The CR Walker Knights have advanced to the GSSSA senior girls volleyball championship.

As of Friday, April 21, 2023

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#By Tenajh Sweeting

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#THE C R Walker Knights and C V Bethel Stingrays will face off in the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association (GSSSA) senior girls volleyball championships.

#Both senior girls teams brought home playoff wins for their respective schools yesterday at the Anatol Rodgers Gymnasium.

#The first-seeded Knights faced off against the fourth-seeded CI Gibson Lady Rattlers in a matchup that only featured two sets.

#In the first set, the Knights showed why they were the top seed for the senior girls. They opened with an early 7-3 lead on the Lady Rattlers.

#Although the opposing team fought hard, they were no match for the Knights who claimed set one 19-5. Set two went underway with both teams switching sides of the court but it did not make a difference for the Knights. The senior girls team opened the second set with an early 10-2 lead and never took their feet off the gas.

#The Knights brought home the victory after winning the second set in convincing fashion 19-3.

#Aikia Rose, volleyball coach for Knights’ senior girls, talked about how it felt to dominate and advance to the championships. “We worked hard this season so I am happy that they made it there, I am hoping that when they go to the championships they play the same and it leads to a victory,” she said.

#Rose added that her message to her team throughout the two sets was to stay focused, always be ready to hit the ball and do not just wait for the ball to come, just be ready. The head coach expects the team to be ready for the CV Bethel Stingrays as long as they continue what they have learned in practice.

#In the day’s second matchup, the third-seeded Stingrays upset the Anatol Rodgers senior girls team in a competitive bout that featured three sets. The first set saw both teams evenly matched as the playoff game went underway. The teams opened 3-3. However, after fifteen minutes of volleyball action the Timberwolves were able edge out the Stingrays to take set one 19-16.

#Despite the back and forth battle in the first set, the Stingrays regained their composure in the second. The team opened set two with an 11-3 lead and never looked back. The Stingrays claimed the second set 19-4.

#Glenda Gilcud, volleyball coach for the Stingrays, talked about her message to the team after the first set.

#“They came out a little flat because there is no way we were supposed to go into three sets but thank God it was a wakeup call. I told them to stay focused and to do just what they do in practice and everybody came around today,” she said.

#The coach was right as the Stingrays rode the momentum of set two all the way to a win. After twelve minutes of play they closed out the Timberwolves at their gymnasium 15-7 to punch their ticket to the GSSSA senior girls volleyball championship.

#Gilcud said she expects that the championships will be tough but she believes the girls are a bit more comfortable and settled which can lead to a win.

#The GSSSA volleyball championships will kick off once again at the Anatol Rodgers gymnasium this evening at 4pm.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/apr/21/gsssa-playoffs-knights-and-stingrays-senior-girls-/?news

Sisters Zaire, Zion and Zeden Poitier dominated the Lower Primary Girls division of the Bahamas Golf Federation’s Junior Division’s National Schools Golf Championships – the four-day event came to a close yesterday. Photo: Moises Amisial/Tribune Staff

As of Friday, April 21, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#Sisters Zaire, Zion and Zeden Poitier teamed up as the Poitier Golf Home School to dominate the Lower Primary Girls division of the Bahamas Golf Federation’s Junior Division’s National Schools Golf Championships.

#The trio, led by Zaire and Zion’s top two positions individually, came to the BGF’s Driving Range where the four-day championship came to a close yesterday.

#Reef Harvey, also competing as a Home School competitor, captured the title in the Lower Primary Boys category.

#The focus of the day, however, was on the Poitier family.

#Zaire, who loves the colour blue and enjoys eating pizza, said although she’s only been playing one year, she didn’t expect to be the winner.

#“I feel great,” said the eight-year-old Zaire. “I think we played very good as a team.”

#Mother Denise Poitier said once she and her husband started to come out with their father, they waited until their children were grown enough to get them playing.

#“We all started playing about a year ago and ever since they have been playing good,” she stated. “They are very confident girls and they put in the work, practicing at least four times a week. They pay attention.”

