and the results are coming in where we want them to." The event took place at Millfield School in England. The South West region covers the six counties of Cornwall, Devon, Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset and Gloucester making this meet highly competitive.

On the first day of competition Lara Butler, competing for her UK based club Plymouth Leander, and Matthew Courtis, who swims in the UK for Kelly’s College, both reached the finals in their events and then both placed 6th in their respective finals.

Lara swam 2:24.09 in the heats of the 200m butterfly to make it through to the final; and then showed consistent form by going 2:24.15 in the finals. Earlier in the meet she posted a 30.25 50m butterfly and a 1:00.22 100m freestyle. Her freestyle and 200m butterfly times are both inside the Island Games Qualifying Standard (the NatWest Islands Games XV take place in Bermuda, July 13-19th 2013).

Geoffrey Butler, also competing for Plymouth Leander, is better known in Cayman and at CARIFTA for his strength in the longer distances and open water. He took to the shorter distances on the opening day and was pleased with his 1:56.86 200m freestyle, one hundredth of a second outside his Island Games time but well inside the CARIFTA 2013 time. He also went 2:14.60 200m IM and 4:48.19 400m IM. Geoffrey then went on to swim the race of his life, setting a huge personal best and clinching a silver medal in the 1500m freestyle with a time of 16:07.20. Earlier that same day he recorded another lifetime best of 4:06.82 in the 400m freestyle, finishing in 6th place.

Matthew Courtis raced to a 2:12.44 in the final of the 200m individual medley but also recorded a 59.41 100m butterfly and 1:56.96 200m freestyle. Matthew raced head to head with teammate Geoff in the 400m freestyle, finishing 8^th with a respectable 4:08.57.  He then went on to place 8th in the 200m butterfly with a sub 2:10 effort of 2:09.32.

Closing out Cayman’s Success for the meet, Lara Butler raced to a 2:26.50 200m IM, 1:06.95 100m back and a 28.48 50m freestyle. She completed the meet with two new CISA Records to her name; the 100m freestyle at 1:00.22 and the 50m butterfly at 30.25.

Mr. Arminger said, "We are seeing swimmers posting qualifying times in this UK meet for the Islands Games; and before that in Toronto and in Cayman for CARIFTA 2013 in Kingston, Jamaica. Our motto is “Fast Swimming” and we are living it every day – at training and in competition. Congratulations Lara, Geoffrey and Matthew.”