Home|Sports|BAISS Championships get underwaySports

Sheldon LongleySend an emailFebruary 7, 2023 173 6 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

For the second consecutive game, the Charles W. Saunders Cougars found themselves down by double digits at the beginning of the fourth quarter, and for the second consecutive game they rallied to record a victory. They shot past the Jordan Prince William Falcons, 65-57, at the Kendal G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium last night, taking the first game of the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) senior boys basketball championship series.

In the junior girls division, the Kingsway Academy Saints held off the St. Augustine’s College (SAC) Big Red Machine, 34-33, the Falcons junior boys beat SAC, 58-42, and SAC senior girls blew past the St. John’s College Giants, 49-16, in a dominant wire-to-wire win.

Junior Girls

Saints 34, SAC 33

Andica Curtis came alive when her team needed her the most, scoring four points in the final 36 seconds of the game to help the top seeded Saints come from behind and pull off a thrilling one-point victory over SAC.

The game was back and fourth throughout, but SAC appeared to take control in the fourth, particularly late in the game. However, the Saints continued to battle. Down by three, Curtis drove through a couple defenders and dropped in a layup to pull the Saints within one. After a defensive stop, Curtis once again drove to the basket and hit another shot to give the Saints a 34-33 lead, what turned out to be the final score of the game.

SAC found themselves with a chance to win the game with 17 seconds left but came up empty on the offensive end again. The Saints got the ball back, avoided a foul, and ran the clock all the way down. Time ran out on SAC and they dropped a hurtful loss after leading by three points inside the final minute of the game.

Curtis had a game-high 20 points for the Saints. Michayla Joseph added seven and Dashante Sears dropped in five. Azarria Marshall paced SAC with 17 points and Alexis Roberts contributed nine.

SAC led 7-4 after the first quarter and 11-10 at the half. The game was tied at 23 at the end of three, and SAC led for much of the fourth before the Saints executed one last rally in the final minute of the game.

“This was a real test for us today and the girls pulled through. Now we have to come back on Wednesday and do the same thing,” said Saints’ Head Coach Tamaro Butler. “It wasn’t pretty but we got the job done. We made a lot of mistakes – missed layups and turnovers. Once we clean that up, I feel confident that we could come out on top on Wednesday.”

Game Two of the best-of-three championship series is set for Wednesday.

Junior Boys

Falcons 58, SAC 42

The three-time defending champions Falcons broke Game One of the junior boys championship open with a 13-0 scoring run in the second quarter and never looked back, winning going away, 58-42. A relentless full court press forced a number of turnovers by SAC and that led to transition opportunities by the Falcons.

SAC guards kept trying to dribble through the press, and the few times they would pass active hands by the swarming Falcons allowed them to record a number of steals. They found themselves in the passing lanes and picked off a number of passes. A bewildered SAC team watched as the lead grew to double digits in the second quarter and they got no closer than seven points the rest of the way.

The Falcons led 18-10 after the first period and 32-22 at the half. They kept the pressure on, increasing their lead to 47-34 at the end of three. SAC failed to get within single digits in the fourth.

“It was a good performance, but we feel like it could have been better,” said Falcons’ forward Convae Smith. “There are some things that we need to clean up on. Our mindset was to come out and take command of the game early. That’s what our coach wanted us to do and I feel like we were able to do that today. We just have to come with the same mindset and the same intensity on Wednesday and we’ll be fine.”

Michael Munnings led the Falcons with a game-high 20 points. Smith added 16 and Akeem Major dropped in eight. Nathan Rolle paced SAC with 14 points and Keithro Johnson added 11.

With a win on Wednesday, the Falcons would claim a fourth straight BAISS junior boys title. Game Three, if necessary, would be played Thursday.

Senior Girls 

SAC 49, Giants 16

In a lopsided affair the St. Augustine’s College (SAC) Big Red Machine took charge early and never looked back. They led from beginning to end in a wire-to-wire performance in Game One of the senior girls championship series, winning easily 49-16.

SAC held the Giants to two points in the opening quarter en route to the dominant win. By the end of the first quarter, they were already ahead by double digits. SAC led 13-2 after one and 31-8 at the half. At the end of the third quarter, they were ahead 34-13 and they cruised in the fourth, winning by 33 points.

“They executed very well,” said SAC’s Head Coach Anastasia Sands-Moultrie. “I feel like I have a good team, but I’m always working on development. We just have to continue sharing the ball and get others involved. We coming here with the same game plan and we will close it out on Wednesday. We don’t want to go to a third game so we have to come with the same mindset and execute again.”

Junior national team standout Antonicia Moultrie, daughter of the head coach, led SAC with 19 points, 13 of which came in the fourth quarter. Teanna Gibson added 10 and Aranna Gomez and Dior-Rae Scott dropped in six apiece.

Revannah Green and Lebronique Demeritte scored five points apiece for the Giants. Geontae Simpson added four.

Game Two of the best-of-three championship series is set for Wednesday.

Senior Boys 

Cougars 65, Falcons 57

In one of the better games of the evening, the never-say-die Cougars once again battled back from down double digits in the fourth quarter. In their single elimination playoff game against the Saints, they trailed by 10 at the end of three before storing back to win by 10.

