MIAMI Marlins’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. scores on a sacrifice fly hit by Jesus Aguilar during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Wednesday, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

As of Friday, May 20, 2022

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#JAZZ CHISHOLM JR continues his transition to breakout star for the Miami Marlins and is not only a team leader, but among the league leaders in several offensive categories.

#Chisholm overcame an undisclosed illness to go 2-2 with a walk, a triple, a home run, two runs scored and two RBI in Wednesday’s 5-4 extra-inning loss to the Nationals at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida.

#Wednesday night’s gutsy performance began with a leadoff triple, but also included a game tying solo home run in the fifth inning, and a sac fly that sent the game into extra innings in the ninth inning.

#‘I could get out there and play anytime you need me, I’ll push through it,’” Chisholm told reporters, “I went out there and I did it. I just had to stay focused when it was time to get focused – turn the switch on when it was time to.”

#The 24-year-old infielder leads the Marlins with seven home runs, six stolen bases, 27 RBIs and a .963 OPS. He also already has seven doubles and four triples.

#He currently leads the leagues in triples, ranks fifth with a .617 slugging percentage, seventh with a .964 OPS, tied for ninth in RBI with former MVPs Bryce Harper (Washington Nationals) and Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Angels) and is one of just 24 players in the league batting over .300.

#His numbers this season are well ahead of his 2021 pace when he hit .248 with a .728 OPS, slugged .425 with 115 hits, 70 runs scored, 20 doubles, four triples, 18 home runs, 53 RBI and a team leading 23 stolen bases.

#“I haven’t been swinging as hard as I was last year. I’m trying to be more controlled at the plate instead of just trying to launch everything, even though that’s what’s still happening,” he told Christina DeNicola of MLB.com “But I’m trying to be more controlled and consistent.”

#Chisholm was named to MLB Pipeline’s All- Rookie Second team in 2021 and credited his early improvement with improved pitch selection.

#“I know a lot of guys can’t beat me with their fastballs.The hardest pitches to hit in baseball are sliders, curveballs, offspeed. I’d rather be on for [breaking and offspeed pitches] than a fastball because I can always react to a fastball,” Chisholm said,” I’m going to be prepared to hit everyone’s offspeed pitches because I know I can hit their fastball.”

#The Marlins open a three game series at home against the Atlanta Braves tonight.

As of Friday, May 20, 2022

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#BAHAMAS Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation executive Nardo Dean continues to advocate for a nationwide youth wellness programme.

#Dean – who has represented The Bahamas as an athlete in bodybuilding and fitness, as a coach, and as a team manager for various bodybuilding and fitness teams – said placing benchmarks in place for each demographic is the first step toward a more fit Bahamas.

#“In a lot of our systems, school, military, society at large, we don’t know what the standards are we can’t really assess whether we are a fit nation,” he said. “We look at the obvious signs whether a kid may look overweight or be slower than the other kids in terms of their physical ability but we need to actually implement programmes to test our school kids across the board to see if they are meeting the standard for their demographic.

#“Kids at a younger age right now in our society, especially the ones that are not athletes, they do not know what their standard should be in terms of fitness. For example, the average 10 year old, male or female, should be able to run a half-mile in a certain time, do a certain amount of pushups and complete agility drills is a certain time based on their age and sex. So there are benchmarks and a table that we should be testing our kids against in terms of resting blood pressure, BMI and other health factors.”

#Dean added that fitness assessments can also be vital in helping student-athletes build their recruitment profiles and athletic resumés for collegiate recruitment.

#“The beautiful thing about this is now how things are going in terms of scholarships,” he said. “Right now along with sending your transcript and resume of your academic qualifications, you can send a sporting or athletic resume. For example – if you’re a basketball player, instead of waiting on the scouts to come here to watch you play, you can send an athletic resumé based on those measurables. No matter what the sport is we can taper a particular resumé that encapsulates everything a coach would want to see to get an athlete in for a scholarship.

#“It can be implemented right away. In partnership with an entity in the United States – Microfit – that actually has a full assessment lab that can be set up in either the government ministries or in independent settings, NSA or a location of our choice where we can invite kids to come in and be assessed on their fitness levels such as BMI, range of motion, agility standards, vertical leaps and more.”

#The BBFF will host a Family Fun, Run hosted on June 11 which serves as a fundraising and community outreach project to further projects outside of its traditional competitions.

#“We want to expand our fitness programmes to obstacle courses, fitness assessments and programmes throughout the schools and really reach out because no matter what sport you are in you are going to be in the gym. Maybe not for bodybuilding but for fitness, wellness and of course overall athletic ability,” he said.

