Trinidad and Tobago swimmer Jaden Mills swam to new personal best (pb) times in both the boys’ 15–17 50-metre backstroke and 100m freestyle events at the recently concluded 54th Bahamas National Swimming Championships, held at the Betty Kelly-Kenning Aquatic Centre in New Providence.
The multi-day meet served as a critical platform for both local club development and international qualification, as well as a prelude to the Bahamas hosting the 22nd Caribbean Islands Swimming Championships (CISCs) at the Nassau Aquatic Centre from July 10-14.
However, as a non-national of the Bahamas, Mills was not eligible for podium finishes despite winning the 50m and 100m butterfly, as well as the 50m and 100m freestyle events. He also secured a fourth-place finish in the 50m backstroke final.
The 16-year-old Mills, who swims locally for Flying Fish and now attends Mc Callie High School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, started off his campaign with a 28.75-second clocking in the men’s 50m backstroke preliminary heats, and later improved on his time in the final when he got to the wall in 28.44.
In the 100m freestyle, the former Queen’s Royal College swimming ace, Mills, got home in 54.40 seconds in the preliminary heats, and later turned up the heat in the final with a sizzling time of 52.21 seconds, a new personal best to improve on his time of 52.70
Among his other swims, Mills raced home in 57.76 seconds in the 100m butterfly heats, and then increased his speed in the evening session final with a time of 56.94.
In the 50m butterfly, Mills clocked a time of 25.16 seconds in the heats and then went a lot faster in the final when he touched the wall in 24.93.
The 50m freestyle heats saw Mills produce a time of 2 23.85 seconds, which he bettered in the final by clocking 23.48.
Commenting on his switch to Mc Callie High School in the United States, Mills noted that while it took him some time to adapt to his new environment and teammates, his relationships have grown significantly since making the move.
“It’s only been a few months, and the first month was a little tough, but I am now getting the hang of it,” Mills said. “I am also happy with the level of competition that I am now facing on a regular basis. The opportunity to race against more top-quality swimmers in my age group is very exciting, and it can only help me improve as a swimmer as well.”
McCallie High School’s swimming programme is currently riding a wave of success, having won its fifth state championship in seven years in 2025, and its 24th overall. The Blue Tornado won back-to-back state titles in 2019 and 2020, finished as state runners-up in 2021, and brought home the state championship trophy in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Following the 2025 state meet, longtime head coach Stan Corcoran, who directed the programme for 33 years and led the team to 12 state championships, announced he would be stepping down. He remains with the programme as an assistant coach.
Assistant coach Zane Hamilton (‘02), who swam collegiately at Johns Hopkins University and has been with the McCallie programme for five years, was promoted to take over the reins as head coach.
