The Bahamas makes history at OPTINAMs

 Home|Sports|Jackson to go to University of MiamiSports

Sheldon LongleySend an emailNovember 21, 2022 620 4 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Blue Chip Athletics is continuing to produce top throwers in the country, and the athletes are reaping the rewards.

Calea Jackson, a 17-year-old senior at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School in Rabun County, Georgia, USA, became the latest athlete from the locally based Blue Chip Athletics, to sign a letter of intent with a major National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I school.

Jackson has chosen the University of Miami (UM) in Coral Gables, Florida, starting her collegiate education just a short plane ride from her home here in The Bahamas.

Jackson is one of the top young discus throwers in the country, and abroad she is a two-time state champion in that event for the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee Eagles. She was also fourth in the under-20 girls discus at the CARIFTA Games in Kingston, Jamaica, this year, turning in a personal best throw of 44.90 meters (m) – 147’ 3”.

“I’m just happy to know that I have so much love and support. It was overwhelming,” said Jackson about the huge turnout for her official signing session on Saturday. She signed her letter of intent at Empire Fitness Bahamas in Seagrapes Plaza in Nassau East.

“I wanted to choose a school that fit me athletically as well as academically, and Miami is that school,” said Jackson on Saturday. “I had a great time with the coach there and it’s a wonderful place for me to continue my education and my career. I felt that if I want to be successful in the direction that I want to go in, Miami would be the best place for that.”

At UM, Cory Young is the Associate Head Coach with responsibility for the throws.

“I like his coaching style. He likes to keep the team relatively small so there could be individual training. There is quality over quantity there and that is one of the things I like. Also, it’s not too far from home,” said Jackson. “I just want to be able to do well and prove myself. I feel like I’m up for the challenge.”

Jackson left Queen’s College after grade nine and spent the last three years at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee. She she is on the doorstep of beginning her tertiary education.

“The only time I get proud is when they sign scholarships – that’s when things hit home with me,” said Corrington Maycock, head coach of Blue Chip Athletics. He has been a coach and mentor to Jackson ever since grade seven. “I am very proud of her and what she had done. She worked hard for this. Like I tell the athletes, whatever scholarship we get, we will accept. We’re happy that the last nine kids out of the program went to major division one schools. That says a lot about the program, and we want to continue that trend going forward. This is what athletics is all about – making sure everyone has an opportunity to experience free education and success in life. The goal of the club is to make sure all of the athletes have the same opportunity to go off to school. They just have to put in the hard work and they will reap the rewards.”

Jackson is set to start her tenure at UM in the Fall of 2023 and she is studying to become a medical doctor.

“Track and field is not just a sport – it is a community-driven program that expresses the real spirit of this country. Many of the great leaders of this country once came out of sports,” said Drumeco Archer, president of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA). “I want to congratulate Corrington Maycock for reviving the sport of field, and not just track. It is noteworthy and remarkable. I also want to congratulate people like Laquel Harris who has been the backbone behind this program. Some of their standards might sometimes seem unreachable but it is in striving for those standards that one is able to achieve greatness.

“Today we are celebrating one individual who has continued to extend the reshaping of this track and field dynasty. Calea has blossomed into not just an amazing athlete, but an amazing individual. She is a world-class athlete and she is also a world-class student – a student who has maintained a 4.0 GPA (grade point average), and a student who has been sought after by so many universities. Since I am a Miami Dolphins fan, I am particularly pleased that she is going to Miami, and Miami has inherited a good woman.

“Calea, your scholastic achievements are beyond measure and we want to congratulate you for gracing the halls of Miami as your choice of universities. Track and field is producing top citizens in this country and that is what makes me most proud as president of the BAAA.”

On Saturday, young Jackson was supported by her parents, BAAA President Archer, Coach Maycock and Coach Harris, family and friends and a number of her club teammates at Blue Chip Athletics. Jackson’s signing comes about a year after javelin phenom Keyshawn Strachan, of Blue Chip Athletics, signed with Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. Strachan, an alumnus of St. John’s College, is listed as the number two junior thrower in the world on the World Athletics Top Performance list for 2022.

As for Jackson, mother Carla Jackson and stepfather Dwayne Mackey were front and center at the signing on Saturday.

“As parents, you have raised an amazing person – not just an athlete but a well-rounded amazing individual who has carried the banner of your family proudly. For that, we say thank you to the parents,” said Archer to Jackson’s parents on Saturday.

Mother Carla said she is proud of the young woman that her daughter has become.

“We’ve done a lot of work and we’ve come a long way. I’ve been really hard on her – to the point where this last year, I started to feel guilty,” said Carla Jackson. “Calea knew what she needed to do to get where she needed to be and she did it. I am so proud of her. She has surpassed what I expected. There is nothing else that we could do. She knows what she needs to do going forward. She is now an adult and we are ready for the next chapter in our lives.”

As mentioned, Jackson will begin her tenure at the University of Miami in the Fall of 2023. An emotional Jackson said she is excited and is looking forward to the opportunity.

 Home|Sports|Jackson to go to University of MiamiSports

Jackson to go to University of Miami

Sheldon LongleySend an emailNovember 21, 2022 620 4 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Blue Chip Athletics is continuing to produce top throwers in the country, and the athletes are reaping the rewards.

Calea Jackson, a 17-year-old senior at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School in Rabun County, Georgia, USA, became the latest athlete from the locally based Blue Chip Athletics, to sign a letter of intent with a major National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I school.

Jackson has chosen the University of Miami (UM) in Coral Gables, Florida, starting her collegiate education just a short plane ride from her home here in The Bahamas.

