USF Nationals: Upsets, records rule on Day One

The USF (Uganda Swimming Federation) National Championships got off to a flyer with Jaguar’s Peyton Suubi in hot form.

The 13 year old was the only girl to swim the 800m freestyle in under 10 minutes. She clocked 9:57.40 (nine minutes, 57 seconds and 40 microseconds) leaving Gators’ Tara Kisawuzi (10:09.85) and Sailfish’s Charlotte Sanford (10:33.51) in her wake as she set a new national record. The previous one was actually held by Tara, who clocked 9:57.75 at the first USF League Meet in February 2023.

The early surprises did not end there as Heer Usadadiya, 15, also upset national record holder John Kafumbe in the men’s 800m free to set a new meet record and also became the second Ugandan swimmer to go under nine minutes in the event.

New club Aqua Akii’s Usadadiya clocked 8:58.45 to leave Seals’ Kafumbe (9:03.59) and Silverfin Academy’s Isaiah Kuc (9:40.94) settling for second and third respectively.

10 and under

Aquatic Academy’s Mushirah Nabatanzi (42.03 seconds) drew first blood winning the 10 and under girls’ 50m breaststroke event ahead of Altona’s Liora Lumu (42.62) and Silverfin’s Alba Ihunde (43.46).

Lumu had some reprieve in the 100m backstroke (1:25.24), where she and teammate Jamillah Tusiime (1:26.52) touched first and second ahead of Nabatanzi (1:26.94).

Lumu then went on to win the 50m fly to carry the day with a 34.29 as Nabatanzi (35.82) and Ihunde (38.62) came second and third respectively.

For the boys, Kristian Bwisho (42.46) won the first of his day’s gold medals, ahead of Sailfish’s Emmanuel Mutebi (43.65) and Gators’ Berekiah Lutaaya (44.03), in the same event thereby drowning the 43.26 10 and under boys’ age group record that Gators’ Marc Kaliisa had set at the Nationals last year.

Bwisho’s second gold came in the 100m backstroke with a 1:26.37 to finish ahead of the Altona duo of Seamus Cummiskey Kyaligonza (1:29.08) and Kayden Kamurasi (1:30.65) while the third came in 50m fly (35.13) ahead of Aquatic’s Makeen Kajumbi (37.77) and Dolphins’ Malachi Ssali (37.83).

Bwisho had a fourth gold on the day as he combined with teammates Gabriella Nakimuli, Ihunde and Sebastian Ssimbwa to win the mixed 4x50m medley relay ahead of Altona (Kyaligonza, Lumu, Kamurasi and Yamara Nakato) and Aquatic (Jonan Mandre, Nabatanzi, Kajumbi and Jordanah Kemigisha).

11-12

In the 11-12 girls’ category, Jaguar’s Zara Mbanga, 12, started the competition by drowning her own 50m breast 37.03 age group meet record from last year to 36.34 – also her personal best. Ozpreys’ Gabriella Opolot (39.26) and Otters’ Nisha Pearl Najjuma (39.32) were a distant second and third.

Mbanga got her second gold in the 100m back clocking 1:11.91 to finish ahead of Gators’ Nissi Kahinju (1:19.20) and Altona’s duo of Yetta Magoola (1:19.52) and Nailah Nakitto (1:20.74).

Her third gold came in 50m fly clocking 32.00 ahead of Gliders’ Tyrah Muganzi (32.57) and Magoola (32.71).

For the boys, Abdou Hakim Seck (35.84) beat Gators’ teammate Jayson Aronda (38.23) and Silverfin’s Arthur Nsubuga (38.99) in the 50m breast but was even more dominant in the 100m back with his 1:07.77 way clear of Altona’s chaser Adam Katumba (1:13.78) and Aqua Akii’s Elijah Mukuru (1:20.00).

Seck got his third gold in the 50m fly (30.80) ahead of Altona’s Ethan Kunihira (33.28) and Black Panthers’ Benjamin Ssali (33.52).

He then combined with Kahinju, Aronda and Isabella Giana to win the mixed 4x50m medley relay ahead of Altona (Katumba, Nakitto, Magoola and Kunihira) and Dolphins (Manuel Ssemanda, Mackayla Ssali, Baraka Kaumi and Jinan Nakato).

13-14

Suubi took the form down to her age group smashing the 13-14 girls’ 50m breaststroke age group record set by Aquatic Academy’s Karimah Katemba at the 2022 Nationals (37.41). Suubi stopped the clock at 36.76 winning the race ahead of Gators’ Tasha Kisawuzi (36.87) and Altona’s Abigail Mwagale (38.25).

However, Suubi (1:15.59) left territory to Paloma Kirabo (1:14.04) in the 100m back while Altona’s Sonia Mwere scooped bronze (1:18.42) just ahead of her teammates Mwagale (1:18.59) and Paula Nabukeera (1:19.84).

