As of Wednesday, December 28, 2022

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CAMERON RILEY

DEVAUGHN ROBINSON

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#IN his second appearance on the Bahamas Professional Golf Association fresh from his initial season on the professional circuit, Grand Bahamian Cameron Riley emerged as the champion of the Korn Kerry qualifier for the Great Abaco Classic.

#Riley won the rights to represent the Bahamas in the Classic at the Abaco Club January 22-29 after he beat out Devaughn Robinson in a playoff during the trials that was held at the Royal Blue Club at Baha Mar on December 20.

#After the duo completed the one-day trial with a one-under-par 143, Riley clinched the title on the fourth hole after they started the sudden death showdown on the first hole.

#It was an improvement for Riley, who finished third as Robinson captured the qualifier in November at the Ocean Club on Paradise Island.

#BPGA president Raquel Riley said it was a good competition between Riley and Robinson, who won the first trials and earned the rights to participate in the Exuma Classic that will be played a week earlier.

#“They played two rounds of stroke play and Devaughn and Cameron were tied after regulation and went into a sudden death playoff,” she said. “We used number one as the playoff hole. They played it even three times and on the fourth and final playoff, Devaughn bogied the fourth hole and Cameron birdied to win the qualifier.”

#Three other players completed the trials with Keathan Stuart coming in third with 158 (77-81), Marcus Pratt was fourth with (81-82) 163 and Matthew Cox was fifth with (79-86) 165.

#Fresh out of college at Florida A&M University where he graduated in 2021 with his degree in mechanical engineering, the 23-year-old Riley said it was a fitting tribute for him to top the field for his first representation for the Bahamas at the professional level.

#“I just feel overjoyed about competing in the trials and being able to battle it out with my fellow Bahamian professional players,” Riley said.

#“Being able to display the grit and determination to win makes it so much sweeter.

#“To win my first professional win at home, it was just very fulfilling for me. I do think that as a kid I would be in the position that I would be in, so I’m truly blessed to be in this position.”

#In pulling off the victory, Riley said he was certainly on his game and his grit, determination and grind enabled him to persevere when it counted the most, considering that he fell short in his initial bid against Robinson.

#Now that he has secured his berth for the Great Abaco Classic, Riley said there’s some fine tuning he needs to do to get ready for January. He will continue to train at his home base in Orlando, Florida where he currently resides with his parents over the past three years.

#“I definitely need to clean up my short game and also my iron game,” he said. “I need to get that a little sharper to get ready to compete with everybody out there,” he said. “I have the distance to hit the ball off the tee. I have a very sharp mental game.

#“I just need to get a little sharper on certain things to make sure that I give myself an opportunity to go out there and win it. That’s the goal. “I just want to go out there to show the world that the Bahamas has some good golf talent, and we have what it takes to play at the next level.”

#In preparation for the Classic, Riley will continue to compete on the Advocates Pro Golf Association (APGA) Tour, a minority-based tour that travels all through the United States at venues from California to New York to Florida, ensuring that all of America is covered.

#After winning the initial trials for Exuma, scheduled for January 15-19, Robinson was hoping for an encore, but he congratulated Riley for pulling through for Abaco.

#“To be honest, I expected to win. I didn’t perform the way I had hoped, especially in the first round and I knew that if I wasn’t, Cameron would have been tough to beat,” Robinson pointed out.

#“He’s a good young player that has improved every time I see him. I’m happy for him and excited to see how far he can take this opportunity.”

#Although he fell short in the trials, Robinson said not being at his best , he still managed to post some decent scores and it gives him a ton of confidence for January. “It cements the point that I don’t need my best in order to compete,” he summed up.

#Both Robinson and Riley, however, contend that for them to be able to compete against the world when they come to the pair of classics, they will have to produce their A-game in order to be in contention for the respective titles.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/dec/28/cameron-riley-qualifies-great-abaco-classic/?news

SHAUNAE Miller-Uibo after winning the gold medal at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon earlier this year.

As of Wednesday, December 28, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#With another triple crown to her ledger, Bahamian quarter-miler Shaunae Miller-Uibo emerged as The Tribune’s 2022 Female Athlete of the Year.

#As sports returned to full strength on the international scene after the two-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 28-year-old Miller- Uibo produced three major championship feats that enabled her 6-foot, 1-inch frame to stand out among the rest of the Bahamian female athletes.

#Another dominating figure, Jonquel Jones would have emerged at number two on the top five list, but she had to follow the trend in track and field that saw some defining moments from the diminutive hurdler Devynne Charlton and sprinter Tynia Gaither.

#Sprinter Anthonique Strachan, regaining glimpses of her younger self on the world stage, capped off the year, controlled by track and field athletes with the fifth spot and some added recognition off the track as a spokesperson.

#Champion – Shaunae Miller-Uibo

#After bringing her team-mates to a training camp in January, Miller-Uibo returned to the World Indoor Championships for some unfinished business.

#Miller-Uibo snatched her first gold medal in the 400 metres in 50.31 seconds in Belgrade, Serbia on March 19 to improve on the bronze she achieved in her initial appearance in 2014 in Sopot, Poland.

#She accomplished another first at the first World Championships to be held in the United States in Eugene, Oregon on July 22 to snatch her first gold in 49.11 – adding to a pair of silver medals and a fourth place in the 400 and a bronze and fourth in the 200 in four previous championships from 2013.

#And to top off her year, Miller-Uibo came home, albeit in Grand Bahama, for her successful debut at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Championships (NACAC) with a meet record breaking performance of 49.40 on August 20.

#She was named as one of the 10 nominees by the international panel of athletics experts for World Athletics’ 2022 Women’s Athlete of the Year.

#She fell short in the voting process but was one of three athletes added to the recreation of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture’s Legends Walk of Fame outside the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium. The other two were Strachan and men’s quarter-miler Steven Gardiner.

NATIONAL record holder Devynne Charlton proudly holds the Bahamian flag after placing fifth in the 110 metre hurdles at the Wanda Diamond League Final.

#Runner-up – Devynne Charlton

#Back at full strength in her first full season on the international scene, Devynne Charlton emerged during the spotlight that was placed on the women’s 100m hurdles with Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan leading the way with a quadruple feat at the World, Diamond League, Commonwealth Games and African Championships, while establishing a world record of 12.12 seconds in the semi-finals at the World Championships.

#The 27-year-old Charlton had a record-breaking performance of her own when she lowered the Bahamian women’s national 100m hurdles mark to 12.60 with her victory at the BAAA Nationals in June at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

#The performance came after Charlton earned her first World Athletics’ Indoor Championships with her silver in March.