#“This should also be done for the military forces, first responders, all of our uniform services. I have reached out to the Ministry of Education, the Police Force, Urban Renewal and others letting them all know that we are interested in instituting these programmes in their communities.”

Sports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailMay 20, 2022 117 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Renegades Football Club (FC) won the men’s division and the United Women FC (WFC) won the women’s division at the inaugural Hummel Cup on Sunday, May 15 at Roscow A.L. Davies Soccer Field.

The weather was not the best this past weekend but it did not dampen the spirits of the competitors in both the men’s and women’s divisions. The Renegades FC prevailed over the Seventeen FC in penalty kicks, 4-2. The score at the end of extra time was 0-0.

The United WFC prevailed over the Dynamos WFC 3-0 to cart off the women’s title.

In the third-place game in the men’s division, United FC 

defeated the Warriors team 3-1. 

Capturing the third-place medal in the women’s division was Cavalier WFC, winning over the Western Warriors WFC.

“We would like to thank all coaches, players, referees, security and our sanitation crew who kept us safe and enabled us to host a successful tournament,” said one of the tournament organizers.

The Bahamas Football Association (BFA)-sanctioned event is expected to grow in popularity as it progresses from year to year.

Simba FrenchSend an emailMay 20, 2022 82 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas Football Association (BFA) has named a 22-member senior men’s national soccer team to kick off its 2022 CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) Nations League campaign on Friday, June 3, with a home match against St. Vincent and the Grenadines. That match will be played at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium here in Nassau, Bahamas.

Suiting up for The Bahamas on the defensive line are Lesly St. Fleur, Jean Francois, Troy Pinder, Evelt Julmis, Kenaz Swain, Derrick Ferguson and Quinton Carey. Playing the midfield positions are Alexiou Cartwright, Roen Davis, Michael Massey, Nathan Wells, Christopher Rahming, William Bayles, Marcel Joseph, Logan Russell and Nicolas Lopez. Looking to put the ball in the back of the net in the forward positions are Wood Julmis, Jordin Wilson and Omari Bain.

The custodians between the goal posts are Julio Jemison, Ian Lowe, and Vance Wheaton.

Nesly Jean is the head coach. He will be assisted by Kevin Davies and Avery Kemp, and Larry Minns is team manager.

The Bahamas was promoted to League B by virtue of winning Group B in League C back in the 2019 edition of the Nations League. They won the group by going undefeated in a group that included Bonaire and the British Virgin Islands (BVI). The Bahamas won three games and drew once.

For this Nations League competition, they were drawn into Group C along with Trinidad and Tobago, Nicaragua and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

It will be a busy June for the senior men’s national soccer team. After playing St. Vincent and the Grenadines on June 3, they will fly to Trinidad and Tobago to play that nation on Monday, June 6. The Bahamas ended the Trinidad and Tobago Soca Warriors’ chances of qualifying for the world cup with a 0-0 stalemate at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium last June.

Trinidad and Tobago will be looking to avenge that setback, coming in as the highest ranked team in the group. However, The Bahamas is looking to record another upset, this time on Trinidad and Tobago soil.

Later that week, The Bahamas will play host to Nicaragua at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium – on Friday, June 10. It will be the first time these two nations play each other in senior men’s soccer. Both will then head to Nicaragua to play each other for a second time in less than a week on Monday, June 13.

Those matches will wrap up the first window of play for The Bahamas. The other window will be in March 2023. The group stage will serve as a qualifier for the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

CONCACAF announced the creation of the Nations League competition in 2018, with an aim of ensuring that all member associations have an opportunity to compete in more official matches, driving the development of the game in the region, and providing a compelling tournament for fans in all parts of the CONCACAF area.

Chisholm having a breakout year with the Marlins; looking to continue to produce

Simba FrenchSend an emailMay 20, 2022 147 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Jasrado ‘Jazz’ Chisholm Jr. had a superb ending to his three-game series for the Miami Marlins (17-20) against the Washington Nationals (13-26) at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday, as he hit his seventh home run of the season and added a triple, albeit, in a 5-4 loss for his team in the series finale.

The Marlins won two out of the three games but dropped the finale. They won 8-2 on Monday and 5-1 on Tuesday. Chisholm finished the series 5-for-11 at the plate.

On Wednesday, the Bahamian professional baseball player for the Marlins went a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate and scored two runs while driving in two. His seventh home run of the season came on a 94.2 miles per hour (mph) four-seam fastball in the bottom of the fifth inning and went to center field. That shot tied the game 3-3 at that point.

After the Nationals went ahead 4-3, Chisholm’s sacrifice fly to right field sent Jesús Sánchez home with the game-tying run in the bottom of the ninth, tying the game 4-4.

