Wednesday, April 26, 2017

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#RODNEY Curry’s second annual Top Elite Basketball Showcase is going quite well at the AF Adderley Gymnasium. But the local basketball coach is just a little disappointed in the turnout from the players.

#The showcase, which got started on Monday and wraps up on Saturday, is featuring a number of high school and college coaches looking to add some players to their programmes in Florida.

#“We are using this as a recruitment tool for players who want to go to college and even complete their high school in the United States,” Curry said.

#“We have the college and high school coaches here.It’s been going good so far, but the high school coaches are looking for the players, but I think the local coaches are not allowing them to take advantage of their window of opportunity to grasp this showcase.”

#Curry said it’s disappointing to know that there are some coaches who are not encouraging their players to come out because the coaches are looking for the talent.

#“We want the top 11th and 12th graders to be in the showcase because the coaches here are also connected with other schools and they are looking to help them out as well,” he said.

#“But so far for the college showcase, we have some talent coming out. Some of the players still lack the basic fundamentals, which tells us that as coaches, we have a lot of work to do to get these players to the level that they need to be at to play overseas.”

#Here right now to conduct the showcase are coaches Justin Cardoza from Florida National University, Charles Agumagu from St Thomas University and Al Pagues from Inspire Preparatory Academy. They are all looking at different aspects of the programme for various players.

#Cardoza, the assistant men’s basketball coach for the FNU out of Hialeah, Florida, has coached Jamaal Walker, a 6-foot, 3-inch player who helped their Conquistadors, who made it to their third division one national championship appearance in a row.

#“We are looking at the development of their skills and looking at certain kids to see what their grade-point averages are and whether they can fit into our system,” he said.

#“We’re not looking at anything in particular. I’m just trying to get some players to add to our programme. We have a JV (junior varsity) programme, so maybe there is a player who might need to work on certain things.”

#Back for his second appearance, Cardoza said there is a lot of talent here and he’s looking forward to finding some more players like Walker.

#“In general, there are a lot of guys who are very athletic here,” he said. “It’s just finding the ones that have the high basketball IQ and just understanding the game and the certain skill sets that we might need.”

#This is the first time that Agumagu has visited the Bahamas. The assistant coach, at St Thomas University in Miami Gardens, said the trip here has been so surreal.

#“When you’ve never been to a place, you kind of have something in the back of your head of how it supposed to be,” he said. “It’s lovely man. I enjoy it. I enjoy the kids I’ve been around, coach Curry has been a gracious coach and the food is so nice. I definitely enjoy it.”

#Agumagu, who works under head coach Patrick Gayle on their Bobcats men’s basketball team, said he’s not here recruiting for size, but rather he’s looking for the athleticism that the Bahamian players are known for.

#“It’s never a question of whether they are athletic or not,” he said. “The question is usually do they have the skills set to match their athleticism.”

#The Bobcats currently include Bahamian Mikhail Rolle, a 6-3 guard who transferred from Broward College after attending Champagnat Catholic High School.

#“He’s a very disciplined young man who listens and doesn’t take constructive criticism the young way,” Agumagu pointed out. “That’s why I’m here. I’m hoping that I can find a couple more players like Mikhail Rolle.”

#Pagues, from Inspire Preparatory Academy in Orlando, Florida, is back for his second year but he’s concerned that he has not seen the taller players as he saw then.

#“The players were bigger and more athletic. They had a better feel for the game. They can play a little longer,” he said.

#“This year, the players here are athletic, but they are not as talented as what we saw last year. “It’s a no brainer because you can teach them basketball. Some of them have the ability, they can shoot and they can pass the ball. They have the complete package.”

#For his programme, Pagues said he’s looking for more size and players who can think on their feet and play real hard. “At my school we do a lot of play development, countless hours of it, so I’m not really worried about the skill set. I like what I’ve seen. I like what coach Curry is doing. It could really take off.

Lathaniel Bastian

Friday, July 31, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#After missing out on his first opportunity to secure a major division one basketball scholarship, Lathaniel Bastian is hoping that his dream comes true this time around.

#The 2016 graduate of Doris Johnson High School, where he helped the Mystic Marlins under coach Denycko Bowles win the school’s first championship title, will get a chance to display his skills at the All-American Junior College Showcase.

#The event, scheduled for August 15-16 at the International Sports Arena in Stone Mountain, Georgia, will feature the elite 80 players in the west (used to be invited to our Vegas event) and the elite 80 players in the east combined together for one big weekend.

#Each player will play up to four games throughout the weekend, concluding with the top 20 All-Star showcase where the top players from the event will advance.