#Following her trip home, Charlton had to settle for seventh at the World Championships in July where she dropped her previous national record to 12.53.

#From there, Charlton went on to ascend the podium again at the Commonwealth Games with another silver in her specialty. And to top it off, Charlton headed to Grand Bahama where she was a double medallist at the NACAC Championships, claiming a bronze in the 100m hurdles and ran the opening leg on the 4 x 100m relay team that picked up the silver.

#After getting the baton from Strachan on the second leg, Charlton got to display her versatility on the final bend to help ignite Gaither in her brilliant come-from-behind performance on the home stretch where the celebrations began. Not to be left out, although she didn’t make the top list, was Printassia Johnson, who got the team off on the first leg in the revival of the women’s relay on the international scene.

TYNIA GAITHER

#Third place finisher – Tynia Gaither

#The 29-year-old Grand Bahamian made a strong push for one of the top spots when she emerged as one of the international medal winners during what has been a banner year for female track and field athletes.

#After earning the century title at the BAAA National Championships in June, Gaither made it to the semi-finals of the World Championships in Eugene in July where she ran her lifetime best of 22.41.

#That seemed to have sparked her interest and rejuvenated her commitment to shine, finishing seventh in the 100m at the Commonwealth Games in August in Birmingham.

#But the dual sprinter didn’t rest on her laurels as she went back home and landed, not just one, but a pair of silver medals at the NACAC Championships.

#Before the home crowd at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex, Gaither didn’t disappoint the fans as she surged to her first medal with the silver in the 200m. On that same day, she had a sensational anchor leg on the aforementioned 4 x 100m relay that brought the Bahamas from fourth to silver.

Jonquel Jones

#Fourth place finisher – Jonquel Jones

#Jones, the 28-year-old Grand Bahamian 6-6 power forward, continued to shine in the Women’s National Basketball Association with the Connecticut Sun where she posted an average of 14.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game in the 33 games she played in.

#In what turned out to be another stellar individual performance in her sixth year in the league as the number six pick, Jones made her fourth WNBA All-Star game (2017, 2019 and 2021), her third All- WNBA second team (2017 and 2019) and her first WNBA All-Defensive second team.

#After the season was completed, Jones left the United States to reunite with her teammates with UMMC Ekaterinburg of the Russian League.

#Jones ended up joining the Turkish team Cukurova Basketbol, which participates in the Women’s Basketball Super League and she’s a member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team that she participated for in the EuroBasket Women’s Tournament.

Anthonique Strachan

#Fifth place finisher – Anthonique Strachan

#Her decision to remain in Jamaica to train with the MVP Track Club has paid off for the 29-year-old Strachan, who showed flashes of her old self when she was named the IAAF’s Rising Star in 2012.

#Shaking off a series of injuries that hindered her progress in between those years, Strachan became the seventh Bahamian female to dip under the 11-second barrier in the 100m when she clocked 10.98 in the semi-finals at the World Championships in Eugene in July.

#Although she didn’t complete the year as she did in her most impressive year in 2012 when she earned the sweep of the Under- 20 World Championships’ 100m and 200m, Strachan closed out the year on the podium with her fellow members of the 4 x 100m team at the NACAC Championships in Grand Bahama in August.

#Strachan, who already serves as the athletes’ representative for the BAAA, was elected to serve as one of the Members-At-Large for the NACAC Athletes’ Commission during the NACAC Championships.

#Joining Strachan on the board are O’Dayne Richards of Jamaica, who was elected to serve as the chairperson, along with Jehue Gordon from Trinidad & Tobago, Ayanna Morgan from Barbados, William Leer from the United States of America and Kurt Felix of Grenada.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/dec/28/triple-crown-shaunae-miller-uibo-tribunes-female-a/?news

As of Thursday, December 29, 2022

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DENIKA LIGHTBOURNE

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#POINT guard Denika Lightbourne has had a promising career since she left the Queen’s College Comets in grade nine to continue playing for the Lady Indians at Tallulah Falls School in Tallulah Falls, Georgia.

#Now in her senior year where she’s teaming up with two other Bahamians, Tanisha Seymour, another senior from Nassau and Tahj Charlton, a junior from Grand Bahama, the 18-year-old Lightbourne has secured a scholarship to compete for the University of Dayton Ohio where she will pursue a degree in computer science.

#Home for the holidays, Lightbourne spent some time working out in the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium with veteran women’s coach Anthony Swaby.

#He took the time out to make sure that she stays fit and ready to compete when she returns to school in January.

#“My dream is to play professional basketball,” said Lightbourne, who has already projected herself as one of the top female players to watch from the time she started playing under coach Kino Demeritte at Temple Christian Primary School.

#In making the transition from the Bahamas to the United States, Lightbourne said she’s been able to improve her game and she’s now content with her ability to play at the next level when she heads to university in August.

#“At first it was pretty hard, but because of the players around me, I was able to make the adjustments,” Lightbourne said.

#“I think the team we have this year will be able to do some good things, but it’s still a learning process for us.”

#The Lady Indians, coached by Lowell Hamilton, emerged as the region champions last year when they finished in the elite eight.

#This year, they are currently 4-8 so far, but Lightbourne said they have the potential to be a whole lot better.

#“We started off with a rough start, but we are starting to come together,” said Lightbourne, as she looks ahead to their return to competition against Lake Oconee Academy on January 7.

#“The most important games are the region games, so we just want to prepare ourselves for those games next year.”

#The 5-foot, 8 1.2-inch Lightbourne said the goal is to finish better than they did last year.

#She said as she looks to solidifying her position in the backcourt, she hopes that she can play at a higher level when it counts the most.

#Lightbourne, the daughter of La-Shanda and Deniko Lighbourne and siblings to La-Shae and Deniko Jr, said she got an opportunity to play with the women’s national team, which has helped her game tremendously.

#She said she’s even more excited abut being home and getting in the workout sessions with Swaby. “Mr Swaby has always been there for me and I appreciate the fact that he got me to come in the gym and get in this workout,” Lightbourne said. “I think it’s so important for me to be able to get in some workouts while I am at home.”

#Swaby, who continues to assist the women playing in college or the pro ranks, said he has been pleased with the progress that Lightbourne has made and he insists that she will definitely be a force to reckon with in the future.

#“Anytime I get the opportunity to help any of the players, I make myself available for them,” Swaby said.

#“I believe that if you show them some interest whenever they are invited to try out for the national team, they will be willing to come out because they see that there are some people who are interested in them.”

