Home|Sports|Men’s national team moves up three spotsSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailDecember 30, 2022 134 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas senior men’s national basketball team is on the move up on a global scale after climbing three places to number 57 in the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Rankings presented by NIKE.

The Bahamas leapfrogged Switzerland, Romania and Denmark, and they are now one place behind regional rival, the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). The Bahamas has a score of 188.9 points while the USVI has a score of 192.5 points at number 56. Switzerland is just under The Bahamas with a score of 188.9. The Bahamas is ranked 13th out of 37 countries in the Americas zone.

Leading the rankings is Spain who moved up ahead of the United States of America (USA) with 758.6 points.

The national team rankings were based on the latest matches from the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Qualifiers November 2022 window.

The Bahamas made history in the summer when it qualified for the second round of the FIBA Americas world cup qualifiers for the first time. The team won convincingly, 97-80, over the USVI to earn that qualification.

The November window featured two nail-biting games that The Bahamas split but they were eliminated from qualifying for the FIBA World Cup.

They fell short 80-76 to the fourth-ranked Argentina team at the Kendal G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium. The previous game, which was also a home game for The Bahamas, ended in them winning 83-79 over Panama.

In the August window, The Bahamas fell to Argentina, 95-77, in an away game. In the first game, which was a home game against Venezuela, they fell, 86-81.

The Bahamas sport a 3-7 win/loss record and sit in fifth place in Group E of the qualifiers. Argentina leads the way with a 7-3 record. With two more games remaining, The Bahamas cannot finish higher than fifth place in the group. Only seven teams from the Americas will participate at the 2023 FIBA World Cup – the top three teams in each of the remaining two groups and the best fourth-place team.

The final window of qualifiers is set for February 24 and 27, 2023 – during the National Basketball Association (NBA) season which means Kai Jones, Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield and DeAndre Ayton will not be available to play. In the final round of qualifiers, The Bahamas will play Venezuela and Panama in away matchups.

Although they were not able to qualify for the FIBA World Cup, the upward movement of the program is a sign that Bahamas Basketball is on the move.

https://thenassauguardian.com/mens-national-team-moves-up-three-spots/

 Home|Sports|BLTA makes slight adjustment to its 2023 scheduleSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailDecember 30, 2022 131 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) has made a slight adjustment to its calendar of events for 2023.

Most of the events are still scheduled to take place in the respective venues as planned, but there are a couple of adjustments.

The Tim’s Refrigeration Doubles Tournament is still set for Eleuthera, but the date has changed for that tournament. It is now set for April 15-16, a week prior to the original date.

Also, in August, the AID Clay Court Championships, hosted by Gym Tennis Club on New Providence, will be held from August 12-26. All of the other events on the schedule are still set for the original dates and venues.

There is an under-14 and under-16 tournament in January to start the new year, set for January 7-10 at the BLTA’s National Tennis Centre.

Following the completion of the under-14 and under-16 tournament, the BLTA will facilitate the Bahama Pure Water & Ice Juniors National Tournament and the 1st Senior Love Doubles Smash Tournament on Grand Bahama and Abaco, respectively. The Bahama Pure Water & Ice Juniors tournament will be held from February 9-12, and the Senior Love Doubles Tournament is set for February 11.

In March, the Jr. Davis Cup and Jr. Billie Jean King Cup tournaments will be contested. That is set for March 6-11. A World Juniors Boys and Girls event is set for March 20-25, and the BLTA Spring Classic will be contested at the BLTA’s National Tennis Centre on New Providence from March 30 to April 2.

The BD Global Junior Classic for 12-and-under (12U), 14-and-under (14U) and 18-and-under (18U) players will be held on Abaco on April 8.

From May 3-6, the Bahamas High School National Championships are set for the BLTA’s National Tennis Centre on New Providence.

The junior nationals – 8-and-under (8U) to 18-and-under (18U) – is set for June 17-21. The Junkanoo Bowl ITF (International Tennis Federation) & COTECC (Confederation of Tennis of Central America and the Caribbean) Jr. Circuit (qualifying round) will be held from June 24-25 at the BLTA’s National Tennis Centre, and the main draw of that tournament (14U and 18U) will be held from June 26 to July 1.