#This showcase is designed for the top rising junior college sophomores in the country with games being played in front of a national audience on ESPN, CBS Sports and Rivals with NBA personnel and numerous other national media and scouting services on hand.

#Each player will be evaluated and considered for the 2021 JucoRecruiting.com Top 100 Rankings.

#Having had his student visa denied at least five times by the American Embassy, Bastian missed out on an opportunity to play for the Gillette Proghorns in Gillette, Wyoming.

#Instead, after he finally got his visa sorted out, he went to Rend Lake College in Illinois before he transferred to Trinity Valley College in Texas in January.

#Of course, he didn’t get to display his skills because of the shutdown of sporting activities worldwide in March because of the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. “It’s all about putting in the hard work and being in the right position,” said Bastian, who is still in Texas preparing for the showcase after he got some exposure playing in the Bahamas Basketball Federation’s Summer of Thunder with the Commonwealth Bank Giants and the International Basketball Academy – Bahamas.

#“I feel like I’m in the right position. I had a lot of offers coming in, but they really want me to play in this showcase to see how I will fear against the potential college players. They are going to see me play.”

#The 21-year-old Bastian said the assistant coach art Trinity Prep have been working with him on his basketball skills, making sure that he is properly prepared to shine in the showcase.

#“My coaches just told me to continue doing what I’ve been doing and that is play hard,” said Bastian, who stands at 6-feet, eight-inches and play the small forward position.

#“I feel like I’ve been stepped over my whole life and having had a chance to come here to the United States to play last year, this is a good opportunity for me to really perform. So I’m really happy and excited. I just want to dominate”

#Calling it his second time around to shine, Bastian said he have nothing to lose, but everything to gain.

#“I have improved so much in the game, so I feel my chances to shine is great,” he insisted.

#Bastian thanked God for giving him the ability to get into the United States and top perform. He also credit his mother, Monique Jennings, for being there financially for him every step of the way.

#“I’ve put myself in this position to be successful,” he stressed. “My mom has tried her best with no help. I haven’t had to ask anybody to assist me in any way. But I’m glad to get this opportunity and I hope to make the best of it.”

#At present, the United States is under siege because of the rise in cases of Covid-19, but Bastian said while he is concerned about what’s going on, he’s not going to let it deter him from his ultimate goal.

#“It’s here and we have to deal with it,” he insisted. “But while I’m concerned about it, I have to do what I have to do. Follow the safety rules and hope that I am not affected.”

#Hopefully, he said the virus will pass soon, but he’s more eager to be able to get to the showcase and display his skills. The officials have released the list of measures they will take for everyone as they participate in the showcase.

Friday, July 31, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#HEAD coaches Rolando “Lonnie” Greene and Norbert Elliott indicated how pleased they are that their Bahamian athletes have made it to the United States and can now get ready for the upcoming track and field season at the University of Kentucky and Purdue University.

#Greene, the head coach of the track team that includes ‘Golden Girl’ Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie as an assistant, will have the return services of quarter-miler Megan Moss for her sophomore year and will welcome freshman sprinter Jaida Knowles.

#Elliott, who moved up from being assistant to the head coach at Purdue after the departure of Greene, will see sprinter Samson Colebrooke return for his senior year that got washed away due to the coronavirus, while triple jumper Tamar Greene will be in his junior year and sprinter VinAjah Adderley will be making her freshman appearance.

#There were some concerns with the border being closed, reopened and then closed again to international travel in the Bahamas because of the spike in the coronavirus, whether or not any of the student-athletes would have been affected.

#Greene, who took over the Wildcats’ programme at Kentucky in 2018, said one of the first things they tried to do was to ensure that the Bahamian or foreign athletes coming into the United States were taken care off and will be able to make it to Lexington, Kentucky.

#“Fortunately, Jaida holds dual citizenship as an American and a Bahamian, so it didn’t affect her at all. The only thing she had to do was to get out of Nassau before they locked the country down,” he said.

#“She was already cleared by the NCAA because she was an excellent student, so she had already met all of the requirements. So the only thing was to get her out of the country. She did that a week before the lockdown and is staying with a relative in Atlanta.”

#As for Moss, Greene said she had her student visa so she was set. “Her parents were very aggressive and they got her back to school before the lockdown as well. So she’s already here at school. She’s living off campus, but she’s alright.”

#Greene said they wanted to make sure that they were not putting any of their student-athletes in harm’s way by not doing everything the right way and it worked in their favour.

#Students at the University of Kentucky will report to school for the new term on August 17. The dorms open on August 9, but there is a requirement for those staying on campus to be quarantined before they begin classes.