The Nationals scored in the top of the 10th inning to go up 5-4, and the Marlins went down in order in the bottom of the 10th, to end the game in the Nationals’ favor.

On Monday, Chisholm went 3-for-5 with a run batted in (RBI) and a run scored. On Tuesday, the leadoff hitter went hitless in four at-bats.

It has been a good month for the electrifying player as he has a batting average of .310 that is above his season average of .304. He has 18 hits so far this month in 58 at-bats. He hit the ball out the park three times for the month already.

Chisholm is leading the Marlins with seven home runs, six stolen bases, 27 RBIs and a .963 on-base percentage plus slugging percentage (OPS). He also has seven doubles and four triples.

With his four triples, Chisholm is leading the league in that category. His seven home runs has him tied at number 25 in the league. He is tied at number nine in RBIs, and the .963 OPS has him ranked at number seven in the league. His chances are looking good to be an all-star this season.

“I haven’t been swinging as hard as I was last year,” Chisholm told MLB.com Marlins beat reporter Christina DeNicola. “I’m trying to be more controlled at the plate instead of just trying to launch everything, even though that’s what’s still happening. But I’m trying to be more controlled and consistent.”

Chisholm said being more controlled is something that he has been working on for the past two to three years and it is coming out at the right time.

It looks like he is exactly what the Marlins need as they look to return to the playoffs after a dismal season last year.

Chisholm and the Marlins return to action tonight when they remain at LoanDepot Park to play the reigning World Series Champions Atlanta Braves. The game gets underway at 6:45 p.m. and the three-game series wraps up on Sunday.

ports

Over 60 children enrolled in the initial stage of the program

Simba FrenchSend an emailMay 18, 2022 695 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

In an effort to ensure that more persons in The Bahamas know how to swim, the Atlantis Resort got its school swim program officially underway for their employees’ children at the Beach Towers pool on the resort property yesterday.

In a six-week program, a little over 60 children learnt to do what only about 10 percent of Bahamians know how to do, according to surveys – swim. This is the first stage of the program and Atlantis will look to offer lessons to the larger community at some point.

Vice President of Public Affairs and Special Projects at the resort, Viana Gardiner, assisted in getting this initiative off the ground.

“Atlantis has taken a decision that it wanted to give back to the community in light of the fact that, statistics say that only 10 percent of Bahamians know how to swim, and then every summer you hear a very sad story of someone passing away, a child or an adult passing away because of drowning. So, what we wanted to do was to use our skills which are all things aquatic and provide swim lessons,” Gardiner said.

The children will be learning to swim on Tuesdays and Thursdays for six weeks. The combined classes have 63 children enrolled.

President of the Bahamas Aquatic Federation Algernon Cargill was at the pool and commended the resort for taking up such an initiative.

“Bahamas Aquatics is the sole governing body for all aquatic sports in The Bahamas, and we are happy that Atlantis reached out to us to advise that they were starting this ‘Learn to Swim’ program for their employees’ children. Seeing that roughly 10 percent of all Bahamians can swim, we thought it was a great opportunity not only to teach someone a life skill, but to build some strong entrants for our swimming program in The Bahamas,” Cargill said.

Gardiner added that they will be teaching the children basic life saving lessons in case they have a need to use it such as if they fall into a pool accidentally, they will know to remain calm and save themselves.

“We decided to run the program for the children of our staff members,” Gardiner said. “There was a lot of discussions about going into the wider community, but we have an extremely large staff base and their children need it as well so we decided to start at home with our children. Once this pilot program proves successful, then what we’re going to do is run the program again later in the year or in other years, and just see how many children we’re able to assist.”

Cargill is hoping that once the children learn to swim they can join one of the numerous clubs that are a part of the federation.

“What we are excited about is this program and similar programs being feeder programs for the federation,” Cargill said. “We have several clubs here, while they have their own learn to swim programs, while on property, the Atlantis is teaching their employees’ children to swim. The next step obviously is learn their survival skills and be able to get into a swim club and that is why we are here today to support the swim program because it is part of our mandate. Secondly, we want to ensure that these swimmers, once they learn how to swim, they continue their career and hopefully they can be at the CARIFTA level and other competitive levels.”

One of the instructors of the swim program is Jerome Wright. He said he is happy to be giving back.

“What we are basically doing is starting off with the infancy stage of teaching persons how to swim. Some of the kids are a little more advanced than we thought and that is a plus. We work with them and they follow instructions really well so this is a good bunch of children to work with,” Wright said.

Former national team swimmer Laura Morley was happy to be at the pool supporting the program. She saw the excitement of the children.