This time, the top seeded Cougars found themselves down by 12 at the end of the three quarters, and it would be the Falcons who would fall apart in the fourth. The game was pretty much close throughout, particularly in the first half. It was tied at 14 at the end of one. The Falcons appeared to take control late in the second quarter, but the resilient Cougars battled back, ending the first half on an 8-0 scoring run to take a 32-31 lead at the intermission.

The Falcons came out of the half as the aggressors, taking the game to the Cougars on both ends of the court. They scored six in a row at the start of the third quarter and stretched that lead to double digits by the end of the third, leading 52-40. However, the Cougars battled back again.

Ramon Woods came alive for the Cougars in the fourth, dropping in a pair of huge three-point shots to give them the momentum. The first one pulled the Cougars even at 53, and moments later, the second trey gave the Cougars a 57-55 lead and they never looked back. The Cougars went on to outscore the Falcons 8-2 the rest of the way, winning 65-57.

“We know we didn’t execute like we wanted to in the third quarter so we had to come back in the fourth and play the way we knew how to if we wanted to win,” said Cougars’ Head Coach Dario Burrows. “We hate that we’re a fourth quarter team but at least that means we buckle down when we need to and do the things at the right time to pull off a win. Prince Will did a great job of disrupting our game plan early on, but we hung in there and pulled it off. We have to come out on Wednesday, gain momentum early, execute better, and we’ll be fine.”

Burrows said Woods is their spark plug and he usually comes through in clutch moments for the team. He scored 23 points for the Falcons last night, 13 coming in the fourth.

“He went onto overdrive for us and put the team on his back. We needed him and he stepped up for us,” said Burrows.

Tray Clarke led the Falcons with 20 points last night, but was shut out in the fourth quarter as he went 0-for-3 from deep in that stanza. Kamari Minnis and Barkley Cadet dropped in 10 apiece.

“We got relaxed and weren’t locked in,” said Falcons’ Head Coach Ernest Saunders. “They were more hungry and it showed in the fourth quarter. Hats off to them. We have another shot at this on Wednesday so we’ll just go back to the drawing board and come back harder. We have to stay focused for all four quarters. We can’t take possessions off and lose focus. Once we do that, we’ll be fine,” he added.

Game Two of the best-of-three championship series is set for Wednesday, and if necessary, Game Three would be played Thursday.

https://thenassauguardian.com/baiss-championships-get-underway/

 Home|Sports|There were three additional qualifiers at Star Trackers meetSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailFebruary 7, 2023 215 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The 20th Star Performers Track and Field Classic came to an end early due to inclement weather but four Bahamian athletes were able to go under the CARIFTA qualifying standards at the meet at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium on Saturday.

The number of unofficial qualifiers moved up to 23 as three new qualifiers joined the list at the meet that was hosted by the Star Trackers Athletics Club, and another athlete qualified in a second event.

At the meet, dubbed ‘Battle to CARIFTA’, both Azaria Marshall and Tamia Taylor added their names to the list of qualifiers in the under-17 girls division. They became the ninth and 10th qualifiers, respectively, in that division when they made the standard in the 400 meters (m) hurdles, and there are now five qualifiers in the under-17 girls 400m hurdles.

The Roadrunners Track and Field Club’s Taylor was able to cross the finish line almost two seconds ahead of Marshall with a meet record time of 1:06.33. The CARIFTA standard in that event is 1:09.86 and the meet record was 1:06.72.

The Red-Line Athletics’ Marshall clocked 1:08.44 to finish second. Finishing in a distant third was Spirit of Excellence Track and Field Club’s Gabrielle Rolle who ran 1:15.69.

In the under-17 boys division, Andrew Brown, who is already a qualifier in the 400m, qualified in the 100m. He and Ishmael Rolle, of Swift Athletics, both went under the CARIFTA qualifying standard of 10.96 seconds.

Brown was too quick for the field as he clocked a winning time of 10.82 seconds. Finishing second in that race was Rolle who clocked 10.93 seconds. The Golden Eagles Track Club’s Aiden Kelly clocked 11.05 seconds to place third.

Otto Laing from Speed Dynamics ran a quick time of 14.03 seconds in the under-20 boys 110m hurdles but it was wind-aided. The CARIFTA qualifying time is 14.20 seconds. He won that event and finished ahead of the SunBlazers Track Club’s Tayshaun Robinson who ran 14.41 seconds to finish second. Robinson’s teammate Rowan Sands was third with a time of 15.63 seconds.

The other qualifiers for The Bahamas are Shayann Demeritte (under-17 girls 100m), Darvinique Dean (under-17 girls 400m hurdles), Bayli Major (under-17 girls 400m hurdles), Yulianis Akompi (under-17 girls 400m hurdles), Alexandria Komolafe (under-17 girls high jump), Taysha Stubbs and Kamera Strachan (under-17 girls javelin), Terrell McCoy (under-17 girls shot put), Shatayla Dorsett (under-20 girls 100m), Amari Pratt (under-20 girls 200m), Cassie Thompson (under-20 girls 200m), Javonya Valcourt and Lacarthea Cooper (under-20 girls 400m), Calea Jackson (under-20 girls discus), Annae Mackey (under-20 girls shot put), Adam Musgrove (under-20 boys 200m), Mateo Smith (under-20 boys long jump), Kaden Cartwright (under-20 boys javelin) and Brenden Vanderpool (under-20 boys pole vault).