#With the sporting programmes in the United States, which have been affected by the shutdown since March when the coronavirus had an outburst in cases, there’s still no word on what will happen when schools reopen. The good thing is the track and field programme won’t begin until December with indoors so, by then, there should be some indication as to what will take place.

#Prior to the halting of the sporting activities, Kentucky had qualified 14 athletes, including Moss, for the NCAA Indoor Championships. That meet, along with the entire outdoor season, was called off.

#At Purdue, Elliott said Colebrooke remained in West Lafayette, Indiana where he attended summer classes before school was closed and he went to spend time with his relatives in Atlanta.

#“He wanted to go home, but he didn’t,” Elliott said. “That was a smart decision on his path not to go because he may have had problems getting out because of the lockdown, if he had to be quarantined when he got there.”

#Both Greene and Adderley were in Nassau, but Elliott said they hastily got out before the lockdown. They were then put into a two-week quarantine to get ready for their classes.

#“We have one of our recruits from Trinidad & Tobago, who can’t get in until January because she didn’t have her student visa,” Elliott stated. “But none of the Bahamian student-athletes are affected.

#“Right now, the Athletic Department at Purdue is focusing on the fall sports like volleyball, football and cross country. They are trying to find out how they can reschedule them because our Big Ten Conference has eliminated them.”

#Elliott said at Purdue, they are just watching to see how things will unfold with Covid-19 before they can start to prepare for the Boilermakers’ indoor track and field season that normally start in December.

#With the team they have on paper, Elliott said he’s looking forward to Colebrooke and Greene to compete very well next year and eventually making the Bahamas’ team for the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

#The games would have been taking place at this time, but was rescheduled for next year due to the spread of the coronavirus. Moss had been billed by Greene as a contender to make the women’s team for the Bahamas.

#Only time will tell what will happen once schools open up and NCAA make a ruling on how they will proceed with their sporting programmes

Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield. (file photo)

Friday, July 31, 2020

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#CHAVANO “Buddy” Hield had a simple reply when asked about the Sacramento Kings’ playoff prospects:

#“It’s an eight-game tournament and we want all the smoke.”

#Hield spoke to reporters from the NBA clean site following the team’s final practice ahead of their official restart to the season 8pm tonight against the San Antonio Spurs.

#Each of the 22 teams in Orlando at the Walt Disney Resort’s Wide World of Sports Complex will play eight “seeding games” followed by the traditional playoff format.

#In the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, The Kings are No.10 at 28-36 and 3.5 games behind the No.8 Memphis Grizzlies at 32-33.

#If the No.9 seed is more than four games behind the No.8 seed, No. 8 will make the playoffs.

#If they are fewer than four games behind, the teams will compete in a play-in tournament for the final spot. “We are going to compete, try to win this tournament. Hopefully, teams that are ahead of us are knocked off, but we just have to control what we can control. Win as many as we can and take it one game at a time,” Hield said.

#“We picked up the intensity level. We’re competing and we know what’s at stake. It’s an eight-game tournament and we’re just going out there to compete. Every game is serious, every possession, can’t be any mistakes. We have to try to be mistake free and every game we have to win.”

#The Kings finished scrimmages 1-2.

#“They were really important. We didn’t get the result we wanted all three scrimmage games but we got to learn from them and we keep getting better and better. We had a great practice, so every day we just have to keep improving. When the ball gets going all we can do is compete and give it all we’ve got,” Hield said.

#Hield led the Kings in scoring at 18.3 points per game. He also added five rebounds and 2.3 assists per game and said his recovery from COVID-19 has gone as well as can be expected.

#“I feel like I’m there now. Of course, when you’re playing a preseason game it’s different from a real game, your anxiety and mental preparation is different. When my number is called, I go out there and produce for my team, the goal is to try to stay mistake free, score as much as I can, get my teammates involved and compete on both sides of the floor,” he said, “I know what my teammates need me to do – be better defensively, making plays, using my weapons to help guys get open and just be a more mature basketball player. I think in quarantine I was able to watch film, see my mistakes, the things I’ve been messing up on and I just worked on correcting them and trying to apply them to the game.

#Hield said the team’s isolation in the bubble at the Disney resort has created a bonding experience.

#“We get to bond more, know about guys’ personal lives, get in depth and get to know guys that you might not have those opportunities to interact within the season,” he said, “The bonding means a lot, especially going into a tournament where we have to go in with all time high confidence and that comes from gelling and communicating with each other. Understanding it doesn’t matter who scores 35 points, 20 points or two points. The ultimate goal is an eight game playoff and we have to win, for us to get to that point we have to come together.”

