As of Friday, July 1, 2022

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#AS baseball at all levels continues to take centre stage in the country, the timeline for completion of the much maligned Andre Rodgers National Baseball Stadium faces another possible delay.

#Minister of Youth, Sports, and Culture Mario Bowleg said that while the project continues its progression, completion will not be further hastened for a single event.

#Earlier this year, the Confederation of Caribbean Baseball (COCABE) announced that the fourth Caribbean Baseball Cup was set to be the first event hosted at the stadium December 4-11, 2022.

#“The deadline we had was to try and have that stadium completed for December. We know that the physical structure is just about 90-95 percent completed with some minor repairs going on right now. But at the end of the day, we believe that if we hold off until January, based on the field itself which needs to be settled, we would have time needed to compact that field before we put the surface on it,” Bowleg said.

#“We want to make sure that we don’t waste money and that it is prepared and ready to go. There is nothing more important to us than ensuring that that is ready, not an event.

#“We don’t want to be wasting money dealing with a stadium of that magnitude. We want to be able to attract professional baseball teams so that they come down in the spring seasons so we want to make sure that field is world class and it remains world class,” he said.

#Woslee Construction Company was originally contracted to build the stadium at a cost of approximately $25 million.

#Construction began in September 2016 and the original timeline for completion was set at 15 months, concluding in November 2017.

#Ensuing contractual disputes caused work to cease on the project and the edifice remained idle as costs of material, labour and the rise of Value Added Tax increased project expenditure.

#That figure was adjusted to $21.4 million, then increased to $27.5 million after contingency and provisional fees were added.

#In January 2022, Minister of Public Works and Utilities Alfred Sears said in the House of Assembly that an additional $31 million would be needed to complete the national baseball stadium project.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jul/01/national-baseball-stadium-field-will-be-world-clas/?news

As of Friday, July 1, 2022

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FEMALE competitors Ashanti Gibson, Sharon Kelly and Keisha Russell display their ‘sexy’ medals.

Jay Fitness Bahamas instructor J Donavon Rolle, second from right, presents an appreciation award to Subway representatives Dion Miller and Shantika Jones.

COMPETITORS CHERVEZ BROWN, Jamari Chea and Keith Gomez stretching. Photos courtesy of Derek Smith

Competitors celebrating. Photo by 360 Designs and Images

#MACKEY Williams and Lesli Hanna emerged as the overall male and female walk winners, while Dexter Adderley and Eve Dorsette won the run segment of the 5-kilometre race.

#The event, held on Saturday, June 25 at St Augustine’s College, was organised by Jay Fitness Bahamas instructor J Donavon Rolle in his bid to do something different to inspire his clientele as well as raise some funds for the Bahamas Kidney Association.

#“I wanted to allow participants more freedom without road traffic and the terrain of the campus added another level of complexity,” said Rolle of the race dubbed “the Jay Way” and held at his alma mater.

#At the same time, Rolle said he wanted to do something different from the regular 5k, providing something fun with a little challenge.

#“It broke up the monotony over other road races that just go up one way and back,” Rolle said. “Hence we have “surprises” on the route. It was important for us to make sure that the novice runner found it entertaining and the more seasoned runner found it challenging.

#“We ensured that regardless of the fitness level that the event was one that every member of the family would enjoy.”

#After watching one of Jay fitness family members donate a kidney and continue to live a healthy lifestyle, Rolle said he wanted to make a contribution to the BKA, especially after they finally got a chance to stage an event coming out of the pandemic.

#“Kidney disease is on the rise you want to encourage more Bahamians to stay fit,” he said.

#“This year the organisers of 5K the Jay Way are excited to host yet another event.”

#In addition to their commitment in motivating others to lead healthier lifestyles, Rolle said they are dedicated to community building.

#“This year in addition to the tennis shoe drive which will provide shoes to those less fortunate, your financial support will allow us to donate to those affected by kidney disease,” he said.

#“This will also assist in bringing awareness to this disease that continues to increase in The Bahamas.”

#The winners are listed here:

#Male Walker – 1. Mackey Williams; 2. Erle Bethell; 3. Michael Dillett.

