Alia Atkinson and Allison Bardowell Medal at FGCJO's

Swimmers competing at the Florida Gold Coast Junior Olympics dived into action today at the Coral Springs Swimming Pool. Alia Atkinson and Allison Bardowell, both of whom swim for the Fort Lauderdale Swim Team, were the only Jamaican Nationals making finals. In the 50 Metre Butterfly, Alia Atkinson won Gold in 31.70 bettering her morning effort of 31.74. In the 100 M Breastroke she posted 1:23.21 in the heats for 3rd place seeding but could not mantain her position in the finals and finished 4th in 1:22.79 equalling her personal best in the event. Allison Bardowell in the 15-16 100 M Butterfly won the silver with a time of 1:09.22 just of her heats time of 1:09.06 and PB of 1:08.98. 

Allison's sister, Melissa Bardowell, competing in the 100 M Butterfly swam 1:19.67 to place 22nd. In the 400 Iindividual Medley, She swam 5:54.99 but was just out of a finals placing as she finished 9th.

Adi Atkinson, who also swims for the Fort Lauderdale Swim Team, came within .22 second of his personal best, when he finished 10th in the 200 free in 2:11.07. He made up for that by posting a best time in the 100 metre butterfly stopping the clock at 1:06.09 exactly 3 seconds better than his previous time, but still outside of a finals berth to finish 14th. 

Travis Forte who resides in Jamaica, finished 15th in the 13-14 100 M Butterfly in 1:10.71. Nicky Cain finished 23rd in the 200 free in 2;23.98. 

In the 200 freestyle Allison Bardowell went 2:18.91 for 8th in the morning heats but could not go faster in the finals to finish eigth in 2:23.53. She returned to lead off the Bronze Medal Fort Lauderdale 400 M Medley relay team in a time of 1:14.02. In the 15-16 category for boys, Adi did a fast breastroke leg split of 1:09.57 to help the FLST team to silver in 4:08.29. In the  400metre medley relays Nicky did 1:07.65 to anchor the Comets team to 10th in the 13-14 girls race in a total time of 5:13.26.