But the Altona girls faded uncharacteristically in the 50m fly, ceding the podium to Suubi (32.16), Tasha (32.31) and Sailfish’s Karen Mwangi (32.58).

For the boy’s here, Kuc also brought his form, smashing Nathan Nsereko’s 33.58 age group record for 50m breaststroke to 32.19. He was followed by Ozpreys’ Zorby Chang (33.10) and Dolphins’ Jeremiah Magera (35.86).

In the 100m back, Kuc’s 1:05.76 was again clear of Torpedoes’ Jonathan Kaweesa’s 1:12.76 and Gators’ Fredrick Luzinda’s 1:12.89). in 50m fly, Kuc clocked 27.40 while Kaweesa managed 29.94 with Alex Rumanyika following at 30.46.

Rumanyika, however, combined with Luzinda, Tasha and Kirabo to win the mixed 4x50m medley relay ahead of Altona (Nabukeera, Mwagale, Adriel Lumu and Elijah Wamala) and Dolphins (Crystal Ssemanda, Shadrach Mwebaze, Theresa Kikambi and Jeremiah Magera).

15-16

For the 15-16 girls, Tara was equally in fine form lowering Charlotte Sanford’s 36.86 age group record in the 50m breast to 35.91 and leaving Aquatic’s Rahmah Nakasule (38.42) and Silverfin’s Inell Raya Ba (38.48) in second and third position respectively.

Tara skipped the 100m back letting the gold go to Nakasule (1:15.81), silver to Katemba (1:17.77) and bronze to Altona’s Blessing Kaitesi (1:18.18) but she managed to reclaim top spot in the 50m fly (29.21) with Nakasule following at 31.50 and Ba at 33.09.

Gators’ Peterson Inhensiko is now the proud holder of the 11-12 (35.45) and 15-16 boys’ 50m breast records as his new 31.47 cleared the 32.23 that Ian Aziku in the latter age group set last year. Torpedoes Kyle Kaweesa (31.76) and Gators’ Joel Nyaika (31.79) joined Inhensiko in going under 32 minutes.

However, Inhensiko fell to second (1:04.62) in the 100m backstroke as gold went to Usadadiya (1:03.00) and bronze to Gators’ Daniel Rukundo (1:05.29).

Lubega Akram made the Gators boys pay in the afternoon as he marginally (27.71) beat Ethani Ssengooba (27.89) and Inhensiko (27.93) in the 50m fly.

Shaun Murungi, Rukundo, Tara and Sasha Vimbai then combined for the mixed 4x50m medley relay gold ahead of Seals (Kyle Kiwagama, Amelia Mudanye, Carlton Musenze and Natalie Lutalo) and Dolphins (Barak Otieno, Caleb Amelo, Atia Tendo and Glory Upendo).

17 and over

Gators’ Swagiah Mubiru (35.40) fended off competition from Sailfish’s Sanford (37.21) and Silverfin’s Karla Mugisha (37.82) to win the 17 and over girls 50m breaststroke. She did the same in the 100m back with the girls posting 1:14.64, 1:15.45 and 1:20.85 respectively.

Sanford went to the top of the podium in 50m fly (31.22) switching positions with Mubiru (32.10) as Mugisha (34.10) kept at third.

For the boys’ the honour fell to Dolphins’ Aziku (30.59) as he fended off the Silverfin trio of Larry Greig Feni (30.90), Trevor Kimuli (30.99) and Namanya Ampaire (31.33) in the 50m breaststroke.

For the 100m backstroke, Dolphins’ Tendo Kaumi showed usual dominance by sticking under a minute at 58.67 and was followed by his brother Pendo (1:03.11) and Kafumbe (1:04.36).

But the event of the day was the big boys’ 50m fly. One could only see waves of water flying until the very end when the unattached Steve Magera (26.28) beat Pendo (26.44) and Tendo (26.71) plus Silverfin’s Trevor Kimuli (26.81) to gold. It was also the second time in about six weeks that Pendo beat his older brother in the 50m fly.

Magera initially appeared on the psyche sheet as a Dolphin but Gators protested the late transfer from their camp as it was out of the movement window. If it had been endorsed, the rules would dictate that he misses one USF event, which would have been these Nationals. A compromise was reached for him to swim as an independent athlete.

In the mixed 4x50m medley relay, Mubiru did all the hard work in the freestyle leg to get gold for Gators as she combined with Ben Kaganda, Tebi Nyanzi and Husnah Kukundakwe. Silverfin (Namanya, Feni, Esther Atto and Mugisha) and Sailfish (Joshua Kaganda, Reagan Atiire, Gabriella Ndawula and Sanford) came second and third respectively.