Swimmers Zuri Ferguson and Liam Carrington just missed out on adding to Trinidad and Tobago’s 12-medal (four gold, one silver, seven bronze) tally at the 2026 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games when they both ended in fourth positions in their respective finals at the Juan Pablo Duarte Aquatic Centre in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on Friday.
The 19-year-old Ferguson of the University of Florida was fourth in the women’s 100m backstroke final in one minute, 02.67 seconds from lane six.
Mexico’s Celina Pulido raced to gold in 1:00.83 seconds from lane five, a new games record, to better the previous mark of 1:01.30 seconds set by Colombian Isabella Arcilla in 2018 in Colombia.
Another Mexican, Miranda Grana, took the silver (1:01.45) with Colombian Jasmin Pistelli securing the bronze in 1:01.88.
In the morning heats, Ferguson, who was also fourth in the 50m backstroke final, won the first heat from lane four in the women’s 100m backstroke in 1:03.05, which was the fourth fastest qualifying time overall, with Puerto Rican Ella Busquest second in 1:03.63 and Venezuelan Carla Gonzalez third in 1:05.59.
Carrington, a silver medallist in the 50m backstroke final on Thursday night, was also fourth in the men’s 100m backstroke final in 54.86 from the first lane, just adrift of bronze medal winner Aruban Patrick Groters, who clocked 54.83 from lane three.
Mexican Marcus Reyes won gold in a new games record time of 53.84 from lane four, which erased the old mark of 54.10 he set earlier in the morning heats, while Bermuda’s Jack Cameron Harbey got the silver in 54.56 from lane six.
Carrington had earlier qualified for the final of the men’s 100m backstroke as the runner-up in heat two from lane four in 56.26 seconds, the ninth best time overall, as he finished behind Mexico’s Humberto Najera, who won the heat in 55.54, and Venezuelan Cesar Paredes, third in 57.96.
Puerto Rico’s Yeziel Morales was second in 55.88, while Colombian Simon Bermudez ended in the third spot in 55.90.
Today, Ferguson will be back in action in the women’s 200m backstroke heats; Dylan Carter and Zarek Wilson compete in the men’s 50m butterfly; and Nikoli Blackman competes in the men’s 200m freestyle heats.
<Calypso Stickmen storm into semifinals>
Teague Marcano scored a second hat-trick in three matches to lead T&T’s senior men’s hockey to a dominant 10-0 trouncing of Guatemala for a third straight win to end round-robin Group A play at the Field Hockey Stadium yesterday.
With the win, the Akim Toussaint-coached hockeymen ended the four-team round-robin series with a maximum of nine points to cement their spot in the semifinals after beating Mexico 5-1 and Barbados 5-0 in their previous matches.
The England-based Marcano, who scored in his 50th international appearance against Mexico earlier in the week, got his goals in the sixth and 35th minutes via penalty-corner set plays before completing his second hat-trick of the tournament in the 58th minute to make the score 10-0.
Tarell Singh (seventh and 15th) and Joel Daniel (14th and 55th) added two goals each for the Calypso Stickmen, while Tariq Singh (second), Nicholas Siu Butt (139th), and Nicholas Whiteman (46th) added a goal each for T&T, who led 5-0, 5-0 and 7-0 at the end of the first three quarters.
Mexico blanked Barbados 3-0 in the first match in the group yesterday to end in the second spot with six points, three more than the Bajans.
In Pool B, Cuba also ended with a maximum of nine points after beating Dominican Republic 7-5 in their final match and will face Mexico in Saturday’s other semifinal.
Venezuela secured the runner-up spot in Pool B thanks to their 5-0 trouncing of winless Jamaica in yesterday’s opening match in the pool to end with four points, the same as the Dominican Republic, but with a superior goal difference of plus one to minus one.
James’ efforts are in vain as bball women are beaten.
T&T’s Jameela James scored 20 points and added nine rebounds and two assists, but it was not enough as the national women’s basketball team went under to Costa Rica, 54-68, in the fifth-to-eighth semifinal at the Banreservas Arena.
The Costa Ricans dominated the first quarter and led 17-7 before T&T stepped up their offence in the second quarter with 12 points to trail 19-35 at the half-time interval.
In the third period, the Chrsitopher Jackson managed to outscore Costa Rica 17-14 to cut the deficit to 36-49, however in the final quarter, the Central Americans regained control and edged T&T 19-18 to cement their 68-54 win and a spot in teh fifth place playoff against
Carisa Ramdial was the next best scorer for T&T with 13 points, featuring two of 11 three-pointers and six assists but also committing eight turnovers, while Mya Raymond chipped in with nine points, behind two three-pointers as well, in the loss.
Shiloh Little led three players in double-digit scoring for Costa Rica with 26 points, which included two three-pointers. Paula Orozco added 15, and Amanda Desanti added 11.
T&T Medal winners To date
Gold
Nikoli Blackman (swimming) - men’s 50m freestyle
Nikoli Blackman (swimming) - men’s 100m freestyle
Liam Carrington, Dylan Carter, Zarek Wilson, Nikoli Blackman (swimming) - men’s 4x100m freestyle relay,
Kwesi Browne (track cycling) - men’s keirin
Silver
Liam Carrington (swimming) - men’s 50m backstroke
Bronze
Kwesi Browne (track cycling) - men’s individual sprint
Teniel Campbell (road cycling) - women’s time trial
Akil Campbell (track cycling) - men’s omnium
Kwesi Browne, Danell James, Ryan D’Abreau - (track cycling) - men’s team sprint
Teniel Campbell, Kyra Williams, Phoebe Sandy - (track cycling) - women’s team sprint
Teniel Campbell, Alexi Costa-Ramirez - (track cycling) - women’s madison
Dylan Carter (swimming) - men’s 100m butterfly