There will be a tennis segment at the Bahamas Games which is set for July 7-15 and an under-12 (U12) team competition is planned for July 17-22.

From August 5-7, the Abaco Junior Nationals (ranked tournament), featuring 12U, 14U and 18U players, will be held on Abaco.

From September 15-17, the Flawless Construction 14U and 16U (16-and-under) Junior National Tournament will be held on Grand Bahama.

In October, the senior nationals (35-and-older) will be held on New Providence. That event is set for October 6-9. The Sheri Roberts Memorial Open will be held on Abaco from October 21-22, and the FOCOL (Freeport Oil Company Limited) National Juniors Tournament is set for Grand Bahama from October 26-29.

The Goombay Splash ITF Jr. Circuit (qualifying round) for 18U players will be held at the BLTA’s National Tennis Centre from November 11-12, and the main draw for that tournament will be held from November 13-18.

The BLTA Awards Banquet is planned for December 16, and finally, to complete the 2023 schedule, the Giorgio Baldacci Open Tennis National Championships will get underway in mid December at the BLTA’s National Tennis Centre. The qualifying round is set for December 16 and the main draw will be held from December 18-21.

https://thenassauguardian.com/blta-makes-slight-adjustment-to-its-2023-schedule/

 Home|Sports|The Nassau Guardian’s Junior Male Athlete of the YearSports

World Junior Champion Andrews holds off his former high school teammate for the top honor

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailDecember 29, 2022 173 4 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Antoine Andrews had the kind of season that would make even the absolute best athletes in the world marvel, peaking at the right time to assert himself as the best in his discipline at the junior level.

The world’s top athletes all look to hit their best marks and times at major championships. Kudos has to be given to Andrews and his coach Darren Lightbourne as they were able to do just that, ensuring that he would rise to the top at the global meet for his age group.

Andrews climaxed his best season ever, winning gold medal for The Bahamas in the 110 meters (m) hurdles at the World Athletics Under-20 (U20) Championships in Cali, Colombia, in August, thereby cementing his status as the best under-20 athlete in the world across the 10 barriers in the sprint hurdles. He held off his former St. John’s College teammate Keyshawn Strachan to claim the title of The Nassau Guardian’s Junior Male Athlete of the Year. He finished with 44 points in the voting process while Strachan ended with 42.

Andrews clocked his three best times of the season in Colombia, 13.36 seconds in the heats, 13.39 seconds in the semifinals and a new personal best junior national record run of 13.23 seconds in the final. That blazing run in the final for the gold 

medal was also a world leading time for under-20 athletes and he ended the year tied for the number one spot on World Athletics’ Top Performance List for 2022.

World Junior Champion Andrews put together as good of a race as he had all season in the final in Colombia, defeating American Malik Mixon and CARIFTA Champion Matthew Sophia, of the Netherland Antilles, for the gold medal. Mixon was second in 13.27 seconds and Sophia was the early leader but settled for the bronze in 13.34 seconds.

At CARIFTA in Kingston, Jamaica, Sophia came out on top in 13.74 seconds into a strong headwind, Jamaican Demario Prince was second in 13.88 seconds and Andrews settled for the bronze in 13.91 seconds.

Also this year, Andrews showed his prowess in the short sprints, setting massive personal best times in the 100, 200 and 400m.

In the 100m, Andrews was less than a tenth of a second off the junior national record, running 10.39 seconds at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) Star Performers Time Trials in February. A couple weeks later, he had a new personal best time of 48.25 seconds in the 400m at the Dianna-Lynn Thompson Time Trials, and in May, he turned in a personal best time of 20.96 seconds in the 200m at the Oaktree Medical Sonja Knowles Track Classic.

Andrews also experienced relay success this year, running on the 4x100m teams at the World Athletics U20 Championships and the North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Championships, and the 4x400m relay team at the CARIFTA Games.