#One of his many off-the-court concerns for Hield and other players – being away from friends and family over an extended period of time while isolated at the clean site.

#“It’s difficult for everybody. It’s something we’ve been through before and we have to adjust, but it’s life, we’re blessed to be here,” Hield said, “We cant see our families but we have to provide for them, put food on the table, put a roof over their heads, that’s the main point and thank God for us being able to resume the NBA season so we can make money and provide for them. It’s tough right now but we know it’ll be better in the long run.”

Friday, July 31, 2020

NASHAD Mackey

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#NASHAD Mackey will return to the Embry-Riddle Eagles men’s basketball programme, but will transition to the sidelines in a new role as a member of the coaching staff.

#Mackey will re-join the team this fall as a graduate assistant coach.

#“I’m very thankful for the opportunity to be back in the Embry-Riddle environment, surrounded by all these amazing people, the staff and this wonderful group of guys,” Mackey said in a statement to ERAU Athletics. “I am truly grateful to be an Eagle again and work side-by-side with a talented coaching staff and do big things for this university.”

#The Eagles are coming off their best NCAA II season in 2019-20, finishing 20-10 overall while earning a berth to the NCAA National Tournament before the season prematurely ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

#Mackey concluded his collegiate basketball playing career as one of the programme’s all-time leaders.

#In his two-year run with the Eagles, he was a two-time Sunshine State Conference All-Conference performer.

#He registered 39 double-doubles in 50 career games in an Eagle uniform, averaging 17.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 blocks per game – the only Eagle to average a double-double for his Embry-Riddle career.

#Mackey’s scoring average ranks fourth all-time in Eagle history, while his 12.2 boards per outing is easily the top mark in 31 seasons of ERAU basketball. His career totals also include second all-time in free throw percentage (.870) and eighth in blocked shot average (1.1). “We are extremely excited to add one of our all-time great players in Nashad to our coaching staff. From the very first day he committed to our university and basketball programme, Nashad earned the utmost respect and trust from his coaches and teammates in his leadership ability at the very highest level.”

#Head Coach Steve Ridder said to ERAU Athletics: “Nashad is a born leader who has a tremendously high basketball IQ, relentless work ethic, discipline, great communication skills and a burning desire to impact other people’s lives as a servant-leader. He is a tremendous example of what Embry-Riddle University, and specifically our athletic programme, is all about. I know he is both passionate and grateful to have this opportunity for him, his wife Simone and their children Noah and Malayah.”

#As a junior, Mackey produced a number of career milestones and postseason awards. He was named to the All-Conference second team as well as the All-Newcomer team when the Sunshine State Conference office announced the 2017-18 men’s basketball postseason awards.

#Mackey made school history when he became the first Eagles player to earn an All-Conference selection. He had an immediate impact on the programme as they transitioned to NCAA Division II with his record-breaking junior season.

#He averaged 17.3 points and 12.5 rebounds per game, both team leads. In 28 starts, he also set a new single-season double-doubles record with 23 on the year and ended the season with 13 such consecutive games. He posted a total of 350 rebounds, another school record, ranked second in NCAA Division II.

#Mackey transferred to the Eagles and NCAA Division II level after he posted stellar individual numbers and garnered postseason awards at the JuCo level. During his stint with the Daytona State College Falcons, he was named the Mid-Florida Conference Player of the Year and was also named First team All-State in the conference as a sophomore.

f Thursday, August 31, 2017

Shaunae Miller-Uibo wins the women’s 200m followed by second placed Elaine Thompson of Jamaica, centre, and fourth placed Dafne Schippers of Netherlands, right, during the Weltklasse IAAF Diamond League international athletics meeting in the Letzigrund stadium in Zurich, Switzerland. (Walter Bieri/Keystone via AP)

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#WITH half of her mission complete, Shaunae Miller-Uibo will be in Brussels, Belgium, for the last half of the International Amateur Athletic Federation’s Diamond League Final where she will try to add the 400 metre title to the 200m crown she secured a week ago in Zurich, Switzerland.

#Coming off her national record-breaking performance of 21.88 seconds for the victory in the women’s 200m and a hefty cash prize of $50,000 at the Weltklasse Zurich on Friday, Miller-Uibo will go after a repeat feat when she lines up in the 400m at the AG Memorial Van Damme this Friday.

#“I’m expecting as always to compete,” the 23-year-old Miller-Uibo told The Tribune. “It’s going to be my last race for the season so I want to leave on a good note.”

#Going into the race, Miller-Uibo has the third (49.77 seconds), fourth (49.80) and fifth (49.86) fastest times that trail only Americans Allyson Felix (49.65) and Quanera Haynes (49.72), but none of them will be in Brussels. Instead, she will face one of the three women who came from behind as she faltered down the stretch at the IAAF World Championships in London, England, falling from the lead to fourth.