#In Lightbourne, Swaby said he and current women’s national team coach Donilo ‘Donnie’ Culmer are convinced that Lightbourne could end up being one of the best point guards to ever come out of the Bahamas.

#He said he believes that a number of the division one colleges that passed up on the opportunity to recruit Lightbourne will regret their decision when they see how well she will soar when she settles in at Daytona, Ohio.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/dec/29/denika-lightbourne-looking-ahead-daytona/?news

As of Thursday, December 29, 2022

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Agape coach Stephan Johnson having a chat with chief statistician Rochelle Kemp.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#ALTHOUGH they are still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Dorian, the Agape Academy Eagles are eager about the full return of sporting activities whether on the island of Abaco or here in the capital.

#Not only are they bringing in teams to participate in basketball and volleyball tournaments, but Agape is also making the trip to New Providence to compete whenever the opportunity presents itself.

#This week, the Eagles, under coach Stephan Johnson, are back in town for another appearance in the Providence Storm Basketball Club’s 2022 Holiday Classic at the CI Gibson Gymnasium.

#While the Eagles’ senior boys dropped their second consecutive game, losing 25-21 to the undefeated Jordan Prince Williams Falcons, Johnson said he was encouraged by what he saw from his team.

#“A lot of my kids have not had an opportunity to play in a tournament of this calibre, so shout out to coach Kevin Johnson and Providence Basketball Club for affording us the opportunity to come here and compete.

#“We just try to practice as best as we can and to work on whatever we need to do whenever we get into a game situation. So we’re glad that both our junior boys and our senior boys get to compete.

#“Our junior boys are looking very good, but our senior boys have lost two close games. I think we still have a chance to make the playoffs, but we have to win our next games we play.”

#In their last game against the Falcons, coached by Ernest Saunders, Johnson said they showed a vast improvement since losing to Jordan Prince Williams by 15 points in a tournament they hosted in Abaco in October.

#• Here’s a summary of some of the games played:

#Jordan Prince Williams 25, Agape 21: Kamari Minns scored 12 points and Ellery Lockhart added eight as the Falcons flew past the Eagles. Anthony Mertil had 10 and DeShawn Smith five in the loss. Jordan Prince Williams led 12-7 at the half.

#Queen’s College 32, Government High 16: Leo Burrows scored a game high 20 points to pace the Comets senior boys, who came from a 114-10 deficit at the half. Rasheed Brennen had five in the loss.

#CC Sweeting 43, Teleos 35: Jamerolston Vil scored 14 points in the Cobras’ senior boys win.

#Cedric Farrington had a game high 14 in the loss. CC Sweeting came from a 23-16 deficit at the half for the win.

#CI Gibson B 31, St George’s 27: Prince Wheatley scored all of his 10 points in the second half and Carson Rolle, who had six in the period, finished with 10 as well as the Rattlers senior boys won.

#DeVorne Rigby and Kevaro Russell both had six in the loss after they trailed 15-12 at the half.

#Doris Johnson 41, St John’s College 29: Brendon Williams scored 15 points and Stephen Robinson came up with nine in the Mystic Marlin’s senior boys win after leading 16-12 at the half. Tallen Porter had 13 in a losing effort.

#CV Bethel 26, Teleos 4: Terrell McCoy came up with 13 and Trinity Bodie added 11 as the Stingrays’ senior girls won. Keziah Butler and A’Zariah Anderson both had two in the loss.

#CH Reeves 21, Nassau Christian Academy 3: Stanley Pratt scored six points and Kavashti Rahming added five for the Raptors as they both scored more than the Crusaders, who trailed 10-1 at the half. Rufus Johnson had a pair of points in the loss.

#St John’s 31, DW Davis 27: Leonardo Rolle and Kymani Bowe had 12 and seven points respectively to lead a 1-2 punch for the Giants junior boys as they out-lasted the Royals, who trailed 19-13 at the half.

#Darius Hanna had a game high 13 and Windisky Paul added six in the loss.

#Jordan Prince Williams 20, Freedom Baptist 6: Antonio Knowles and Broc Glinton scored eight and seven points respectively for the Falcons in the junior boys division after they opened a 15-3 lead at the half.

#Caleb Russell scored three points in the loss.

#Agape 20, SC McPherson 16: Tayshawn Clarke scored 20 points, including seven in the second half as they rallied from a 9-5 deficit. Judah McIntosh added seven.

#Tieano Ferguson had eight in a losing effort.

#St Augustine’s College 27, Teleos 5: Antonicia Moultrie canned nine and Dior-Rae Scott chipped in with eight as the Big Red Machine senior girls rolled past the Cherubim in a late game on Wednesday.

#Keziah Butler had five in the loss.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/dec/29/providence-storm-basketball-holiday-classic-heats/?news

As of Thursday, December 29, 2022

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BAHAMAS Softball Federation president Jenny Isaacs-Dotson, umpire-in-chief Martin Burrows, sponsor Deanza ‘Sunny’ Cox and pitchers Mary ‘Cruise’ Sweeting and Ernestine.

PITCHER Greg Mortimer holding his candle as husband Ken Symonette is in the background with his cap on at the candle light vigil last night.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#TRIBUTES poured in from softball players, the media and family and friends last night as a candle light vigil was held in memory of the late Zella Brown-Symonette, the veteran national team softball player who was considered one of the best female shortstops that ever played the game.

#Brown-Symonette, 59, died on Tuesday, December 13, leaving behind her husband Kenneth Symonette Sr, daughter Kenise (Jerad) Darville, son Kenneth (Qutel) Symonette Jr, grandchildren Anthony Deane, Colman and Chozen Darville and Hannah and Kai Symonette, sisters Ruthmae Williams, Maxine Newton and Patricia Brown and brothers Ralph, Ullis and Dexter Brown.

#Yasmin Newbold serenaded the crowd with a number of selections, Bishop Denczil Rolle delivered a short exaltation and prayer and Pastor Stephanie Chisholm closed out the candle light vigil at the Symonette’s home on Avocado Street in Pinewood Gardens.

Kenice Darville and Ken Symonette participate in the candle light vigil for their mother, Zella Symonette.

#But throughout the night, tributes poured in about the life on and off the softball field of Symonette and a special video presentation documented some of the funloving experiences shared by family members.

Some of the softball players who showed up to remember Zella Symonette.

#Ernestine Butler-Stubbs, a veteran pitcher, said she and Symonette were inseparable and would always room together whenever they travelled on the national team. She noted that on one trip, the management team attempted to split them up, but she insisted that if they did, they were both going to head home.

#They stayed together.

#Even after playing on several teams apart from each other in the New Providence Softball Association, Butler-Stubbs recalled how they came together and played for the Spotless, the Brackettes and the Johnson Lady Truckers, the last team that Symonette played on.

#“With me and Zella on the same team, nothing could go wrong on the pitcher’s mound or in shortstop or anywhere on the field because if Zella saw someone make a mistake, Zella would say ‘Nay, get that ball,’” Butler said.

#Hyacinth Farrington, representing the Invaders Softball Team in the Bahamas Government Departmental Softball Association, said her days with Symonette extended to the Wildcats where they provided the best shortstop-second sacker combo.

#“We had so many double plays together,” said Farrington, who called Symonette a beautiful person. “Thanks for the memories you left behind. You will be missed.”

#Alvin Knowles, the senior deacon at Mt Tabor, talked about their connection from the Five-Pound Yard in Kemp and their relationship that blossomed when they became members of Mt Tabor Full Gospel Church and eventually serving on the Deaconate Board.

#“Zella had an infectious smile,” he said. “Even when Zella was mad, she would do a little pout with her mouth, but all of a sudden you saw a smile break off.”

#Greg ‘Motts’ Mortimer, another softball pitcher, said his days with Symonette also extended back to Kemp Road where they grew up. He noted that while they played in the NPSA, their paths were interrupted until he visited Mt Tabor with his daughter, who was a member and he got to rekindle his relationship with Symonette.

#“I know one thing for sure, she’s a child of the kind and she’s resting in the arms of the Lord,” Mortimer said.

#For umpire-in-chief Martin ‘Pork’ Burrows, he first got to know Symonette back in 1991 when he played with her husband Ken in the Hotel League. He said he always wondered why Symonette would take her lunch hour to sit in the back in right field, but he realised that it was because of the position Ken played.

#“Zella was a champion, but Ken was a champion from that time as we won a number of championships in the hotel league before it became the Atlantis League,” Burrows said. “We won about eight or nine championships and I remember Symonette coming out to watch us play in all of them.”

#When he ventured into umpiring, Martin said he noticed how Symonette would always take the time to encourage him during or after the game about the manner in which he officiated the game.

#Deanza ‘Sonny’ Cox, the new sponsor of the Sunshine Auto Wildcats, said when he came on board, Symonette had already left for the Truckers.

#“The Wildcats that I joined, never forgot Zella, so when you talked about greatness, Zella’s name always came up. So hats off to Zella,” Cox said. “That’s why I am here tonight. I’m here to represent Zella, who was one of the original Wildcats, who made a difference in fastpitch softball.”

#Jenny Isaacs-Dotson, the first female to serve as president of the BSF, expressed her condolences on behalf of the entire softball community.

#“It touches home for me particularly as the president of the BSF because I not only played against Zella in slowpitch and fastpitch, but we travelled on the national team as well,” Isaacs-Dotson said. “She was a remarkable person, who I never saw angry, I never saw upset. She was always smiling and always encouraging.

#“When I saw the notice coming around about her death, I had to call Mary (Edgecombe-Sweeting) to confirm. But she will be sorely missed. Hopefully we will be able to do something for her on the park at a later date.”

#In conclusion, Brent Stubbs, senior reporter at The Tribune, noted that Symonette was a “gem,” who played like “poetry in motion,” similar to the late Kith Butler. He also called for Symonette to be memorialised posthumously in the National Hall of Fame. May her soul rest in peace.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/dec/29/candle-light-vigil-held-memory-shortstop-zella-bro/?news

CHAVANO “Buddy” Hield has been named as The Tribune’s Male Athlete of the Year 2022. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)

As of Thursday, December 29, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#In what was an unusual year for Bahamas sports, for the first time there were no nominees for the top five spots from track and field.

#Instead, those spots were filled by the three Bahamians now playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and two, who made history as they competed in the Major League Baseball.

#What a year again to review without a top male track and field athlete.

#Champion – Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield

#After so many rumours swirling that also included the Los Angeles Lakers, Hield was finally traded from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Indiana Pacers on February 8 in a six-player deal and a 2023 second-round pick.

#On February 11, the 30-year-old Grand Bahamian made his debut for the Pacers in a 120-113 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, recording a near triple double with 16 points, eight assists and nine rebounds.

#The shooting guard came back on February 15 and scored a season-high 36 points while dishing out four assists in a 128–119 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks and on December 5, he became the second-fastest player in NBA history to reach 1,500 career three-pointers, only behind Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry.

#Hield, selected by the Pelicans with the sixth overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft out of Oklahoma, is averaging 17.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game for the Pacers, who are in contention for a playoff run this season.

#The 6-foot, 4-inch, 220-pound guard came home and played once again for the Bahamas in the Bahamas Basketball Federation’s bid to put together the best team possible to qualify for the FIBA World Cup.

#Unfortunately, his best efforts in leading the Bahamas in a pair of games was not enough to get the Bahamas over the hump.

PHOENIX Suns’ Deandre Ayton, of The Bahamas, poses for a photo during an NBA basketball media day in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

#Runner-up – DeAndre Ayton

#While the federation was looking forward to him coming home to team up with Hield and Kai Jones in the FIBA World Cup qualifier, Ayton opted not to play as he was dealing with negotiations for a new contract with the Phoenix Suns.

#After he didn’t agree on a contract extension with the Suns, Ayton became a restricted free agent during the offseason and on July 14, 2022, he signed a four-year, $133 million offer sheet with the Pacers, amounting to the largest in league history.

#Eventually, the Suns matched the Pacers offer and on July 18, Ayton signed the Suns’ multi-year contract.

#Playing for the Arizona Wildcats in the Pac-12 Conference in the 2017-18 season, Ayton was selected as the first overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft by the Suns. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2019.

#In 2021, he helped Phoenix to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999.

#Ayton, 24, is now a formidable force to reckon with in the middle as a 7-0 centre for the Suns, averaging 17.8 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game for Phoenix, who is sitting among the top echelon of the Western Conference in the NBA.

Miami Marlins’ Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr. (AP File photo)

#Third place finisher – Jasrado ‘Jazz’ Chisholm

#Had it not been for a season-ending injury, Chisholm could have easily surged to the front of the pack.

#The 24-year-old second baseman, Chisholm was hitting for a .254 batting average, alongside 14 home runs, 45 runs batted in, 39 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, and an on base plus slugging percentage of .860/

#He was the National League leader at his position in OPS, home runs and RBI, as well as slugging percentage (.535) and triples (4) and made the All-Star game for the first time in his career, being named the starting second baseman for the National League.

#Although he became the first Bahamian-born player to make the All-Star Game roster, Chisholm did not play in the game as he was placed on the injured list on June 29, due to what was then diagnosed as right lower back strain.

#On July 22, Chisholm was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his lower back, and missed six weeks of the season. But on September 10, the Marlins confirmed that Chisholm would be out for the rest of the season.

#Before he left, in 60 games played, Chisholm hit .254/.325/.535 with 14 home runs, 10 doubles, 4 triples, 45 RBI and 12 stolen bases

Kai Jones (AP Photo)

#Fourth place finish – Kai Jones

#After being drafted in the first round with the sixth pick in 2019 by the New York Knicks, the 21-year-old Jones, who was then traded to the Charlotte Hornets, is now coming into his own after spending a brief stint in the D-League.

#The 6-11 forward, who was the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year for the University of Texas in 2021, is averaging 3.0 points, 2.2 rebounds, 0.2 assists, 0.4 turnovers, 0.2 steals, 05 blocks and 1.4 personal fouls per game with his flashy aqua coloured hairdo.

LUCIUS FOX

#Fifth place finisher – Lucius Fox

#History was made again on April 10 when Fox was called up to play in the Majors for the Washington Nationals, becoming the eighth Bahamian to reach that lofty plateau, joining the two previous members in the league at the same time.

#In his debut game, the shortstop laid down a safety squeeze bunt to tie the game in the eighth inning as the Nationals came from behind for a 4-2 win over the New York Mets.

#Also playing in the league was Chisholm and Antoan Richardson, who is now the first base coach for the San Francisco Giants.

#The other Bahamians to play in the Majors are Andre Rodgers, Tony Curry, Ed Armbrister, Wenty Ford and Wilfred Culmer, all of whom are deceased.

#The 25-year-old Fox recorded his first MLB hit on May 1 in an 11-5 win over Richardson and the Giants, but was sent back to the Triple- A Rochester Red Wings on May 3.

#On December 13, Fox was designated for assignment by the Nationals where he is awaiting his new assignment for 2023.

#At the end of 2022, on December 4 to be exact, Fox teamed up with Todd Isaacs Jr to host the fifth edition of their fast growing Don’t Blink Home Run Derby that returned to its original site at Montagu shore after being staged on Paradise Island.

#When it was all said and done, it came down to the first All Bahamian showdown in the final with BJ Murray out-slugging Trent Deveaux to cart off the crown, adding his name to the list of champions that included Bo Bichette, the back-to-back winner in 2018 and 2019, Lewis Brinson in 2020 and MJ Melendez last year.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/dec/29/buddy-top-chavano-hield-tribunes-male-athlete-year/?news

As of Friday, December 30, 2022

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KADEEM COLEBY

DWIGHT COLEBY

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#IT’S unusual to see two brothers playing together at the international level, but all things concerned, Kadeem and Dwight (Jr) Coleby are not your ordinary siblings.

#As the elder of the two, Kadeem Coleby played in a number of schools in the United States before he began his career on the professional rank in 2014 with stints in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Japan, his last stop in 2020 after he suffered an injury that sidelined him for a bit.

#Three months ago, 33-year-old Kadeem was back in action, suiting up to play for the men’s national basketball team in the FIBA Americas’ 2023 World Cup Qualifiers. However, his younger brother, Dwight Coleby Jr, 28, was also hit by the injury bug and had to sit on the sidelines watching.

#Both siblings, who stand at 6-feet, 9-inches and play the centre position, are home in Nassau awaiting on the call for their next assignment overseas.

#“Being injured, I had some time to sit back and reflect on my accomplishments and how well I have done for myself,” Kadeem said. “But you really never think about it until you are sidelined and you reflect on all the places you have been, all the things you have done, how far you came and so I’m very proud of where me and my brother have come.

#“I’m really proud of both of us and I’m looking forward to hopefully having another three years or so at it that will carry me well into my thirties and hopefully he can do at least another seven years or so to catch me up.”

#Recovering from a left hamstring injury he suffered when he was trying out for the men’s national team at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium, Dwight Jr said he couldn’t play with the team, but he’s now recovering.

#“It was hard being on the bench knowing that you could help the team win two of the games and not just one,” Dwight said. “Everything happens for a reason in life, so you can’t take it too hard.”

#While Kadeem has recovered nicely from surgery in Boston, he said he’s feeling stronger, incorporating the weight room workouts in his training regimen to make sure that he gets back to full strength.

#“Being the older of the two, you never really think about having your younger brother following you,” Kadeem said. “It wasn’t until my father, Dwight Sr, told me that Dwight was starting to play basketball too and he’s looking up to me.

#“So it was really fun when we got to the age that we could play together. We didn’t go to the same colleges, but we played in Japan for a season and on the national team at the same time. So it’s great to have a guy that works so hard and understands how to play basketball the right way, is good.”

#Dwight said while he’s still waiting for his next deal to play overseas, he’s excited to be in the same position as his big brother, Kadeem.

#“It’s exciting. There ain’t that many guys who are doing it together, so we are really blessed to have this opportunity to play,” said Dwight, who has played in Belgium, Turkey and Italy where he gets to practice at least four days a week and play once a week.

#“I know when I was growing up, I had people who told me that I am not good. So every time I go out to work out, it motivates me to get better and to prove everybody wrong. I want to get a few more years out of this, but the most important thing is to stay healthy.”

#Looking ahead to the future, Kadeem said if they can stay healthy, they will try to finish off their careers strong, hopefully helping the national team to get to the next level, which is where they come in as big men.

#“We need our bigs to be dominant,” Kadeem said. “We have some superstars in Buddy (Hield). We’re still waiting on (Deandre) Ayton to join us, so we need our bigs to be dominant. We won our last game here because the bigs dominated.

#“As long as we can keep that going, the team is going to be good and we will definitely get to do some great things for the Bahamas.”

#Kadeem assured the Bahamas Basketball Federation, headed by Eugene Horton, that they just need to provide some of the same amenities that they experience when they play overseas and the players would be happy to come home and play for the country.

#“When we go overseas, we have everything that we need,” he said. “We have codes to get into the gyms to train, we have someone that follows everywhere, we have someone who can take us through a vigorous training session and we have spots where we get the right meals. We go to spa and get massages. So we need stuff like that.

#“The national team players need that when they come home. We also need to have a reserve team with the same amenities that the national team gets. Once we put those things in place, we will take off because the Bahamas has naturally0gifted athletes. Our players don’t get to lift weights until we get to the United States. But at age 16-17, we are flying and playing at a high level.”

#Kadeem said it was a pleasure to team up with Hield, whom he considers to be a team leader and one who “speaks” and gets the job done. “We just need more power behind him. We know Ayton is a seasoned guy and Buddy is a seasoned vet and Kai (Jones) is starting to grow. So we’re on the right track to get this team together for the future.”

#Although he didn’t get to play in the NBA, Kadeem said it all happened for a reason.

#“In life, you never understand why certain things happen and then realise that maybe it’s not for me,” said Kadeem, who got a chance to work out with a couple of NBA teams, including the Memphis Grizzlies in 2015 but it didn’t work out.

#Kadeem is a long-time fan of the Los Angeles Lakers and while he admitted that they are still trying to find the right pieces to pull it all together, he’s confident that before the season is over, they will turn things around. And while he’s home, Kadeem said he was glad to watch his One Family emerge as the winner of the Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade.

#“I grew up in Grants Town right around the corner from Taylor Street, so I’ve been a Warrior fan, so to see them come out

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/dec/30/coleby-brothers-are-not-your-ordinary-siblings/?news

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis throwing out a pitch at the Andre Rodgers National Baseball Stadium. Photo: Austin Fernander

As of Friday, December 30, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#“LET’S play ball” was the familiar call of the umpire as the Bahamas Baseball Association finally got to play its first official game in the newly and long-awaited constructed Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium.

#With the focus on the introduction of the first of its series of COPABE tournaments to be played here, Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis and Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg opened the stadium on December 4 for the fourth Caribbean Cup.

#It turned out to be the biggest sports story for The Tribune in a year that has been beset with some interesting twists off the playing field as sports returned to full blast in the aftermath of the two-year hiatus because of COVID-19 pandemic.

#Champions – Andre Rodgers opened for business

#Although they still had some cosmetic work to be done, the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Davis-led government lived up to the promise of so many others to get the stadium ready by December for the first major international baseball tournament to be played in the Bahamas.

#It was a project designed by architect Michael Foster that started a decade away and seemingly ballooned in cost from double to triple the original price with so many delays that one just wanted to see the big white elephant in full operation.

#COPABE showed up to join in the celebrations with four teams to play in the initial under-23 or rather open tournament that also served as a qualifier for the Central American and Caribbean Games in 2023.

#But after giving it a gallant effort, the Bahamas national team, managed by Geron Sands and featuring the majority of the top players playing in the minor league or college, didn’t have the stamina to go all the way, finishing in fourth place with just one victory.

#Certainly not the start many anticipated considering that the players longed for the opportunity to come home and compete in front of the home crowd. But there’s many who argued why San Francisco Giants’ first base coach Antoan Richardson wasn’t invited to be a part of the coaching staff and other players were not in the pool selection.

#The tournament did provide one stipulation and that was the fact that neither Miami Marlins’ second baseman Jasrado ‘Jazz’ Chisholm and Washington Nationals’ shortstop Lucius Fox were eligible to play in the qualifier as they were on Major League rosters.

#Nonetheless, they missed the rare opportunity to display their skills at home, but there will be more homecoming celebrations for them to be a part of, according to BBA secretary general Teddy Sweeting, who served as the chairman of the Local Organising Committee.

#Runner-Up – World Relays back home

#As the baton left its original home in the Bahamas in 2019 and headed to its second leg in Yokohama, Japan and onto its third leg in Chorzow, Poland in 2021, World Athletics granted the Bahamas the rights in November to bring it home in 2024 back to “Sports in Paradise” as coined by former Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe.

#This was the mark of four years that the Bahamas has played host to the unusual track meet that features competition from the 4 x 100m to the 4 x 1500m and to include the mixed gender 4 x 400m and shuttle hurdles relays.

#While the Bahamas played gracious hosts in 2014, 2015 and 2017, it wasn’t until the last episode here in 2017 that the quartet of Steven Gardiner, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Anthonique Strachan and Michael Mathieu prevailed with the closing victory in that historic introduction of the gender relay that many were left disappointed when the previous Free National Movement (FNM) government opted not to host it again in 2019.

#It’s back and hopefully the rhythmic sound of junkanoo will propel and inspire so many athletes to attain the lofty goal of representing the Bahamas in relay teams in a bid to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.

#Third place finishers – Bahamas Games is back

#Before all of the international hype is centred around the World Relays, the Bahamas will get a chance to showcase its own athletes in the seventh edition of the Bahamas Games.

#Although it has been in hibernation for more than two decades, many remember the fierce competition that was witnessed from teams from Grand Bahama in the north to Inagua in the south.

#Set in the framework of the country’s 50th Independence celebrations, the Bahamas Golden Jubilee Games is scheduled for July 6-14 and according to Minister Bowleg will serve as a tool of national integration and sports development.

#The games will return with vintage Martin Lundy and Sharon ‘the General’ Storr as the chairman and deputy chairman respectively of the Games Secretariat of the Olympic-style competition that was last held in 2001 with the previous events taking place in 1998, 1995, 1991 and 1989.

#Once again, athletes will represent teams from New Providence, Abaco, Acklins, Andros, Bimini and the Berry Islands, Cat Island, Crooked Island, Eleuthera, Exuma and Ragged Islands, Grand Bahama, Harbour Island and Spanish Wells, Long Island, Mayaguana, Rum Cay and San Salvador, either as individuals or combined in some cases.

#Athletes will get to display their skills in competitions in basketball, baseball, beach soccer, bodybuilding, boxing, cycling, golf, lawn tennis, powerlifting, softball, regatta sailing, youth Olympic sailing, swimming and track and field.

#There are also some sporting disciplines that will be used as demonstrations in their efforts to attract more athletes and officials to participate. But for the most part, the landscape is expected to be a grand one for all who participate this year.

#Fourth place finish – BLTA elections in court

#What’s sports in the Bahamas without some controversy in the air, especially when it comes to electing its officers.

#The Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association, under the leadership of president Perry Newton, was all set to go to the polls to elect its new executive team for the next two years. However, former football great Ken Kerr, who was challenging Newton, got a court injunction that prevented the BLTA from going through with the elections.

#No new date has been set, but the BLTA has gone on to function as usual, only to be hit with another snag when some of the top players signed a silent protest by not participating in the 2022 Giorgio Baldacci National Open at the National Tennis Center.

#Top seed Kevin Major Jr also aborted completion of the men’s final when he broke Grand Bahamian rising star Denali Nottage and forfeited the rest of the match with a 1-0 lead.

#While Nottage went on to earn his first national title, there was a change in the role of the ladies’ finalists as No.2 seed Elana Mackey upset defending champion and No.1 seed Sydney Clarke in two sets.

#Fifth place finish – Archer returned as BAAA president

#Many would ask why has this gotten such a high priority? After losing in his bid to become the Member of Parliament for Fort Charlotte as a candidate for the Free National Movement, the argument started to swirl about his future tenure in office for Drumeco Archer as the Bahamas Association of Athletic Association.

#But on December 4, during the BAAA election of officers at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium, Archer re-emerged as president for the next four years, beating out former president Rosamunde Carey and former athlete/coach/executive Dawn Johnson.

#After a vigorous campaign trail, Archer secured a resounding victory to continue the mandate that he left in place as he was chosen to head the BAAA going into the 50th anniversary celebrations of the CARIFTA Games here over the Easter holiday weekend.

#Additionally, Archer played a vital role on the committee that lobbied and was successful in convincing World Athletics that the World Relays should return to the Bahamas when the sixth edition takes place in 2024 after hosting the first three in 2014, 2015 and 2017.

#What a magnificent time for the BAAA, which also has the seventh edition of the Bahamas Games to oversee during the 50th Jubilee anniversary celebrations in July. Archer said he’s up to the task to get the job done with his newly elected executive board.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/dec/30/top-sports-stories-year-2022/?news

PLAY ACTION: Doris Johnson Mystic Marlins and CI Gibson Rattlers senior boys clash yesterday during the Providence Storm Basketball Club’s Holiday Classic at CI Gibson gym.

As of Friday, December 30, 2022

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A CI Gibson Rattlers player at the charity stripe. Photos: Moises Amisial/Tribune Staff

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#The Providence Storm Basketball Club’s 2022 Holiday Classic will come down to one final day of competition today when the champions will be decided in the senior boys and girls and junior girls divisions at the CI Gibson Gymnasium.

#According to Mark Hanna, the tournament director, the senior boys have four pools to determine who will advance to the final, while the senior girls and junior boys will play their final four for their berths into the finals.

#In senior boys games played, Doris Johnson A def. Charles W, Saunders 36-24, CV Bethel def. Agape 24-15, Jordan Prince Williams High def. St George’s 26-15, Doris Johnson def. CI Gibson B 36-27, CC Sweeting def. Queen’s College 33-24 and Teleos def. Government High 34-12.

#In the junior boys division, St John’s College def. CH Reeves 23-11 and Jordan Prince Williams knocked off Agape Academy 21-13.

#And in the senior girls division, CI Gibson nipped St Augustine’s College 27-26 and CV Bethel got by Freedom Baptist 35-12.

• Here’s a summary of the games played:

#CI Gibson 27, St Augustine’s College 26: Philippa Ferguson’s only two points sealed the win for the Ratters in a nail-biting senior girls game. Jada Francis had 12, Alencia Brice seven and Trenea Greene added six.

#“We executed our defence by double teaming their star player (Astonic Moultrie) because we knew they were looking for her for the game winner,” said CI Gibson’s Shannon Williams, who coached the team along with Kevin ‘KJ’ Johnon. “We sent two players at her, one in the front and one in the back and hope that we can tap the ball away from her.”

#Moultrie, who had a game high 13 points, was the target, but couldn’t get around the Rattlers’ defence in the winding seconds. Dior-Rae Scott helped out with seven for the Big Red Machine, who held a slim 13-12 lead at the half.

#CV Bethel 23, Freedom Baptist 12: Towering sisters Terrell and Danielle McCoy scored 14 and 12 points respectively to pace the Stingrays senior girls to victory after they opened a 12-7 lead at the half.

#“I feel great about the way my team is playing. We are executing more,” said coach Shantelle Rolle. “We go into the playoffs tomorrow (today), but I am expecting us to get into the championship and hopefully win it.”

#Weddalinnesi Alexis scored eight points in the loss for the Warriors.

#CC Sweeting 33, Queen’s College 24: Jamerolston Vil had eight and Emmanuel Adams seven in the senior boys win for the Cobras, who led 17-7 at the half.

#“We started off good. I made some subs and that changed the momentum of the game,” said Cobras’ coach Darshtyn Baker.

#“We have some very good young guards and they are adjusting very well to playing at this level, so we expect to do very well.”

#Leo Burrows scored a game high 13 in a losing effort for the Comets.

#Jordan Prince Williams 26, St George’s 15: Kamari Minns poured in a game high 18 points for the Falcons to single-handedly beat the visiting Jaguars in the senior boys match-up.

#“We can be a great team. We’re still a bit sluggish condition wise, but with a little more work and a little more practice, we will be where we need to be,” said Jordan Prince Williams’ coach Ernest Saunders.

#“I have a good group of guys. I just need them to put in a little more work so that we can come out on top.”

#Hugo Nesbitt had four and Jarvis Cash three in a losing effort for the Jaguars.

#“We know we have a young team and coming into Nassau it would help us to get better,” said St George’s assistant coach Calvin McIntosh. “Despite the fact that we didn’t win, I think we got what we expected out of the trip here.”

#Doris Johnson A 36, CI Gibson B 27: Laterrio Young scored 15 points, including 10 in the second half as the Mystic Marlins senior boys built on their 22-12 lead at the half.

#“I feel good because we have grown by leaps and bounds since we started in October,” said CV Bethel’s coach Kevon Spence.

#“The guys are getting used to the system that I am trying to implement. As time goes by, I know they will get more comfortable and we will perform even better.”

#Cavalle Ferguson scored nine points and Prince Wheatley added six in the loss for the Rattlers.

#Doris Johnson A 36, Charles W. Saunders 24: Laterrio Young scored 10 points and Ryan Lynes, Fernando Lubin and Khyze Smith all scored six in the win for the Mystic Marlins, who led 18-13 at the half.

#Romial Strachan and Raymon Woodside both scored five and Leroy Gray, DeQuan Strachan and Treymon Wright all added four in the loss for the Crusaders. CV Bethel 24, Agape 15: Jahliel Minnis scored 10 and Mannie Dorely added eight points for the Stingrays in their senior boys win. They led by 7 at the half.

#Dashawn Smith scored seven and Anthony Mertil had six in the loss for the Eagles from Abaco.

#Teleos 34, Government High 12: Drew Bethel scored 10 points for the Cheriums’ senior boys, who led 20-4 agt the half. Darrol and Gerkai Stubbs both scored three points in the loss for the Magicvmen.

#St John’s 23, CH Reeves 11: Kymani Butler had 11 and Leonardo Rolle 10 to lead the Giants, who led 23-11 at the half in their junior boys game. Jamie Perez had seven in the loss.

#Jordan Prince Williams 21, Agape 13: Michael Munnings scored 11 points, including nine in the first half of their junior boys game as the Falcons surged ahead 13-8 at the half. Joshua Cornish had six, Tayshawn Clarke four and Judah McIntosh three in the loss.

• Here’s a look at today’s games:

#9am – CI Gibson (A) vs Doris Johnson (senior boys)

#9:30am – Jordan Prince Williams vs CI Gibson (senior boys)

#10am – CC Sweeting vs Queen’s College (senior boys)

#10:30am – D Johnson (A) vs CW Saunders (senior boys)

#11am – SJ College vs DW Davis (junior boys)

#12pm – Jordan Prince Williams vs Agape (junior boys)

#12:30pm – CV Bethel vs Freedom Baptist (senior girls)

#1pm – CI Gibson vs St Augustine’s College (senior girls)

• #Senior boys semifinal games
• #Championship games will follow.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/dec/30/providence-storm-basketball-holiday-classic-champi/?news

 Home|Sports|The Nassau Guardian’s Senior Female Athlete of the YearSports

Sheldon LongleySend an emailDecember 30, 2022 153 4 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The year 2022 was good to Shaunae Miller-Uibo as she was able to capture the final piece of her global collection – the World Athletics World Outdoor Championship title in the women’s 400 meters (m). She was able to add that to her long list of achievements in that discipline which can make her arguably one of the best female athletes in the history of the one-lap race.

That title came months after she was able to capture the World Athletics Indoor Championships women’s 400m crown. In Freeport, Grand Bahama, she was able to capture her first North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Track and Field Championships gold medal, doing it in a new championship record.

It is no surprise that she was also able to be unanimously voted as The Nassau Guardian’s Senior Female Athlete of the Year. This is her sixth time capturing this honor.

Running at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, back in July, Miller-Uibo powered her way to clock a world-leading time at that time of 49.11 seconds to win her first world outdoor championship title in the quarter-mile race. Marileidy Paulino, of the Dominican Republic, took the silver medal in 49.60 seconds. Sada Williams, of Barbados, held on for the bronze, finishing in a national record time of 49.75 seconds.

Miller-Uibo is just the second woman, and second athlete ever, to win all the global titles in an individual event in athletics, joining former great Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva in accomplishing that feat.

Back in March, the sprint sensation clocked 50.31 seconds at the Štark Arena in Belgrade, Serbia, to win the women’s 400m title at the World Athletics Indoor Championships. That time was just a hundredth of a second off the world lead, and a tenth of a second off her personal best, national and area record time. She now owns the two fastest times in the NACAC region in the women’s 400m indoors.

She is the only Bahamian to win an individual indoors and outdoors world title.

In Grand Bahama in August, Miller-Uibo put on a show in front of the home crowd in Freeport when she clocked 49.40 seconds to beat the previous championship record of 50.82 seconds.

Williams ran 49.86 seconds for the silver medal while Jamaican Stephenie Ann-

McPherson won the bronze medal, finishing in 50.36 seconds.

Next year, the Bahamian will be focusing on the 200m sprint race but will still dabble in the 400m, she said.

Jonquel ‘JJ’ Jones had what some may call a down year, by her standards, but she was still able to help lead the Connecticut Sun to the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Finals this past season. They ended up falling 3-1 to the Las Vegas Aces in the best-of-five-championship series.

The Grand Bahamian led her team in the finals in scoring with 16 points per game, shooting 56.5 percent from the field. She averaged 8.3 rebounds per game.

The Sun finished the regular season with a 25-11 win/loss record, ending up second in the Eastern Conference of the WNBA.

For her efforts in the regular season, Jones was able to earn All-WNBA second team and All-Defensive second team honors. The center finished seventh in the Most Valuable Player (MVP) voting.

Jones, 28, averaged 14.6 points per game on 51.3 percent shooting from the field this past season. She also had 8.6 boards per game to go with 1.2 blocks per game and 1.1 steals per game. She averaged the most points and rebounds for her team.

Jones was preparing to play in Russia for UMMC Ekaterinburg after the WNBA season but had to flee the country due to the Russian war against Ukraine. Instead, she went to play for CBK Mersin Yanisehir Belediyesi in Turkey. In the nine games she appeared in, she averaged 18.9 points and 12.4 rebounds in 28.6 minutes per game. They lead the league, which is ongoing, with an 11-1 win/loss record.

Having lost for the second time in the WNBA Finals, Jones and the Sun will look to win it all in 2023.

Devynne Charlton had a long season but it was worth it for her. She had arguably one of the best seasons in her senior career in the hurdles.

Charlton bagged two silver medals in the hurdles at two major meets this year. She won those silvers in the women’s 60m hurdles at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, and the women’s 100m hurdles at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. The hurdler went on to win a bronze medal at the NACAC Track and Field Championship before running in the final of the Wanda Diamond League.

Charlton got her first global meet, the World Indoor Championships, out of the way in great form when she clocked a new national record time of 7.81 seconds in the final. She ran that time in the semifinals also. France’s Cyrena Samba-Mayela won the gold with a national record time of 7.78 seconds.

Charlton had a record-setting performance in Eugene when she clocked a blistering time of 12.46 seconds in the 100m hurdles semifinals for a new national record. She came back and finished seventh in the final with a time of 12.53 seconds. In the semifinals, Nigerian Tobi Amusan set the world record at 12.12 seconds.

At the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Charlton became the first Bahamian to win a medal in a hurdles at that event when she clocked 12.58 seconds to win the silver medal. Amusan won in a games record time of 12.30 seconds. Cindy Sember, of Great Britain, won the bronze medal in 12.59 seconds.

At home at the NACAC Championships, Charlton clocked 12.71 seconds to win the bronze medal. American Alaysha Johnson crossed the finish line first in a time of 12.62 seconds. Jamaican Megan Tapper won the silver medal in 12.68 seconds.

In the Wanda Diamond League Final in September, the Weltklasse Zürich at Letzigrund Stadium in Zürich, Switzerland, Charlton settled for fifth in the 100m hurdles with a time of 12.66 seconds. That race was won by Amusan who clocked 12.29 seconds.

Charlton ran three of the fastest times of her life in the 100m hurdles this past season including the national record of 12.46 seconds. She owns the five fastest times ever ran by a Bahamian, and nine of the top 10, in that event.

Charlton will look to run even faster in 2023.

Sprinter Anthonique Strachan was fourth in the voting for The Nassau Guardian’s Senior Female Athlete of the Year honor with 35 points and TyNia Gaither finished fifth with 34 points.

https://thenassauguardian.com/the-nassau-guardians-senior-female-athlete-of-the-year-5/