Strachan had a fantastic season as well, ending the year as the number two under-20 javelin thrower in the world on World Athletics’ Top Performance List for 2022. He had a massive personal best national record throw of 79.89m (262’ 1”) for the gold medal at the CARIFTA Games in Kingston, and climaxed the year with a heave of 72.95m (239’ 4”) for the bronze medal at the World Athletics U20 Championships on a wet, cold day in Colombia. He threw 76.87m (252’ 2”) in qualifying.

Also this year, Strachan won the gold medal in the High School Boys Javelin at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and signed a letter of intent to attend Auburn University where he will begin his collegiate career.

Strachan hosted the first Keyshawn Strachan Javelin Camp in his hometown of Nicholl’s Town, North Andros, at the end of November, helping to discover talent in the islands like how he was discovered four years ago. He just turned 19 one week before Christmas and is already the most prolific javelin thrower in Bahamian history. He has 12 throws over the 70m (229’ 8”) barrier and the best 11 throws in Bahamian history.

The Bahamian strong man is on the verge of cracking the 80m (262’ 5”) barrier, entering a new stratosphere in that event in Bahamian history.

Swimmer Lamar Taylor finished third in voting for The Nassau Guardian’s Junior Male Athlete of the Year honor with 38 points.

The Bahamian speedster in the water has really come into his own this year as the best in The Bahamas in a number of events in swimming.

Taylor established personal best times in the 50 and 100m free, the 50m and 100m back and the 50m fly, this year. The 100m personal best time of 50.25 seconds, in particular, which was done for the gold medal at the Bahamas Aquatics Federation’s Open National Swimming Championships, goes down as a new national record for Taylor. Short course, he set national records of 21.45 seconds in the 50m free, 47.76 seconds in the 100m free and 23.58 seconds in the 50m back at the 16th FINA (World Swimming Federation) Short Course (25m) Championships in Melbourne, Australia, earlier this month.

In 2022, the Bahamian also competed in swimming at the 22nd Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, and the FINA Swimming World Cup in Indianapolis, Indiana.

He is arguably the top Bahamian swimmer today and has no plans of slowing down.

Wanya McCoy, who ran the third-best time in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) history in the men’s 300m indoors in his opener this season, clocking a new school and facility record of 32.53 seconds, finished fourth in voting for The Nassau Guardian’s Junior Male Athlete of the Year honor with 35 points. McCoy ran that blazing time at the Clemson Opener in Clemson, South Carolina, at the beginning of this month, and also won the 60m at that event with a time of 6.76 seconds. The 300m time is listed as fourth on World Athletics’ Top Performance List for 2022.

Outdoors, McCoy has personal best times of 10.33 seconds in the 100m and 20.48 seconds in the 200m, both done this year. His personal best time of 46.96 seconds in the men’s 400m was set last year.

Dakarai Turnquest, who was fourth at the 32nd VNEA (Valley National Eight-Ball Association) World Junior Championships in Erie, Pennsylvania, this year, and who advanced to the quarterfinals of the SVB (Shane Van Boening) Junior Open Championships in Atlantic City, New Jersey, finished fifth in voting for The Nassau Guardian’s Junior Male Athlete of the Year honor with 29 points. He is making a name for himself in billiards worldwide.

https://thenassauguardian.com/the-nassau-guardians-junior-male-athlete-of-the-year-3/

 Home|Sports|Ayton, Suns snap three-game losing skidSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailDecember 29, 2022 148 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

After getting slammed 125-100 by the Memphis Grizzlies at home last week, Bahamian DeAndre Ayton and the Phoenix Suns returned the favor, routing the Grizzlies, 125-108, on Tuesday night, on the road at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee, to snap a three-game losing streak.

Ayton notched a double-double in this game and the season series between these two teams is tied at one apiece. Two more games are left in their in-season matchup with both being in January 2023.

The center was able to contribute 15 points and 10 rebounds in the win. He finished the game 6-for-12 from the floor and was a perfect 3-for-3 from the charity stripe. Ayton was able to come away with a block.

The Suns sit in fifth position in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA) with a 20-15 win/loss record. They are one game behind the third-place Grizzlies who have a 20-13 record on the season.