“I remember when I first started swimming and my excitement in the water, so, just to see these kids’ excitement to get in the water and learn how to swim and play around, it’s exciting. We need to teach kids how to swim from a younger age,” Morley said.

Also, there to show his support was national team swimmer Kohen Kerr.

“I think it’s a very good thing for us to start in The Bahamas,” Kerr said. “Swimming is known as a very high-class sport with which I disagree with. I feel that everyone should be more involved in the sport.”

Kerr spoke about how swimming has helped him travel to countries such as China, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Colombia. He also went off to college on a scholarship because of swimming. The program is expected to grow by leaps and bounds in the coming months.

Sheldon LongleySend an emailMay 19, 2022 273 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Bahamian collegiate hurdler Jahmaal Wilson had the performance of a lifetime on Sunday, and he is being rewarded with a trip to the 2022 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Outdoor Championships, set for May 26-28, at Grand Valley State University Track & Field Stadium in Allendale, Michigan.

Wilson, 21, a sophomore for the West Texas A&M University Buffs, had a record-breaking performance on Sunday, breaking the school, conference, and national division two record in the men’s 110 meters (m) hurdles. Wilson ran a blazing 13.35 seconds in a positive 1.7 meters per second (mps) tailwind to win the men’s 110m hurdles title at the West Texas A&M Last Chance Meet 2022 at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas, on Sunday.

In setting his personal best, by more than four-tenths of a second, Wilson also went under the Bahamian national record of 13.38 seconds that was set by Shamar Sands at the Golden Spike Ostrava Meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic, in 2009.

Additionally, Wilson is now just three one-hundredths of a second off the qualifying standard for the World Athletics (WA) Championships, set for July 15-24, at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, 

Oregon, USA. If successful, he will join Sands as the only Bahamians to compete in the men’s 110m hurdles at the world championships.

Prior to this past weekend, Wilson’s previous personal best in the 110m hurdles was 13.76 seconds.

The run on Sunday broke Abilene Christian’s Brian Amos’ NCAA Division II record of 13.37, which was set back on May 12, 1994, and moves Wilson to number one in the NCAA Division II rankings. Amos also held the Lone Star Conference record prior to Sunday, and the West Texas A&M school record was 13.58 seconds, set by Tyrin Lewis last year.

Running unattached, Lewis finished second in 13.55 seconds on Sunday, and Cameron Macon, a sophomore at Texas A&M University-Commerce, was third in 14.05 seconds.

Wilson’s stunning run on Sunday tied him for 25th among all collegiate levels, and it led to him being named as the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches 

Association (USTFCCCA) National Athlete of the Week.

He was one of 29 student-athletes of West Texas A&M University – 17 men and 12 women – who qualified for the 2022 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships. Grand Valley State University and the West Michigan Sports Commission will co-host the championships which will be streamed live on NCAA.com.

A total of 754 participants – 377 men and 377 women – will compete in the championships.

In division one, the east preliminaries is set for May 25-28 at the Robert C. Haugh Track & Field Complex in Bloomington, Indiana, and the west preliminaries is set for that same time at the John McDonnell Field in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Indiana University at Bloomington will host the east preliminaries while the University of Arkansas will host the west preliminaries.

The 2022 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships is set for June 8-11 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Northern Bahamas show set for July 2; nationals to be held July 16

Simba FrenchSend an emailMay 19, 2022 263 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

After not having any local competition since before the COVID-19 pandemic forced a stoppage of sports in March 2020, the Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (BBFF) is active again, and has two big competitions planned for July. The announcement came at a press conference held at Better Bodies Gym yesterday.

One of those competitions is the Northern Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships to be inside the Grand Ballroom at the Grand Lucayan hotel in Freeport, Grand Bahama, on Saturday, July 2. The second competition is the BBFF Bodybuilding and Fitness Novice and National Championships set for July 16 in New Providence.

However, before those competitions, the federation will be hosting an event dubbed ‘Getting Fit Saves Lives’ Family Fun Run and Walk on Saturday, June 11, starting at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium at 6 a.m.

President of the BBFF Joel Stubbs was at the press conference. He said he is happy that they have returned to competition.

“We’re so happy and excited that the government has given us the green light for the resumption of sports in The Bahamas. So many of our athletes are looking forward to this opportunity to showcase their talents to the local Bahamian people,” Stubbs said.

They are hoping to send a team to the Central American and Caribbean Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships, set for July 27 to August 1, at Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Center in Bridgetown, Barbados.

The last time the federation staged the Northern Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships was back in 2017.

