Sprinter, high hurdler all set for big event in Zurich

SPRINTER Tynia Gaither, left, and high hurdler Devynne Charlton, right, are the only two Bahamians who secured a spot in the Wanda Diamond League Final this week in Zurich, Switzerland.

As of Tuesday, September 6, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemdedia.net

#After four months and 12 meetings, high hurdler Devynne Charlton and sprinter Tynia Gaither are the only two Bahamians who survived for a spot in the Wanda Diamond League Final this week in Zurich, Switzerland.

#The league’s most dramatic climax will take place on Wednesday and Thursday when 32 champions will be crowned with the prestigious Diamond Trophy in the series final at Weltklasse Zurich.

#While six finals will take place at a city event on Wednesday, Gaither and Charlton will be among the remaining 26 featured at the Letzigrund Stadium on Thursday.

#The duo earned their berths in the series of events that took place from May 14 in Doha, Qatar, to Brussels, Belgium on September 2. In the series of meets throughout that period, athletes earned points from 13 meetings across four continents.

#Notably absent from the list is Olympic and world champion Shaunae Miller- Uibo, who qualified in both the women’s 200 and 400 metres, but she opted not to compete.

#Instead, she shut down her season after winning the gold medal at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Championships in Grand Bahama a few weeks ago.

#The 28-year-old Bahamian multiple national record holder finished the series in fourth place in the 200m with 12 points from two meets, while she occupied the second spot in the 400m with 22 points in thee meets.

#Gaither, the 29-year-old Grand Bahamian native, is having undoubtedly her finest season, having emerged in her first Diamond League Final tied for fifth place with American Gabrielle Thomas, Swiss sprinter Mujinga Kambundji and Great Britain’s Beth Dobbin, all with 10 points from two meets.

#Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson tops the field with 23 points from three meets. Jackson, who has had a terrific transformation from the 400m to the sprints, winning a medal in just about every international meet she competed in, is also entered in the 100 at number three behind Marie-Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast and fellow Jamaican sensation Shelly- Ann Fraser-Pryce, who is going for her fifth Diamond League title.

#Like Gaither, national record holder Charlton is making her debut in the women’s 100m hurdles as she capped off a tremendous season that started with a silver medal at the World Indoor Championships, another at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England and a bronze in the NACAC Championships at home.

#Charlton, 26, is tied for second place in the standings with Puerto Rico’s Olympic champion and world championship bronze medallist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, both with 16 points from a pair of meets.

#The leader of the pack is World and Commonwealth Games champion Tobi Amusan, the world record holder with 22 points from three meets.

#The women’s 100m hurdles will take place at 7:25pm on Thursday with Charlton competing against Amusan, Camacho-Quinn, Jamaican world championship silver medallist Britany Anderson, former world record holder Kendra Harrison along with Nia Ali and Tia Jones, all from the United States, Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji and Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska.

#“I’m feeling pretty good, looking forward to rounding out my season with a strong performance,” Charlton said.

#“It’s a tough field and should make for a really fast race. “I’m focused on having a good execution to put myself in the running.”

#Charlton, ranked at number seven in the world and a seventh place finisher at the World Championships, heads into the meet having lowered the Bahamian national record to 12.46 for her lifetime best at the Bahamas National Championships at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium in June.

#Amusan clocked 12.12 in the semi-finals at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon in July for the world record before she lowered it in a wind-aided 12.06 in the final that wasn’t a legal time.

#The 29-year-old Gaither, on the other hand, rebounded from a false start in the 100m at the World Championships to make the semi-finals of the 200m.

#Then she went on to the Commonwealth Games where she got seventh in the 100m and was a silver medallist in both the 100m and the women’s 4 x 100m on a brilliant comeback leg at the NACAC Championships.

#Gaither, currently ranked at No.27 in the world with her lifetime of 22.41 this season, will run in the 200m at 9:42 pm against a stacked field.

#The field includes Jackson with the world’s fastest time of 22.41 this year, Americans Thomas, Jenna Prandini and Tamara Clark, Swiss’ Kambundji, Dobbin from Great Britain and Ida Karstoft from Denmark.