It was not the start that the Suns wanted as they quickly went down 8-0 in the first three minutes of the game. However, the Suns roared back, taking the lead with Ayton muscling his way down low for a reverse layup to put them up 18-13 with 3:30 left in the firs period. Suns guard Duane Washington Jr., who scored a team-high 23 points, pushed that lead to eight points when he connected on a shot from deep, giving the Suns a 23-15 lead with 2:30 left in the first quarter.

The Grizzlies closed out the quarter on a 7-0 run and the Suns held a slim 23-22 lead at the end of the first quarter.

It was in the second quarter when the Suns imposed their will on the game. They shot the ball at a 68.4 percent clip, going 13-for-19 from the field. They were red hot from deep, connecting on seven of their 10 attempts. They also had three steals in that quarter. The Suns held the Grizzlies to 30.8 percent shooting from the field and the Grizzlies were just 2-for-7 from deep in that quarter. The Suns went into the intermission with a 65-49 lead. The Grizzlies had only three made three-point shots in the first half.

The Suns did not allow the Grizzlies to get too close to them in the second half as they went on to comfortably win the game. Grizzlies guard Ja Morant led all scorers with 34 points on the night.

The Suns were without the services of Landry Shamet, Devin Booker, Cameron Payne and Cam Johnson. Despite that shortage, eight Suns scored in double figures.

This was their second game on a six-game road trip. They lost the first one to the Denver Nuggets 128-125 in overtime on Christmas Day. They were in action against the Washington Wizards last night but no score was available up to press time. The Suns will cross the border and head to Toronto, Canada, to play the Toronto Raptors tomorrow. That game tips off at 7:30 p.m. at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

 Home|Sports|Ayton, Suns snap three-game losing skidSports

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 Home|Sports|Ayton, Suns snap three-game losing skidSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailDecember 29, 2022 148 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

After getting slammed 125-100 by the Memphis Grizzlies at home last week, Bahamian DeAndre Ayton and the Phoenix Suns returned the favor, routing the Grizzlies, 125-108, on Tuesday night, on the road at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee, to snap a three-game losing streak.

Ayton notched a double-double in this game and the season series between these two teams is tied at one apiece. Two more games are left in their in-season matchup with both being in January 2023.

The center was able to contribute 15 points and 10 rebounds in the win. He finished the game 6-for-12 from the floor and was a perfect 3-for-3 from the charity stripe. Ayton was able to come away with a block.

The Suns sit in fifth position in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA) with a 20-15 win/loss record. They are one game behind the third-place Grizzlies who have a 20-13 record on the season.

It was not the start that the Suns wanted as they quickly went down 8-0 in the first three minutes of the game. However, the Suns roared back, taking the lead with Ayton muscling his way down low for a reverse layup to put them up 18-13 with 3:30 left in the firs period. Suns guard Duane Washington Jr., who scored a team-high 23 points, pushed that lead to eight points when he connected on a shot from deep, giving the Suns a 23-15 lead with 2:30 left in the first quarter.

The Grizzlies closed out the quarter on a 7-0 run and the Suns held a slim 23-22 lead at the end of the first quarter.

It was in the second quarter when the Suns imposed their will on the game. They shot the ball at a 68.4 percent clip, going 13-for-19 from the field. They were red hot from deep, connecting on seven of their 10 attempts. They also had three steals in that quarter. The Suns held the Grizzlies to 30.8 percent shooting from the field and the Grizzlies were just 2-for-7 from deep in that quarter. The Suns went into the intermission with a 65-49 lead. The Grizzlies had only three made three-point shots in the first half.

The Suns did not allow the Grizzlies to get too close to them in the second half as they went on to comfortably win the game. Grizzlies guard Ja Morant led all scorers with 34 points on the night.

The Suns were without the services of Landry Shamet, Devin Booker, Cameron Payne and Cam Johnson. Despite that shortage, eight Suns scored in double figures.

This was their second game on a six-game road trip. They lost the first one to the Denver Nuggets 128-125 in overtime on Christmas Day. They were in action against the Washington Wizards last night but no score was available up to press time. The Suns will cross the border and head to Toronto, Canada, to play the Toronto Raptors tomorrow. That game tips off at 7:30 p.m. at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

https://thenassauguardian.com/ayton-suns-snap-three-game-losing-skid/

 Home|Sports|Clarke pleased with donations made to hostelSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailDecember 29, 2022 121 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Two-time Bahamian Senior Women’s National Tennis Champion Sydney Clarke held a successful third donation drive for the Bahamas Children’s Emergency Hostel on Friday past.

This year, she said she did not have a lot of time to plan the event but it came off as a success.

“With the little time that I had to put it together, I felt that the support was there. A lot of people donated and I was able to get some new donors. That was very good and I appreciate everyone who made a contribution in helping to get the donation drive to get to where it is.”

The 21-year-old said there were a lot of Christmas presents and toys donated. Persons also donated food items such as macaroni and cheese, tuna, cereal, spaghetti and vienna sausage, she said. Disposable items were also donated.

“Everyone who got involved was very happy,” Clarke said. “Some are looking forward to donating next year and wanted to know how they can continue to make an impact throughout the year. It was great that I got to meet new people from this.”

Although this year was not as big as the others, she is looking forward for ways she can improve it, such as getting more hands on deck.

“For the fourth year, I plan on doing it bigger and better and like the first year, like have a drop off location. I will look to try and promote it even more to get the word out to the various media. I have done a great job running it myself but the more people to help me the better,” Clarke said.

Currently, Clarke is in her junior year at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) where she plays tennis on a full scholarship. She said she feels good to be doing her part in helping out in the community.

“I do a lot of community service at school. It’s something I enjoy doing and I feel as though when I give back, it just transfers over. I just love helping people and it’s also because so much people help me. I feel as though it’s just my duty as a citizen – to do what I can and make an impact in some way,” Clarke said.

The junior is home for the Christmas holidays to be with family and friends. While here, she competed at the Giorgio Baldacci Open National Championships last week. She defended her national title but was unsuccessful in repeating as champion as she fell to Elana Mackey in the women’s championship.

The avid Junkanooer will return to school early next month as the UAB Blazers return to action on January 15, 2023, when they face the Mississippi State University Bulldogs in Starkville, Mississippi.

https://thenassauguardian.com/clarke-pleased-with-donations-made-to-hostel/

 Home|Sports|Miller, Shizuoka keep rolling as they win their eighth straightSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailDecember 28, 2022 109 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Senior men’s national basketball player Tavario Miller and the Shizuoka Veltex continue to rule the Japanese B3 League, winning their eighth straight game on Christmas Eve with a dominating 86-56 victory over Tachikawa Dice.

Miller was able to come away with a double-double on the back half of a home series against Tachikawa. He scored 16 points and had 11 boards on his team’s home floor inside the Shizuoka City Center Gymnasium in Shizuoka City, Shizuoka, Japan.

Miller, who came off the bench, played 28 minutes on the night. He shot lights out from the field, going 7-for-9, finishing at a 77.8 percent clip. The Long Island native pulled down seven defensive boards and had four on the offensive side. Defensively, he picked up two steals and also had a block.

Also playing in this game was Bahamian Gjio Bain who played for Tchikawa. He played 27 minutes and was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field. Bain grabbed five boards and had two assists. The center also had a block.

The win by Shizuoka improved them to a 22-2 win/loss record on the season as the league enters a break. They have the best record in the league with Iwate and Kagoshima as their closest competitors with identical 20-4 records.

Shizuoka was dominant in the paint, scoring 54 points compared to Tachikawa’s 20 points. They were too big for the visitors as they held a 35-26 advantage on the boards. Shizuoka was unselfish with the ball as they dished out 24 assists on 36 made field goals.

In the front end of the back-to-back on Friday, Miller had 10 points and five rebounds in 17 minutes as his team won 70-60. He also had two steals in the victory. His teammate, Alexis Elsener, was able to lead all scorers with 28 points.

Miller went 5-for-11 from the field in that game. Bain played 14 minutes in that contest and he went 3-for-4 from the field and was able to pull down two boards. The big man had two blocked shots and one steal.

Shizouka had a strong defensive outing in this game, coming away with 13 steals as Tachikawa had 19 turnovers.

This season, Miller is averaging 12.6 points to go with 8.4 rebounds per contest. He is averaging 1.5 steals and 22.5 minutes per game in 24 games.

Miller and his team return to action with back-to-back home games against the eighth ranked Gifu Swoops (10-14) on January 7 and 8.

Miller spent last season in Brazil’s Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB) with Minas Belo Horizonte. The team reached the league’s semi-finals before their playoff run came to an end.

https://thenassauguardian.com/miller-shizuoka-keep-rolling-as-they-win-their-eighth-straight/

 Home|Sports|

Hield has quiet night, and then explodes

Sports

Simba FrenchSend an email

December 28, 2022 129 2 minute read

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Bahamian guard Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield had a quiet night on Tuesday as he was held to just 12 points for the Indiana Pacers as they fell 113-93 to the New Orleans Pelicans. However, he bounced back 24 hours later, matching a season-high 28 points in an impressive 129-114 win for the Pacers over the Atlanta Hawks.

Playing at the Smoothie King Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Tuesday, Hield attempted 10 shots from the field and was able to convert four of them – all from behind the three-point arc. He had six more treys on Wednesday, giving him 132 for the season, taking over the season lead for most three-point shots this season with a tally of 132. The injured Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry is second with 131 made treys.

The Pacers now have an 18-17 win/loss record on the season and sit in seventh position in the Eastern Conference standings in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The victory has the Pelicans in second place in the Western Conference of the NBA with a 21-12 record on the season.

In the game against the Pelicans, the shooting guard also had three rebounds and one assist against the team that drafted him in 2016. The Pacers were led by Benedict Mathurin with 15 points. The Pelicans Naji Marshall led all scorers with 22 points.

Hield made his first shot attempt from the field in the opening period – a 25-foot shot from deep to tie the game at four points with 10:08 left in that period. The Pacers stuck with the Pelicans in the first quarter and even took a 16-6 lead midway through the first period. However, the Pelicans roared back, going on an 18-2 scoring run at the end the quarter to go up 24-18 and grab the momentum from the Pacers.

It was not a good second quarter for the Bahamian as he missed both of his shot attempts. The Pacers as a team had a tough time in that quarter, shooting 36.4 percent from the field. At the half, the Pelicans had a 19-point lead with a 57-38 scoreline. The Pelicans outscored the Pacers 33-20 in the second quarter to take a firmer grip on the game.

The Grand Bahama native came alive in the third quarter, going 3-for-6 from the field to finish with nine points. He played the entire third quarter but the Pelicans were too much for any comeback plans the Pacers had. In fact, they scored 33 points again, outscoring the Pacers 33-24 to take a 90-62 lead heading into the final period.

Hield did not play in the final quarter as the game was a foregone conclusion in favor of the home team.

Their three-game road trip came to an end as they went 2-1 with wins against the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat and a loss to the Pelicans.

The Pacers flew back home to play the Hawks (17-17) last night, winning comfortably 129-114. They begin a four-game homestand at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Against the Hawks, Hield had one of his most prolific shooting nights of the season, going 11-for-16 from the field and 6-for-7 from deep. He added nine rebounds and two assists in 30 minutes of play. The Pacers led by as much as 22 points in the game, coasting to the easy win.

Hield led all scorers with 28 points. Point guard Tyrese Haliburton added 23 points and seven assists, Myles Turner and Mathurin scored 18 apiece and Oshae Brissett added 16. John Collins paced the Hawks with 26 points. Trae Young had 22 and Bogdan Bogdanovic added 18.

The Pacers return to the court tomorrow for a 7 p.m. showdown against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

https://thenassauguardian.com/hield-has-quiet-night-and-then-explodes/

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

The Nassau Guardian’s Junior Female Athlete of the Year

Simba FrenchSend an emailDecember 28, 2022 162 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

After a massive disruption by COVID-19, covering more than two years, sports returned in a major way in 2022, and among the medal winners and record breakers were Bahamian women under the age of 20 years old.