The 50th CARIFTA Games is set to be held at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium from April 8-10. The Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) CARIFTA Trials is set for March 25-27 at the national stadium.

Next up on the local calendar is the Roadrunners Diana Lynn Track and Field Classic, set for Saturday at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

https://thenassauguardian.com/there-were-three-additional-qualifiers-at-star-trackers-meet/

 Home|Sports|Mingoes softball team suffers losses in South FloridaSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailFebruary 7, 2023 110 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The University of The Bahamas (UB) Mingoes women’s softball team picked up valuable international experience over the weekend taking on Fort Lauderdale University and Florida Memorial University (FMU) during a South Florida game. The Mingoes lost to the Florida Memorial Lions, 11-1 and 12-4, on Friday and lost to the Fort Lauderdale University Eagles, 11-0 and 20-3, on Saturday.

Head Coach Shane Albury said he felt the team could have done better over the weekend.

“One of our weaknesses last year was pitching,” he said. “We improved on pitching this year, but our defense fell down terribly. That eventually led to the lopsided losses.”

He added that the offense was also a problem for the relatively young team.

“We didn’t hit the ball as well as we did before,” he said. “We struggled hitting the ball and we struggled on defense and that just leads to losses. It was disappointing because we know we can hit the ball and the pitchers were doing a great job, but unfortunately physical errors and mental errors resulted in us not performing as well as we could have.”

Over the four games, Sophia Cartwright led the team in hitting with a .650 batting average. Adonya Rolle led the team in on-base percentage (OBP).

The Mingoes ended the 2022 New Providence Softball Association season in third place in the standings but were knocked out in the playoffs.

https://thenassauguardian.com/mingoes-softball-team-suffers-losses-in-south-florida/

As of Monday, February 6, 2023

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MINGOES forward Glenderson Black scores against the Giants on Saturday at A.F. Adderley Gym. Photo: UB ATHLETICS

#By Tanajh Sweeting

#THE University of The Bahamas Mingoes men’s basketball team pulled off a 69-51 rout over the TMT Giants as the two teams faced off in their second matchup of the New Providence Basketball Association (NPBA) season at the AF Adderley Gymnasium on Saturday night.

#The Mingoes’ leading scorer Delano Armbrister willed the team to victory with 14 points and three rebounds and Erquantae Edgecombe also had 14 points and eight rebounds. Theodore Grant also led both teams in assists with nine and has 10 points and Timothy Grant added eight points with nine rebounds.

#Donovan Dean had a game high 15 points and 16 rebounds for the night for the losers. Randy Miller had 14 points and 15 rebounds and Daniel Hall chipped in with 11 points, three rebounds and three steals.

#UB went up by as much as 24 points near the end of the third quarter and were able to dominate the paint 46-24.

#Mingoes’ Armbrister talked about the team’s strategy coming off a 73-89 loss to the Giants in December.

#“We feel like we are a very conditioned team so we wanted to continue going fast and continue to execute what we did in practice,” Armbrister said.

#The strategy seemed to work as the Mingoes were able to capitalise on turnovers with 31 points from turnovers compared to seven from the Giants.

#“Last time we played it was a really close game so we took that game, we built on it and we saw the mistakes and we fixed the mistakes tonight,” Armbrister added.

#Terry Thompson, acting head coach of the TMT Giants, talked about their biggest takeaway from the loss.

#“Conditioning, the evidence was there on the floor but not to take away from UB they played an excellent game and they were more determined,” Thompson said. “Once we get some conditioning and practice under our belt we should be a better team for the next game.”

#The Giants only led the game once since the opening tip. It was the final meetup between both teams for the NPBA regular season.

#The Mingoes are expected to face the D1 Rebels in their next game.

#In the men’s division II opener, Your Essential Store Giants won by default over the BIBT Great Whites.

#Tonight

#7pm – Discount Distributors Rockets vs Rebels (DII).

#Wednesday

#7pm – Mekaddish Millionaires vs RC Liquors Eagles (DII).

#8 pm Zulu Media Marketing vs Rebels (D1).

#Friday

#7 pm BIBT Great Whites vs Mekaddish Millionaires (DII).

#Saturday

#7pm – Rebels vs Products Express (DII).

#8pm – Rebels vs University of the Bahamas (D1).

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/feb/06/ub-mingoes-men-beat-giants-69-51/?news

As of Monday, February 6, 2023

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TYLER Pratt

TRINITY Rolle

KEYEZRA Thomas

KAILEY Pratt

ANDREW Brown

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#DESPITE the inclement weather, which forced officials to finish the meet ahead of time, at least a pair of CARIFTA Games qualifying standards were established in the same event at the Star Trackers Track Classic on Saturday.

#Competing in the girls’ under-17 400m hurdles, Tamia Taylor of the Road Runners Track Club clocked one minute and 6.33 and Azaria Marshall of Red-Line ran 1:08.44 as they both dip under the qualifying standard of 1:09.86.

#The meet, which was to be used as a tester for the Local Organising Committee in preparation for the staging of the 50th Golden Jubilee CARIFTA Games, was hampered by the rain and windy conditions, but organisers were still pleased to get in some of the events.

#“On behalf of the athletes, coaches and parents of Star Trackers Track and Field Club, I would like to thank all persons and entities who were instrumental in the success of our meet,” said Laura Charlton, who organised the meet with her husband and head coach David Charlton.

#“The inclement weather forced the unfortunate cancellation of some of the scheduled events and we apologise for that.”

#Special thanks went out the BAAA, BACO officials, meet director Tyrone Burrows and coach Larry Clarke (DTSP), the announcers and sound team, Bahamas Athletics, the Sisters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, SAC Student Volunteers, the Medical Team headed by Drs. Keir Miller and Cindy Dorsett, CARIFTA LOC and sponsors, security staff, NSA staff and all other volunteers. “More importantly, we thank the participating athletes who too braved the weather and competed fiercely for the prize,” Charlton said. “Thank you coaches, administrators and parents for your support. Constructive feedback is accepted as we continue to enhance our product for next year.”

#• Here’s a look at some of the performances turned in before the meet was halted:

#Girls under-7 60m – Erin Strachan of Kids’ Athletics won in 19.40. X-treme team-mates Sta-Viah Brown got second in 24.21 and Riley Munroe was third in 26.13.

#Girls under-9 100m – Jazmyn Demeritte of Red-Line Athletics won in 16.33, followed by Christovia Moss of Beginners Track Club in 16.76 with Harmony Rolle of Andros Heat third in 17.46.

#Girls under-11 100m – Jaelyn Munroe of DTSP Wolfpack won in 15.51 with Christyn Gibson of Kids’ Athletics second in 16.66 and Kailia Symonette of Kids’ Athletics third in 16.97.

#Girls under-13 100m – Rocellis Moxey of Swift Athletics won in 12.77. Sandra Russell of Grand Bahama Heats Athletics was second in 13.55 and Jazae Johnson of the Striders third in 13.70.

#Girls under-14 400m – Trinity Rolle of Fast Track Athletics won in 1:03.48 with Brianna Bootle second in 1:05.09 and Cassidy Pratt was third in 1:06.83.

#Girls under-15 100 – Brion Ward of DTSP Wolfpack won in 13.18. Vanessa Mackey of Alliance Athletics was second in 13.18 and Jayla Smith of Star Trackers wads third in 13.40.

#Girls under-15 400m – Keyezra Thomas of Speed Beginners won in 1:03.01 with Ramonique McClennon of Hurry Murray Athletics second in 1:04.30 and Ana Butler of Bahamas Speed Dynamics third in 1:04.97.

#Girls under-15 800m – Jade Knowles of DTSP Wolfpack completed the two-lap race in 2:!9.22.

#Girls under-15 75m hurdles – Kaiya Benneth of Red-Line Athletics won in 12.91 with Dallas Strachan of Fast Forward second in 13.24 and Taylor Moss of Red-Line Athletics third in 13.46.

#Girls under-17 100m – Shayann Demeritte of Swift Athletics was the winner in 12.38. Phoebe Thompson of Speed Beginners was second in 12.77 with K’Leigh Davis of Fast Forward third in 13.06.

#Girls under-17 400m – Shania Adderley of Fast Forward won in 1:00.73. Akaree Roberts of Road Runners was second in 1:01.35 and Rizpah Thompson of Speed Beginners third in 1:03.01.

#Girls under-17 800m – Alicia Knowles of the Golden Eagles won in 2:45.65 with Jasmine Rolle of Road Runners second in 3:14.35.

#Girls under-17 1,500m – Erin Barr of Grand Bahama Hearts won in 5:22.36 and Zoe McCarroll of Red-Line Athletics was second in 5:46.73.

#Girls under-17 100m hurdles – Gabrielle Rolle of Spirit of Excellence won in 15.56 and Andrinique Lamour of Speed Capacity Maximized was second in 17.40.

#Girls under-17 400m hurdles – Tamia Taylor of Road Runners clocked 1:06.33 to surpass the Carifta standard of 1:09.86. Azaria Marshall of Red-Line also did the standard in her second place in 1:08.44.

#Girls under-20 100m – Lydia Clarke of DTSP Wolfpack won in 12.65 with Latia Archer of Elite Athletics second in 12.90. Zaria Stapleton of Elite Athletics was third in 12.96.

#Girls under-20 400m – Melvinique Gibson of T-Bird Flyers won in 1:00.41 with Treasure Burrows of Golden Eagles second in 1:00.58. Janiyah Rolle of Fast Trackers was third in 1:01.74.

#Girls under-20 800m – Alfrenique Knowles of Golden Eagles won in 2:33.42 with Treasure Burrows of Golden Eagles second in 2:33.50 and Tellica Seymour of Road Runners third in 2:48.71.

#Girls under-20 1,500m – Akaya Lightbourne of Grand Bahama Heats won in 5:16.69. Tellica Seymour of Road Runners was second in 5:54.59.

#Girls under-20 100m hurdles – Kaily Pratt of Ninety Degrees won in 15.47. Devondra Sands of SunBlazers got second in 15.80 and Essence Sands, also of SunBlazers, was third in 16.59.

#Girls under-20 400m hurdles – Paris Augustine of Andros Heats was the lone competitor, winning in 1:11.02.

#Boys under-7 60m – Rashad Hanna of Beginners Track Club won in 19.58 over Andros Heats duo of Dedrick Storr in 23.07 and Logan Johnson in 23.55.

#Boys under-9 100m – Ashlyn Cooper of Golden Eagles won in 17.21 with Daython Ingraham of Swift Athletics second in 17.22 and Edvardo Burrows of Beginners Track Club in third in 18.34

#Boys under-11 100m – George Brown, Swift Athletics, won in 15.10. Vincent Johnson Jr of Jumper’s Incorporated was second in 15.22 and Jayden Allen of Red-Line Athletics was third in 15.71.

#Boys under-13 100m – Avontae Lottmore of Grand Bahama Heats Athletics won in 13.14. Tyrone Johnson of Spirit of Excellence was second in 13.37. Jacob Pickstock of Swift Athletics was third in 13.55.

#Boys under-13 400m – Adrian Woodside of T-Bird Flyers won in 1:09.71. Patrecio Sherman of Red-Line Athletics was second in 1:10.50 and Jonathan Linton of Swift Athletics got third in 1:11.34.

#Boys under-15 100m – Eagan Neely of Red-Line Athletics won in 11.73. Shevanno Nixon, also of Red-Line, was second in 11.92 and Rohman Rolle of Fast Forward got third in 12.29.

#Boys under-15 400m – Aiden Musgrove of Bahamas Speed Dynamics was the winner in 55.93. Kamron Henfield of Velocity Athletics was second in 56.73. Dario Butterfield of the Spartans was third in 57.79.

#Boys under-15 80m hurdles – Simon Sands of SunBlazers won in 13.03 with Rohman Rolle of Fast Forward second in 13.58.

#Boys under-17 100m – Andrew Brown, unattached, was the winner in 10.82. Ishmael Rolle of Swift Athletics was second in 10.93 and Aiden Kelly of Golden Eagles got third in 11.05.

#Boys under-17 400m – Zion Davis of Fast Forward got the win in 53.13. Javano Bridgewater of Fast Track got second in 53.36 and his team-mate Cleon Laguere was third in 55.01.

#Boys under-17 800m – Jaden Moss of Invictus Athletics won in 2:26.52. Quincey Rolle of Red-Line Athletics was second in 2:30.11 and Ethan Swann of Red-Line Athletics came in third in 2:30.14.

#Boys under-17 1,500m – Ross Martin on Hurry Murray won in 4:50.90. Terron McKenzie of Red- Line Athletics got second with 6:06.89.

#Boys under-17 110m hurdles – Kenny Moxey Jr of Panthers Track Club won in 16.00. Kersch Mackey of SunBlazers was second in 17.88 and Leviticus Levarirty of Fast Forward was third in 21.60.

#Boys under-17 400m hurdles – Quinton Rolle of Red-Line Athletics was the winner ion 1:00.51.

#Boys under-20 100m – Adam Musgrove of Bahamas Speed Dynamics won in 10.51. Samalie Farrington Jr of Swift Athletics was second in 10.71 and Taejuan Spence of Golden Eagles got third in 10.71.

#Boys under-20 400m – Andrew Styles of Ninety Degrees won in 51.54. Zion Miller of Bahamas Speed Dynamics was second in 52.00 and Ackeem Bowleg of Golden Eagles was third in 52.24.

#Boys under-20 800m – Sharan Roker of T-Bird Flyers was the winner in 2:08.62 with Felton Robinson of Invictus Athletics second in 2:12.79 and Reddith Stubbs of Fast Track third in 2:17.21.

#Boys under-20 1,500m – Nathan Johnson of Hurry Murray won in 5:01.96. Mikail Paul of DTSP was second in 5:03.65. Edoney Russell of Hurry Murray was third in 5:13.29.

#Boys under-20 110m hurdles – Otto Laing of Bahamas Speed Dynamics won in 14.03. Tayshaun Robinson of SunBlazers took second in 14.41 and Rowan Sands, also of SunBlazers, was third in 15.63.

#Boys under-20 400 hurdles – Morgan Moss of Red-Line Athletics was the winner in 1:00.63 with Dana Rolle of Road Runners second in 1:06.08 and Tahj Brown of Red-Line Athletics came in third in 1:11.64.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/feb/06/star-trackers-classic-has-carifta-qualifiers/?news

As of Monday, February 6, 2023

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NPPPSSA coaches receive their mini basketball certifications from BBF officials.

NPPPSSA executives pose with family of the late coach Sherman Smith.

GIRLS champions Carlton E Francis.

BOYS champions Sadie Curtis.

GIRLS second place finishers CW Sawyer.

BOYS second place finishers Sandilands Primary.

GIRLS third place team Albury Sayles.

BOYS third place finishers Uriah McPhee.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#THE members of the Carlton E Francis girls’ basketball team knew that there was no better way to keep the memory alive of their beloved deceased coach Sherman Smith than winning the New Providence Public Primary Schools Sports Association mini basketball tournament.

#The week-long tournament, named in honour of Smith, who passed away in January, 2020, wrapped up on Friday at the Kendal Issacs Gymnasium with Carlton E Francis holding off CW Sawyer for a hard fought 8-6 decision.

#Third place went to Albury Sayles, who blanked Palmdale Primary 5-0.

#CW Sawyer’s Laila Leonard, an 11-year-old sixth grader, said they did it for coach Smith. “We did good. There was a lot of chaotic around the court, but we tried to stay focused because we wanted to win it for our coach, who died. He used to win a lot of basketball tournaments for our school,” said Leonard, who played with Smith.

#She noted that their new coaches really prepared them for the tournament.

#Her teammate Alyssa Bain, a 12-year-old sixth grader, said she was pleased with their performances, but noted that coach Smith would not have liked the way they drilled and shot the ball.

#“I felt honoured to win it for coach Smith because he used to practice a lot with us. He was my favourite coach,” Bain said. “So I was glad that we won it. We want to thank the coaches who worked with us. They did good.”

#Coach Melanie Gibson, who brought a winning tradition to Carlton E Francis having won just about every other title in sports played in the NPPPSSA, said it was good to finally get her first basketball title under her belt.

#“I told them from yesterday (Thursday). I told them we have to win this one for coach Smith,” said Gibson, who came to Carlton E Francis just after Smith’s death in 2020.

#“The children were too excited. Everybody, they wanted to come out to practice. We started from January preparing for this tournament.”

#Smith’s family members were in attendance to watch the tournament and they were not only thrilled that the NPPPSSA decided to honour him, but they were even more delighted with the outpouring of love received from everyone.

#“We are very honoured to have been invited to watch the tournament because this is something that he always liked to see with the kids having fun and being competitive at the same time,” said Sherzel Williams, his daughter.

#Stephon Smith, who represented his brothers, Solomon, who is in school in Kentucky and Sherman Jr, who was unable to get off from school, said they are really appreciative of the NPPPSSA naming the tournament in honour of their father.

#And his mother-in-law Teazel Bowe, said she enjoyed everything herself.

#“It reminded me of when I used to come and watch Sherman and Solomon and Stephon play when they used to be running all over the place,” Bowe recalled. “These children are so tiny. I really enjoy watching them play.”

#NPPPSSA president Latoya Bain-Sturrup thanked all of the schools for bringing their teams out to compete. She noted that it was one of the most competitive basketball tournaments they have hosted, which showed that the coaches are putting in the work with their teams.

#She also thanked the Bahamas Basketball Federation for partnering with them and for the tremendous role that Christian Wilmore played in serving as the tournament director and the referees who assisted him in officiating the games.

#Prior to the start of the tournament, Wilmore, Freddie Brown and Yves Pierre also conducted a mini basketball clinic, which Bain-Sturrup said was a huge success for all of the coaches who participated and passed their certification courses.

#In the girls’ divisional playoffs, Carlton E Francis whitewashed Albury Sayles 21-0 to win pool A, while CW Sawyer doubled up Palmdale 10-5.

#In the boys division, Sadie Curtis emerged as the champions after they knocked off Sandilands Primary. In the bronze medal game, Uriah McPhee held off Sybil Strachan 13-11.

#Sadie Curtis advanced to the final with a 20-18 nipping of Uriah McPhee in one of the two semi-final matches. The other saw Sandilands was 10 points better than Sybil Strachan in a 19-9 victory.

#With four divisions contested, the pool championships saw Sybil Strachan def. Carlton E. Francis 11-8 in pool A; Sadie Curtis def. CW Sawyer 8-6 in pool B; Uriah McPhee def. Palmdale 7-1 in pool C and Sandilands def. Albury Sayles 19-3 in pool D.

#The team standings at the end of the boys pool play are as follows:

#Boys division

#Pool A

#Sybil Strachan 4-0

#Carlton Francis 3-1

#Garvin Tynes 2-2

#Gerald Cash 1-3

#Gambier 0-4

#Pool B

#C W Sawyer 4-0

#Sadie Curtis 3-1

#Cleveland Eneas 2-2

#Yellow Elder 1-3

#Ridgeland 0-4

#Pool C

#Uriah McPhee 4-0

#Palmdale 3-2

#Woodcock 3-2

#Claridge 3-2

#Centreville 1-4

#E P Roberts 0-4

#Pool D

#Sandilands 5-0

#Albury Sayles 4-1

#Eva Hilton 3-2

#Thelma Gibson 2-3

#T G Glover 1-4

#Marjorie Davis 0-5

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/feb/06/primary-school-basketball-champions-crowned/?news

DEVYNNE CHARLTON, of the Bahamas, in action at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. Photo: Kevin Morris

As of Monday, February 6, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#Although there’s no indoor championships to compete in this year, national record holder hurdler Devynne Charlton continues to shine, while men’s 400m national record holder Steven Gardiner made his return to action after a year of inactivity over the weekend.

Steven Gardiner (File photo)

#The duo competed in two separate meets, but led a Bahamian contingent of athletes in action across the United States of America.

#New Balance Indoor Grand Prix

#Charlton posted a season’s best of 7.87 seconds to win the women’s 60 metre hurdles after she led the race from start to finish at The Track at New Balance in Boston, Massachusetts. Her nearest rival was American Sharinka Nelvis in 7.93 for second.

#“It was a great race, but I just have to continue to work on my technique,” said Charlton, who fell short of her national indoor record of 7.81 that she posted in winning the silver medal at last year’s World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

#“I had a great start, but I think I lost a lot of momentum in the middle of the race going over the second or third hurdle, but I was still able to finish off the race pretty strong. So I think that was the highlight of the race.”

#With one more race to go, Charlton said her and Bahamian coach Rolando ‘Lonnie’ Greene, the head coach at the University of Kentucky, have identified what they need to correct and hopefully they will iron it out before she competes in her final indoor meet this weekend in New York.

#“I feel pretty good. I feel like I’m in a better spot than where I was this time last year,” said Charlton, who after her success at World Indoor Championships, made the finals of the 100m hurdles at the World Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon and capped off the year with a bronze at the NACAC Championships in Grand Bahama where she also ran on the women’s silver medal 4 x 100m relay team.

#“I am just looking forward to identifying the deficiencies that I experienced indoors and hopefully working on them as I prepare for the outdoors,” Charlton said.

#“I’m looking forward to hopefully getting a medal in Worlds this year. That is the main goal right now.”

#Back on the track, Anthonique Strachan, still training in Jamaica, had to settle for eighth place in the women’s 60m in 7.40, trailing seven other Americans, led by champion Aleia Hobbs, who won in 7.02.

#Strachan had the eighth fastest qualifying time of 7.32 after she was fourth in her heat.

#On the field, Thomas, the Grand Bahama native, was second in the men’s high jump with a leap of 7-feet, 3 ¾-inches or 2.23 metres.

#He was beaten out by Tejaswin Shankar of India in 7-5 (2.26m).

#South Carolina Invitational

#Gardiner, returning to action after almost a year of inactivity due to an injury, placed third in the men’s 300m in 33.03.

#The Abaco native representing Adidas, trailed Michael Cherry of Nike, who won in 32.66 with Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith, competing for Puma, coming in second in 32.72

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/feb/06/charlton-wins-60m-hurdles-new-balance-grand-prix/?news

 Home|Sports|Shaunae out, while Stevie returnsSports

Uibos announce pregnancy; Gardiner, Charlton experience action

Simba FrenchSend an emailFebruary 6, 2023 433 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Bahamian speed queen Shaunae Miller-Uibo, who has won all of the global titles in athletics, and husband Olympian Maicel Uibo shocked the world on Saturday, announcing that they are expecting their first child. Miller-Uibo posted it on Instagram as the couple celebrated their sixth-year wedding anniversary in Exuma.

‘New Year, New Blessing,” Miller-Uibo posted along with pictures of her baby bump. “We can’t wait to meet our little bundle of joy. Happy 6th Anniversary,” she exclaimed.

With that news, it’s pretty much confirmed that the defending World Athletics Outdoor Championships women’s 400 meters (m) champion will not be defending her title at this year’s edition that will be held in Budapest, Hungary, in August. In fact, it’s likely she won’t be in action at all.

As for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, there is a possibility that she will be back on the track by that time. Miller-Uibo is coming off a brilliant year on the track with the highlight being able to capture the world outdoor title in a time of 49.11 seconds. She also captured the world indoor title, winning in a time of 50.31 seconds.

The Bahamian national record in the 200 and 400m closed her 2022 season with a gold medal run in the 400m at the 2022 North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Championships at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex in Freeport, Grand Bahama, in August. Miller-Uibo clocked 49.40 seconds in that race.

Bahamian professional track and field athletes Devynne Charlton and Steven Gardiner were in action this past weekend with Charlton winning her race and Gardiner returning to action for the first time since June 2022 to finish third in his race.

Charlton was in action at the 2023 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix where she clocked a season’s best of 7.87 seconds to cross the finish line first in the 60m hurdles. Running at the meet in Boston, Massachusetts, on Saturday, she was able to hold off American Sharika Nelvis and Australian Celeste Mucci who finished second and third, respectively.

The Bahamian Olympian had a great start as she got out of the blocks quickly and was the first one over the first hurdle. She maintained a steady pace and powered her way to victory.

Charlton’s time was six one-hundredths of a second off her personal best and national record time of 7.81 seconds that she clocked to win a silver medal at the World Athletics Indoor Championships last year.

Nelvis, a world indoors and outdoors championships finalist last year, clocked 7.93 seconds for second. Mucci powered her way to a personal best time of 7.95 seconds.

Gardiner was on the track at the South Carolina Invitational inside the Carolina Indoor Track & Field Complex in Columbia, South Carolina, on Friday. Running in the men’s 300m, Gardiner clocked 33.03 seconds out of lane five in heat three.

