Makerere tops AUUS Games swimming competition

Makerere University amassed 1037 points to win the Association of Uganda University Sport (AUUS) National Games Swimming Championship held at Seroma Christian High School pool as the 20th edition of the games ended in Mukono.

Makerere collected nine individual gold medals from their top swimmers, Nimusiima Namanya Ampaire and Chloe Anna Mugala Mulogo, in addition to more gold from the Women's 200 Meter Medley Relay and 200 Meter Freestyle Relay (men and women), to beat Ndejje University to the team gold by 52 points.

Ampaire set the pace for Makerere when he won the 400m freestyle race in a personal best of 4:54.00, edging Ndejje University’s Silver Kokas Ogwang (5:35.25) and Uganda Christian University’s Ryan Asabo (6:00.33) to the gold.

He added another gold from the 50m butterfly after posting 28.19, beating Makerere University Business School’s Ben Kaganda (29.13) and Ndejje’s Trevor Kimuli, who clocked 29.35. Ampaire was also unstoppable in the 200m breaststroke race, which he won in 2:45.21, ahead of Ndejje’s Willis Mulindwa (3:00.23) and Makerere’s Raymond Mugasa (3:01.37).

This was in addition to the 200m freestyle gold which he won in 2:20.39, ahead of Ndejje’s Ogwang (2:30.39) and Kampala University’s Edgar Tendo (2:51.95). Ampaire (1:09.79) was only beaten in the 100m breaststroke by Ndejje’s Kimuli (1:09.73), who edged him by six microseconds, where Asabo again settled for the bronze.

On her part, Mugala (2:53.19) beat Makerere’s Brandy Nakimbugwe (3:03.98) and ISBAT’s Plaxidah Nakabanda (3:15.06) in the 200m Individual Medley race, her teammate Swagiah Mubiru and UCU’s Esther Atto in the 100m freestyle, and in the 200m freestyle, where her time of 2:32.54 was better than that of Mubiru (2:34.92) and Nakimbugwe (2:34.92). She also won the 50m freestyle race in 30 seconds, ahead of Ndejje’s Mubiru (30.63) and UCU’s Atto (31.78).

But despite losing the 100m breaststroke gold to Mubiru (1:24.34), she won another gold when she teamed up with Carol Constantine Asere, Hannat Nakimuli, and Charity Doreen to win the Women's 200m freestyle relay.

Runners-up Ndejje were led by Mubiru and Trevor Kimuli, who won 8 and 4 individual gold on top of other silver positions. Third-placed MUBS’ best swimmer was Ben Kaganda, who collected 5 individual gold medals and one silver medal. 

Kaganda also teamed up with Jerome Kizito, Malcolm Tamale, and Ivan Mwesigwa as they scooped bronze from the 200m medley relay. Their women’s team of Nicole Kwagala, Lisa Kwikiriza, Tracy Mirembe, and Vaneser Nakilembe also picked bronze from a similar race. Individual honours went to Swagiah Mubiru from Ndejje University, who led the women’s individual rankings with 211 points. Brandy Nakimbugwe of ISBAT University followed with 170 points, and Plaxidah Nakabanda from Ndejje finished third with 154.

Ben Kaganda from MUBS won the men’s individual standings with 134 points. He finished just ahead of Silver Kokas Ogwang from Ndejje and Namanya Ampaire Nimusiima from Makerere, who both scored 130 points.

UCU finished fourth overall on 429 points, with Isbat University (170), Kampala University (102), and Kampala International University (56) completing the 8-team leaderboard.