#Salwa Naser, the silver medallist in London, will be among the field that will include three veteran Jamaican competitors – Novlene Williams-Mills, Sherica Jackson and Stephanie Ann McPherson. Also entered are Americans Natasha Hastings and Courtney Okolo. Lydia Jele from Botswana rounds out the field.

#“It’s going to be another great field of ladies, so hopefully we can put on another great show for the public,” Miller-Uibo said.

#If she is successful, Miller-Uibo will become the first female athlete to have won the 200/400m double in the history of the IAAF’s year ending meet, which previously was the Golden League Final where athletes earned points and the top finisher, based on their points accumulated, carted off the overall title.

#Under the previous format, only one Bahamian ever won a Golden League Final title and that was Tonique Williams in the women’s 400m when she set the national record in the event (49.07) – a time she ran in Berlin on September 12, 2004.

#Last Friday, Miller-Uibo matched Williams’ feat when she won the 200m title in Zurich. She came off the final curve in fourth and powered from behind on the straight-away to pull off the win over Jamaican Olympic double sprint champion Elaine Thompson, World Championships double sprint silver medallist Marie-Josee Ta Lou from the Ivory Coast and 200m champion and 100m bronze medallist Dafne Schippers from the Netherlands.

#“The race was fine. I just give God all the thanks and praise for everything,” said Miller-Uibo, who got the bronze in London behind Schippers and Ta Lou.

#Miller-Uibo, who was trying to attempt the 200/400m double at the World Championships, said while she had her share of disappointment in the 400m, it was a little more hurtful to watch in Zurich as Steven Gardiner slipped and fell coming out of the blocks of the men’s 400m last Friday and was unable to complete the race.

#“What happened to Steven was most unfortunate. I actually thought they were going to call the race back, but things like this happen,” she said. “Fortunate enough, he is injury free and I think that is what’s most important. He had a tremendous season and I’m sure that one hiccup won’t bring him down.”

#Gardiner, the Abaco native who turns 22 on September 12, became the first Bahamian to crack the 44-second barrier when he ran 43.89 in the semi-finals at the World Championships to lower his national record.

Shaunae Miller-Uibo (left) wins the 200m at the Weltklasse IAAF Diamond League international athletics meeting in the Letzigrund stadium in Zurich, Switzerland, on August 24. (Walter Bieri/Keystone via AP)

Monday, September 4, 2017

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#Despite what happened to her at the 16th IAAF World Championships in London, England, last month, Shaunae Miller-Uibo said she was able to live out her purpose by winning the back-to-back IAAF Diamond League Finals in the 200 and 400 metres over the last two weekends.

#“It feels great. To God be the glory, great things he has done,” Miller-Uibo told The Tribune over the weekend following her latest achievement in Brussels. “I understand that it is a first for the Bahamas and I am truly happy to be a part of this history.”

#Miller-Uibo, 23, was referring to the fact that she emerged as the first Bahamian to cash in on two year-ending finals, surpassing Tonique Williams, whom she joined (as the first to win a Golden League title as it was back then in 2004) when she captured the first title in a national record breaking performance in the women’s 200 metres at the Zurich Weltklasse two weeks ago.

#On Friday, the six-foot-1 Miller-Uibo closed out her account for the year as she added the 400 metres crown with a world leading time of 49.46 at the Van Damme Memorial in Brussels, pushing her hefty payday to $100,000 – $50,000 each for the victories.

#Despite the cold and wet conditions following torrential rains in Brussels, Miller-Uibo pulled away from the youthful Salwa Eid Naser, who also broke the 50-second barrier as she set a Bahrain record of 49.88 for second.

#“The competition as always was very fierce and the joy of the challenge keeps it interesting,” said Miller-Uibo about facing three of the seven other finalists from London, including Naser, the silver medallist. “The weather was a little chilly and wet, but the response from my coach was that we executed the race model.”

#That was the model she had expected in London, England, when she surged to the front only to miscalculate her step after taking a peep at the big screen and faltered to fourth in the 400m before she bounced back to take the bronze in the 200m. In the process, she earned $35,000, inclusive of $20,000 for the half-lap race and $15,000 for the one-lapper.

#From what transpired, Miller-Uibo called it a valuable age-old lesson learnt.

#“From since I was a child, I learned and understood that God’s timing will always be perfect,” she said. “And God blessed me with two Diamond League wins, a national record and a world-leading time to end the season. So I count my blessings and thank him for them.”