#In addition to winning the Diamond League trophy, athletes will be competing for a total of $30,000 in prize money with a further $30,000 distributed amongst the other finalists. While first place will pocket $30,000, second place will collect $12,000, third place $7,000, fourth place $4,000, fifth place $2,500, sixth place $2,000, seventh place $1,500 and eighth place receives $1,000.

#From the Diamond League series, the overall winner will also get $10,000, second place $6,000, third $3,500, fourth $2,000, fifth $1,250, sixth $1,000, seventh $750 and eighth earns $500.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/sep/06/gaither-charlton-diamond-league-final/?news

As of Tuesday, September 6, 2022

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#BERMUDA has now topped The Bahamas in three consecutive matches at the CONCACAF Men’s U17 Qualifiers level.

#Bermuda emerged with a 4-0 win yesterday over The Bahamas as Group A play continued at the IMG Academy Field in Bradenton, Florida.

#With the win, they secured qualification to the CONCACAF U17 Championships in Guatemala in 2023.

#The sides previously met in the 2010 edition of the qualifiers when The Bahamas won the first match 1-0 and Bermuda followed with a 5-1 win. At the 2014 qualifiers, Bermuda took a 4-0 win.

#Bermuda now tops Group A with 12 points and an unblemished 5-0 record while The Bahamas fell to 2-2 and fourth in the group with six points.

#Bonaire is second in the group with nine points (3-1), Guyana is third with seven points (2-1-1), the British Virgin Islands is fifth with one point (0-3-1) while Saint Martin has yet to tally a point in the tournament (0-4).

#The Bahamas closes out the round robin group stage with a matchup against Bonaire Wednesday September 7 at 9:10am. Bermuda looks to remain undefeated with a matchup against Guyana at 11:15am.

#Bonaire opened the competition with a 4-2 win over Guyana, followed by a 2-1 win over BVI, a 2-0 loss to Bermuda and a 2-1 win over Sait Martin. The Bahamas opened competition with a 2-1 win over Saint Martin led by goals from Reuben Edgecombe and Kai Perez.

#In their second match, they suffered a 4-0 loss to Guyana. They then improved to a 2-1 record as they blanked BVI 1-0 on Saturday via a goal from Robert Holcombe.

#The four group winners will advance to the 2023 CONCACAF Men’s U17 Championship.

#In addition to Bermuda leading Group A, Aruba leads Group B at 3-0, Dominican Republic leads Group C at 3-0 and Nicaragua clinched Group D.

#They will join the top 16 ranked nations that have been seeded directly into the group stage of the 2023 CMU17 Championship.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/sep/06/concacaf-mens-u-17-qualifiers-bermuda-tops-bahamas/?news

As of Tuesday, September 6, 2022

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#TEAM Bahamas concluded competition at the FINA World Junior Championships in Lima, Peru with a pair of semifinalists over the weekend.

#Rhanishka Gibbs reached her second semifinal of the meet and Nigel Forbes advanced for the first time at the Videna Aquatics Centre.

#Gibbs concluded day five with an 11th place finish in the women’s 50m Freestyle with her time of 26.68 seconds – a new personal best.

#She advanced to the semi-finals with the 14th fastest time out of the prelims, 26.99. Keianna Moss also contested the event and finished tied for 23rd overall with her personal best time of 27.70.

#Forbes finished 12th overall in the men’s 50m Butterfly with a new personal best time of 24.71.

#Forbes finished 17th in the preliminaries with a time of 25.12 and was an alternate for the semifinal round.

#After a withdrawal of an athlete in the top 16, Forbes received the opportunity to swim in the semifinals.

#Marvin Johnson also swam the 50m Butterfly and finished 35th overall with a time of 26.06. Team Bahamas reached the semifinal round in four events at this year’s World Championsships.

#Gibbs was the first to advance out of the prelims with her 14th overall (33.46) finish in the 50m Breaststroke last Tuesday.

#Johnson advanced to the semis of the 50m Freestyle and finished 13th overall in 23.39.

#All six members of Team Bahamas participated across four events on day five.

#Johnson and Forbes both contested the 100m Freestyle.

#Forbes finished 30th in 52.29 and Johnson was 39th in 52.95.

#Gibbs was 35th in the 100m Butterfly in 1:09.97.

#In addition to Moss’ aforementioned appearance in the 50m Freestyle, she also swam the 100m Butterfly and finished 22nd in 1:05.21.

#Erald Thompson III and Emmanuel Gadson finished 20th (30.17) and 31st (31.45) respectively in the 50m Breaststroke.

#On the final day of competition, Gadson and Forbes were the only members to compete in an individual event – the 200m Butterfly.

#Forbes finished 21st overall in 2:06.75 while Gadson was 31st in 2:18.05.

#The duo then went on to team with Thompson and Johnson to finish 12th overall in the 400m Medley Relay.

#More than 500 of the world’s best junior swimmers from over 80 countries competed over the six-day event which concluded on Sunday, September 4.

#This Videna Aquatics Centre also hosted the XVIII Pan American and Parapan American Games in 2019, the 2021 South American Youth Aquatic Sports Championship and the 2022 FINA Water Polo World League Intercontinental Cup.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/sep/06/gibbs-and-forbes-reach-semi-finals-fina-world-juni/?news

 Home|News|CARIFTA aquatics moves to CuraçaoSports

Island nation steps in after St. Lucia is unable to host; facilities developing slowly

Simba FrenchSend an emailSeptember 8, 2022 209 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The 2023 CARIFTA Aquatics Championships, that was initially set for St. Lucia, will now be held at the alternate site, Curaçao. That decision was made in early September after the CARIFTA Congress was not satisfied that St. Lucia’s facilities would be ready in time for the meet, which is set for April 8-11, 2023.

The last time it was held in Curaçao was in 2005.

President of the Bahamas Aquatics Federation Algernon Cargill said the decision was made quickly as they wanted to ensure that the event was going to take place.

“They are building a multi-million dollar swimming complex in St. Lucia. The facilities have just started. In order to ensure that the championships are happening without any interruption, a CARIFTA Congress gave St. Lucia a deadline to be at a certain progress on their pool. After that date was not met, the congress, led by St. Lucia, agreed that it would be best for the alternate, Curaçao, to host the event,” Cargill said.

Happening in St. Lucia was going to be a first time occurrence for the CARIFTA Aquatics Championships. The venue change does not change the way that The Bahamas prepares for championships, said Cargill.

“We competed in Curaçao before so we know the facilities very well and we are happy to return to Curaçao. The main facility is a 50-meter pool so we are excited about that, and we know that Curaçao will do a good job in putting it on,” Cargill said. He has volunteered himself as a FINA (International Swimming Federation) Bureau member and a senior member of the fraternity in swimming to provide support if needed in organizing the championships as they look to ensure that the high CARIFTA standards continue.

The Bahamas will be looking to secure a fifth consecutive title in 2023, and seventh in the last eight meets. Cargill said that they cannot get too comfortable as the other countries are making progress.

“We know that Jamaica has done very well and, of course, Trinidad and Tobago; and with the championships in Curaçao, it is kind of inexpensive for them to get there, to knock The Bahamas off as champions. What is great about our team moving forward next year is that most of the team will return except for the four who aged out. As long as our athletes remain focused and continue to train hard, The Bahamas should not have a challenge at all repeating as CARIFTA Champions for the fifth consecutive time,” Cargill stated.

The Bahamas came away with 975 total points for the win in the four-day meet in Barbados this year. Overall, The Bahamas finished with 65 total medals – 14 gold, 22 silver and 29 bronze. Jamaica was second with 833.50 points while the Cayman Islands was third with 754 points.

With five of the six members of the historic world junior championships team returning to CARIFTA, Cargill is hopeful that they come with a new perspective – to keep winning. In addition, he is hopeful that all the swimmers focus on performing well in other competitions.

“It is great to win CARIFTA but you have to think beyond CARIFTA in terms of development,” Cargill said. “The swimmers now have to think about winning at the Pan Am Games, CAC (Central American and Caribbean) Games and medaling at the world junior championships. CARIFTA is great but it is only the beginning and it is an elementary meet in the overall cycle. The CCCAN (Central American and Caribbean Amateur Swimming Confederation) Championships is a lot more challenging than CARIFTA, so is the Junior Pan Am Games. While we want to win CARIFTA, we cannot be comfortable winning CARIFTA. We have to think bigger and dream bigger if we want to continue at a higher standard at the senior level.”

The Bahamas is still set to host the meet in 2024.

https://thenassauguardian.com/carifta-aquatics-moves-to-curacao/

 Home|Sports|COVID outbreak forces The Bahamas to forfeitSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailSeptember 8, 2022 249 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas’ under-17 boys national soccer team was forced to forfeit its final game at the CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football) Under-17 Qualifiers against Bonaire at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, on Wednesday, as a result of less than 11 players being available for the match due to an outbreak of COVID-19. It was their final game of the qualifiers and there were eight players who tested positive, according to team officials. Fortunately, none of the players are very ill and only displayed mild symptoms.

Bahamas Football Association (BFA) Technical Director Bruce Swan, who made the trip, said the players and the team are doing well.

“The players are in quarantine,” Swan said. “We just have a couple of them with high temperatures. We don’t have anyone who is sick to say that they are bedridden. They can be up and about, so they are doing okay.”

The Bahamas was in Group A with five other countries and had a 2-2 win/loss record going into their final match. They sat in fourth position with six points. They scored three goals and gave up nine.

Team Bahamas won its first match 2-1 against Sint Maarten. The goal scorers for The Bahamas were Reuben Edgecombe and Kai Perez. Robert Holcombe’s first half goal helped The Bahamas take down the British Virgin Islands (BVI) 1-0 for their second win. Their losses came against group leaders Bermuda, falling 4-0, and Guyana, also losing 4-0.

The team was set to play their fifth and final game of the tournament yesterday. After testing the team and its management for COVID-19, the BFA had to make the decision to forfeit the game.

“It’s difficult when you come into a tournament and you expect to play all of your games. The team was doing well, they were adjusting fine with two wins and two losses. We wanted to play that last game to come out with a winning record. It is sort of disappointing. We had less than 11 players to start the match. It was a decision for the federation to call off the game instead of risking the team going into the match with less players for 90 minutes,” Swan said. “Knowing what we know in terms of their recovery and the stress that we may have put them through, it might have put them in a position to get injured during the match. We had some players who are dealing with hamstring, calves and other minor injuries and we did not want to risk that further.”

Swan said he is looking forward to the players’ continued development when they get back home as he and the BFA looks to the future.

“We decided that it would best that we pull the guys from the last game and look forward to their growth in the future. We definitely have a lot of work to do when we get back with their clubs to ensure that we are growing better and have more confident players. We are going to get to work as soon as we get back,” Swan said.

The tournament was a qualifier to the CONCACAF Under-17 Championships. Only the group winners advanced to the championships where the top 16 ranked nations in the region have been seeded directly into the group stage. That tournament will be played during the first quarter of 2023.

https://thenassauguardian.com/covid-outbreak-forces-the-bahamas-to-forfeit/

 Home|Sports|Jones finishes seventh in MVP votingSports

Sheldon LongleySend an emailSeptember 8, 2022 175 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

A year after turning in arguably the greatest season by a Bahamian athlete in history, Jonquel ‘JJ’ Jones took a step back this year, but still proved that she is among the game’s elite players in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).

Jones finished seventh in voting for the WNBA’s Most Valuable Player (MVP), a year after winning it all. The starting center for the Connecticut Sun experienced a drop-off in her numbers this year, but still had enough to lead the Sun to the league’s third-best win/loss record and within one game of advancing to the WNBA Finals for the second time in four years. They could get back to the finals with a win over the defending champions Chicago Sky in the decisive Game Five of their semifinal series tonight. That game is set to tip off at 8 p.m. at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. The Sun have advanced as far as the semifinals in each of the last four years.

This year, Sun leader Jones got four third-place votes, four fourth-place votes and six fifth-place votes and finished with 38 points in the voting process. Las Vegas Aces’ forward A’ja Wilson, who was just named the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year last week, added to her collection for 2022, as she was announced as the Kia WNBA Most Valuable Player on Wednesday.

Fifth-year player Wilson had 31 first-place votes and finished with 478 total points from a national panel of 56 sportswriters and broadcasters, to win her second MVP Award in the last three seasons and second in total. Seattle Storm forward Breanna Stewart, the 2018 WNBA MVP, had 23 first-place votes and finished in second place with 446 points. Las Vegas guard Kelsey Plum finished in third place with 181 points and Connecticut forward Alyssa Thomas was fourth with 94 points. Chicago starting center Candace Parker, who won the award in 2008 and again in 2013, was fifth in voting this year with 78 points. She and Las Vegas guard Chelsea Gray got the other two first-place votes. Gray was eighth overall with 20 points. The only other player to finish ahead of Jones was Phoenix Mercury guard Skylar Diggins-Smith with 39 points.

Jones, 28, averaged 14.6 points per game on 51.3 percent shooting from the field this season after dropping in 19.4 points on 51.5 percent shooting from the field in 2021. Her rebounding numbers also took a fall. Last year, she led the league in rebounding for the third time in her career, pulling down 11.2 rebounds per game. This year, she had 8.6 boards per game. Jones finished tied for third in rebounding and was once again top 10 in the league in blocks at 1.2 per game. She also averaged 1.1 steals per game – just off her career high of 1.3.

This year, Jones finished in a tie for fifth in voting for the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year after a third-place finish in 2021. She was also named to the league’s all-defensive second team this year, and last year, she was a first-team selection.

As for Wilson, she becomes the seventh player in WNBA history to win the award multiple times, joining three-time winners Lauren Jackson, Lisa Leslie and Sheryl Swoopes and two-time MVPs Cynthia Cooper, Elena Delle Donne and Candace Parker.

Wilson is also the fifth player to win the Kia WNBA MVP and Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year awards in the same season, and the first to do it since Jackson in 2007. The others to do it are Yolanda Griffith (1999), Swoopes (2000 and 2002), and Leslie (2004).

Wilson finished fifth in the league in scoring (19.5 points per game) and second in rebounding (9.4 rebounds per game). She shot 50.1 percent from the field and led the league in double-doubles (17) and blocks (1.9 blocks per game).

With Wilson leading the way, the Aces (26-10) posted the most wins in franchise history and earned the No. 1 seed in the WNBA playoffs. The Sky had an identical record but lost the regular season head-to-head series against the Aces and settled for the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. The Sun was just one game back at 25-11 and earned the No. 3 seed in the playoffs.

Wilson has also led the Aces to the WNBA Finals for the second time in the last three years and for their third time in franchise history, dating back to the days when the team was known as the San Antonio Silver Stars. They await the winner of the Sun and Sky series in the WNBA Finals, looking to win their first WNBA title.

Game One of the WNBA Finals is set for Sunday, September 11, starting at 3 p.m.

As mentioned, Jones and the Sun take on the Sky in the decisive Game Five of their best-of-five semifinal series at 8 p.m. tonight in Chicago.

https://thenassauguardian.com/jones-finishes-seventh-in-mvp-voting/

 Home|Sports|Junior swimmers perform well in PeruSports

Cargill said the performance of the team was historic, and bright future ahead

Simba FrenchSend an emailSeptember 7, 2022 207 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas wrapped action at the FINA (International Swimming Federation) World Junior Championships in Lima, Peru on Sunday, and Bahamas Aquatics Federation President Algernon Cargill praised the six-member team. Despite no finalists, the team had four semifinal appearances, which represented the first time in history for that much advancements for The Bahamas. Also, some personal best times were recorded by the Bahamians at the VIDENA Aquatics Center in Lima.

The team comprised of Erald Thompson III, Rhanishka Gibbs, Keianna Moss, Emmanuel Gadson, Nigel Forbes and Marvin Johnson.