Jackson is one of the top young discus throwers in the country, and abroad she is a two-time state champion in that event for the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee Eagles. She was also fourth in the under-20 girls discus at the CARIFTA Games in Kingston, Jamaica, this year, turning in a personal best throw of 44.90 meters (m) – 147’ 3”.

“I’m just happy to know that I have so much love and support. It was overwhelming,” said Jackson about the huge turnout for her official signing session on Saturday. She signed her letter of intent at Empire Fitness Bahamas in Seagrapes Plaza in Nassau East.

“I wanted to choose a school that fit me athletically as well as academically, and Miami is that school,” said Jackson on Saturday. “I had a great time with the coach there and it’s a wonderful place for me to continue my education and my career. I felt that if I want to be successful in the direction that I want to go in, Miami would be the best place for that.”

At UM, Cory Young is the Associate Head Coach with responsibility for the throws.

“I like his coaching style. He likes to keep the team relatively small so there could be individual training. There is quality over quantity there and that is one of the things I like. Also, it’s not too far from home,” said Jackson. “I just want to be able to do well and prove myself. I feel like I’m up for the challenge.”

Jackson left Queen’s College after grade nine and spent the last three years at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee. She she is on the doorstep of beginning her tertiary education.

“The only time I get proud is when they sign scholarships – that’s when things hit home with me,” said Corrington Maycock, head coach of Blue Chip Athletics. He has been a coach and mentor to Jackson ever since grade seven. “I am very proud of her and what she had done. She worked hard for this. Like I tell the athletes, whatever scholarship we get, we will accept. We’re happy that the last nine kids out of the program went to major division one schools. That says a lot about the program, and we want to continue that trend going forward. This is what athletics is all about – making sure everyone has an opportunity to experience free education and success in life. The goal of the club is to make sure all of the athletes have the same opportunity to go off to school. They just have to put in the hard work and they will reap the rewards.”

Jackson is set to start her tenure at UM in the Fall of 2023 and she is studying to become a medical doctor.

“Track and field is not just a sport – it is a community-driven program that expresses the real spirit of this country. Many of the great leaders of this country once came out of sports,” said Drumeco Archer, president of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA). “I want to congratulate Corrington Maycock for reviving the sport of field, and not just track. It is noteworthy and remarkable. I also want to congratulate people like Laquel Harris who has been the backbone behind this program. Some of their standards might sometimes seem unreachable but it is in striving for those standards that one is able to achieve greatness.

“Today we are celebrating one individual who has continued to extend the reshaping of this track and field dynasty. Calea has blossomed into not just an amazing athlete, but an amazing individual. She is a world-class athlete and she is also a world-class student – a student who has maintained a 4.0 GPA (grade point average), and a student who has been sought after by so many universities. Since I am a Miami Dolphins fan, I am particularly pleased that she is going to Miami, and Miami has inherited a good woman.

“Calea, your scholastic achievements are beyond measure and we want to congratulate you for gracing the halls of Miami as your choice of universities. Track and field is producing top citizens in this country and that is what makes me most proud as president of the BAAA.”

On Saturday, young Jackson was supported by her parents, BAAA President Archer, Coach Maycock and Coach Harris, family and friends and a number of her club teammates at Blue Chip Athletics. Jackson’s signing comes about a year after javelin phenom Keyshawn Strachan, of Blue Chip Athletics, signed with Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. Strachan, an alumnus of St. John’s College, is listed as the number two junior thrower in the world on the World Athletics Top Performance list for 2022.

As for Jackson, mother Carla Jackson and stepfather Dwayne Mackey were front and center at the signing on Saturday.

“As parents, you have raised an amazing person – not just an athlete but a well-rounded amazing individual who has carried the banner of your family proudly. For that, we say thank you to the parents,” said Archer to Jackson’s parents on Saturday.

Mother Carla said she is proud of the young woman that her daughter has become.

“We’ve done a lot of work and we’ve come a long way. I’ve been really hard on her – to the point where this last year, I started to feel guilty,” said Carla Jackson. “Calea knew what she needed to do to get where she needed to be and she did it. I am so proud of her. She has surpassed what I expected. There is nothing else that we could do. She knows what she needs to do going forward. She is now an adult and we are ready for the next chapter in our lives.”

As mentioned, Jackson will begin her tenure at the University of Miami in the Fall of 2023. An emotional Jackson said she is excited and is looking forward to the opportunity.

https://thenassauguardian.com/jackson-to-go-to-university-of-miami/

 Home|Sports|The Bahamas makes history at OPTINAMsSports

Munro finished 35th overall while National Champion Tomlinson was 41st

Simba FrenchSend an emailNovember 21, 2022 473 4 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

It was a historic week for The Bahamas in junior sailing as Zane Munro and National Champion Patrick Tomlinson became the first Bahamian sailors to make the gold fleet at the Optimist North American Championships (OPTINAMs). The 2022 version of the event wrapped up on Saturday at Montagu Bay.

Munro was the highest placed Bahamian, finishing 35th overall while Tomlinson was six places behind him at 41st overall. The event had 155 sailors competing for the top spot. The closing ceremony was held on Saturday at the Nassau Yacht Club.

The sailors took part in 10 races over the course of the four days of competition, including five qualifying races and five finals. Munro’s best finish in the competition was a second place finish in the second finals race and he finished with 170 points. He also had a top five finish when he placed fourth in the fourth qualifying race. The 15-year-old said making the gold fleet was one of his main goals coming into the competition, especially since this was his last year of competition in the optimist class.

“It made me happy and as I’m one of the only Bahamians to ever do it, so it’s special. This is my first time making a gold fleet at an official international event. This is my first time at the OPTINAMs so it’s special. It felt good as I know everyone was watching. I wanted to make my parents proud. I’ve came a long way. I’ve been sailing for four years and for this to be my last opti, it was very special. I was very excited,” Munro said.