#And putting her two showings in perspective after the Worlds, Miller-Uibo admitted that they were “equally satisfying because in the 200m, I got a national record and in a world-leading time in the 400m.”

#With her season over and done with, Miller-Uibo is preparing to return home before next Friday for another Shaunae Miller-Uibo Day at her alma mater at St Augustine’s College. But she expressed her disappointment in hearing that there won’t be any official celebrations for her nor Steven Gardiner, the World Championship men’s 400m silver medallist.

#“I am very disappointed that there is no celebrations, mainly for Stevie Gasdiner,” she said. “I feel extremely bad seeing that this is his first international medal and that being a silver, makes him the second best in the world.

#“Instead of him being celebrated, from what I am understanding, he is being persecuted by his own federation. This is very disturbing. The silver lining to this story is that the rest of the world is celebrating Mr Gardiner’s success.”

#Claude Bryan, the chief executive officer of On Track Management, Inc, the Atlanta, Georgia-based promotional track group that manages both Miller-Uibo and Gardiner, said they will not comment on the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ decision to hold a tribunal to ascertain why he didn’t run the heats of the men’s 4 x 400m relay in London on the request of head coach Dianne Woodside-Johnson.

#He would only state that: “I am sure Moore’s Island and the rest of the Bahamas are appreciative of his efforts and if history is our guide, the Bahamas has not been shy in giving due to its athletes when they fly the black, aquamarine and yellow.”

#Looking back at what the two Bahamian quarter-milers did this year, Bryan said it’s just the tip of the iceberg for Miller-Uibo and Gardiner.

#“Shaunae is on an upward trajectory and what we witnessed this year is just the continuation of what should ultimately unfold as a stellar career,” said Bryan, the chief executive officer of On Track Management.

#As for Gardiner, he completed his year by slipping out of the blocks in the men’s 400m in the Diamond League Final at the Zurich Weltklasse last week.

#The race came after Gardiner picked up a silver medal in London, two days following his historic run in the semi-final where he became the first Bahamian to crack the 44-second barrier, lowering his national record to 43.89.

#“Stevie is a gem and from coach (Anthony) Williams to coach (George) Cleare to coach (Gary) Evans, the mantra has always been ‘gently apply the polish,’” Bryan said.

#“He will shine in due time. Coach Evans understands this and Stevie has been responding in line with expectations.”

#Bryan said they will continue to “apply the polish” on Gardiner as they look ahead to the future for the soon-to-be 22-year-old (September 12) 6-2 native from Murphy Town, Abaco.

SHAUNAE MILLER meets BTC executives.

Friday, September 18, 2015

#AFTER her stunning performances at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China, where she captured a silver medal in the 400 metres and the IAAF Diamond League in Brussels, Belgium, where she won the gold, BTC-sponsored star athlete Shaunae Miller was welcomed home by the BTC executive management team at the company headquarters.

#Miller, 21, has been a BTC athlete since 2013 and stated that she is grateful for the impact the sponsorship has had on her career. “Funding is a must to compete at the level I do,” she said. “BTC helps my career by defraying costs and the exposure I am given throughout the Bahamas. When my photo is placed on the phone cards, the posters, the billboards and the commercials, it makes me proud to be a BTC athlete. “It feels good to be associated with a winning brand. BTC is always in my corner and I am proud to say BTC keeps me connected to the world.”

Shaunae Miller in action in Beijing. (AP)

Wednesday, December 30, 201

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#As a double threat this year, Shaunae Miller’s stunning record breaking performance at the Jamaican Invitational in Kingston, Jamaica, and her silver medal feat at the 15th International Amateur Athletic Federation’s World Championships in Beijing, China earned her The Tribune’s Female Athlete of the Year honour. She managed to out-stride professional swimmer Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace and Grand Bahamian collegiate basketball player Jonquel Jones to secure the top spot.

#Here’s how it all unfolded:

#1 Shaunae Miller

#All year long, 21-year-old Miller sat among the top five in the rankings in both the women’s 200 and 400 metres on the IAAF list and there was more debate on which event she would contest until she made her final decision about a month out of the championships to go with the one lap race after she came off a near season-ending injury in the half-lap race during a Diamond League meet in Monaco on July 17.

#It turned out to be the greatest decision she made this year as she ended up as the silver medallist in Beijing in a personal best of 49.67 seconds. American Allyson Felix ran 49.26 for the gold in the highly anticipated showdown on August 27. Jamaican Shericka Jackson had to settle for the bronze in 49.99.