The coaching staff included Camron Bruney, David del Cueto and Stan Corcoran. There was not a head coach, and the team manager was Erald Thompson II.

Cargill was in Lima and saw firsthand the team’s historic performance. He said it shows that their junior program is strong and well-prepared for transition into the senior level.

“I am very happy with the performance of the team. The performance was historic. We had four semifinals appearances and this has never happened before in our participation at the world junior swimming championship. Gibbs advanced to two semifinals and Johnson and Forbes had one each. These swimmers represented The Bahamas at a very high level as they competed against the best in the world,” Cargill stated.

Gibbs powered her way to the girls 50 meters (m) free and the girls 50m butterfly semifinals. The 16-year-old’s best finish came in the 50m free where she finished 11th overall with a personal best time of 26.68 seconds. In the 50m fly, she finished 14th overall after clocking 33.46 seconds in the semifinals. Forbes made the semifinals in the boys 50m fly. The 17-year-old touched the wall in a new personal best time of 24.71 seconds. For 16-year-old Johnson, he made the semifinals in the boys 50m free. He recorded a time of 23.39 seconds.

Cargill commended the coaching staff as well as the swimmers’ individual coaches back home for their hard work.

“Our coaching staff at the games did a great job in managing the team,” Cargill said. “The coaching started before arriving in Peru so I want to recognize the hard work of the local coaches in preparing our junior athletes as well. This is why participation in the CARIFTA Games, CCCAN (Central American and Caribbean Amateur Swimming Confederation) Championships and the Junior Pan American Games is so important. It exposes our swimmers to the very best competition in the region and around the world. Competing at the world junior championships where world junior records were set, our swimmers held their own.”

Gibbs also represented The Bahamas at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, that wrapped up in early August. Cargill zeroed in on her performances in Peru.

“We are happy with her performances. She represented The Bahamas at a high level,” Cargill stated. “She was at the Commonwealth Games and did very well. Gibbs is well positioned to do well at CARIFTA next year and at other junior meets, and senior meets. She has several more years at the junior level and her performances were the highlight of the team. She was very close to making the 50m free final but from what I saw she took two extra breaths coming down to the last 15 meters, but she did well. Her family and coach should be proud of her performances.”

Forbes had personal best times in the boys 50m free (23.64 seconds) and 100m free (52.29 seconds). Moss came away with four personal bests at the championships. The 17-year-old swam personal bests in the girls 50m free (27.70 seconds), 100m free (1:00.65), 50m fly (29.28 seconds) and 100m fly (1:05.31).

Gadson swam away with three personal best times. The 16-year-old had personal bests in the 100m breaststroke (1:07.50), 200m breast (2:27.50) and 200m fly (2:18.05). Erald Thompson III, 18, had personal bests in the 100m breast (1:07.34) and the 50m fly (28.47 seconds).

https://thenassauguardian.com/junior-swimmers-perform-well-in-peru/

 Home|Sports|Bahamians face off against each other in water polo Sports

Simba FrenchSend an emailSeptember 7, 2022 169 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

This past summer, Bahamian water polo players Nicholas Wallace-Whitfield and Saequan Miller were in action for senior men’s national water polo team. This past weekend, they were on the opposite side of the water as they battled each other when Miller’s Salem University Tigers went up against Whitfield-Wallace’s Mount St. Mary University Mountaineers at the U.S. Naval Academy Open.

Miller and the Tigers got the better of Wallace-Whitfield and the Mountaineers, winning 18-16, at Lejeune Hall in Annapolis, Maryland. The two-day showcase was held on Saturday and Sunday and featured 12 teams.

Both Miller and Wallace-Whitfield both played four games each. Whitfield-Wallace and the Mountaineers finished with a 3-1 win/loss record. Miller and the Tigers split their four games.

“It was awkward having to go up against him,” Miller said. “We had to take a photo before the match because we did not know how we were going to feel after the match because someone was going to have to lose. It is a good feeling, win or lose, because we are both products of The Bahamas’ senior men’s national water polo team. Whitfield-Wallace always plays to the best of his abilities. Either of our success is going to contribute overall to The Bahamas’ water polo team.”

Wallace-Whitfield will look to get a win the next time these two teams play each other, set for September 18.

“It was a surreal experience, seeing my national teammate on the other side of the bench. Although they beat us, we get to play them again in two weeks for the actual conference game that matters for points,” Wallace-Whitfield said.

According to Miller, the main objective for the Tigers in this showcase was to work on the team’s chemistry. The Tigers took care of the Mt. San Antonio College Mounties, 19-15, then took down the Mountaineers, 18-16. They were unable to take down George Washington University as they were toppled, 23-6. In their last match against Johns Hopkins University, they lost a nail-biter, 18-17.

“We wanted to show that we were physically fit as we spent two weeks working on that. I feel that we played good. We ran one defense the entire game which is a press. It is hard to do for four consecutive quarters and we managed to get it done. The final two games did not go our way. It was not about wins or losses but what we can take away from the game and correct,” Miller said.

Wallace-Whitfield and the Mountaineers opened the showcase with a 13-12 overtime victory over Iona University. He scored a goal in that game. They then fell to Salem before bouncing back with a 13-11 win over Biola University. They ended the showcase with a 16-11 victory over Mt. San Antonio College.

“This weekend was a great start for our team, ending 3-1 and showing our improvement from last year,” Wallace-Whitfield said. “There is still a long season to go. We got a chance to see what we need to work or improve on. I think I played fine, there is always room for improvement playing at a high level like this but I am excited to enhance my abilities as we get deeper into the season.”

Miller is pursuing a master’s degree in healthcare management at Salem where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in May. He is playing with a right shoulder injury, on the defensive side of the ball.

“We have a talented team as usual. We all seem to be on the same page thus far. We just need to polish on a few of the tactics. I am always going to put my best food forward and play with heart. I will bring what I can to the team as I stay positive because as a Bahamian, I do not like to lose,” he said.

Wallace-Whitfield, a sophomore at Mount St. Mary studying economics, has some goals of his own for the year.

“My goals for this year are to contribute in any winning way to the team whether in or out of the water, earn an all-academic selection and to improve my physicals in the water – speed, strength,” Wallace-Whitfield said.

Both teams return to the pool September 17-18 at the Bucknell Invite at the Kinney Natatorum in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. They will play four matches including one against each other.

https://thenassauguardian.com/bahamians-face-off-against-each-other-in-water-polo/

 Home|Sports|Georgia Power wins Steve Harvey charity golf tourneySports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailSeptember 7, 2022 333 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The “Sports in Paradise” brand got a major boost this past weekend when the Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation presented The Bahamas Invitational Charity Golf Tournament at the Atlantis Ocean Club Golf Course on Paradise Island.

Thousands of dollars were given away to several local charities that was on hand to receive their gifts from the foundation. It was a fun-filled event and packed to capacity. Hundreds witnessed Steve Harvey thank so many people for making the event a success and supporting the tournament.

“Sports in Paradise” was the recipient of all of the publicity by the hundreds of tourists that flocked to The Bahamas to participate in the event. Harvey also used his platform to highlight Bahamian professionals and the talent that exists here in the islands.

He pointed out that we have golf professionals and others who are more than qualified to lead and head the quest to build The Bahamas through their expertise. He further pointed out that they should be used for more than just maids and store assistants and menial jobs. He said that we have top professionals and that we need to start using them in more key positions.

“I had a meeting with the prime minister (Philip Davis), he’s a wonderful man and he has a heart for this country,” said Harvey. “I told him that he must use the professionals that you have here in golf and put them in more meaningful positions. I might not get invited back for speaking out, but hey I said it.”

The Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation, which is run by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director Stormy Paige, made an indelible impression with the thousands of dollars given out to the many charities. The Sister Sister Foundation, which was represented by Andrea Sweeting, was given $5,000; Walter and Minalee Hanchell was given $10,000 for their feeding network; the Ranfurly Homes for Children was given $10,000 and the local Bahamas Golf Federation (BGF) Junior Program was given $15,000 at first and another $15,000 for scholarships for golf.