#On their way to the Driving Range, Denise Poitier said daughter Zaire told her that she “got this today.” While Zaire finished with a score of 39, Zion trailed with 45.

#“We are the best,” said Zion, who claimed however that she’s the “best” of the trio. She admitted that she didn’t play as well as she expected yesterday.

#Sarah Scheidender of Nassau Christian Academy got third with 47, the same score as Skyrah Chambers of Home School. Zeden Poitier, the other sister, rounded out the top five with 48.

#Harvey, an eight year-old third grader who has only been playing golf for a year and-a-half, had to go to a playoff to secure the win over Aden Jones of Lyford Cay International after they both finished with identical scores of 39.

#“It was fun and exciting and even though I didn’t play that well,” said Harvey, another Home School student.

#“I just went out there and played my own game. I just came out here to have some fun and play golf.”

#Maximilien Demole, winner of the Upper Primary Boys division with a 27, said it was a build up to a successful week that he will cherish.

#“I progressed every day, so it was really good,” said the eight-year-old third grader at King’s College. “I knew I had it. I was one thousand percent sure that I could win this tournament.”

#He had a double dose of victory as his team also secured the divisional title.

#“My team didn’t play that well, but we played well enough to win,” he stated. “It was an intimidating week. We hope to be back next year to win it again.”

#Tatyana Clarke of Queen’s College beat out Kayleigh Rolle of The Meridian School in a playoff after they finished on top of the Upper Primary Girls division with 41. Aiyanna Hernandez of Eva Hilton Primary School took third with 42.

#However, Eva Hilton emerged as the team champions with a score of 140 over Windsor with 149. Queen’s College was third with 154.

#Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg was on hand to encourage the youngsters during the final day of competition.

#He indicated that he would like to see more interaction between the public and private schools in the various sporting disciplines.

#“This is a very great event to have the private and public schools come together and play golf,” Bowleg said. “We hope that we can see more of the disciplines do the same thing.

#“Golf calls for so much focus, so it’s interesting to see how they provide this avenue for the young children to participate in a forum like this.”

#Bowleg said golf provided the opportunity for schools like Lyford Cay, Windsor Academy and the Home Schools to participate. He said he hopes that the other sporting disciplines will be able to accommodate schools like that when they host their events.

#• Here’s a look at the results from Thursday’s final day of competition:

#Lower Primary Boys Teams

#1st Place – Lyford Cay International School -Team Score of 130 – Aden Jones, Diego Gago and Alexander Murray.

#2nd Place Windsor Lower School – Team Score of 136 – Luca Greaves, Jack Fox and Adam Turnquest,

#3rd Place – Eva Hilton Primary School – Team Score of 169 – Antoine Roberts, Daniel Ramsay, Treilon Stuart, Kameron Rolle and Andrew Roberts.

#Top 10 Individuals

#*1st Place – Reef Harvey, Home Schooling – 39; 2nd Place – Aden Jones, Lyford Cay International School – 39; 3rd Place – Luca Greaves, Windsor Lower School- 42; 4th Place; Diego Gago, Lyford Cay International School – 42; 5th Place – Thomas West, Windsor Lower School – 44; 6th Place – Alexander Murray, Lyford Cay International School – 49; 7th Place – Jack Fox, Windsor Lower School – 50; 8th Place – Antoine Roberts, Eva Hilton Primary School – 53; 9th Place – Daniel Ramsay, Eva Hilton Primary School – 57 and 10th Place – Adam Turnquest – Windsor Lower School – 57.

#*Playoff Winner (7 Holes)

#Lower Primary Girls

#1st Place – Poitier Golf Homeschool – Team Score of 132 – Zion Poitier; Zeden Poitier and Zaire Poitier.

#2nd Place – Eva Hilton Primary School – Team Score of 179 – Jamiah Miller; Kazmyn Rolle and Denira Moxey.

