Trinidad and Tobago: The last Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships for the University of Indianapolis and Trinidad and Tobago star Jeron Thompson will be very special for the damage he did to the record books.
The meet held from February 7- 11 at the Deaconess Aquatic Center in Evansville, Indianapolis, saw his first individual mark set in the 100-yard backstroke. He already owned the school record at 46.67. In the Championship, he split 21.33 en route to Gold in a time of 46.29.
That lowered the Championship record Mikita Tsmyh of Drury who beat Thompson last year. Jeron is now ranked second in the event in the NCAA Division II heading to the National Championships. That is the third fastest CARIFTA region time ever behind Jordan Crooks Cayman Islands 45.55 (2022) and countryman dylan Carter 45.77.
He put in the work in the 100 yard butterfly. His PB heading to Evansville was 47.46.He disposed of that in the heats with a heats swim of 47.39 (split time 22.04). There would be more in fire the in the Championship final as he went under the Championship record of 46.62 earn the Silver in 46.29 (split time 21.33). That places him third in division.
The Gold medallist Gregg Lichinsky of McKendree is number one with his time of 46.00.Jeron’s previous showing at the meet was 25th in 2020 in a time of 49.85. The school record stays in Republic as the previous record holder is team captain Kael Yorke with 2022 swim of 46.86. The swim earns him position number six of the best CARIFTA region swimmers in the event of all time. He is number three from his nation behind Carter 45.27 (2016) and Christian Homer 46.14 (2015).
In the 100 yard freestyle, he earned the Silver in a time of 43.50 (split time 20.39). In the very last event of the meet, he would equal his school record of 43.35. This time he split 20.44 to help the Hounds to the Silver in a time of 2:54.44. The 100 freestyle performance ranks Thompson as the sixth fastest in the nation.