In this his last year in the opti class, he had a busy year on the waters, sailing in Italy, Brazil and Turkey. He is looking forward to the laser class and hopes to keep competing internationally.

Tomlinson, who finished with 194 points, made the gold fleet at 12-years-old and is optimistic about his sailing career so far. His best finish came in the fourth qualifying race where he placed third. It was a tough day for him on Friday, but he was able to have his best finish in the gold fleet on Saturday with a 23rd place finish.

“This is my first time making the gold fleet and I was happy and proud of myself. I sailed well the first two days. I liked the conditions today (Saturday). It wasn’t my best day I would say, but it was an average day. I think I could have done better,” Tomlinson said.

The reigning national optimist champion said It was a great experience, particularly interacting with the sailors from other countries and trading jerseys.

Puerto Rico finished with the top two overall spots. Isabella Calzadilla-Allora won with 61 points. Her teammate Diego Marrerro-Cuevas place second, scoring 66 points. The United States’ Charles Julien was a close third, scoring 67 points.

There were 19 sailors in total for The Bahamas. Team leader for The Bahamas team Dallas Knowles said he was happy with the team’s performance.

“Overall, we’re very impressed with the team,” Knowles said. “They made history. We have sailors make the gold fleet at a major international opti competition, which we’ve come extremely close to before, several times, but now we have it. We’re finally, you know, kind of over that edge where we can say that we’ve competed at the top level in the gold fleet.”

Knowles added, “Munro and Tomlinson represented the country extremely well, by performing at a very high level. We can compete with any sailor in any race. I was impressed with Patrick, he’s probably been one of our more consistent sailors. He’s The Bahamas’ National Champion and it is very good to see him still performing at a high level. He has three solid years left in the opti, so we’re really looking forward to what he’s going to be doing in the next couple of years.”

Craig Ferguson II placed second in the silver fleet with a score of 154 points. Eliza Denning was 10th in the silver fleet after scoring 163 points. Finley McKinney-Lambert scored 201 points to place 18th in the silver fleet. Jude McCarroll and Callum Pritchard were the other competitors in the silver fleet. McCarroll placed 27th with 237 points while Pritchard was 42nd with 260 points.

Taryn McKinney-Lambert had the best finish in the bronze fleet with a 12th place finish after scoring 233 points. Mary Jacqueline Nash was 16th with a score of 245 points. Emit Knowles had 269 points to place 21st, Conry Raine was 25th with 295 points and Sienna Jones scored 306 points to finish 32nd. Joss Knowles edged Alethea Tsoumpas for the 34th spot with 311 points while Tsoumpas had 315 points to place 35th. Norman Cartwright’s 323 points placed him at number 38.

Joahnnes Maritz, Erik Jensen and Javien Rankine finished 43rd, 44th and 45th respectively. Maritz and Jensen scored 351 points each while Rankine scored 356 points. Johan Hauber finished 48th with 357 points to wrap up The Bahamas’ performances.

Dallas Knowles, who works with the Exuma Sailing Club, said that The Bahamas National Sailing School and other Family Island sailing clubs are available to teach children who want to learn how to sail. They are looking to growing the sport more.

Argentina won the Nations Cup on Thursday.

https://thenassauguardian.com/the-bahamas-makes-history-at-optinams/

 Home|Sports|Game three of senior boys championship set for todaySports

Sheldon LongleySend an emailNovember 22, 2022 178 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

As a result of a torrential downpour of rain, and a soggy field, the third and decisive game of the best-of-three senior boys softball championship in the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) has been pushed back to Tuesday.

The decisive game between the pennant-winning Nassau Christian School (NCS) Crusaders and the second-place St. Augustine’s College (SAC) Big Red Machine is set for 6 p.m. this evening at the Freedom Farm Baseball Fields in Yamacraw.

SAC gave the Crusaders their first loss of the season, winning a thriller, 19-18, in game two of the championship series last Wednesday. Game three was initially scheduled for Friday, but was rescheduled to Monday due to rain. With more rain taking place on Monday, the game has now been pushed to Tuesday.

The Crusaders finished the regular season with an unblemished 8-0 win/loss record and then went on to defeat the St. John’s College Giants in their single elimination playoff game.

In game one of the championship series, it was a cakewalk for the Crusaders as they won comfortably, 26-11. SAC responded in game two. They built an early lead and then held on for the win. SAC was up 17-10 after five innings, but had to fight off the Crusaders in the final two innings.

The Crusaders had a pair of solo home-runs, one inside the park and the next one out of the park, to take an 18-17 lead going into the bottom of the seventh, but SAC got a game-winning hit from Cedric Duvalier in the bottom of the seventh for the walk-off win, setting the stage for game three.

The BAISS crowned its first champions in a team sport in two years as the other three divisions were completed in two game sweeps.

In the junior girls division, SAC swept the Queen’s College (QC) Comets, winning 23-19 in game one and 15-9 in game two. In game two of that series, SAC scored 12 of their 15 runs in the last two innings to pull off the victory. QC could only muster three runs after the third inning.

In the junior boys division, QC swept the Temple Christian Suns two games to none, winning the first game, 11-8, and then completing the sweep with a 15-7 win in game two. The Comets lost their only game of the regular season to SAC, and went into the playoffs as the number two seed. They disposed of the Crusaders in their single elimination playoff game, and easily handled the Suns in the championship series.

In the senior girls division, the Crusaders swept QC two games to none, winning the first game, 14-10, and then completing the sweep with a 4-3 scoreline in game two. After comfortably taking the first game, the Crusaders relied on good pitching and strong defense to get the job done in game two. They finished a perfect 8-0 in the regular season and then disposed of the defending champions Giants in their single elimination playoff game.