“Many of the athletes in Grand Bahama are so excited about showcasing their talents once again,” Stubbs said. “It has been a long time for the Grand Bahamians. As the government does its part to get Grand Bahama back on his feet, we want to be a part of it to bring bodybuilding and fitness in the mix to energize and revitalize the Bahamian people there in Grand Bahama.

“We’re looking forward to this year being the re-energizing year for us. Everybody knows that the COVID-19 pandemic staggered and pretty much crippled all of the sporting disciplines. So, we’re happy now to be back on our feet.”

Stubbs said the athletes’ spirits were dampened a little, but given the return of the shows, some have started training again.

“Athletes’ participation was a little down a bit,” Subbs said. “I think the fact of the matter is because there were no shows, people lost interest. Persons were still training to some extent, some degree, but they were not at their full potential because they were waiting and wondering as to whether we would have brought things back into perspective to give them these opportunities to compete and be in a position to make the national team to travel. Now that it has being announced, we’ve seen a lot of the athletes gearing up. I’m praying and hoping that a lot of them can put the pedal to the metal and of course get deeper in the trenches to get ready and to be in a position to represent this year.”

The federation is looking for corporate sponsorships to come on board to financially assist in staging both competitions.

“We want to encourage the public and corporate sponsorship in which we are in dire need of,” said Stubbs. “We are a non-profitable organization, so we’re doing our utmost best to pour into these athletes here in The Bahamas – give them that opportunity to showcase themselves and also represent this Bahamas on the international stage. Thanks to the government in the form of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture while stepping up in a large way in providing us with some of the finance needed to further this sport. We want to encourage Corporate Bahamas to please come on board and be a part of this venture and, of course, to help support young Bahamian athletes.”

Tickets for the competition in Grand Bahama are available for $20 each for general admission and they are being sold for $25 each at the door. VIP tickets are $30 each in advance and $35 each at the door. Details about the novice and national championships will be released at a later date.

As of Thursday, May 19, 2022

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#Abigail Simms and Indiana Tech Warriors lost to St Thomas 2-4 at the Nationals in Mobile Alabama.

#Simms fought hard against Lia Pena in singles. She lost in a competitive first set 6-7 and 2-6 in the second set. Simms played #1 doubles and #2 singles position for Indiana Tech.

#Jacobi Bain and XULA Gold Rush won 4-2 against Cumberlands.

#Bain lost in the #4 singles in straight sets 4-6, 4-6 to Martin Muller, but made up ground in doubles with partner Megh Patel, winning 6-3.

#Joshua Turnquest and the Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats won 4-1 over Southeastern University.

#Turnquest won playing in the #2 position in doubles with partner Jeremias Rocco 6-2 and won the first set in his singles 6-2 but did not need to finish as his team had already secured the win.

#The BLTA congratulated Simms on her back to back NAIA Nationals appearance and a great tennis season.

#Turnquest and Bain will see action again today as they have advanced to the next rounds.

#Only one will move on as they now face each other. The BLTA congratulated both for advancing to Nationals Quarterfinals and wished them both a great match today.

As of Thursday, May 19, 2022

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#Ian Lewis is off to a blistering start at the plate in his 2022 season and has opened the year with a seven-game hit streak.

#The 19-year-old middle infielder, ranked No. 12 in the Miami Marlins pipeline, has been a standout offensively thus far in his Single A debut season with the Jupiter Hammerheads.

#Lewis has recorded a hit in each of his seven games and headed into last night’s game against Lakeland hitting .550 (11-20) with two doubles, five RBI, two runs scored and one stolen base, slugging .650 with a .565 OBP.

#After starting the minor-league season in extended spring, Lewis made his Hammerheads debut and went 2-5 with an RBI, stolen base and a run scored against the Bradenton Marauders.

#In the remainder of the series he had games of 2-3, 1-2, 2-3 with two RBI and 3-4 with an RBI. He opened the series against Lakeland 1-3 with an RBI and singled in his first at bat last night in game two of the series to bring his hit streak to seven.

#After the pandemic delayed his debut on the diamond by a year, Lewis had an immediate impact the following season and was recognised by the Marlins’ organisation as one of the top performers in its farm system.

#He was named the Florida Complex League MVP when the Marlins named their Minor League Award winners for the 2021 season.

#In his first season of professional baseball, he played 43 games, predominantly at second base in the FCL. He hit .302, with a .354 OBP, slugging .497 and an .851 OBP. He had an FCL leading five triples, three home runs, 10 doubles, nine stolen bases, 45 hits, 27 RBI and 24 runs scored. He began his season with a brief assignment in the Dominican Summer League before the team eventually reassigned him to the Florida Complex League six days later on June 28. He hit a two-run home run homer his pro debut on June 29 against the FCL Mets.