Standing front and center, according to The Nassau Guardian’s sports team, is a young female who excelled in a number of sports. Reference is to Dior-Rae Scott who now becomes the youngest-ever winner of The Nassau Guardian’s Junior Female Athlete of the Year.

At just 14, the young sensational athlete remarkably has five more years of eligibility as a junior athlete, raising excitement of what could be possible from her in the immediate future.

Scott has excelled in athletics, basketball and softball. She is a superb athlete in all three, but it is in the girls javelin where she really made her mark in 2022. Scott qualified and went to the CARIFTA Games for The Bahamas, and not only won a gold medal for her home country, but she shattered a 15-year CARIFTA record with a massive personal best throw.

Scott turned in a winning toss of 44.57 meters (m) – 146’ 2” – to break the former record of 42.90m (140’ 9”) that was turned in by Barbados’ Deandra Dottin in 2007. Scott was masterful in her command of the javelin at the 49th CARIFTA Games at the Jamaica National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica, thrilling the fans in attendance with the record-breaking performance. She finished nearly six feet ahead of the nearest competitor, Kenika Cassar of Trinidad and Tobago, who had a best toss of 42.86m (140’ 7”). Suerena Alexander, of Grenada, won the bronze medal with a toss of 42.57m (139’ 8”).

Young Scott got progressively better in the javelin as the 2022 season progressed – going from a 38.19m (125’ 3”) effort at the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) Track and Field Meet in March to the record-breaking performance at CARIFTA. She won the only gold medal for The Bahamas in the under-17 girls division at CARIFTA.

Scott was also a national team member for The Bahamas in basketball in 2022, representing the country at the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Centrobasket Under-15 (U15) Women’s Championship in Gurabo, Puerto Rico. Scott was one of the leaders of the team and helped lead The Bahamas to a fourth place finish. She averaged 32.5 minutes per game for The Bahamas and finished fourth on the team in scoring.

Scott is also a strong softball player, coming up under the Junior Baseball League of Nassau (JBLN). She earned two first-place votes and one second-place vote in voting for The Nassau Guardian’s Junior Female Athlete of the Year, thereby falling one spot short of a unanimous selection. The sky is the limit for the young Bahamian athlete.

Finishing second in the voting process is basketball player Denika Lightbourne with 25 points. Lightbourne is a former national team player for The Bahamas in basketball and is coming off a junior season in high school in which she  led the Tallulah Falls School (TFS) Lady Indians in scoring with 342 total points, averaging 22.8 points per game. The total figure of 342 points ranks eighth in single-season scoring in school history.

Lightbourne led the Lady Indians to their first-ever Region Championship and Elite 8 appearance last season, resulting in a number seven state ranking for the team which plays out of Tallulah Falls, Georgia. Lightbourne also had 157 rebounds, 70 assists, 68 steals and 16 blocks last season while earning a second straight First Team All-Region honor.

Lightbourne is a four-year starter for TFS and has amassed 971 points, just 29 shy of 1,000 for her career. She also has 433 rebounds, 231 assists, 219 steals and 38 blocks.

Lightbourne becomes the first TFS girls basketball player to play at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level, signing a letter of intent with the University of Dayton Flyers in Dayton, Ohio. Dayton plays out of the Atlanta 10 Conference in NCAA Division I basketball.

Swimmer Rhanishka Gibbs who represented The Bahamas on a global level this year, finished third in voting for The Nassau Guardian’s Junior Female Athlete of the Year, with 24 points.

Gibbs competed at the FINA (International Swimming Federation) World Junior Championships in Lima, Peru, and also the 16th FINA World Short Course (25m) Championships in Melbourne, Australia. She was also a standout swimmer for The Bahamas at the 35th CARIFTA Swimming Championships in Bridgetown, Barbados, turning in exceptional performances along the way.

At CARIFTA, in particular, Gibbs won four bronze medals and a silver, with individual bronze medals coming in the 15-17 girls 50 and 200m breast and the 50m fly, and relay silver and bronze coming in the girls 4x50m free and the 4x100m medley respectively.