#Female Walker – 1. Liesl Hanna; 2. Latina Rolle; 3. Tia Johnson. Male Runner – 1. Dexter Adderley; 2. Perez Willie; 3. Andrew Gardiner.

#Female Runner – 1. Eve Dorsette; 2. Romona Lewis; 3. Lapeedra Damianos.

#Youth Walker – 1. Khyda Hanna; 2. Nadlyn Rolle.

#Youth Runner – 1. Denaja Minus.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jul/01/jay-fitness-5k-was-success/?news

TEAM Bahamas fell short of their goal of getting into the top three with a fourth-place finish at the Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships in Humacao, Puerto Rico.

As of Friday, July 1, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#TEAM Bahamas fell short of their goal of getting into the top three with a fourth-place finish at the Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships in Humacao, Puerto Rico.

#The championship was completed yesterday with the Bahamas earning a total of 37.00 points. Puerto Rico took advantage of their home turf by winning the overall crown with 52.00. The Dominican Republic was second with 42.00 and Jamaica was third with 39.00.

#Bahamas team manager Gina Gonzalez-Rolle said she was very proud of the team’s performance.

#“The conditions were a little rough and what golfers would say was really rough,” she said. “It rained off and on, the field got flooded but because there was no rain since March the ground sucked it up and the kids continued to play.

#“The players braved it well and look forward to playing next year in the Cayman Islands.”

#The top finishers for Team Bahamas came from Aidan Gorospe, Kerrington Rolle and Heathcliffe Kane, the team captain. Kane also won the Izzy Marley Sportsmanship Award in his final year representing the junior team.

#Aidan Gorospe had the best individual finish for the Bahamas with a two-way tie for second place in the boys 13-and-under division with Puerto Rico’s Fernando Leduc. Gorospe shot a three-day total of 73-79-81-233, while Leduc did 76-79-78.

#Puerto Rico’s Evan Pena, who was tied with Gorospe with the early lead on day one, won the divisional title with 73-74-81 for his total of 228.

#In the under-15 boys division, Jackson Mactaggart was 7th with 249 (79-88-82); Camdyn Forbes ended up in a two-way tie for 14th with 275 (90-94- 91) and Rhan Miller was 17th with 291 (101-103-87).

#Cayman Island’s Danny Lyne emerged as the divisional champion with 226 (75-75-76).

#Bahamas Golf Federation men’s national champion Heathcliff Kane placed sixth in the boys’ 18-and-under division with 231 (75-81-75) and national men’s runner-up Alexander Dupuch was tied for 14th with 244 (84-82-78).

#Puerto Rico’s Kelvin Hernandez, turning in a solid performance, won the divisional crown with 210 after he shot impressive rounds of 73, 68 and 69.

#Haley Hall, the lone competitor in the girls’ 13-and-under division, was sixth with 274, shooting 86, 94 and 94. Puerto Rico’s Ava Saavedra won with 237 (79-82-76).

#In the girls’ 15-and-under, Chemari Pratt finished ninth with 281, although she managed to bounce back after her opening round of 101 with 85 and 95 on the final two days. Jamaica’s Samantha Azan was the divisional winner with 231 (74-79-78).

#And Tyesha Tynes rounded out Team Bahamas’ participation in the girls’ under-18 division where she was 10th with 271 (94-90-87).

#Jamaica’s Emily Mayne won the divisional title with 224 (74-70-80).

#Lemon Gorospe was the team’s head coach, assisted by Georgette Rolle-Harris and Frederick Taylor.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jul/01/team-bahamas-4th-caribbean-amateur-junior-golf-cha/?news

As of Friday, July 1, 2022

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TyNia Gaither and Devynne Charlton.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#AFTER their victories at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National Track and Field Championships over the weekend, TyNia Gaither and Devynne Charlton got fourth and fifth respectively in their return to the Wanda Diamond League on Thursday.

#Gaither, the 29-year-old national 100m champion, moved up to the women’s 200m where she placed fourth in 23.06 seconds, while the 26-year-old Charlton, coming off her national record-breaking performance, was fifth in her specialty event in the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.65.

#Gaither, a third-place finisher behind Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Anthonique Strachan in the 200m at the nationals, got left in the blocks, but she came off the curve and made up some ground on the home stretch.

