Month: March 2023

Men’s soccer showdown tomorrow

SHOWN, from left to right, are men’s national soccer team player Omari Bain, Bruce Swan, BFA technical director, Adam Miller, sports officer, Kevin Davies, assistant coach, and men’s national team player Nicolas Lopez.

SHOWN, from left to right, are men’s national soccer team player Omari Bain, Bruce Swan, BFA technical director, Adam Miller, sports officer, Kevin Davies, assistant coach, and men’s national team player Nicolas Lopez.

As of Thursday, March 23, 2023

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bahamas Football Association (BFA) will host the CONCACAF Nations League match between the Bahamas men’s national soccer team and Trinidad & Tobago at 4pm this Friday.

#The two men’s soccer teams will face off tomorrow evening at Thomas A. Robinson Stadium. The matchup between the senior men’s team is anticipated to be an exciting one as Bahamians are urged to come out and support their national team.

#Kevin Davies, assistant coach of the men’s soccer team, talked about what Bahamians can expect from Friday’s showdown.

#“The Bahamian public can expect a group of young men who have been working hard, they are ready to put everything on the line for this game [and] they are excited. The guys are hungry and they want to prove that they can play with the big boys in the region,” Davies said.

#He added that the Bahamas’ players have been adequately prepared and are ready to go in Friday’s big competition.

#Ahead of Friday’s matchup, the Bahamas men’s national soccer team has been preparing for this soccer game for the last four to five months.

#Additionally, a camp was held over the Christmas holidays to accommodate the players who are abroad at school.

#The senior men’s soccer team is focused and in their final stages of training as they prepare to matchup against Trinidad and Tobago.

#Omari Bain, a member of the men’s national soccer team, talked about what his experience and preparation has been like since joining the team in February.

#Bain said he has been very happy with the way the team is preparing ahead of the matchup against Trinidad and Tobago. He said the preparation has not only been physical but also mental and it has been a good experience so far. He added that he has no doubt in his mind in terms of the willingness of the men’s team or their technical ability.

#The Bahamas national men’s soccer team will consist of goalkeepers Ian Lowe, Michael Butler and Vance Wheaton. The forwards are Jordin Wilson, Wood Julmis and Nahum Johnson. The team’s defenders will include Troy Pinder, Lesley St. Fleur, Miguel Thompson, Phieron WIlson, Quinton Carey, Roen Davis, Elijah Mitchell and Ian Harris.

#Additionally, the midfielders are Michael Massey, Deron Ferguson, Omari Bain, Christopher Rahming, Reuben Edgecombe, William Bayles, Marcel Joseph and Nicolas Lopez.

#Lopez, who was in attendance at yesterday’s press conference, was also excited for the upcoming soccer match as he was injured during the last faceoff.

#“It’s been great to be back in The Bahamas and obviously train with the team. I had my first training with the team yesterday since coming back. Training so far has been good and I am looking forward to the meet coming up.”

#Despite not being able to practice as much as his other teammates, Lopez remains confident that Team Bahamas will shine at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium on Friday.

#Persons who are interested in purchasing tickets for Friday’s event can go to bahamasfa.net to purchase digitally. Meanwhile, for physical ticket purchases, fans can go to the NSA office at the Western Grandstand of the stadium where tickets will be sold until the day of the match.

#Tickets for this remarkable event will include the VIP Section for $25, General Admission (Adults) $15, and kids under 12 are $7. The BFA along with coaches and players are excited for this Friday’s soccer game against Trinidad and Tobago and it is hoped that Bahamians will come out and support this event.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/23/mens-soccer-showdown-tomorrow/?news

Fun run/walk on final morning of CARIFTA

As of Thursday, March 23, 2023

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FOSTER DORSETT, BAAA first vice president, and the Dame of CARIFTA, Pauline Davis at the press conference to announce the Let’s Move Bahamas Fun Run/walk.

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#The Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) has officially launched the “Let’s Move Bahamas” fun run/walk.

#The unique event is scheduled for Easter weekend at 6am on the final morning of April’s 50th CARIFTA Games.

#With the event taking place on the highly anticipated CARIFTA weekend, event organisers are asking that former CARIFTA participants join the “Let’s Move Bahamas” event on Arawak Cay.

#During a press conference held yesterday at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium, special events coordinator Damarius Cash encouraged former CARIFTA members to come out and support the event.

#“We are asking you to come out and show yourself, make yourself known to the BAAA and we are gonna highlight you at this event so we want all to come out and support,” Cash said.

#With 4,000 plus Bahamian athletes competing in the CARIFTA Games from 1972 to 2023, according to BAAA president Drumeco Archer, officials are expecting a great turnout on the final morning of the CARIFTA Games.

#For former CARIFTA participants and others that are interested in registering for the fun run/walk event, the process is simple. The first step of the registration process requires potential registrants to send an email to info@bahamastrackandfield.org.

#After sending an email the individual will receive a registration link where they will have to fill out a registration form for the event.

#The fun run/walk event is free in efforts to target and honour former CARIFTA athletes on the final morning of this year’s 50th CARIFTA Games.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/23/fun-runwalk-final-morning-carifta/?news

Play Tennis Bahamas

As of Friday, March 24, 2023

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#THE Play Tennis Bahamas programme is presently in its sixth year. With a focus on teaching beginners ages 4-17 years old how to play tennis, the programme has reached hundreds of children all over the country.

#Girls and boys have both benefitted from this programme which has been offered by The Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA). The programme partners were RBC and Fidelity along with anonymous corporate sponsors over the past years.

#The investment in the youth of the nation is commendable and we continue to see an explosion of new persons to the tennis landscape.

#The volunteer coaches are the main fuel for a programme that only takes in a minimal admin fee of $1 from its participants. We commend the hardworking coaches in the programme who giv back of their time and talent.

#Growth is borne from service to others. The kids are taught forehands, backhands, serves, volleys and overheads. They enjoy the various drills and games. This is the future generation and the development of young beginners is critical to increasing the pool of players in the sport.

#President Perry Newton noted that the programme resumed for 2023 at the beginning of February and will run for about eight weeks. The programme is conducted at the National Tennis Centre.

#Developmental programmes are a primary focus and one of the main pillars and building blocks for tennis sustainability.

#To register for the next instalment of the programme, email pr@blta.net. If you wish to volunteer as a coach in the programme, we invite you to email also.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/24/play-tennis-bahamas/?news

Youth league to host first high school flag football tournament

As of Friday, March 24, 2023

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bahamas Youth Flag Football League (BYFFL) will host the country’s first high school flag football tournament at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium April 1.

#The flag football showdown will kick off at 9:30am until 4pm, featuring teams from St. John’s College, Kingsway Academy, long-time rivals St. Augustine’s College, and Queen’s College.

#The inaugural youth flag football event will be held to raise awareness for the sport and to get more students engaged in it in their respective high schools.

#With the BYFFL’s exciting high school matchups on pace to take place in less than two weeks, programme director Jayson Clarke talked about the structure of the event.

#“We are hosting our first tournament among those four high schools in two divisions, we are using the under 14 division and the 14 and over division which are the two divisions that are actually going to be competing,” Clarke said.

#He added that fans can look forward to stiff competition as there will be a total of more than 10 games for the 14 and over division with teams competing from SJC, SAC, QC and KA.

#The teams have been practicing since September of last year in preparation for April’s flag football tournament. The high school teams will look to show off their six months of hard work on the field in front of their school student bodies. Although the event is geared towards encouraging friendly competition between schools, organisers intend to use funds raised at the event to purchase adequate flag football equipment so that school’s can integrate the sport into their curriculum.

#After six months of training, the programme director gave some insight on what preparation of the high school athletes has been like ahead of April’s event.

#Clarke said training has been pretty good as they divided the coaches into the groups of their adoptive schools as most tried to go with their alma mater.

#He added that they train with athletes two to three times a week and have been working with them to try and get them trained in their groups by teaching them the game and getting them ready to play.

#Fans that wish to see the high school athletes in action can purchase tickets on the day of the event at a cost of $3 at the TAR national stadium.

#After being on the scene for six years now, BYFFL will look to continue to make innovative strides after this sporting event by trying to get other private schools involved and to add public schools that are interested to next year’s tournament in efforts to expand and make it more exciting. Fans can expect to see the always exciting rivalry between the Big Red Machine and QC Comets to continue brewing at the tournament.