#Miller posted seven of the top times this year in the quarter-mile, losing just twice on the year. The only other time came on June 13 in New York City where American Francena McCorory won in 49.86, compared to Miller’s 50.66. The only thing Miller did accomplish in the event was break Tonique Williams’ national record of 49.07 that she set in Berlin, Germany, on September 12, 2004.

#However, Miller did ink her name in the national record books when she clocked 22.14 to win the Jamaican Invitational in Kingston, Jamaica, on May 9 to erase the previous mark of 22.19 that was set by Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie in Saint Denis, Paris on July 3, 1999. In Kingston, Miller won over a star-studded field that included American Tori Bowie, second in 22.29 and Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who was third in 22.37.

#Incidentally in Beijing, Dafne Schippers from the Netherlands pulled off the victory in the world-leading time of 21.63 ahead of a Jamaican duo of Elaine Thompson in 21.66 and Veronica Campbell-Brown in 21.97 for the silver and bronze respectively.

#For her efforts, Miller was named the Most Outstanding Athlete at the inaugural Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture’s Awards Banquet, organised by Adrian Francis of Workforce Bahamas during the Sports Heritage Month in November in the Atlantis ballroom on Paradise Island. Additionally, Miller walked away with the Female Athlete of the Year award. And she was listed among the candidates for the Caribbean Sports Journalists Association (CASJA), which was fittingly presented to Fraser-Pryce after her dominance of the women’s 100m at the Beijing World Championships.

#2 Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace

#The 25-year-old two-time Olympian produced a national record in the women’s 100 metre butterfly in 58.87 seconds at the 2015 Arena Pro Series in Atlanta, Georgia, as she continued to make her splash on the professional circuit.

#But at the end of the year, Vanderpool-Wallace found her name on the list of Central American and Caribbean and South America’s Female Swimmer of the Year. She eventually had to settle for third place in the Swim Swam, one of the world’s leading swim sites. Carting off the award was Jamaican Alia Atkinson, a double medallist at the FINA World Aquatics Championship in Kazan, Russia where she got the silver in the 50m breaststroke and a bronze in the 200m breast.

#Vanderpool-Wallace, winner of third place in the final standings, was a double medallist at the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada where she got the national anthem to be played as the flag was raised for her gold in her specialty in the 50m free along with a bronze in the 100m free. Vanderpool-Wallace also claimed two gold medals at the Bolzano International Swim Meet in Italy.

#Brazilian Etiene Medeiros edged out Vanderpool-Wallace for the second spot on the list behind Atkinson after she clinched four medals, including a gold in the 100m back at the Pan Am Games and a silver in the 50m backstroke at the World Championships.

#3 Jonquel Jones

#Every time you heard about the Colonials women’s basketball team, it was Grand Bahamian native Jones making the headlines at George Washington University.

#The 6-foot, 4-inch forward is having a sensational senior year as the reigning Atlantic 10 Player and Defensive Player of the Year. Through the first 10 games of the 2015-16 season, and in her career as a whole, GWsports.com has produced some interesting statistics on this potential Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) high draft pick.

#Just to post some of the accolades:

#After falling short last year as a junior, Jones is back on the watch list as a candidate for the National Player of the Year for the Naismith Trophy, John R Wooden Award and the USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Award. Her position has been bolstered by the fact that she has already earned three Atlantic  Player of the Year honours, increasing her total to 11 for a GW record as well.

#Individually, she is the top ranked national rebounder, averaging 15.8 boards per contest, has made five three-pointers – a career high, accumulated eight straight double-doubles, second most nationally, five 20-point games this year to push her career total to 18, has a pair of 20-point, 20-rebound performances.

#The only thing left is for Jones and the Colonials to go all the way and win the NCAA title next year as she completes her stellar career at GW. When she graduates next year, the 22-year-old Jones hopes to leave with her degree in criminal justice.

#Honourable mentions for those who will be among the top 10, but in no particular order, are as follows:

#Swimmer Joanna Evans, who had a sensational run at CARIFTA and went on to represent the Bahamas at the Pan American Games, swimmers Ariel Weech and Laura Morley, who both competed at the Pan Am Games, Lashann Higgs, now starring for the Texas Longhorns women’s basketball team, long jumper Bianca ‘BB’ Stuart, who won a silver medal at Pan Am, but fell short of making the final at the IAAF World Championships, hurdler Devynne Charlton, who had a record-breaking performance at Purdue University, sprinter Carmeisha Cox at Purdue University, sprinter Tynia Gaither at the University of Georgia, sprinter Tayla Carter at Western Carolina, Adanaca Brown, who had a breakout year in the hurdles and sprints, elite sprinters Anthonique Strachan and Sheniqua ‘Q’ Ferguson, who competed at the Pan Am and World Championships respectively and bowler Driskell Rolle, who made it back to the 51st QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup in Sam’s Town, Las Vegas, and gymnast Kianna Dean, who made it to the Pan American Games.

