Black Sands Swim Squad (BSSS) Shines at 2025 Gallagher National Swimming Championships
The 2025 SVG Gallagher National Swimming Championships made a splash at the Shrewsbury Aquatic Center from September 18th to 21st, showcasing the rising talent and competitive spirit of St Vincent and the Grenadines’ swimmers across all age groups.
Standout Performances
In the Girls 8 & Under category, Sarai Williams delivered a dominant performance, capturing six gold and one silver medal, earning her the Championship trophy for her age group. Teammates Janai George and Neveah Quammie added to the medal count with two and one bronze respectively.
In the Boys 8 & Under, Methuselah McLean collected an impressive haul of two gold, four silver, and two bronze medals.
The Girls 9–10 division saw outstanding efforts from Ira Hadley (2 gold, 4 silver, 5 bronze), Amelia DesVignes (2 gold, 4 bronze), and Nua Griffith (2 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze). On the boys’ side, Anthony George earned 2 silver and 3 bronze.
In the Girls 11–12 category, Ebi Griffith claimed 1 gold, 2 silver, and 9 bronze, while Solomiia Kerechanyn took home 1 bronze. Among the Boys 11–12, Kione Deshong dominated the field with 8 gold and 4 silver, securing his age group’s Championship trophy. Jonathan George and Dreden Lewis also earned medals with a silver and bronze respectively.
In the Girls 13–14, Eltonique Leonard led with 1 gold, 7 silver, and 4 bronze, while Zizi Griffith and Arielle Pierre each added a bronze. For the Boys 13–14, Benjamin Cyrus earned 3 gold and 8 silver, and Everett Allman secured 3 silver and 6 bronze.
The 15 & Over Girls category was highlighted by a flawless performance from Zariel Nelson, who won 12 gold medals, earning her the Championship title. In the 15 & Over Boys, Matthew Ballah topped the leaderboard with 8 gold, 3 silver, and 1 bronze, followed by Seth Byron, who earned 3 silver and 9 bronze medals. Both Ballah and Nelson were awarded Championship trophies for their age groups.
Several national records fell during the championship:
Kione Deshong (Boys 11–12) broke four national records:
50m Freestyle: 26.33 → 26.18
100m Breaststroke: 1:11.40 → 1:10.37
200m Breaststroke: 2:37.45 → 2:35.57
200m Individual Medley: 2:28.27 (Alex Joachim) → 2:26.71
