Zara Persico sets new national 11-12 girls' 1500m freestyle record

Zara Persico set a new national record in the 11-12 girls 1500m long course freestyle event at the Aquatics Swimming Association of TT Invitational Swimming Championships at the National Aquatics Centre in Balmain, Couva, on December 11.

The 12-year-old Marlins swimmer touched the wall in a blistering 18 minutes and 52.05 (18:52.05) seconds to win the event ahead of clubmates Marena Martinez (19:10.18) and Kimi Craigwell (26:39.31), who were second and third respectively.

Persico’s swim smashed her own record of 18:57.83 set in May and dipped below the A qualifying time (18:59.52) for the 13-14 age group at the 2025 Carifta Aquatics Championships in TT.

Also achieving Carifta A standards were unattached swimmer Zarek Wilson, Tidal Wave’s Johann-Matthew Matamoro and Vipers’ Anya DeGannes and Alessandro Bazzoni.

Wilson, TT’s 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games boys 100m fly gold medalist, topped the field in the boys 15 and over 50m backstroke after clocking 26.21s, with Matamoro coming in second in 26.95s. Both bettered the Carifta A qualifying time of 27s flat.

Third and fourth-place finishers, unattached Christian Awah (27.10s) and Point Fortin’s Darren Belfon (27.94s) respectively, attained Carifta B times.

Vipers’ DeGannes bettered the 11-12 girls 200m butterfly Carifta A time of 2:47.78 when she won the event in 2:34.99.

Second-placed Martinez (2:53.09) earned a Carifta consideration while third-ranked Grenadian Eliza Rose Benjamin (3:14.88) achieved the B standard.

DeGannes’ club mate Bazzoni won the 11-12 boys 200m fly in 2:38.89 in an A qualifying time with RWB Aquatics’ Chad Baboolal (3:07.45) and Tidal Wave’s Aiden Nixon (3:09.40) rounding the top three respectively.

Action continued on the evening of December 12 and resumes on December 13.

Selected ASATT Invitational Results

Boys

8 & Under 50m backstroke: 1. Andrew Miles 42.76s (SJ’S); 2. Kyan George 43.05s (SHSC); 3. Jalen Weste 44.00s (Vipers)

13-14 butterfly: 1. Aaron Siewlal 2:22.89 (TSSC); 2. Marcus Alexander 2:27.48 (Marlins); 3. Victor Ashby 2:28.70 (DSCB)

15 and Over 1500m freestyle: 1. Zachary Anthony 17:10.70 (Marlins); 2. Isaiah Alexander 18:37.27 (Marlins); 3. Jannai Applewhite 19:00.36 (Marlins)

Girls

8 & Under 50m backstroke: 1. Alexa Gill 43.26s (Marlins); 2. Arsiah Gill 43.89s (Marlins); 3. Anna Sukumaran 46.58s (Vipers)

11-12 50m backstroke: 1. AnyaDeGannes 33.89s (Viers); 2. Zara Persico 34.79s (Marlins); 3. Zalayhar Lewis 35.38s (BLASC)

15 & Over 400m IM: 1. Madison MacMillan 5:26.69 (Vipers); 2. Anya Davis 5:57.25 (RWB); 3. Ludmilla Guenther 6:05.46 (Blue Lightning)