#Note: If anyone was left off the list, it was not intentional. We apologise in advance for any athletes not mentioned.

But what about the $5,000 for Leevan Sands and Trevor Barry?

Shaunae Miller in action in Beijing. (AP)

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture is expected to pay out some $50,000 in incentives to women’s 400 metres silver medallist Shaunae Miller, men’s 400m hurdles bronze medallist Jeffery Gibson and high jumper Donald Thomas for making the top eight as finalists at the 15th IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China.

Donald Thomas competes in the men’s high jump qualification at the World Athletics Championships at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing. (AP)

#But national triple jump record holder Leevan ‘Superman’ Sands and high jumper Trevor Barry are both questioning why they are being excluded from receiving the $5,000 when they made the final for their respective events in Beijing. Unlike the track events where the top eight (with the exception of the distance races) carry the top eight into the final, the field events have a total of 12 athletes qualified for the final.

Leevan Sands competes in Beijing. (AP)

#According to Timothy Munnings, the director of sports, the ministry’s sports policy calls for all gold medallists at the Olympic Games or World Championships to receive $40,000, the silver $30,000 and bronze $15,000, while all those athletes making the top eight will collect $5,000.

#When asked why they were not included, Munnings said the sports policy only calls for the top eight and in the case of Sands, who finished 10th in the triple jump and Barry, who was 10th overall in the high jump, will have to write into the ministry for clarification or speak directly with Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson, who has the power to make any exception.

#Johnson was unavailable for comments up to press time last night.

#As it stands now, Miller is expected to receive $30,000 for her silver in a personal best of 49.47 seconds to finish behind American Allyson Felix’s gold medal run of 49.26 for the world leading time and Gibson, who lowered his national record to 48.17 for the bronze behind Kenya’s Nichlas Bett (world leading 47.79) and Russia’s Denis Kudryavtsev (national record of 48.05), will pick up a cheque for $15,000.

#Thomas, on the other hand, will collect $5,000 for finishing sixth at 7-feet, 6-inches in the men’s high jump final that saw Candian Derek Drouin secure the gold with 7-8 followed by Ukraine’s Bohden Bondarenko and China’s Guowei Zhang in a tie for the silver at 7-7 3/4. Barry was also a finalist, placing 10th at 7-4 1/2.

#Sands found himself in the same situation as Barry as he got 10th in the men’s triple jump final with 54-8 3/4. The event was won by American Christian Taylor with a world leading lap of 59-9 with Cuban Pedro Pichardo getting the silver with 58-2 and Nelson Evora of Portugal taking the bronze with 57-5 3/4.

#In what has been a fantastic comeback year for Sands, who has bounced back miraculously after undergoing surgery to repair a torn knee in an injury he sustained competing in the final of the 2012 London Olympics, noted that he was quite disappointed on hearing the news.

#“This is my first year back. I came out and made the final and it wasn’t an easy task to do,” he said. “For me to come back in my first year triple jumping after the injury, I think it was well deserved considering that I made the final at the World Championship this year.

#“I read the sports policy and it says elite athletes that make the final are eligible to receive $5,000. After the first day of competition in the triple jump, it said Leevan Sands made the final. So I had the final the next day. In the field event, they take the top 12.

#“So you have 12 finalists in the field events, In the track, they only have eight lanes, so you have eight finalists. Are they saying that I didn’t make the final? That’s my question. Did I make the final? I know I worked very hard this year to achieve what I did this year. It wasn’t easy, so I expected to at least get the compensation from the government as a finalist.”

#Sands said he only made the inquiry after he heard that Munnings had indicated in a press statement in Beijing that only the top eight will be compensated. But Sands said he’s confused because the sports policy said once you make the final, you get the incentive from the government.

#“So I’m very disappointed because I worked very hard for the past two years and I think it is well deserved,” he said.

#Coupled with that, Sands said he was told by other athletes in the past, who were rewarded for advancing to the final in field events even though they didn’t medal or get into the top eight, so he still can’t understand why he and Barry are not included this year.

#While there maybe some consideration given to Sands and Barry for getting into the final, Munnings also noted that the ministry is reviewing its subvention to the elite athletes as there has been a number of changes on who is still on, who has been removed and who has been added.

#He said by the end of the month, the ministry should be able to provide a definitive number and provide a new contract for the athletes to sign, which outlines what is expected of them and what procedure will be used to distribute the funds to the athletes.