Month: April 2023

Big Red Machine awarded two team spots in the Penn Relays

As of Thursday, March 30, 2023

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#NOT only did the St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine win all three divisions of the National High School Track and Field Championships and final CARIFTA trials, but they were awarded the two spots for the relay teams to go to the prestigious Penn Relays next month.

#The Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations, in conjunction with the Ministries of Youth, Sports and Culture and Education, provided the incentives to the teams competing in the under-20 girls and boys 4 x 100 metre relays on the final day of the meet on Monday night at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

#SAC’s team of Amari Pratt, Nya Wright, Darvinique Dean and Shayann Demeritte ran away from the rest of the field in the A final of the girls’ race to clock 46.65 seconds to book their trip to Philadelphia.

#Queen’s College was second in 48.21 and Grand Bahama’s Bishop Michael Eldon got third in 50.10.

#The Big Red Machine’s boys team of Khalon Christie, Andrew Brown, Tumani Skinner and Jonathon Fowler clocked 42.15 to hold off Grand Bahama’s Tabernacle Baptist Falcons, who fell in second in 42.37. CI Gibson Rattlers were third in 44.16.

#At the end of the three-day meet, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg and assistant sports director Norris Bain from Grand Bahama presented the individual winners of the most points scored.

#• A look at the winners:

#Most Outstanding

#Athletes on Track

#Under-14 girls – Keyezra Thomas, Bishop Michael Eldon.

#Under-14 boys – Keyshawn Pinder, St Paul’s Methodist.

#Under-17 girls – Darvinique Dean, St Augustine’s College.

#Under-17 boys – Ross Marin, CR Walker.

#Under-20 girls – Quincy Penn, Moorse Island.Under-20 boys – Clinton Laguerre, St Augustine’s College.

#Most Outstanding

#Athletes on Field

#Under-14 girls – Tarjahnaye Green, Queen’s College.

#Under-14 boys – Tavaris Roberts, CH Reeves.

#Under-17 girls – Terrell McCoy, Windor High School.

#Under-17 boys – Joshua Williams, Tabernacle Baptist Academy.

#Under-20 girls – Lanaisha Lubin, Queen’s College.

#Under-20 boys – Johnathon Rodgers, CI Gibson.

#Most points scored

#Under-14 girls – Keyezra Thomas, Bishop Michael Eldon. U-14 boys – Zion Bradford, Sunland Baptist and Kamron Henfield, Queen’s College.

#U-17 girls – Jamiah Nabbie, Queen’s College.

#U-17 boys – Ross Martin, CR Walker.

#U-20 girls – Annae Mackey, Queen’s College.

#Under-20 boys – Emmanual Adams, CC Sweeting.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/30/big-red-machine-awarded-two-team-spots-penn-relays/?news

LOC CEO: Final CARIFTA test event a success

As of Thursday, March 30, 2023

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) hosted this past weekend’s combined CARIFTA trials and Nationals with it being the final test event ahead of the 50th CARIFTA Games.

#With The Bahamas’ ninth hosting of the games being only one week away, officials are confident the country will be able to successfully put on the major track and field event.

#Officials of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and BAAA gave raving reports of their respective areas after managing 1,200 athletes ahead of April’s games.

#Despite handling more than double the amount of athletes expected to be at Oaktree Medical Center’s CARIFTA games, officials only had a few minor shortcomings at the final test event.

#Lynden Maycock, chief executive officer of the LOC, talked about the areas that will be worked on in the final stages of preparation ahead of Easter weekend.

#“There were some areas in security with respect to zoning, there were persons that were in zones that should not have been in some zone areas [and] that will definitely be worked on,” Maycock said.

#“From our competition area, there were some issues with our measuring and there was some new equipment that came in that did not work but we have taken those under control, “ he added.

#Maycock assures the public that those minor issues will be rectified in time for the CARIFTA Games as security presence will be top notch and the faulty equipment has been sent back and new ones are expected to arrive before the games.

#At this year’s 50th CARIFTA games there is expected to be more than 50 media houses for the first time ever at the event. After a full 80-member 2023 CARIFTA team was announced local media can expect more organization and structure as they will want to report on local athletes at the games. Tonique Williams, director of event media services, has ensured that four of seven media areas will be at their disposal during the three days of activity. The areas will include the media press center co-shared with the copy center, the media tribune or press boxes located in the stands, trackside which will be a mixed zone that allows the press to interact with athletes first, and the press conference room.

#With this year’s CARIFTA games coinciding with the 50th year of independence officials are doing it big according to Maycock.

#He maintains that officials will look to tighten up on security, ensure equipment is efficient, and improve on communication in the final stretch of preparation.

#Security will be a key area as the CARIFTA trials/high school nationals only housed 2,000 spectators but with 600 athletes coming from 28 different countries Maycock expects to see 15,000 plus in attendance on Easter weekend. “Our security detail is going to be very tight. We [are] expecting leaders of countries and the president of the World Athletics so the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Royal Bahamas Defence Force, and security personnel team will work in collaboration together to ensure that security will be at its strictest,” Maycock said.

#As the days wind down ahead of the looming 50th CARIFTA games the CEO of LOC has seen an increase in ticket sales for April’s event. He predicted that this would happen and encouraged more Bahamians to purchase the remaining tickets as the full 80-member 2023 CARIFTA team will need the support of the home crowd in efforts to win gold for the host country.

#For persons that wish to purchase tickets for all three days the gold tickets are $75, silver is $55, and bronze is $40. The daily ticket prices are $25 for gold, $20 for silver, and $15 for bronze.

#For those unable to attend the games in-person they can tune in via livestreams broadcasted locally and abroad.

#The colors for CARIFTA are black on Friday, white on Saturday, aquamarine on Sunday, and gold on Monday.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/30/loc-ceo-final-carifta-test-event-success/?news

BLTA’s Spring Classic tourney begins today

As of Thursday, March 30, 2023

photo

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) will host the Royal Bank of Canada sponsored Spring Classic tournament March 30 to April 2 at the National Tennis Center.

#The junior tennis tournament is scheduled to begin at 4pm today and is expected to feature approximately 70 participants, including girls and boys of the under 12, 14, 16, and 18 divisions.

#With more than one hundred matchups expected to be played over the course of the four-day tournament fans can expect lots of excitement from this year’s Spring Classic.

#Perry Newton, president of the BLTA, talked about his excitement leading up to the beginning of today’s third event of this nature post COVID-19.

#“We are really excited about this iteration of the Spring Classic Tournament, we see growth in all age categories [and] we want to encourage players to keep working hard and to be dedicated because there is a reward for each one of them,” Newton said.

#This year’s junior tournament will include players from Grand Bahama, Eleuthera, and New Providence. For the under 14 girls and boys, and the under 16 boys there will be a 32 draw size. The under 12 girls and boys, and under 16 boys will be a draw size of 16. Additionally, the under 16 girls will be a draw size of 8.

#Although the entry deadline for the tournament ended this past Monday at 5pm, adults and kids interested in tennis are encouraged to join the BLTA’s “ Play Tennis” program as the president believes this is the key to sustainability within the sport.

#This weekend’s RBC tournament is geared towards allowing junior tennis players to test out their skills, measure their game, and enhance their skill set in friendly competition.

#The tournament is free for all persons interested in attending beginning today at the National Tennis Center. For those that wish to keep up with the daily matchups they can visit https://www.blta.net/blta-spring-classic-tournament/ for more information. Also, they can keep up with BLTA tennis action on their Twitter and Instagram pages Bahamaslta as well as BSLTA on Facebook.

#The matchups will begin today at 4pm and will start at 9am Friday through Sunday.

#The next major tennis event will be the 2023 BLTA Junior Nationals which will be held in June where the national champions in all age groups will be crowned including the under 8 and under 10 categories.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/30/bltas-spring-classic-tourney-begins-today/?news

Giants take 2-0 lead in the NPBA Finals

IN THE HUDDLE: The Commonwealth Bank Giants went up 2-0 on the division one Discount Distributors Liquors Rockets after game two of the New Providence Basketball Association (NPBA) Finals last night. The Giants toppled the defending champions 101-83 to take control of the series. Photo: Austin Fernander/Tribune Staff

IN THE HUDDLE: The Commonwealth Bank Giants went up 2-0 on the division one Discount Distributors Liquors Rockets after game two of the New Providence Basketball Association (NPBA) Finals last night. The Giants toppled the defending champions 101-83 to take control of the series. Photo: Austin Fernander/Tribune Staff

As of Thursday, March 30, 2023

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#The Commonwealth Bank Giants went up 2-0 on the division one Discount Distributors Liquors Rockets after game two of the New Providence Basketball Association (NPBA) Finals last night.

#The Giants toppled the defending champions 101-83 to take control of the series. Both teams showed up to play in the first half with undefeated regular season Rockets leading after both the first and second quarter.

#However the Giants, like they usually do, responded in the second half, leading by nine going into the final period of the game.

#By the final buzzer, the Giants went up by as much as 18 points and never looked back en route to a victory on the night.

#Perry Thompson, head coach of the CB Giants, talked about how it felt to take care of business after an ugly game one.

#“I felt we came out from the jump and we played a better and complete game overall so it’s a great feeling and we get to play game three with no pressure,” Thompson said.

#He added that he knows the team struggles with slow starts at the beginning of games. However, they will look to try something different in game three in efforts to close out last year’s NPBA champions.

#On the night, the Giants finished up where they left off last game, leading in fast break points 31 to 12.

#The difference maker Wednesday night was bench points as the Giants’ bench pumped in 40 points compared to the 30 from the Rockets.

#The Giants took charge in the paint with a dominant 54 on 51% to trump the Rockets’ 42 on 40% shooting.

#Lerecus Armbrister scored 16 of the Giants’ 40 bench points and operated as the team’s momentum shifter on offence.

#He splashed four timely treys from behind the arc on an efficient 80% shooting clip.

#Thompson said he gives the guys coming off the bench the green light to come on the court and run and score within the flow of the game. Armbrister did just that.

#The winning team had five players score in double digits in a big win.

#Dylan Musgrove led all scorers with 19 to go alongside six rebounds and two blocked shots. On the defensive end, Jordan Wilson grabbed 11 boards and three blocks.

#Musgrove talked about how it felt to go up 2-0 in the series.

#“It was sloppy at first but in the second half we locked in on defence and executed better than game one and came out with the win,” Musgrove said.

#He added that the game plan for game three is the same as always – to come out, play hard, play defence – as they will look to win the NPBA championships.

#Despite winning game two by double digits, the Giants will look to remain focused and capitalise on the ground gained in game one and two of the big dance.

#The poised teams will battle it out in a critical game three for both sides 9pm at the A F Adderley Gymnasium on Friday night.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/30/giants-take-2-0-lead-npba-finals/?news

Queen’s College ‘the Strongest Chess School on New Providence island’

As of Friday, March 31, 2023

#ASPIRING chess players from across New Providence participated in the competitive Scholastic Chess Team Championship.

#The team-based event is one the largest chess tournaments of the year, with many schools trying to defend their title as well as achieve new ones.

#The event was hosted by The Bahamas Chess Federation, and took place on Saturday, March 25 at the QCafe. Queen’s College graciously sponsored the venue for the event.

#The Scholastic Championship attracted 66 strong students from over 12 schools and institutions.

#Excited students from Queen’s College, St. Augustine’s College, Kingsway Academy, C.I. Gibson School, St. Andrew’s School, St. Anne’s, Aquinas, Lyford Cay, Windsor Academy, New Providence Classical School and other various small schools and homeschools, battled it out in a five -round competition.

#The tournament consisted of three divisions: – under 12, under 16 and under 20 with a new feature of the tournament this year, the addition of a combined school team section. This section was added to allow home school students and students attending schools that do not have sufficient chess players to field a team to come together to form a team.

#The QCafe was filled with intense focus as school teams faced off against each other in a bid to be crowned the Scholastic Team Champions and best chess school on the island.

#As soon as a match was completed, students wasted no time and would huddle in a corner or proceed to the outside waiting area to discuss their moves and strategies in their own chess language. It was clear that chess was the common denominator, as students from different schools and backgrounds came together to share their passion for the game.

#Queen’s College seized the win in both the under 16 and under 20 categories, winning the title of the Strongest Chess School on the island of New Providence.

#Dr Paul Thomas, math teacher, C.I. Gibson School and coach for the C.I. Gibson Chess Club, was happy with the performance of his team who placed 3rd in the under-20 category.

#He stated: “The C.I. Gibson Chess Club has been in existence since 2012 but this academic year, post pandemic, has been the most remarkable one. In this period, the greatest level of interest ever has been shown by our students, particularly our 10th graders.

#Chess at C.I. Gibson, for our approximately 30 active members, is one way we remind students that careful thinking must always precede actions. Our chess members embrace this principle and our expectation is that they will transfer it to every facet of their lives. It is important that students play chess because the game is a useful means by which students can develop critical thinking skills, which can help them make thoughtful decisions in all areas of their lives.”

#“The Scholastic Chess Team Tournament was exciting and competitive,” declared Curtis Pride, 1st vice president, The Bahamas Chess Federation.

#He continued: “I was impressed by the level of skills displayed from newcomers from C.I. Gibson, St. Augustine’s College, St. Anne’s, Kingsway Academy, St. Andrews and players in the Under 12 section.

#These players give me hope for the future of chess in The Bahamas. We, as a federation, are proud to have hosted such a prestigious and successful school-based event.

#“We know that the best way to develop our junior talent is through partnerships with school coaches. With this in mind, we are committed to providing and enhancing this tournament every year.”  

#Overall Results for 2023 Scholastic Chess Team Tournament

#Best Team U16

#1st Place – Queen’s College Team 1

#2nd Place – Kingsway Academy

#3rd Place – St Anne’s

#Best Team U20

#1st Place – Queen’s College 1

#2nd Place – Queen’s College 2

#3rd Place – C.I. Gibson Senior

#Top Board Players

#U12 Board 1 – Zayne Berry, Empowerment Learning Center, 1.5 points

#Board 2 – Kaleah Brown, Queens College, 1 points

#Board 3 – R. Caerwyn Turnquest, Windsor Academy, 2.5 points

#Board 4 – Cire Darville, 3 points

#U16

#Board 1 – Avian Pride, Home school, 5 points

#Board 2 – Theophilus Weir, Kingsway Academy, 5 points

  • Chika Pride, Homeschool, 5 Points

#Board 3 – Jason Liang, Kingsway Academy, 4 points

#Board 4 – Johnathan Coakley, Queen’s College, 5 points

#Board 5 – Xavier Fernander, St. Anne’s, 1 points

#Top Board Players

#U20

#Board 1 – Noah Albury, St. Augustine’s College, 5 points

#Board 2 – Tadan Ferguson, St. Andrew’s School, 4 points

#Board 3 – Hugesson Valcourt, C.I. Gibson, 5 points

#Board 4 – Elliot Rahming, Queen’s College 2, 5 points

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/31/queens-college-strongest-chess-school-new-providen/?news