#However, Clarke admits that there might be some underdog action on game day. Students and peers are encouraged to come out and support their peers and children on a day that is expected to be filled with excitement and highly competitive high school flag football matchups. BYFFL’s high school football tournament will be sponsored by Pedialyte, Bahamas Waste and Fidelity Bank.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/24/youth-league-host-first-high-school-flag-football-/?news

Starting blocks session helps athletes trying to make CARIFTA track team

ATHLETES take advantage of a starting blocks session staged by former sprinter turned coach Andrew Tynes. Photos: Moises Amisial/Tribune Staff

ATHLETES take advantage of a starting blocks session staged by former sprinter turned coach Andrew Tynes. Photos: Moises Amisial/Tribune Staff

As of Friday, March 24, 2023

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#HE didn’t have sufficient time, but former sprinter turned coach Andrew Tynes said he was glad to once again offer a starting blocks session for athletes trying out for this year’s CARIFTA track team.

#With the final trials being held from Saturday to Monday during the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ joint three-day meet with the Ministries of Education and Youth, Sports and Culture, Tynes staged the workout session on Wednesday at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.

#“As usual, every year we have this starting block session just before CARIFTA,” said Tynes, who now coaches the Swift Athletics Track Club. “The kids were excited because it gave them a chance to get the jitters out because they got a chance to work out with some of their competitors during the Nationals and the final trials.”

#More than 70 competitors participated in the session that was designed for the New Providence-based athletes.

#Bahamas Association of Certified Officials starter Sonia Black fired the starting gun during the session for the athletes.

#Tynes and the other countries involved in the session, including former national team sprinter Fabian Whymns, were expected to stage another session for the athletes coming in from the Family Islands. “I think the sprinters at this year’s camp looked much better than they did in the past, so I’m expecting that they will do very well, not just at the Nationals and the trials, but in representing us at CARIFTA,” Tynes said. “We just have to wait and see what happens.”

#With more than 25 countries expected in town to participate in the region’s biggest junior track and field competition over the Easter holiday weekend, April 8-10, Tynes said he won’t reveal the findings he saw from the participants in the camp but will share with the athletes and their coaches.

#“When I gave the invitation, I told the coaches and the athletes, if it fit their schedule, we would like for them to participate,” Tynes said.

#“I think we had a good response, although there were some athletes who didn’t because their coaches had them working on certain aspects of their training.

#“I was pleased with the response we got. I think the athletes who participated got a chance to work on their start, so that was important going into the trials. “We wished we had more time, but we utilised the same window that we had to work with them.”

#Tynes, whose club is loaded with some of the top sprinters in the country, said he feels like the sprinters will definitely make their presence felt at the games this year.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/24/starting-blocks-session-helps-athletes-trying-make/?news

Minus makes a pitch for women’s pro card

As of Friday, March 24, 2023

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SPECIAL guest speaker Michelle Minus receives a plaque from past president Lionel Haven and current president Johann Bain of the South East Nassau Rotary Club.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#WITH the return of professional boxing with the first all-female show taking place next weekend, promoter Michelle Minus made a special pitch for support from the Southeast Nassau Rotary Club.

#Minus, along with her publicist Serena Williams, was a special guest at the club’s weekly meeting on Wednesday at the Nassau Yacht Club.

#During her address to the audience, Minus took the time to bring some awareness of ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, which struck her former husband Ray Minus Jr, whom she partnered with in the formation of First Class Promotions, the boxing club that is hosting the show on Friday, March 31 at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

#“Persons, who suffer this disease, have a life expectancy of two to five years, but there are persons who have lived beyond that,” she said. “There’s no awareness here in the Bahamas for ALS and so we are doing whatever we can to assist him.”

#She noted that since he contracted the disease in 2020, they have been assisting him with his daily operation and they have received some support from his friends from the international community, who are expected to come down for the show.

#Minus Jr, 59, also founded the Champion Amateur Boxing Club and was the country’s most decorated pro boxer during a career that started in 1982 and ended in 2001 with an impressive 37-9-1 win-loss-draw record with 27 knockouts.

#He held the British Commonwealth title six times, was named the Commonwealth Boxer of the Year in 1989, was a two-time WBC Continental of America’s champion, four-time Bahamas bantamweight champion, three-time featherweight champion, four-time lightweight champion and the first Bahamian to fight for three world titles in the WBC, WBA and WBO.