#Top 10 Individuals

#1st Place – Zaire Pitier, Poitier Golf Homeschool – 39; 2nd Place – Zion Poitier, Poitier Golf Homeschool – 45; 3rd Place – Sarah Scheidender, Nassau Christian Academy – 47; 4th Place – Skyrah Chambers, Homeschooling – 47; 5th Place – Zeden Poitier, Poitier Golf Homeschool – 48; 6th Place – Kazmyn Rolle, Eva Hilton Primary School – 55; 7th Place – Jamiah Miller, Eva Hilton Primary School -59; 8th Place – Safari Hanna, The Meridian School – 60; 9th Place – Marlee Poitier, Palmdale Primary – 63 and 10th Place – Denira Moxey, Eva Hilton Primary – 65.

#Upper Primary Boys

#1st Place – King’s College School, The Bahamas – Team Score of 96 – Maximilien Demole; Francisco Ortiz Von Bismarck and Luis Ortiz Von B Bismarck Jr.

#2nd Place – St. Andrews International School- Team Score of 117; William Mahelis; Caleb Davis; Carlos Osazuwa and Mirko Gervasini.

#3rd Place – Lyford Cay International School – Team Score of 126 – Sebastian Halewyck; Juan Pedro Vianna and Philippe Ciampini.

#4th Place – Windsor Lower School – Team Score of 129 – Hugo Johnston; Hawthorne Wood and Thomas Fox.

#5th Place – Eva Hilton Primary School – Team Score of 138 – Antonio Hernandez; Yelisey Smith; Antonio Bain; Fritzner Sylvester and Kymani Rolle.

#6th Place – Eva Hilton Primary School – Team Score of 147 – Hiram Tinubu; Lathan Bowleg; Bayne Bostwick; Amir Hamilton and Taye Charlton.

#7th Place – Palmdale Primary – Team Score of 168 – Alton Miller; Caleb Adderley and Joshua Joseph.

#8th Place – Kingsway Academy – Team Score of 179 – Amari Jones; Joshua Louis; Liam Gray; Dereck Rolle and Ethan Miller.

#Top 10 Individuals Upper Primary Boys

#1st Place – Maximilien Demole, King’s College School, The Bahamas – 27; 2nd Place – Hugo Johnston, Windsor Lower School – 29; 3rd Place – Sebastian Halewyck, Lyford Cay International School – 32; 4th Place – Francisco Ortiz Von Bismarck Jr., King’s College School, The Bahamas – 33; 5th Place – Deandreay Poitier, T.G. Glover Primary School – 34; 6th Place – William Mahelis, St. Andrew’s International School – 36; 6th Place – Luis Ortiz Von Bismarck – 36; 8th Place – Caleb Davis, St. Andrew’s International School – 39; 9th Place – Carlos Osazuwa, St. Andrew’s International School – 42; 10th Place – Antonio Hernandez, Eva Hilton Primary School – 43 and 10th Place – Mirko Gervasini, St. Andrew’s International School – 43.

#Upper Primary Girls

#1st Place – Eva Hilton Primary School – Team Score of 140 – Aiyanna Hernandez; Janai Miller; Ri’Annah Hanna; Brenaya Knowles and Cyamarie Ferguson.

#2nd Place – Windsor Lower School – Team Score of 149; Zara Greaves; Amelia Ingaggiato; Alexandrea Lefeber and Taylor Davis.

#3rd Place – Queen’s College – Team Score of 154 – Tatyana Clarke; Kaleah Brown; Isobel Grimes and Haylee Rolle.

#4th Place – Garvin Tynes Primary School – Team Score of 174 – Janae Phillips; Rachel Miller; Zamira Swann and Nikia Saunders.

