The outstanding Zara Bailey and Annabelle Lyn were the Jamaican High Point Trophy winners, with the duo helping to propel Jamaica to their highest medal tally for quite some time.

English-born Bailey, who won five gold medals, inclusive of three individual gold and two relay gold, was the top performer in the girls’ 15-17 category based on points. She also captured one silver and two bronze for 10 medals overall and tallied approximately 46 individual points.

Lyn was the High Point Trophy winner in the girls’ 11-12 category, with two gold, five silver and a bronze for eight individual medals and 54 points.

Jamaica improved last year’s medal tally of 32 to 40 — 12 gold, 13 silver and 15 bronze — to finish fifth in the table behind Aruba’s 49, including 21 gold, 16 silver and 12 bronze. Trinidad and Tobago were second with 47 medals — 21 gold, 14 silver and 12 bronze.

Barbados were third with 41 medals of 20 gold, nine silver and 12 bronze. Guadeloupe finished with the most medals of 59, but with just 14 gold, were fourth with 27 silver and 18 bronze.

However, the French-speaking territory emerged champions in the overall combined points tally with 742 points ahead of T&T with 698, and Aruba in third on 659.

Host Jamaica also improved from fifth to fourth with 584 points and head coach Wendy Lee was pleased with the team’s showing.

“This is the base from which we need to expand and get better,” Lee told the Jamaica Observer on Friday.

“It was better than the last three years, actually, when we are coming from all the way down in 24. So the team is constantly improving, and one of the reasons is because we had two swimmers that won the High Point Trophy,” she noted.

“Overall it was a good championship, well organised and there was good team spirit and team effort, and that’s what Carifta is all about. Even though it’s an individual sport, as a team we did very well,” said Lee.

The 2008 High Point winner in the girls’ 11-12 category, Breaan Roman, despite not winning an individual gold, garnered sufficient points. Angara Sinclair won two gold in the girls’ 13-14 category, as did male team captain Timothy Wynter in the boys’ 15-17 category.