The Comets left the potential game-tying and game-winning runs stranded on second and third in the bottom of the fifth in game two.

Game three of the senior boys contest is expected to be a thriller.

https://thenassauguardian.com/game-three-of-senior-boys-championship-set-for-today/

 Home|Sports|‘Coach Yo’ comes home to coach Ole MissSports

Sheldon LongleySend an emailNovember 22, 2022 186 4 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

One got the feeling that there was no way Yolett “Coach Yo” McPhee-McCuin’s core players were going to let her lose in her first collegiate coaching experience in The Bahamas, and collectively they answered the call in the fourth quarter, putting on a defensive masterpiece that would certainly make other top level teams take notice.

McPhee-McCuin and the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) Lady Rebels women’s basketball team did what they had to do, cruising past the Dayton University Flyers, 63-50, in their inaugural game of the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship, inside the Baha Mar Convention Center at Baha Mar on Monday night.

The Rebels turned up the intensity in the fourth quarter, holding the Flyers to just 10 points – none in a six-minute stretch midway through the fourth when they really took control. The Rebels went on a 14-0 scoring run in the fourth, and ended the game on a 19-6 run, improving to an unblemished 5-0 win/loss record on the season. The Flyers remained winless at 0-5.

The Bahamian women’s basketball head coach at Ole Miss said it’s a testament to their program and how they play ball. Coming into the game, the Rebels were just outside of the Associated Press’ Top 25 Rankings in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I women’s basketball.

“In the fourth quarter, we just decided to strap up and play ‘D’. At the end of the day, offense is something that we know we need but that is not our identity. Our identity is defending at a high level and I think that we did that in the fourth quarter. That’s our reputation and that creates easy baskets for us,” she said.

McPhee-McCuin leads one of the stingiest programs in the country, holding teams to just 50.8 points per game. They were right at that average on Monday night. The program’s first-ever McDonald’s All American Madison Scott was huge in the fourth quarter on both sides of the ball, chasing down ball handlers, swatting shots on defense and hitting key mid-range jumpers on the offensive side. She finished with eight points – all eight coming in the fourth quarter.

“I just told our girls to step up and be aggressive. Let’s be tough, disrupt their game and be aggressive in everything we do,” said McPhee-McCuin. “Maddy (Madison Scott) is a huge part of what we’re doing here at Ole Miss. She was in foul trouble late in the game, but she was itching to come in and have a big fourth quarter. When she came in, she was ready to go and we fed off that energy.”

Senior forward Tyia Singleton came off the bench to lead Ole Miss with 14 points and 13 rebounds last night – both game-highs. Senior guard Marquesha Davis added 10 points and five rebounds, senior guard Angel Baker contributed nine and junior forward Scott dropped in eight and added five rebounds. Senior point guard Myah Taylor scored seven points and added four assists and four steals. Junior guard Destiny Salary came off the bench to add seven for the Rebels.

Junior guard Destiny Bohanon was the only player in double figures for the Flyers, with 11. Junior guard Anyssa Jones had nine and freshman guard Nayo Lear and junior guard Taisiya Kozlova dropped in eight apiece.

The Lady Rebels led 17-15 after the first quarter, and were ahead by nine in the second before settling for a 30-25 lead at the half. The Flyers came back to trail just 42-40 after three. They pulled even twice in the fourth, before the Lady Rebels pulled away for good.

McPhee-McCuin said winning in her first collegiate coaching experience in The Bahamas was a special feeling.

“I got emotional right before the game writing on the board, because I have a lot of pride in being from The Bahamas,” said McPhee-McCuin. “This is where I’m rooted and I’m really excited that our team was able to come out and show a lot of toughness in the face of adversity. This feels incredible. We are a prideful people in The Bahamas, and for me, this means a lot. I was born and raised in The Bahamas and this means a lot for me – to be able to come here, play and have my team step up and play tough. It’s a special feeling.”

McPhee-McCuin hails from Freeport, Grand Bahama, and had quite a few family members and friends, including her parents Gladstone “Moon” McPhee and Daisy McPhee, in the audience, for her collegiate coaching debut in The Bahamas. She continues to make history as a trailblazer in women’s basketball, and sports in general, here in The Bahamas. On Monday, McPhee-McCuin became the first Bahamian, male or female, to lead a major NCAA Division I program as the head coach in a collegiate basketball game here in The Bahamas. The last time McPhee-McCuin coached at home, this past summer, she made history as an assistant coach for The Bahamas’ senior men’s national basketball team, becoming the first female to coach a senior men’s national team. Now, she is enjoying another coaching experience at home in a different capacity.

McPhee-McCuin spoke of the support she received from her family and friends in the stands after the game.

“There are a lot of them here. I spent a lot of money on T-shirts and hats,” she quipped. “I’m really excited that they came and were able to see me. A lot of them don’t know what I do and this is only a small part of it. For them to be able to come and see it, and have a respect for it, means a lot to me.”

It doesn’t get any easier for McPhee-McCuin and the Lady Rebels. They will play the number 17 ranked Utah Utes on Wednesday evening as the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship continues.

“Utah is a ranked team and they are going to be a challenge offensively. We can’t get caught up in getting into a scoring match with them,” said McPhee-McCuin. “We just have to come out and guard for 40 minutes and see what happens.”