#The race came down to a photo finish as Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith got the win over Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundi after they both clocked 22.37. Denmark’s Ida Karstoft was third in 22.90.

#With her performance, Gaither earned five points to join Miller-Uibo, American Tamara Clark and Poland’s Nikola Horowska for ninth place in the Wanda Diamond League standings, while Asher-Smith surged out front with 20 points. Strachan is tied with Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou and Gambian’s Gina Bass with four apiece.

#Charlton, the World Championship indoor silver medallist, got the early lead in the 10 flights of hurdles, but mid-way into the race Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn and the rest of the field surged ahead. While Camacho- Quinn went on to secure the win in 12.46 seconds, Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan got second in 12.50,

#American Nia Ali was third in 12.53 and Jamaican Danielle Williams got fourth in a season’s best of 12.59.

#Charlton’s time was off her new Bahamian national record of 12.60 that she posted last Friday night at the nationals. Despite her finish, Charlton is now tied for second place with Camacho-Quinn with 16 points each in the Diamond League standings, which has Amusan on top with 22.

#This was the eighth in the 12-race series for the Wanda Diamond League that began in Doha, Qatar on May 13 and will wrap up in Brussels, Belgium on September 2 before the finals take place in Zurich, Switzerland, September 7-8.

#The next meet in the series will take place on August 6 in Silesia, Poland.

#Charlton, now a grad assistant coach at the University of Kentucky where she’s training under Bahamian coach Rolando ‘Lonnie’ Greene, is looking for her first global medal on the outdoor scene this year at the World Championships.

#Gaither is expected to run the sprint double in Eugene with Strachan, while Miller- Uibo is expected to join them both in the 200m.

#Miller-Uibo, however, will have her priority on the 400m where she was the reigning runner-up from Doha, Qatar in 2019.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jul/01/wanda-diamond-league-gaither-4th-200m-charlton-5th/?news

The Bahamas under-15 girls basketball team at the FIBA Centrobasket Under-15 Girls Championship at the Coliseo Fernando ‘Rube’ Hernandez in Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

As of Thursday, June 30, 2022

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#TEAM Bahamas suffered another lopsided loss to Puerto Rico and remains winless headed into the bronze medal game at the FIBA Centrobasket Under-15 Championships for women.

#Puerto Rico took an 83-37 win over The Bahamas last night at the Fernando Hernandez Colesium in Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

#Terell McCoy led the team with a double double – 14 points and a game high 11 rebounds – while Savannah Turnquest scored 12.

#Dwaynae Knowles finished with six points, seven rebounds, seven assists and five steals.

#Desirek Nieves led Puerto Rico with a game high 18 points while Mia Canales scored 10.

#The Bahamas won the rebounding edge for the first time all tournament, 49-43.

#They also had their most productive period in the tournament when they were outscored by just seven in the fourth quarter, 23-16. Puerto Rico took an early 17-7 lead at the end of one and took a 45-18 lead at the half.

#Andica Curtis’ lone basket of the game was The Bahamas only field goal in the third quarter when they were outscored 15-3. They trailed 60-21 headed into the fourth.

#The Bahamas is now slated to face the Dominican Republic in the bronze medal game at 5:15pm today local time. Mexico and Puerto Rico will follow with the gold medal game at 8pm.

#The top three teams in the championships will qualify for the FIBA Under-16 Women’s Americas Championship in 2023.

#In the first meeting against the Dominican Republic, The Bahamas suffered a 79-45 loss.

#On Sunday, the Bahamas opened up tournament play with a 101-20 loss to Puerto Rico, before the loss to the DR.

#They followed with a 119-19 loss to Mexico prior to yesterday’s playoff round.