#In her address, Minus said they will roll out the red carpet as they honour Minus.

#The show will be highlighted by the WBA’s world title fight between Jamie ‘The Miracle’ Mitchell of Las Vegas and Lindsay Garbatt of Toronto, Canada.

#“This is just the beginning of our return to promoting professional boxing,” Minus said. “We are excited to be putting on this all-female card, which is the first time that it is being done in the Bahamas and in the Caribbean.

#“When we do our second show in October, we hope to highlight a British Commonwealth title fight. So we want to encourage the public to come out and support these females on the card and to also make a contribution to Ray Minus Jr.”

#She noted that the majority of the amateur and professional boxers, whom Minus Jr had a chance to train, will be on hand to support him. Among the list are Jermaine ‘Choo Choo’ Mackey, Meacher ‘Major Pain” Major and Quincy ‘Thrill-A-Minute’ Pratt, Minus Jr’s arch-rival in three epic pro fights in the country.

#VIP tickets are priced at $125 and general mission is $35 and available at www. bahamasetickets,com.

#For further information, persons can call 242-465-2313 or email firstclasspromotions@gmail. com or Serena Williams at 242-557-or serena@serenawilliams-pr.com

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/24/minus-makes-pitch-womens-pro-card/?news

CARIFTA ticket sales going well

As of Friday, March 24, 2023

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Presenting former veteran women’s national softball team player Daisy Hanna-Walker with a t-shirt for Carifta.

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Former veteran women’s national softball team player Daisy Walker-Hanson is flanked by Patrice Ferguson and Lynden Maycock as she purchased her tickets for Carifta.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#TICKETS and merchandise sales for the Oaktree Medical Center’s 50th CARIFTA Games are going quite well, according to director of sales Patrice Ferguson.

#On Wednesday at the Cultural Village, Ferguson and Lynden Maycock, the chief executive officer of the Local Organising Committee, welcomed a special guest as former veteran women’s national softball team player Daisy Walker-Hanson showed up to purchase her tickets and merchandise for the games, scheduled for April 8-10 at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.

#“I love to patronise our country. When I was in sports, I know a lot of people came out and supported us when we were playing,” Walker-Hanson said. “So I want to contribute to the young people who are now carrying the mantle for our country.

#“I want to cheer for them and I want them to see my visible appearance. I hope that they are enthused about competing and winning for the country. So from Sunday, I will be out here supporting our people.”

#The former banker, who left her mark on the sport of softball as a member of the women’s team that was once ranked at number three in the world, said it’s always good when the country can host such international events, so she just wanted to make sure that she’s a part of Team Bahamas’ quest to be the best.

#“I am now trying to encourage people to get to know Jesus Christ,” Walker-Hanson said.

#“I am trying to encourage them not to make the kind of mistakes that we made and to point them in the direction of Jesus Christ.”

#Maycock said he was thrilled to have been on hand to greet and meet Walker-Hanson, whom he didn’t get to see play because he was too young.

#“I felt really good to know that a celebrity like Daisy Walker came back and patronised us and purchased her tickets for the games,” Maycock said. “I would have heard about her in my time, but to actually meet her was very humbling. “I was very appreciative that she was really down to earth and so I was speechless being in her presence. It just shows the magnitude of people who are coming out to support these games.”

#Adderley said the sales for both the tickets and the merchandise have been going very well and she anticipates that it will increase this weekend as the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations and both the Ministry of Education and Youth, Sports and Culture will host the National High School Championships and final CARIFTA Trials.

#“We want to encourage Bahamians to come down and get your tickets. They are going down. The gold seats are all gone, but we will still have silver and bronze seats,” She said.

#“The bronze seats are just as good because they are on the 100m straight and the silver are just above the gold, so you still can purchase some very good tickets and at responsible prices.”

#Ferguson revealed that the three-day prices for the gold tickets are priced at $75, silver is $55 and bronze is $40. For those who only wish to secure the daily prices, they are pegged at $25 for gold, $20 for silver and $15 for bronze.