Following their game against the Utah Utes, McPhee-McCuin and the Lady Rebels will return to the Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi, to take on the Texas Southern Tigers on Monday, November 28 at 8 p.m.

https://thenassauguardian.com/coach-yo-comes-home-to-coach-ole-miss/

 Home|Sports|UCLA wins B4A Women’s ChampionshipSports

Bruins hold off the Golden Eagles in overtime; crack top 25

Sheldon LongleySend an emailNovember 22, 2022 176 5 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

A couple of women’s collegiate basketball teams that came into the Bad Boys Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis (B4A) Women’s Tournament unranked gave fans in attendance a thrilling encounter yesterday afternoon inside the Imperial Arena at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island.

The game had to go into overtime before a winner was decided, but in the end it was the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Bruins who emerged victorious in their maiden trip as a team to The Bahamas. The Bruins capitalized off a couple turnovers in the extra session, got deep penetration and assists in the lane from senior guard Charisma Osbourne and a couple of key baskets down the stretch to record a 66-58 overtime win over the upstart Marquette Golden Eagles in the B4A Women’s championship game on Monday.

The Bruins, now sporting an unblemished 5-0 win/loss record, managed to crack the Associated Press’ Top 25 Rankings by halftime, coming in at number 20, while the Golden Eagles (5-1) are right on the outside looking in.

“We didn’t play our best basketball today, especially for the first 20-25 minutes, but it was so good to see so many different people stepping up and making plays. When adversity comes, it’s just a matter of when, and I’m so proud of their response in the hard moments,” said Bruins’ Head Coach Cori Close. “We still have a lot of improvement to do but I’m really proud of them – to come here and win three games on three straight days is not easy.

“We’ve talked to our whole team about needing each other, and on different nights, we always say it in the locker rook, sometimes me, sometimes you, but it’s always us. You have to maintain a ready mindset and a selfless mentality. We know that we have a great combination and that we are building our chemistry and we know that it starts with great leadership.”

For the Bruins, it was their seniors who stepped up in the extra session. Osbourne had a basket and a couple assists, senior guard Camryn Brown had a steal and a layup and then followed that up with another layup, and graduate transfer Gina Conti knocked down three out of four free shots.

Osbourne didn’t shoot the ball well, knocking down just four of 16 shots and was 0-for-4 from distance, but came through when her team needed her the most.

“For me, I think I was trying to focus on defense – that was a huge part of our game tonight,” she said. “We are such a close team and we trust each other so much as teammates and as sisters. Others came in and hit big shots and that is what helped take us over the top today.”

Brown said her focus was on making a game-changing play in the overtime session.

“My coach was like you’re super long and you have to have active hands, so that was kind of my focus,” she said. “That was my constant thought process going into overtime. That was all I was really thinking about.”

Conti, who had some big shots for her team in the second half, said they are coming together as a unit.

“We are building chemistry. We came to The Bahamas on a business trip and we did it together. This is only the beginning and I’m so excited about the rest of the season for this team.”

Conti had 16 points on 4-for-9 shooting from the field. Osbourne added nine. It was actually freshman guard Kiki Rice who led them in scoring with a game-high 18.

The Golden Eagles were led by 15 points from senior forward Chloe Marotta. Junior forward Liza Karlen added 12 and senior guard Jordan King and freshman guard Mackenzie Hare added 10 apiece. King, one of the leaders of the team, fouled out at the start of the overtime session.

“We’re not all smiles because we fought hard and got to the championship game. We know that we could win these games and compete against anyone, and that is our mindset going into the rest of the season,” said Marotta. “The trip was awesome. We didn’t get to see much of The Bahamas but our families being down here was amazing. We had a large crowd here and that was just awesome to see. The support was just wonderful.”

Golden Eagles’ Head Coach Megan Duffy said she was really proud of the entire Marquette program and what they were able to achieve during the tournament. The Golden Eagles defeated the nationally number three ranked University of Texas Longhorns on Saturday and came back and beat the Gonzaga University Bulldogs on Sunday.

“I thought our toughness and grittiness was good. We have to give UCLA a lot of credit – they made tremendous plays when they had to. Their execution on both sides of the ball was very impressive and for us, we just came up short,” said Duffy. The Golden Eagles coach added that turnovers were crucial and it is something that they will look to correct going forward. They had 24 turnovers in the game compared to 16 for the Bruins.

“We knew that we were going to turn over the ball at some points but some were critical and led to easy baskets for them,” she said. “We’ll go back, toward the end of the week, take a couple days off, and figure out how to clean up those self-inflicted mistakes. I will say this – the pressure that UCLA put on us for 45 minutes was intense so we have to give them a lot of credit for how they disrupted us. In the overtime session, they got a a couple quick baskets and Jordan King got her fifth foul. I think we lost a l’il bit of momentum at that point.”

The Bruins had a shot to win in regulation, but Brown missed a shot in the lane in the waning seconds and then missed a putback attempt as the buzzer sounded. Marotta had the game-tying shot, an up and under basket, with 19 seconds remaining in regulation, knotting the game at 53. No team led by more than eight points in the highly competitive game. The Golden Eagles had a seven-point lead early, and the Bruins responded late.

Bruins’ Coach Close had nothing but high praise of the Marquette program.

“They are tough, they execute and thev are really well-coached and really disciplined,” she said. “They beat a top five team to advance and they are a really good basketball team. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see them down the road in the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Tournament.

“Today we had to dig down deep and focus on what we needed to do. We still have a lot of improvement to do. We have to be able to get a few possessions better every day – just be a hard-working selfless team that is going to be able to do whatever it takes for us to be successful.”

Close said they had a fantastic time in The Bahamas and appreciate the love and support that was shown to them.

“It’s been tremendous. The tournament is incredibly well-run and the warmth of the people has been spectacular. There has been excellent competition and it was a great tournament. It’s one of the most well-run tournaments that I have been a part of,” she said.