Team Bahamas suffers another lopsided loss The Bahamas under-15 girls basketball team at the FIBA Centrobasket Under-15 Girls Championship at the Coliseo Fernando ‘Rube’ Hernandez in Gurabo, Puerto Rico. The Bahamas under-15 girls basketball team at the FIBA Centrobasket Under-15 Girls Championship at the Coliseo Fernando ‘Rube’ Hernandez in Gurabo, Puerto Rico. As of Thursday, June 30, 2022 Sign in to favorite thisDiscuss Comment, Blog about Share this Email, Facebook, Twitter #TEAM Bahamas suffered another lopsided loss to Puerto Rico and remains winless headed into the bronze medal game at the FIBA Centrobasket Under-15 Championships for women. #Puerto Rico took an 83-37 win over The Bahamas last night at the Fernando Hernandez Colesium in Gurabo, Puerto Rico. #Terell McCoy led the team with a double double – 14 points and a game high 11 rebounds – while Savannah Turnquest scored 12. #Dwaynae Knowles finished with six points, seven rebounds, seven assists and five steals. #Desirek Nieves led Puerto Rico with a game high 18 points while Mia Canales scored 10. #The Bahamas won the rebounding edge for the first time all tournament, 49-43. #They also had their most productive period in the tournament when they were outscored by just seven in the fourth quarter, 23-16. Puerto Rico took an early 17-7 lead at the end of one and took a 45-18 lead at the half. #Andica Curtis’ lone basket of the game was The Bahamas only field goal in the third quarter when they were outscored 15-3. They trailed 60-21 headed into the fourth. #The Bahamas is now slated to face the Dominican Republic in the bronze medal game at 5:15pm today local time. Mexico and Puerto Rico will follow with the gold medal game at 8pm. #The top three teams in the championships will qualify for the FIBA Under-16 Women’s Americas Championship in 2023. #In the first meeting against the Dominican Republic, The Bahamas suffered a 79-45 loss. #On Sunday, the Bahamas opened up tournament play with a 101-20 loss to

Team Bahamas suffers another lopsided loss

The Bahamas under-15 girls basketball team at the FIBA Centrobasket Under-15 Girls Championship at the Coliseo Fernando ‘Rube’ Hernandez in Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

As of Thursday, June 30, 2022

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#TEAM Bahamas suffered another lopsided loss to Puerto Rico and remains winless headed into the bronze medal game at the FIBA Centrobasket Under-15 Championships for women.

#Puerto Rico took an 83-37 win over The Bahamas last night at the Fernando Hernandez Colesium in Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

#Terell McCoy led the team with a double double – 14 points and a game high 11 rebounds – while Savannah Turnquest scored 12.

#Dwaynae Knowles finished with six points, seven rebounds, seven assists and five steals.

#Desirek Nieves led Puerto Rico with a game high 18 points while Mia Canales scored 10.

#The Bahamas won the rebounding edge for the first time all tournament, 49-43.

#They also had their most productive period in the tournament when they were outscored by just seven in the fourth quarter, 23-16. Puerto Rico took an early 17-7 lead at the end of one and took a 45-18 lead at the half.

#Andica Curtis’ lone basket of the game was The Bahamas only field goal in the third quarter when they were outscored 15-3. They trailed 60-21 headed into the fourth.

#The Bahamas is now slated to face the Dominican Republic in the bronze medal game at 5:15pm today local time. Mexico and Puerto Rico will follow with the gold medal game at 8pm.

#The top three teams in the championships will qualify for the FIBA Under-16 Women’s Americas Championship in 2023.

#In the first meeting against the Dominican Republic, The Bahamas suffered a 79-45 loss.

#On Sunday, the Bahamas opened up tournament play with a 101-20 loss to Puerto Rico, before the loss to the DR.

#They followed with a 119-19 loss to Mexico prior to yesterday’s playoff round.

DEANDRE Ayton in action.

As of Thursday, June 30, 2022

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#The NBA free agency period begins in earnest today (see sidebar) and the contract situation between Deandre Ayton and the Phoenix Suns remains one of the most speculated on the market.

#Earlier this week, the Suns tendered a $16.4 million qualifying offer to Ayton, which will make him a restricted free agent on July 1.

#With the offer, the Suns now have the ability to match any offer sheet Ayton may sign with another franchise.

#Teams may officially begin negotiating with free agents beginning today at 6pm and can begin signing them to contracts as early as July 6.

#Should Ayton accept the qualifying offer, he becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer.

#The fourth-year centre, at the end of his rookie deal, has been linked in several sign and trade scenarios or team’s outright offering the max contract his representation seeks.