#Top 10 Individuals Upper Primary Girls

#*1st Place – Tatyana Clarke, Queen’s College – 41; 2nd Place – Kayleigh Rolle, The Meridian School – 41; 3rd Place – Aiyanna Hernandez, Eva Hilton Primary School – 42; 4th Place – Zara Greaves, Windsor Lower School – 43; 5th Place – Tracy Johnson, Kingsway Academy – 45

#6th Place – Janai Miller, Eva Hilton Primary School – 49; 6th Place – Ri’Annah Hanna, Eva Hilton Primary School – 49; 8th Place – Amelia Ingaggiato, Windsor Lower School – 51; 9th Place – Janae Phillips, Garvin Tynes Primary School – 52; 9th Place – Brenaya Knowles, Eva Hilton Primary School – 52 and 9th Place – Kaleah Brown, Queen’s College – 52

#*Playoff Winner (2 holes)

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/apr/21/bgf-national-schools-golf-championships-poitier-si/?news

As of Friday, April 14, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#The return of the Bahamas Basketball Federation’s National Basketball Championships saw the New Providence champions Giants produce mixed results as competition in the weekend tournament got underway at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

#While the Your Essential Giants prevailed 84-62 over the Net Rippaz from Abaco, the Commonwealth Bank Giants fell to the Abaco Showtime Ballers 75-66 in an upset in the division one encounter as the BBF hosted its first national championships since the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world of sports in 2020.

#Despite the split in their games, Commonwealth Bank’s head coach Perry Thompson said their pair of Giants, still basking in their success at the NPBA Finals a few weeks ago, will still be the team to beat at the end of the tournament on Saturday night.

#As for Abaco, pro baller Godfrey Rolle Jr said this is just a taste of what is to come as they rebound from the devastation of Hurricane Dorian that put sports on the back burner as they tried to revitalise their living conditions.

#It came down to who wanted it the most before a sparse crowd of spectators.

#Showtime Ballers 75,

#Giants 66

#Home for a break from playing in Europe, Rolle Jr said he was delighted to be able to lead his Abaco team to a big victory on the opening night of the tournament, which also serves as a prelude to the return of the Bahamas Games in July.

#The national team point guard joined Brandon Meadows in scoring 18 points apiece to pace their attack. Rolle also had eight rebounds, three steals and two assists, while Meadows added seven rebounds with a pair of block shots.

#Chancey Cooper Jr, who formerly played in New Providence, helped out with 17 points and eight rebounds. Versatile Grand Bahamian Leon Cooper, who is also officiating in the tournament, chipped in with nine points with five rebounds and Robert Joseph made his presence felt with six points.

#“We didn’t get a lot of practice in, but it feels good to come out here and get the win,” Rolle Jr said. “This was a good game to test us. Everybody came out and played together. We ran some different line-ups against them to see how we can play it out and we did what we had to do to get the win. More to go.”

#Commonwealth Bank rode the 17 points and three-rebound effort from Dylan Musgrove, while Salathial Dean went to work on the inside with a double-double – 11 points and 14 rebounds.

#Although they also got 10 points from Lerecus Armbrister, nine from Jordan Wilson with seven rebounds, eight points and six rebounds from Jacob and seven points and seven rebounds from Adrian Thompson, it wasn’t enough to secure the win.

#“It was a rough night for us. We were kind of shorthanded. Our bigs were not able to make it down in time, but nevertheless, we gave it our all,” Thompson Sr said. “They played a good game. We just have to come back and rebound tomorrow and get back into the thick of things.”

#The game was keenly contested right up to the fourth quarter when the Showtime Ballers out-classed the Giants.

#In fact, the game was tied at 49-49 at the end of the third. But Abaco took advantage of a couple costly turnovers and they hit a few three-pointers and made the most of their trip to the charity stripe to complete their free throws when it counted the most down the stretch.

#Commonwealth Bank trailed 24-19 at the end of the first quarter, but they fought back to surge ahead 38-36 at the half.

#Giants 84,

#Net Rippaz 62

#Matthew Saunders led a balanced scoring attack for YES with 24 points and two rebounds that rallied from a slow start in the firdt half, but turned up the hest in the second.

#Three other players scored in double figures to aid in their attack.

#Shimar Rolle scored 18 points with five rebounds and a pair of steals; Brandon Strachan had 11 points, four steals, three assists and as many rebounds and Anderias Black had 10 points with five rebounds and two steals.