The tournament was a huge success and was won by the Georgia Power team with 53 points. The team comprised of Michael Anderson, Charles Wood, Greg Wyon and Royce Jones. Coming in second was the Coca-Cola 1 team with a total of 57 points. The team was made up of the legendary Jim Thorpe, Jansel Hester, Joe Gentry and Percy Williams. Coming in third was the Coca-Cola 2 team with 58 points. Making up that team was Marvin Jones, Michael Young, Derrick Douglas and Dwayne Irvin.

Two Bahamian young golfers were the recipients of two Invictus watches donated by Senator Roni Dumcombe The duo were selected by Steve Harvey after witnessing them play. Elisha Delancey won because Harvey felt he hit ball the hardest. The other was for the golfer with the ball closest to the pin.

The Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation Invitational Charity Golf Tournament was sponsored by Atlantis, Chick-fil-A, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Puma, Nike, Georgia Power, Bahamasair, Indoggo, Courvoisier, Odyssey Aviation and many more.

On hand to witness the event was Ann Marie Davis, wife of the prime minister, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg and Senator Roni Duncombe.

Harvey said he will produce more charitable invitation events, and that the event for The Bahamas will be held again next year.

As mentioned, the winner of the 2022 Steve and Marjorie Harvey Invitational Charity Golf Tournament was the Georgia Power team.

https://thenassauguardian.com/georgia-power-wins-steve-harvey-charity-golf-tourney/

As of Monday, September 5, 2022

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#ZANE Knowles will continue his career in Bulgaria’s National Basketball League.

#The veteran centre has signed with the CSKA Sofia Reds for the upcoming season as they return to the top tiered league in the country. It is also Knowles’ third tenure with an NBL club.

#The Reds earned a promotion to the NBL after winning the BBL, Group A title last season and will play in the Bulgarian basketball elite for the first time after a 13-year hiatus.

#Knowles returned from injury last season to conclude the year with Levski Sofia and helped the team reach the NBL semifinal.

#In five regular season games, he averaged 10.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

#He had some of his best performances of the season in the semifinals against Spartak Pleven.

#In game one, Knowles came off the bench to finish with eight points and four rebounds in an 80-74 loss.

#Moved into the starting lineup for game two, he finished with 17 points and five rebounds in a 76-72 loss.

#In game three he nearly posted a double double with nine points and 11 rebounds in a 66-56 win.

#In the finals he averaged 11 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in three appearances.

#Prior to the 2021 season in Hungary with Zalakerámia ZTE KK, Knowles sought treatment for what he described as a minor hamstring injury when doctors discovered a rare Arteriovenous Fistula (AVF) that required surgery. In addition to his comeback on the court in Bulgaria, he also made a senior men’s national team appearance over the summer.

#Knowles competed the first round of the FIBA World Cup ‘23 Qualifiers in July against the Dominican Republic at the Baha Mar Grand Ballroom.

#In an 88-80 loss for The Bahamas, he finished with four points and four rebounds.

#In a busy 2019-20 season, Knowles played in three leagues and two countries before the COVID-19 pandemic brought basketball to an end globally.

#He concluded the campaign with Levaki of the NBL.

#In just two games with the club, he averaged 13 points, seven rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game.

#Prior to Bulgaria, he began the season with PAOK Thessaloniki in the Greek Champions League where through 12 games he averaged 6.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. In Greece, he also played 16 games in the Greek A1 League where he averaged 9.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.

#In 2018-19 Knowles was in the French ProB League with Etoile Charleville- Mezieres. In 27 games with the club, he recorded 9.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.

#Knowles spent his first professional season with Siarka Tarnobrzeg and King Wilki Morskie Szczecin of the Polish Basketball League or Tauron Basket Liga, the highest level of pro basketball in the country.

#He has also played professionally in Japan (Tokyo Cinq Reves and Wakayama Trians) where he averaged 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 24 total appearances before making the move to France.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/sep/05/pro-basketball-player-zane-knowles-signs-new-club/?news