Golden Eagles’ Coach Duffy echoed those sentiments.

“We’re incredibly appreciative of all our people in our Marquette program, the tournament director and her team and just the people here,” said Duffy. “We were treated first-class and we truly appreciate that. We had awesome conversations about the island and life here and we truly enjoyed ourselves. Despite the disappointing loss this afternoon, we are so grateful for being able to experience this tournament.”

In the third-place game, Gonzaga held on to defeat the Tennessee Volunteers, 73-72..

https://thenassauguardian.com/ucla-wins-b4a-womens-championship/

As of Wednesday, November 16, 2022

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THE Bahamas Basketball Federation has pulled the plug on the women’s national basketball team’s trip to Mexico for the Centrobasket tournament. The team qualified to compete in the tournament after picking up the bronze medal in Cuba with a 68-57 decision over Jamaica at the FIBA Caribbean Women’s Basketball Championships in July. The event is set for November 20-27.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#AFTER all of the sacrifices made and the hard work that they put in, head coach Donillo ‘Donnie’ Culmer said he’s disappointed that the Bahamas Basketball Federation pulled the plug on their trip to Mexico for the Centrobasket tournament.

#The team qualified to compete in the tournament from November 20-27 after picking up the bronze medal in Cuba with a 68-57 decision over Jamaica at the FIBA Caribbean Women’s Basketball Championships in July.

#But according to Eugene Horton, president of the BBF, the team had to skip the trip because of a lack of funding.

#Horton said the federation had exhausted its funding getting the men’s national team through the rounds of the FIBA Americas World Cup Qualifier.

#Culmer, who took over from Yolett McPhee- McCuin, who went on to assist the men’s national basketball team, said it’s very disappointing that the team can’t travel. He said he and assistant coaches Deven ‘DD’ Johnson and Anastacia Sands had prepared the team for Mexico.

#“Those young ladies put in the work. Some of them went back to college after Cuba, but the others took a couple of days off and they were back in the gym,” he said. “We brought in a personal trainer and a lot of them lost weight and got quicker.

#“They put in the work with practice for at least six days a week. To come down to this where we can’t travel because of a lack of funds, it’s disappointing. The men are always travelling. They wanted the coaching staff to seek the financial assistance, but I think that was too much for us. That isn’t the coaches’ job.”

SHOWN, from left to right, are Bahamas coaching staff Deven Johnson, Diasti Delancy and Donillo Culmer.

#Culmer said once again the federation and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture dropped the ball and missed the shot for the women’s team to travel.

#He’s confident that the women had a better chance to advance than the men. “We went to Cuba in June- July. They had ample time. They knew this trip was coming,” Culmer said. “The minute we won that bronze, they knew that the next trip was coming in November. Everybody who was following sports dropped the ball on the women’s team.

#“Now it’s going to be hard whenever a tournament comes around again to ask the ladies to come out and give their free time or their spare time to represent this country. We begged some of these ladies to come out and they came out and put in the time and now there’s no trip.”

#The Bahamas would have played against Mexico, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Guatemala.

#“We had some veteran guards who came out. I even got one member of our coaching staff to get back on the court to help out and she was willing to do that,” Culmer said. “So it hurts that we won’t be able to travel.”

#Diasti Delancy had turned in her coaching outfit to return to the court to play as she joined the team that would have been led by centre Britinique Harrison. Culmer, however, said it’s going to be hard to convince the players to try out for the team in the future.

#“This is going to set the women’s programme further back,” Culmer said. “We will continue to see if we can get a gym. We haven’t practiced for about two weeks after they closed the gym to get ready for the men’s games this weekend.

#“We want to try to see if we can get in a few games either in Jamaica or the USA, just so that all of their work won’t go in vain. It’s hard because these ladies are disheartened.

#“The men travelled up and down and the women can’t get in this one last tournament?”

#Culmer said while they did make some inquiries to potential sponsors, they were informed that they had already made a contribution to basketball.

#He wanted to know if the funding received would have gone directly to assist the men’s team, much to the detriment of the women’s programme. “No one cares about the women. It’s going to hurt because this would have been a good opportunity for us to establish a programme for the young players we have coming up,”

#Horton, however, said it was not for a lack of trying and he converged it to Culmer every time they spoke.

#“It would have cost us about $25,000 to send the women’s team off,” Horton said. “At the time, FIBA gave us a deadline to commit. We didn’t commit because we didn’t have the funds. I got some people to assist, but when we contacted FIBA, they told us it was too late. “As for the men’s team, we were committed to play and if we didn’t, we would have received a hefty fine and a ban for at least seven years for all national teams, so we had to continue playing in the tournament.”

#Although the men’s team lost to Argentina 80-76 on Sunday after they won 83-79 over Panama on Friday, they still have one more round to play in February when they travel on the road to play Venezuela and Panama.

#The Bahamas team, coached by Moses Johnson and John-Marc Nutt, lost to Argentina, however, it quashed any chance of the Bahamas playing past the remaining two games to complete this window of the qualifying round.

#The Bahamas is fifth in Group E at 3-7, with the sixth and final window left to play in February 2023. Canada leads the group at 10-0 and has already qualified for the World Cup.

#Venezuela, The Dominican Republic and Argentina are all tied at 7-3 while Panama is sixth at 2-8.

#At the end of the second round, the top three teams in each group plus the best fourth place finisher among the groups will qualify for the World Cup.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/nov/16/no-one-cares-about-women-national-basketball-team/?news

SOCCER CHAMPIONS: The Sybil Strachan Primary Mighty Warriors show off all their hardware. The boys earned an impressive 5-1 victory over Claridge Primary to win the Bahamas Football Association’s New Providence Public Primary Sports Association boys’ soccer title. Photo courtesy of the BFA

As of Wednesday, November 16, 2022

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Photo Gallery

Soccer photos

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#Sybil Strachan pulled off an impressive 5-1 victory over Claridge Primary to win the Bahamas Football Association’s New Providence Public Primary Sports Association boys’ soccer title, while Eva Hilton added the girls’ crown to their triumph in the golf tournament held earlier this year.

#The champions were decided yesterday as the week-long tournament came to a close at the Flag Football Field in front of the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

#“Very proud, overwhelmed, full heart because of the efforts of the teachers, administrators, coaches and the kids,” said Carl Lynch, who organised the tournament on behalf of the federation.

#“We have not played in two and-a-half years, so some of them were a little bit rusty. “But you could see the enthusiasm and the energy of the teams, especially in the finals. It was priceless. This was a great year and we are going to start planning for an even bigger year next year.”

#Association president Latoya Bain-Sturrup said the tournament turned out to be an excellent one.

#“It was well organised. We had about 20 schools from the girls and about 24 from the boys.”

#Bain-Sturrup and her Claridge Primary girls’ team had to play second fiddle to Sybil Strachan.

#Head coach Greer Thompson, who was named the shining light coach of the tournament, said she was thrilled by the efforts of her Sybil Strachan team. “We put in a lot of hard work and these guys really played with a lot of heart,” Thompson said.

#“Even on fun day, they said ‘Mr Thompson, we have to practice,’ They put in a lot of hard work. I am so proud of them.

#“I want to thank God for giving us those opportunities. We’ve been waiting on this since COVID-19 happen. We’re just glad that we got this opportunity to make it happen.”

#As Thompson was crowned the top coach of the boys’ tournament, Hernandez Touissant earned the most valuable player as well as the golden boot champion, having scored the most goals. Novins Emile was the Golden Glove winner as the top goal keeper.

#Despite losing the title, coach Margaret Albury said she was still pleased with her team’s performance.

#“I just went there in the last week of September and we started practicing in October,” she said. “They did very well considering the time they had to practice. I’m pleased. We came second, but Sybil Strachan was beating everybody, but they only beat us by four, which was good.”

#Cleveland Eneas were the third place finishers.

#On the girls’ side, Eva Hilton Primary School pulled off a 3-1 victory over Claridge Primary.

#Zindora Munnings, head coach of Eva Hilton, said it was good to add another title to their ledger this year after winning the Primary Schools Golf Championship title in March.

#“I think the girls played very well. They worked together, even though Claridge scored the first goal. Our girls were able to stay focused, they came back with revenge and we won the title,” Munnings said.

#Aiyanna Hernandez led the attack for Eva Hilton as she was named the MVP and the winner of the Golden Boot. Her goalkeeper Dwanae Rahming was the winner of the Golden Glove.

#“They worked very hard for it, so I am very pleased with these girls who won those awards,” Munnings said. “Team work makes the dream work and our goal was to come out here and win the championship and that is what we did today.”

#Mariska Thompson of Cleveland Eneas was awarded the Shinning Light Coach of the Tournament. One of her players, Kiyarah Rolle, sang her praises for guiding them to the third place finish. “We’re not disappointed. At least we won something,” said Rolle, an 11-year-old sixth grader.

#“We worked hard today and we listened to our coach (Mariska Thompson). It was still a good tournament for us.”

#With the tournament, which got started last week, it had to be halted because of the passing of Hurricane Nicole.

#Bain-Sturrup said the teams will now gear up for its next competition when softball for girls and baseball for boys will be played from November 28 to December 2.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/nov/16/mighty-warriors-take-home-boys-soccer-title/?news

THE BAHAMAS men’s national beach soccer team is expected to compete in the Central American and Caribbean Sea and Beach Games November 19-26.

As of Friday, November 18, 2022

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#WINNER of the Bahamas Football Association’s Beach Soccer Cup in October, the Bahamas men’s national beach soccer team is headed to Santa Marta, Colombia, to compete in the Juegos Centroamericanos y Del Caribe Mar Y Playa (Central American and Caribbean Sea and Beach Games) November 19-26.

#BFA technical director Bruce Swan will travel with the team and lauded the hard work of the coaching staff and players over the past few months and is confident they will again dominate the beach soccer landscape in Colombia.

#“Our men’s national soccer team is emerging to the top of the Caribbean region for a reason, because they are putting in the hard work to be successful in the sand.

#“The Bahamas Football Association is extremely proud of all the players and thanks the coaching staff and association leadership.

#For this tournament, the head coach will be Nesly Jean, assistant coach Julian Gardner and manager Larry Minns.

#“We are excited to see our Beach Boys compete in Colombia and hope they score big during the tournament,” said Swan.

#The Bahamas men’s national beach soccer team for this tournament will include:

#Michael Butler, Evens Julmis, Ian Winder, Jean Francois, Dwayne Forbes, Gary Joseph, Jamie Thompson, Evelt Julmis, Brandon Adderley, Lesly St Fleur, Gavin Christie and Ian Rolle

#Matches will be played November 20-25 at the Estadio Futbol Playa – Parque | Multideportivo, Cancha in Santa Marta.

#The schedule is as follows:

#November 20

#Bahamas vs. Colombia

#4:30pm COT (UTC-5)

#November 21

#Bahamas vs El Salvador

#1:30pm – COT (UTC-5)

#November 22

#Bahamas vs Mexico

#3pm – COT (UTC-5)

#November 24

#Bahamas vs Venezuela

#1:30pm – COT (UTC-5)

#November 25

#Bahamas vs Trinidad

#and Tobago

#1:30pm – COT (UTC-5)

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/nov/17/mens-national-beach-soccer-team-set-cac-sea-and-be/?news

THE CLASS OF 2022 was honoured by the signature event of Sports Heritage Month – the Hall of Fame induction ceremony – at the Baha Mar Convention Centre.