#During the NBA Draft Combine in May, Ayton’s agent Bill Duffy discussed his client’s future on SiriusXM’s NBA show.

#“We’re disappointed. We wanted a max contract,” Duffy said. “He went out and was a soldier the whole year, played well, improved his statistics. So, we’re proud of him. A lot of guys handle things differently, but he was very mature about it. Things will work out for Deandre. He’s a valuable player. There’s other teams in the league as well. He’s a restricted free agent, so we’ll see how this process unfolds.”

#Suns general manager James Jones reiterated his organisation’s desire to keep its former no.1 overall pick under contract moving forward.

#“Nothing has changed on our end. We haven’t said anything different. DA remains a huge part of what we do and he’s a free agent. So we’ll talk about free agency when that time comes, but that hasn’t changed,” Jones said following last week’s NBA Draft.

#“I think you hear his teammates. They echo the same sentiment that we have. This team is a really good team and we’re going to keep it together.”

#As a restricted free agent, Ayton is free to sign an offer sheet with another franchise but the Suns would still have the ability to match the deal and retain his rights if they choose to do so.

#In his fourth season, the 23-year-old centre averaged 17.2 points on a career high 63 percent from the field and 10.2 rebounds per game in 58 appearances.

#Contract negotiations between Ayton and the Suns reached an impasse last April after both sides failed to reach an agreement on a rookie contract extension.

#He was eligible for a five-year, $172.5 million extension that could have reached as much as $207 million if he reached benchmarks and incentives.

#Ayton appeared in only 17 minutes of the Suns’ 123-90 elimination loss to the Dallas Mavericks in game seven of the Western Conference semifinals.

#Several players in Ayton’s 2018 NBA draft class have received max contract extensions, including Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks, Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Jaren Jackson Jr of the Memphis Grizzlies, Kevin Huerter of the Atlanta Hawks and Michael Porter Jr of the Denver Nuggets.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jun/30/suns-make-qualifying-offer-ayton/?news

As of Thursday, June 30, 2022

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#AIDEN Gorospe continues to be the top performer thus far for Team Bahamas at the 34th Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships in Humacao, Puerto Rico.

#In the Boys U13 division, he shot a second round 79 yesterday and remains second in the division, five strokes behind Evan Peña of Puerto Rico.

#Both players shot an opening round 73 on day one, but Peña took sole possession of first place with a score of 74 on day two. He leads the field with a total gross of 147, followed by Gorospe’s 152.

#Kerrington Rolle followed up an opening round 78 and followed with an 88 in round two. He is tied for fifth place with a total gross of 166 with Marcos Betances of the Dominican Republic.

#In the Girls U13, Haley Hall is tied for fourth place with Mariella Young of Barbados. Hall followed up an opening round 86 with yesterday’s second round score of 94.

#Team captain Heathcliffe Kane is tied for no.7 in the Boys U18 with his total gross of 156, tied with Aman Dhiman of Jamaica. Kane shot an 81 yesterday to follow his opening round 75.

#Alexander Dupuch is ranked No.15 in the division with a score of 166. He improved to an 82 yesterday after his opening round 82.

#Chemari Pratt had the biggest improvement of Team Bahamas on day two but remains in the no.9 spot in the Girls U15. After her opening score of 101, she shot an 85 on day two for a total gross of 186.

#In the Girls U18, Tyesha Tynes is in 10th place with a score of 184. After an opening round 94 she improved her score to 90 on day two.

#In the Boys U15, Jackson Mactaggart is ranked no.8, Camdyn Forbes is at no.13 and Rhan Miller is at no.17.

#McTaggart followed up his opening round 79 followed by an 88 yesterday for a score of 167. Forbes shot a 94 yesterday to bring his total score to to 184 while Miller shot a 104 for a score of 204.

#The 54-hole championship includes a field of 89 golfers. Eight countries, The Bahamas, Barbados, the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Turks and Caicos Islands are vying to top the leaderboard for the team trophy — the Hank James trophy — and six age-group trophies.

#The James Moss-Solomon Trophy goes to the winner 18U division.

#The team manager is Gina Gonzalez-Rolle and the head coach is Lemon Gorospe, assisted by Georgette Rolle-Harris and Frederick Taylor.

#In 2021, the team placed fourth in the race for the Hank James and was just a few points shy of third.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jun/30/gorospe-dominates-caribbean-amateur-junior-golf/?news

AWARDED SCHOLARSHIP TO THE IMG ACADEMY IN FLORIDA NEXT FALL

As of Thursday, June 30, 2022

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PREP basketball player Azariah Smith is headed to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida next fall as one of six full scholarship recipients.

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#PREP basketball player Azariah Smith received the opportunity of a lifetime when she was awarded a scholarship to one of the most prestigious sports academies in Florida.

#Smith is headed to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida next fall, as one of six full scholarship recipients through the programme’s Women In Sports Committee (WISC).

#The committee included broadcast journalist Cari Champion, co-owner of the XFL Dany Garcia, former tennis pro Lindsay Davenport, former Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn, former sportscaster Michele Tafoya, and television broadcaster Robin Roberts.

#Smith, who recently completed the ninth grade at St Augustine’s College, was selected by Roberts, who will serve as her mentor for the remainder of her high school athletic and academic career.

#“Talent is universal, opportunity is not,” Roberts said. “These young girls are going to know – we hear you, we see you and we care about you.”

#Smith previously attended the IMG summer basketball camp and began to build a relationship with the programme. She added that it was an honour to be selected by Roberts.

#“I’m honoured to be chosen by such an amazing icon. The fact that she chose a small island girl out of so many candidates from all over the world was surprising and provided motivation for me. I look forward to her guiding me along my basketball journey,” Smith said.

#“I enjoyed the experience and I decided to apply to the school. I did not plan to go this year but we knew we couldn’t afford it. My mother kept in touch with the basketball advisor at IMG and she nominated me to the WISC committee. Two months later after I had already given up on the scholarship, my mother got the news that we got in.”

#The committee was established to develop programmes and initiatives for improving accessibility and participation of young women in sports. They identified scholarship candidates across a number of sports who met certain IMG Academy and committee criteria. Committee members then narrowed the list of submissions to six finalists and each selected a student-athlete to honour with a full scholarship.

#Scholarships will begin in fall 2022 and continue through the individual’s high school graduation at IMG Academy.

#Smith, a member of the class of 2025, joins fellow basketball player Sienna Dauer (2024) of Fairview, Pennsylvania; golfer Alessandra Carranza (2027) of Las Vegas, Nevada; track and field athlete Tiana Welbon (2027) of Germantown, Maryland; lacrosse player Olivia Doyen (2025) of Prior Lake, Minnesota; and tennis player Sophia Cedeno (2025) of Lakeland, Florida.

#“I expect to interact and bond with students from all around the world and I expect to create a sport family. Most importantly, I’m a high honour student so I expect to continue to excel in my academics because I know they come first,” Smith said.

#“On the court, I expect to improve on my skills like my ball-handling, shooting, teamwork and basketball IQ to become a smarter guard.”

#She lists Skylar Diggins-Smith of the Phoenix Mercury and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors as her basketball inspirations, but patterns her game after Zia Cooke of the South Carolina Gamecocks.

#“When I watch her play it reminds me of myself,” she said of Cooke.

#“She’s humble, she’s passionate, she plays shooting guard but can also play the point if she has to.”

#With little organised basketball in the country since the COVID-19 pandemic began, she relied on a strong support system at home to remain sharp and keep her skills intact.

#“We didn’t have many practices due to lockdowns but I was able to play at home to maintain my skills,” she said. “Once the country opened back up I had practice with my coach at SAC – Mrs Moultrie and as things opened more and more I was able to work more and more with my different coaches.”

#Her mother Raygail Smith added: “What we did as a family to keep her interested was alot of family activities.

#During basketball and exercise time we would go outside for a specific time to keep her motivation going.

#“We did a lot of basketball drills and we made it entertaining.”

#IMG Academy is one of the world’s leading multi-sport training and educational institutions.

#IMG Academy also serves as a training and competition venue for amateur and professional teams, a host site for a variety of events, and a hub for sports performance research and innovation.