#For Abaco, Brandon Francis scored 13 points with nine rebounds and Eugene Ferguson contributed 10 points with three rebounds

#“Although we were not at full strength, we have the potential to win this thing, once we can stay out of foul trouble,” said Thompson Sr, who filled in for the YES’ coach Mark Hanna. “We haven’t had a chance to practice since we were off for about two weeks. But like division one, we hope our division II team will win this whole thing.”

#The Net Rippaz came out smoking, taking a 23-19 lead at the end of the first quarter. But tge Giants got their act together and posted a 45-33 advantage at the half. They came out of the break and surged ahead 63-46 at the end of the third a d they coasted to victory the rest of the way.

#The Central Andros Elites were scheduled to take on the South Andros Defenders in another division II contest last night, but that game wasn’t played. The division one nightcap between the Albacone Construction Fugees against the Bimini Marlins was played, but no scores were available at press time.

#The tournament action picks up today at 10;30 am and will continue throughout the day. On Saturday’s final day of competition, action will commence at 9 am, culminating with the championship games in both divisions at 7:30 and 9 pm.

SHOWN, from left to right, are Mike Cunningham, Candi Gibson and Anastasia Turnquest.

As of Monday, April 17, 2023

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#BAHAMAS Roadmasters Running Club (BRRC) continued its support of local charities with recent donations to two local non-profit organisations.

#BRRC presented part-proceeds in the amounts of $1000 each from its annual Bahamas Half Marathon Race Series to Families of All Murdered Victims (F.O.A.M.), headed by Ms. Khandi Gibson and Way of Life Organisation, led by William Lunn.

#F.O.A.M. renders emotional, psychological and financial support to parents, spouses and children of murder victims.

#Lunn’s organisation provides counselling and mentoring to at-risk young men to steer them away from a life of crime. The Bahamas Half event was held November 2022.BRRC president Anastasia Turnquest praised their sponsors saying, “we could not expedite an event of this magnitude without the backing of the corporate community. I must highlight our Platinum Sponsor Cancer Treatment Centers of Americas, they backed us in a very big way! We’re also grateful to our additional corporate sponsors: The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Caribbean Bottling Company, Bahamas Welding & Fire, Cabinet World, Carpet World, Colina Insurance Ltd., FYP Building Supplies, Insurance Co. of The Bahamas, Lignum Advisors, Suntee, Summit Insurance, Veritas and a host of other ‘in-kind’ supporters and vendors”. “In a race, runners and walkers require a lot of motivation”, said Tony Longley, BRRC’s public relations officer.

#“I personally want to thank Colina, whose staff joined members of BRRC in managing water stops and as cheerleaders along the route”, he added.

#Founded in 1990, Bahamas Roadmasters Running Club is the premier athletic club in The Bahamas, dedicated to promoting a healthy and wholesome lifestyle through the sport of long-distance running.

#Members train weekly to prepare for local road races and international Marathons.

#Last month, several members raced in the Tokyo Marathon, where Shavaughn Blades and Linda Williams completed the Six Abbott World Majors and earned their Abbott 6 Star Medals.

#Another member, Charles Johnson, completed the Antarctica Ice Marathon, also held in March.

#On Monday, April 17, Dr Ebbie Jackson will run the Boston Marathon to complete her round of the Abbott Six World Majors, to earn her Six Star Medal. Two other BRRC members, Anthony Longley and Michael Cunningham, will race in the TCR London Marathon on April 23, 2023.

#Next on the BRRC’s calendar of events locally, is their annual Midnight Madness 5 & 10K Fun Run/Walk.

#Registration is now open for this exciting event which will be held on the morning of Friday, June 2 (Labour Day holiday) beginning at 12:01 am from The Western Esplanade Beach, West Bay Street.

#For more information, contact BRRC C/0 email address: bahamasroadmasters@gmail.com Facebook: Bahamas Road Masters or website: www.bahamasroadmasters.com

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: The Bahamas Basketball Federation Division 1 champions, