Swimming prodigy Netania Edwards picked up four gold medals on day two of the Goodwill Swim Meet at the National Aquatic Centre in Balmain, Couva, Saturday, to help propel T&T well ahead on the medal list with a total of 87 medals, inclusive of 38 gold, 24 silver and 25 bronze medals, with Sunday being the final day.
Regional rival Jamaica has 66 medals so far (23 gold, 29 silver and 14 bronze) and Bahamas 32 (11 gold, 11 silver and 10 bronze).
Her medal haul Saturday added to the three medals she won on the opening day, consisting of two gold and a silver.
But Edwards was not the only swimmer waving the T&T flag wildly in the glorious sun in Couva, as Jonathan Sambrano won three gold medals, as he did on Friday, while Micah Alexander claimed two gold medals, Keryn Burke two gold, and one apiece from Aaron Colthrust, Keishawn Daniel and Zahara Anthony.
Contesting the girls' 11-12 200 metres individual medley, Edwards splashed to the gold medal in a time of two minutes and 45.68 seconds, well ahead of second-place Ayoka Martin of Barbados (2:51,51), while another T&T swimmer Harmoni Nelson secured third and the bronze medal in 2:52.21.
Later, Edwards also featured in the 11-12 50m freestyle where she held off the challenges of Adaiah Smith of Bahamas (29.48) and Barbados' Martin (29.68) in a quick time of 29.15.
Not too long after, Edwards re-entered the pool for the gold medal in the 11-12 50m butterfly event by posting a time of 32.48. Smith, the Bahamian, took silver for a second time in 33.41 and Asia-Marie Pouchet sealed the bronze medal in 34.35.
Edwards' fourth medal came when she combined with Alyssa Reid, Pouchet and Nelson to take the gold medal in the 11-12 400m freestyle relay.
Sambrano's triple gold came in the boys' 11-12 50m freestyle, the T&T talent held off his countryman Colthrust (27.92) in a quick time of 27.14.
He was also golden in the boys' 11-12 50m butterfly in 29.83 as well as in the 400m freestyle relay when he teamed up with the trio of Mackay Burgess, Colthrust and Joshua Sambrano to win in a time of 4:17.29.
The T&T quartet got the better of the Jamaican foursome of Howard Wallace, Cameron Brown, Ky-Mani Hendricks and Liam Harrison (4:24:30) and third Barbados (Hamani Callender, Judah Hall-Fox, Achebe Smith, Beau Washington) in 5:03.79.
Alexander, on the other hand, claimed gold in the boys eight and under 100m individual medley by clocking a time of 1:30.12 to beat out efforts by second-place Alex Rainford (Jamaica) and third Djoel Oldenstam of Suriname. He then won the 50m freestyle by getting the better of Christian Vanderpool (Barbados- 35.56) and Rainford (35.72) when he produced a time of 34.40.
Meanwhile, in the relays, T&T's team of Marena Martinez, Lewis, Zara Persico and Marchan secured the gold medal in the girls' 9-10 400m freestyle in 4:42.87 ahead of Jamaica (4:57.06) and third Barbados (5:00.91).
The team of Edwards, Pouchet, Reid and Nelson was also golden in 4:28.54 in the 11-12 400m freestyle relay, while the team Isabella Mendoza, Anya Davis, Toni Yates and Burke produced a new record for the gold medal in the girls' 13-14 400m freestyle relay.
There was also a gold medal for T&T in the boys' 15-17 400m freestyle relay which was contested by the foursome of Daniel, Nathan Pascal, Trepte and Smith in 3:42.55.
There were also medal-winning performances from Katelon Leera, Taylor Marchan, Kyle Leera, Isabella Mendoza, Christiano Rivas, Levi Smith, Peter Trepte, Quillon Leera, Zalayhar Lewis, Anya Davis, Daniella Blackman and Nathan Pascal.