#Additionally, IMG Academy’s leading college recruiting services provider, Next College Student Athlete (NCSA), is the world’s largest and most successful collegiate athletic recruiting network.

#NCSA leverages proprietary technology and data with professional expertise and personal relationships to connect tens of thousands of college-bound student-athletes to more than 35,000 college coaches nationwide across 37 sports each year.

#“We are honoured to welcome this inaugural class of scholarship recipients alongside our Women in Sports Committee members,” said Brent Richard, the president of IMG Academy.

#“After a long and thorough process, we’ve selected six incredible young women, and we look forward to being a part of their high school journey,” he added.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jun/30/azariah-smith-gets-opportunity-lifetime/?news

Miami Marlins second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. runs from the dugout during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Saturday, June 25, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

As of Thursday, June 30, 2022

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#JASRADO “Jazz” Chisholm Jr continues to struggle with a nagging back issue that has forced him to the injured list.

#The Miami Marlins placed Chisholm Jr on the 10-day IL last night after the star second baseman struggled with back spasms for the last two series against the New York Mets and St Louis Cardinals respectively.

#According to Christina de Nicola of MLB.com, Chisholm was sent for an MRI after he exited Tuesday night’s 5-3 loss to the Cardinals.

#“Around the same (level of discomfort as this past weekend), so we’re going to check it out,” Chisholm told MLB.com following yesterday’s game. “Everybody knows I’m not one to ever come out of games. I never want to come out of the game, especially when it’s only the first inning and actually try and hit again or something. But today, just had to get out of there.”

#Chisholm originally injured the back early in the season on a slide and recently re-aggravated it last week which forced him out of the lineup last Friday in the series opener against the Mets.

#He returned to the field the following game and doubled on “Bahamian Heritage Night” but returned to the sidelines the following day in the series finale. He also missed the series opener against the Cardinals on Monday night.

#Today is the final day of voting for the first phase of the 2022 MLB All-Star ballots.

#Chisholm remains the leading vote getter for National League second baseman after the second returns with 1,066,927 votes.

#Ozzie Albies of the Atlanta Braves is second with 984,846 votes and Jeff McNeil of the New York Mets 3rd with 945,335.

#Chisholm will need to finish among the top two at the position through the first phase of fan-voting which concludes today.

#Ballots can be cast on MLB.com up to five times a day every 24 hours.

injured

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jun/30/jazz-chisholm-jr-placed-10-day-injured-list-naggin/?news

As of Thursday, June 30, 2022

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Connecticut Sun forward Jonquel Jones pictured recently.

#(AP) – BAHAMIAN WNBA star Jonquel Jones scored 24 points with 11 rebounds and five steals but it wasn’t enough as the Chicago Sky beat the Connecticut Sun 91-83 yesterday.

#It was Jones’ sixth double-double of the season for Connecticut (13-7).

#Candace Parker had a season-high 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, Kahleah Copper scored 15 points and the Sky got the win over the Sun 91-83 for their fourth straight victory.

#Parker made a no-look pass to Kahleah Copper with 33.5 seconds left before halftime to become the eighth player in WNBA history to reach 1,500 career assists. Parker is the only player in WNBA history to eclipse 6,000 points, 3,000 rebounds and 1,500 assists in a career.

#Chicago went on a 31-9 run in the first half and led by as many as 23 points. The Sky shot 83.3% (20 of 24) in the first half, while the Sun shot 30% (12 of 40).

#Connecticut went on a 7-0 run to get within 82-74 with 2:18 left in the fourth quarter. But Rebekah Gardner ended Chicago’s drought with a 3-pointer and Emma Meesseman made two free throws on the Sky’s next possession for an 87-76 lead.

#Allie Quigley added 13 points for Chicago (14- 5), which is off to its best 19-game start in franchise history. Azura Stevens and Gardner each scored 10 points, and Courtney Vandersloot had nine points and six assists. For the Sun, Alyssa Thomas added 23 points and Brionna Jones scored 18. DeWanna Bonner was held to eight points on 3-of-12 shooting and Courtney Williams was 2 of 10 for six points.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jun/30/jones-posts-6th-double-double-season/?news