Fourteen members of the Warwick Academy high-performance swimming team are in Charlotte, North Carolina, to compete at the Queen City Dolphins Holiday Invite.

The meet, taking place from Friday to Sunday at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Centre, has been described as a key fixture on the team’s calendar as it provides an opportunity for Bermuda’s top swimmers to measure themselves against some of the strongest programmes in the region.

Head coach Ben Smith, who travelled with the team alongside Shirene Fulton and Rebecca White, is looking for the swimmers to close out the year in style.

“This meet provides a valuable test for our programme,” Smith told The Royal Gazette.

“Our younger swimmers will get a chance to experience a high-calibre environment. The seniors will have an opportunity to close out their Charlotte journey on a strong note.

“The team has put in the work and we’re excited to see them rise to the occasion. It will be interesting to see the continued development of standout swimmer Logan Jones and what our distance swimmers, Jorgia White and Noah Fulton, will do in the yards format.

“Warwick Academy continues to build one of Bermuda’s strongest pathways for high-performance swimming. With a blend of emerging athletes and established leaders, this weekend represents an important milestone as the team looks ahead to major competitions in 2026.”

Ethan Smith, Jacob Leclerc, Elena Bortoli and Allison Steynor will compete in yards in short-course for the first time. According to Warwick, this transition marks an important developmental step and will give them valuable experience ahead of future overseas competitions.

All four are said to have trained well leading into this meet and are expected to perform strongly as they adapt their racing strategies to the faster-paced yards format.

Elanna Fulton, Jorgia White, Zachary Johnson as seniors on the team, will be competing at the Charlotte meet for the last time.

“The team has shown excellent progress throughout the training cycle and is confident in their preparation,” Smith added.

“The combination of seasoned seniors and motivated developing athletes promises a well-balanced and competitive team performance throughout the weekend.”