#As for the merchandise, Ferguson noted that the prices are only $20 for long sleeves and $15 for short sleeves. Designated colours for the three days of competition are black on Friday, white on Saturday, aquamarine on Sunday and gold on Monday. “Come Gold With Us” caps are also on sale in black and white for $15 each.

#“Come down get your tickets and your merchandise and come gold with us,” Adderley said.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/24/carifta-ticket-sales-going-well/?news

Trinidad ready to face The Bahamas

SHOWN, from left to right, are Shaun Fuentes, director of media/communications for Trinidad & Tobago and head coach Angus Eve.

SHOWN, from left to right, are Shaun Fuentes, director of media/communications for Trinidad & Tobago and head coach Angus Eve.

As of Friday, March 24, 2023

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#Trinidad & Tobago, coming off their training camp in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, are looking forward to their rematch against the Bahamas at 4pm today in the Concacaf Nations League match at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.

#On their arrival to The Bahamas yesterday, head coach Angus Eve spoke to the media about his expectations of his young team as they got in their last practice and to get acclimatised to the conditions here.

#“We are happy to be here in your beautiful country,” said Eve, who is making his maiden voyage here. “I’m happy that I leave with some enjoyment after the game.”

#Trinidad & Tobago nipped the Bahamas 1-0 in their first meeting on Monday, June 6, 2022 at the Hasely Crawford National Stadium.

#The Bahamas is coming off a 4-0 loss to Nicaragua on Monday, June 13, 2022, the same day that Trinidad & Tobago last played when they knocked off St Vincent and the Grenadines 4-1 in Trinidad.

#Eve said the weather conditions here are similar to what they have in Trinidad & Tobago and even in Florida where they got in their final workout sessions before coming to the Bahamas, but he said they are looking forward to an exciting game.

#“It’s going to be a little different from the last time we played,” said Eve.

#“You will see a much younger team. We are now gelling, although we are in a rebuilding stage. We lost some of the players who were on the team last year, but this is a young team, but we’re looking forward to doing very well.”

#The team will feature a 28-year-old player who has never played for Trinidad & Tobago at any international competition, but with the majority of the players averaging around 24 years old, Eve said he’s confident that they can make their presence felt.

#Against the Bahamas, Eve said he knows they will have to counteract their deep style of play. “They have two really good forwards, so we expect for them to come out and express themselves playing in front of their home crowd,” Eve said. “So we are basically prepared to make the adjustment because we know that we are playing at home.”

#After losing their first game in the Nations League, Trinidad & Tobago stormed back to win their next three and are now sitting in second place in the standings behind St Kitts & Nevis in Group F.

#The Bahamas is in fifth place, having lost three of the four matches played so far, drawing one.

#Eve said this is a must-win game for them because their goal is to qualify outright from the North America, Central American and Caribbean region for the Concacaf Gold Cup Commebol Copa America, the top men’s football tournament contested among national teams from South America.

#To the natives of Trinidad & Tobago, who are residing in the Bahamas, Eve urged them to “come out and support your team from Trinidad. It’s your team. So come out, watch us play.”

#Following this match, the Bahamas will head to St Vincent and the Grenadines to play their next match at 3pn on Monday, March 27, while Trinidad & Tobago will go home to host Nicaragua at 8pm.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/24/trinidad-ready-face-bahamas/?news

CARIFTA Trials and Nationals wraps up exciting day one

Photos: Austin Fernander

Photos: Austin Fernander

As of Sunday, March 26, 2023

#By Tenajh Sweeting

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#St. Augustine’s College Big Red Machine leads the team rankings after day one of the combined CARIFTA Trials and National High School Championships. The Big Red Machine ended day one with a total of 210.50. The Queen’s College Comets came right behind with a total of 167.50. Third place in the rankings belonged to St John’s College with 73 points.

#Day one featured lots of exciting action on the track and field as athletes looked to make a final push to qualify for April’s 50th CARIFTA games. A number of them surpassed the CARIFTA qualifying mark on the day and broke National High School Championship records.

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Carlos Brown, winner of the under 20 boys 100m finals.

#Darvinique Dean from SAC represented her school well as she blitzed past her competitors in the under 17 400 metre run. Dean not only ran a swift time of 56.58 to win the race but also broke the CARIFTA qualifying time of 56.64. Additionally, she broke the previous national high school championships record of 57.30 previously held by Wendira Moss since 2016.

#Dean said it felt excellent to come out and beat the qualifying mark and she was proud to represent the country and make a name for herself at the trials. She credited the way she ran her race as the reason for the big win.

#“I came out and ran my first 200 good and just let my body carry me around the rest of the curve and then come home strong,” she said.

#In the under 14 girls 400m action Bishop Michael Eldon’s Keyezra Thomas shone as she beat the CARIFTA qualifying mark of 57.05. Thomas clocked a lightning fast 56.28 in the race finishing long before the rest of her opponents. She also broke Megan Moss’ previous 2015 NHS record of 59.01.

#She said it was a good feeling to accomplish something she has been wanting for a long time and she was very happy to make the qualifying time.

#Jamiah Nabbie and Shayann Demeritte not only brought home first and second place in the always exciting under 17 girls 100m dash but they also qualified for the CARIFTA games. Nabbie clocked an unreal time of 11.89 blitzing past the CARIFTA qualifying mark of 12.20 and Daniesha Curry’s previous NHS record 12.38. Demeritte from the Big Red Machine notched 12.20 in the short distance race.

#Nabbie talked about how it felt to qualify for the 50th CARIFTA games.

#“I am really proud of myself, definitely willing to go faster for the CARIFTA games to push past my limits and hopefully it comes through God,” she said.

#Although Nabbie was worried about the wind in the race she added that her mindset was to keep pushing, staying on her toes, and not to run flat footed.

#The Comets’ star athlete will look to shine in the under 17 girls 200m finals on Monday.

#St John’s Ishmael Rolle joined in on the day’s CARIFTA qualifying action after clocking 10.93 with a first place finish in the under 17 boys 100m finals.

#The qualifying mark was 10.96. Rolle passed Godfrey Arthur’s 2015 NHS record of 11.09.

#In more track action Shatalya Dorsett and Amari Pratt finished first and second in the under 20 girls 100m dash. Sunland Baptist’s Dorsett notched 11.81 and she was followed by SAC’s Pratt who finished just 0.05 seconds behind with 11.86. Both ladies bested the CARIFTA qualifying mark of 11.90.

#Dorsett talked about how it felt to bring home the victory for Sunland Baptist. She said it felt good to win and to join the other Sunland Baptist athletes who were winning their races on day one.

#After qualifying for CARIFTA for a second time the Sunland Baptist athlete said it felt good to qualify again and she hopes to go out there and do what she has to do for her country.

#And Sunland Baptist had another athlete qualify for CARIFTA.

#Akaya Lightbourne, winner of the under 20 1500m run, emerged victorious and clocked a time of 5:02.93 in the long distance race. She beat the qualifying mark of 5:03.24. Additionally, she shattered Jodie Ritchie’s 2019 NHS record of 5:15.73 to bring home another first place win for Sunland Baptist.

#In a race that was finished in the blink of an eye, Carlos Brown brought home a first place win in the under 20 boys 100m dash. Brown, who has been looking to qualify for the 50th CARIFTA games all season, clocked a scorching 10.49 in day one’s evening session. In the competitive race Adam Musgrove notched 10.55 and Zion Campbell ran 10.60 which meant the top three finishers in the race qualified for April’s games. Positions first through seventh in the race all surpassed Johnathan Smith’s former NHS record of 10.84, making this the must see race of the event.

#Brown talked about how it felt to finally qualify for the country.

#“I feel really great about it coming off an injury and I just wanna thank the Lord for allowing me to finish the race injury free,” he said.

#In a tight race that only saw separation between athletes at the tail end, Brown said his mindset was to bring his knees up, keep his composure, and finish strong against his competitors.

#Although athletes seemingly left it all on the track, the young competitors brought the action to the field as well.

#In the morning session, Huntley Christie’s Tylah Pratt prevailed in the under 17 girls high jump. She jumped at a height of 1.64m passing the CARIFTA qualifying mark of 1.57m. Unattached Alexand Komolafe joined Pratt as she notched 1.57m to qualify also.

#In the under 20 girls triple jump QC’s Lanaisha Lubin and SAC’s Apryl Adderley finished first and second respectively. Lubin and Adderley both beat the CARIFTA qualifying mark with 12.51m and 11.89m. The qualifying mark was 11.88m.

#Calea Jackson threw a distance of 48.21m in the under 20 girls discus throw to qualify for CARIFTA.

#Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations president Drumeco Archer talked about how he felt about day one of the CARIFTA trials and Nationals.

#“I am so happy to see we are not only having a CARIFTA trials but a fully integrated track and field competition, its given us an opportunity to have a bird’s eye view of where we are in the Family Islands – that’s special and its special for our mission to develop beyond New Providence and Grand Bahama,” Archer said.

#Despite some of the athletes being injured he said that he was impressed with day one’s performances and was grateful for the event being on time and according to schedule.

#Day two of the CARIFTA trials and high school championships evening session will start at 3pm today.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/26/carifta-trials-and-nationals-wraps-exciting-day-on/?news

Ole Miss eliminated

Mississippi coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin applauds during the first half of the team's Sweet 16 college basketball game against Louisville in the women's NCAA tournament Friday, March 24, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Mississippi coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin applauds during the first half of the team’s Sweet 16 college basketball game against Louisville in the women’s NCAA tournament Friday, March 24, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

As of Monday, March 27, 2023

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#AFTER falling short of advancing to the Elite Eight of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Women’s Basketball Championships, coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin urged the Bahamian public to be patient with her University of Mississippi Lady Rebels.

#Ole Miss made their exit in the Sweet 16 of the March Madness Tournament on Friday night as they fell victim to the Louisiana Cardinals inside the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington.

#The Rebels, 25-8, qualified for the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2007, having advanced past Gonzaga and an upset over top-seeded Stanford in their first two games to secure their second-consecutive fourth-place finish in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the regular season.

#But McPhee-McCuin said they were hoping to continue their trek to at least the Final Four, but Louisiana stopped them from moving on. But she noted that she was still impressed with the strides her team made along the way.

#“It’s more than I expected, but we lost about 70 percent of our scoring to the WNBA,” said McPhee-McCuin, whose top performer centre Shakira Austin skipped her junior year to earn the third overall pick in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Draft by the Washington Mystics in 2022.

#“So if you would have asked me at the beginning of the season would I expect for this team to be in position, I probably would have said no, but they worked extremely hard to get here and so they surpassed all of my expectations. We just have to be a little more patient. We will eventually get there.”

#Against the Cardinals, the Lady Rebels had an uphill battle after trailing 20-15 at the end of the first quarter. It was an 18-13 third quarter spurt that propelled Louisiana to a comfortable 52-42 lead that they maintained through the fourth quarter to hold off every comeback Ole Miss mounted.

#“It was great. I just think the lights got a little too bright for us,” said McPhee- McCuin. “This was our first time competing in the Sweet 16 for the first time in 16 years and Louisiana was there a lot more times. But we will be back. We have now set a standard that we have to maintain and to surpass in the future.”

#Three senior guards led by example with double figure scoring performances for Ole Miss. Marquesha Davis had 19 points, eight rebounds and three assists, Myah Taylor also had 19 points with three rebounds and Angel Baker chipped in with 11 points and six rebounds.

#Louisiana produced a more balanced attack with four players in double figures as junior guard Haley Van Lith connected on a game high 21 points with five rebounds and four assists.

#McPhee-McCuin said prior to the start of the season, she brought her entire team, including coaching staff and supporters to the Bahamas in November, for a pre-season tournament at Baha Mar, which helped them to bond together and get the ball rolling for the regular season.

#“That helped us tremendously. We played up to our level talent being away in an uncomfortable environment and I truly feel like that helped us to get to where we are,” said McPhee-McCuin, who hopes to return in November for another pre-season tournament at Atlantis this time.

#On Friday, McPhee- McCuin said she was pleased to see the support from the Bahamian public in the stands. She noted that there were more than 25 Bahamians in attendance, including members of the Bahamas Consulate and her parents Daisy and Gladstone ‘Moon’ McPhee, who assisted in her development from her initial stages as a student-athlete at Catholic High School in Grand Bahama.

#“There was a lot of pride and I am eternally grateful for it,” McPhee-McCuin said. “I know that people expected us to go on, but it just wasn’t our time. Our time will come. I just want the Bahamian people to be patient with us. We will be back.”

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