As of Thursday, November 17, 2022

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#A GROUP of the country’s sporting icons joined a fraternity of elite company when they were inducted as new members to the National Sports Hall of Fame.

#The 2022 class was honoured by the signature event of Sports Heritage Month – the Hall of Fame induction ceremony – last night at the Baha Mar Convention Centre.

GOVERNOR General Cornelius Smith, right, presents Maxine Darville (Bodybuilding) with her certificate during her induction into the Class of 2022 National Sports Hall of Fame. Photos: Moises Amisial/Tribune Staff

#Highlighting the 2022 class is the internationally acclaimed “Golden Girls” 4x100m relay team.

#The team of Savatheda Fynes-Coke, Chandra Sturrup, Pauline Davis, Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie and Eldece Clarke fittingly entered the Hall of Fame together following their 4x100m silver at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, gold at the Sydney Olympics in Australia and gold at the inaugural IAAF World Championships in Spain.

Charles Franklyn Adderley (martial arts) receives his induction certificate from Governor General Cornelius Smith. Photo: Moises Amisial/Tribune Staff

#Other inductees included Lorenzo “Ray” Minus (Boxing), Stephen Larrimore (Boxing), Wellington Miller (Sports Administration), Evette B. L. Johnson (Softball), Sidney Fernander (Softball), Charles Franklyn Adderley (Martial Arts), Raymond Wilson (Volleyball), Perry Thumpam Sr (Basketball), Frederick Alonzo Laing Sr (Basketball), Maxine Darville (Bodybuilding), Dr. Patricia “Patti” Symonette, (Volleyball), Monique Leary (Bowling), and posthumous honourees Ivern Davis (Squash) and John Terry Wildgoose (Basketball).

#“To be inducted into the National Sports Hall of Fame is to be honoured as one of the greatest Bahamians in sports. Not only in the arena of competition, but in the development and growth of sports for others. As a country we must continue to appreciate the work that these inductees have done to bring The Bahamas to the forefront of sporting achievement regionally and globally,” said Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg.

#“Their achievement acts as an inspiration for the next generation of athletes, not only to strive for greatness but to develop the characteristics necessary to achieve greatness. I commend you for your dedication put forth into your discipline and to the development of sports in the country.”

#Sports Heritage Week originally began in 1989 with the introduction of five of our national heroes – the late great Thomas A Robinson, Sir Durward Knowles, Cecil Cooke, Andre Rodgers and Everette “Elisha Obed” Ferguson.

#The National Hall of Fame was established as a means to show the country’s appreciation to those contributors to sports whose exploits may have gone unnoticed in the past and, at the same time, deliver recognition to those who continue to shine for the Bahamas.

#“If you were to interview each designate, their journeys are all diverse, but you would find one singular most prolific honour, that is as an athlete adorning our national uniform, the raising of our national flag.

#“Hearing our national anthem gives one a sense of pride, comparable to nothing else in this world.

#“The designates would tell you they love sports, and the positive attributes they learned how to practice long hours perfecting their craft,” said Romell Knowles, president of the Bahamas Olympic Committee.

#“Wear it proudly, wear it responsibly for I believe it is the highest honour bestowed on any athlete or administrator.”

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/nov/17/class-2022-inducted-national-sports-hall-fame/?news

As of Thursday, November 17, 2022

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#A PAIR of Bahamian sailors advanced to this weekend’s gold fleet for the final series of races at the Optimist North American Championships, hosted at the Nassau Yacht Club.

#Patrick Tomlinson and Zane Munro earned their gold fleet qualification to lead the 19-member team of Bahamian athletes at the event which includes 155 sailors from 20 countries across the globe competing in Montagu Bay.

#Participating sailors hail from Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, the United States, Uruguay, US Virgin Islands, Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands.

#Sailing in the red group, Tomlinson had finishes of 22nd, 20th, 16th, third and 11th in the qualifying races. Munro’s first three races were in the yellow group with finishes of 13th, 25th, and 20th and in the red group, he finished fourth and 24th in his final two races.

#Other members of Team Bahamas include Craig Ferguson II, Finley McKinney-Lambert, Norman Cartwright, Eliza Denning, Sienna Jones, Jude McCarroll, Mary Jacqueline Nash, Joss Knowles, Emit Knowles, Erik Jensen, Johannes Maritz, Callum Pritchard, Alethea Tsoumpas, Taryn McKinney-Lambert, Johan Hauber, Conry Raine, and Javien Rankine.

#The head coach of the team is Martin Manrique.

#The first two days of competition featured fleet racing and races in the qualification series.

#The format now shifts to Team Racing and Nations Cup, and finally will conclude with the Final Series of fleet racing.

#The Bahamas last hosted the event in 2019.

#Sigrid Beckmann, Vice President Americas, International Optimist Dinghy Association, welcomed the international fleet of sailors at Monday’s opening ceremony.

#“We cannot be happier to be back in the clear blue waters of the Bahamas and to meet all of you again in this wonderful venue where we have always been received with incredible hospitality and fabulous sailing conditions.

#“I want to thank the organising committee, all the volunteers, the Nassau Yacht Club, The Bahamas Optimist Class, and the sailors of team Bahamas for working so hard to make this event happen and for welcoming us with open arms and so much kindness,” she said.

#“Enjoy this incredible venue with your teammates and friends, new and old. Have a great week of sailing, friendship, nature and endless sun.”

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/nov/17/optimist-sailing-tomlinson-and-munro-qualify-gold-/?news