Individually, she clocked times of 33.21 seconds and 2:51.94 in the girls 50 and 200m breast events, and 28.79 seconds in the 50m fly. They are just off her personal best times of 33.11 seconds in the 50m breast, 2:48.09 in 200m breast and 28.62 seconds in the 50m fly.

Track athlete Shatalya Dorsett, who won a silver medal in the under-17 girls 100m at the CARIFTA Games this year, and basketball player Rhema Collins, who has signed a letter of intent to play with Bahamian Yolett ‘Coach Yo’ McPhee-McCuin and the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) Lady Rebels women’s basketball team, finished fourth and fifth in voting for The Nassau Guardian’s Junior Female Athlete of the Year for 2022.

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

As of Wednesday, December 28, 2022

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#One day after enduring his longest match ever to book his ticket to the finals, a well-rested Denali Nottage got his shortest time on the court to hoist the 2022 Giorgio Baldacci Open National Championships.

#In what he anticipated to be an early present for his 19th birthday on Saturday, Nottage, fully regrouped from his three-set thriller over fellow Grand Bahamian Rodney Carey Jr on Wednesday, only played one game against Kevin Major Jr before he was crowned the new champion.

#The 27-year-old Major Jr, who clinched his berth in a two-game sweep over veteran Marvin Rolle on Wednesday, broke Nottage in the first game in their final yesterday before he forfeited the rest of the match. Major Jr said he had informed the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association Wednesday night that he would not be able to compete in the final but was advised that it was in his best interest to participate.

#“I came because they insisted, but I had to get back to work,” said Major Jr, a personal tennis trainer and coach.

#“I’m getting older, and I have to take care of the bills. “I love playing tennis and representing the country, but it comes to a point where it has to be financially sound for me. This tournament is not offering me any incentives as a professional tennis player.”

#By virtue of being in the final, Major Jr said he fulfilled his commitment to make the men’s team for Davis Cup, so while he didn’t get to complete his match, he earned his spot.

#Nottage, however, said he understands Major Jr’s dilemma, but it wasn’t the outcome that he was hoping for. “I celebrated that I won the tournament after playing so hard in the semifinals,” said Nottage, who in his debut in the tournament last year got eliminated in the quarterfinals.

#“It’s okay though. I understand that the life of this sport is not what you always expect it to be, so you have to get used to it.”

#Coming in from the Bill Adams Tennis Academy in Pembroke Pines, Florida, Nottage said he performed at his best to get into the final and all he wanted to do was to prove himself against the best players in the island nation.

#“I know I still have more work to do, so whenever they have the next one, I hope to come out and still give it a shot to compete against these guys,” said Nottage, who has now earned his first spot on the Davis Cup team.

#“It’s not the celebrations that I wanted, but I will celebrate anyway. I won the title and that is something that can’t change, no matter what they say about the outcome.

#“I earned the right to be here, and I was ready to play for it, but I didn’t get the chance to complete the match,” Nottage told The Tribune.

#BLTA president Perry Newton said their executive team will review the circumstances that led to Major Jr not completing the match.

#And they will make a determination on the way forward. “In sports these things happen,” he pointed out. “I don’t have the details or the full extent to his claims or whatever it is. Hopefully, he will be in a position to compete for the Bahamas when the Davis Cup team is selected.

#“But we’re happy to see Denali come through as the champion. We’ve been watching him, and we saw a lot of talent from him.

#“I remember when he played KJ before and lost in the team trials, so we were looking forward to see how well he would play him today.”

#Newton confirmed that the top two players from the tournament are automatically selected to the team, but because of the situation that developed with Major Jr, they will have to review all of the circumstances before a final decision is made on the rest of the team that will be selected at a final trial at least a month before the team travels.

#Carey Jr was named the Sportsman of the Tournament during the award presentation that was done by Newton and Antonio Saunders, the director of marketing at Fidelity, the co-sponsors of the tournament, along with RMS Insurance Agents & Brokers.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/dec/26/blta-nationals-denali-nottage-takes-home-mens-crow/?news