Winning the event was American Michael Cherry in 32.66 seconds. Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith finished with the second fastest time when he crossed the finish line in 32.72 seconds.

The last time Gardiner was in action was on June 24 at the Bahamas Association of Athletics Association (BAAA) National Track and Field Championships. He easily won the men’s 400m in a time of 45.22 seconds. Less than a month later, he announced that he would miss the rest of the season with a UTE (ultrashort echo time) tendon inflammation, thereby not defending his world championships 400m title.

https://thenassauguardian.com/shaunae-out-while-stevie-returns/

 Home|Sports|Ayton drops in two double-doubles over the weekendSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailFebruary 6, 2023 163 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Bahamian professional basketball player with the Phoenix Suns DeAndre Ayton had a dominating performance for his team over the weekend as he recorded a double-double twice in helping the Suns take down the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons on the road.

Ayton and the Suns took care of the Celtics, 106-94, at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, on Friday night, and then picked up a 116-100 victory over the Pistons at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, on Saturday night.

Against the Celtics, Ayton, 24, fell five assists short of a triple-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. He did all of this and had a blocked shot in 35 minutes on the floor, and shot 7-for-13 from the field.

Against the Pistons, Ayton finished with 31 points for the second time this season and had 16 rebounds. It was the first time in his career that he finished with at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a game.

The big man had the hot hand for his team, missing just two shots in 31 minutes on the floor. He finished 13-for-15 from the field, shooting 86.7 percent. He was also able to connect on 5-of-6 shots from the charity stripe. Ayton added two assists and a blocked shot. On Saturday, Ayton and the Suns played in front of new Suns owner Mat Ishbia who was sitting courtside.

“The pressure … thought I had on a tie on the court. Ok, fix your tie,” Ayton told reporters afterwards. “It was fun. It was good to put on a performance.”

As for his 30-plus points and 15-plus rebounds performance, the big man said there is more where that came from.

“I’m going to get it again. Get 30 (points) and 20 (rebounds), but all that stuff, 30 and extra, that’s just things that I’m required to do … taking care of business,” he said.

Ayton had a good start to the game on Saturday night, dropping in eight points on 3-for-5 shots from the field and he also pulled down five rebounds in the first quarter. He continued to produce in the second quarter as he made all four of his shot attempts and went 3-for-4 from the charity stripe. Most of his shots came from assists from Chris Paul, finding him in the paint.

At the end of the first half, Ayton already had a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds, helping his Suns take a 58-49 lead. The first overall pick in the 2018 National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft added 12 more points on 6-for-6 shooting and added six rebounds in the second half, helping the Suns pick up their 29th victory of the season.

Paul finished with 14 assists in this contest, with five of them coming from Ayton – the most to any of the Suns players.

Ayton is averaging 18 points and 10.2 rebounds per contest in the 46 games he has played in this season. He is shooting 58 percent from the field.

The Suns will continue their five-game Eastern Conference road trip when they take on the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, tomorrow. That game tips off at 7.30 p.m. on TNT.

https://thenassauguardian.com/ayton-drops-in-two-double-doubles-over-the-weekend/

 Home|Sports|Lady Techs deny Mingoes a spot in the postseasonSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailFebruary 6, 2023 143 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The University of The Bahamas (UB) Mingoes women’s volleyball team was denied a spot in the New Providence Volleyball Association (NPVA) postseason after losing to the Lady Technicians in a play-in game at the Anatol Rodgers Gymnasium on Tuesday night. The Mingoes lost in five sets, 25-23, 22-25, 24-26, 25-22 and 15-11.

Both volleyball teams had identical win/loss records, finishing tied for fourth in the standings, and the winner of the play-in game advanced to the playoffs.

“We still have some growing to do,” said Mingoes Head Coach Raymond Wilson. “Our game has grown a lot and they have gotten a lot better. However, choices kills us but that’s what you get with a young team. We are still developing and will make a lot of mistakes. We really were campaigning on making it to the playoffs but that’s behind us now. So, we’ll just go back to the drawing board and prepare for next season.”

The Lady Techs started strong in the first set. The Mingoes managed to stay close but maintain consistent momentum. The Lady Techs rattled off eight straight points at one point and ended up winning the set, 25-23.

The Mingoes bounced back to take the second set, 25-22, due to strong play in the middle, tying the match at a set apiece.

In the third set, the Mingoes took control, eventually winning that set, 26-24, to go up two sets to one.

The Lady Techs responded, taking the fourth set, 25-22, and forcing a decisive fifth set.

The Mingoes came out flat in the fifth set, and were down 11-3 at one point. They reeled off seven straight points to get within a single point at 11-10. The Lady Techs regrouped, sealing the match by winning four of the final five points. They prevailed 15-11 in that fifth set and took the match three sets to two.

“We played very hard tonight and we were able to keep it close at times,” Wilson said.

It was a close match throughout as none of the five sets were decided by more than four points.

https://thenassauguardian.com/lady-techs-deny-mingoes-a-spot-in-the-postseason/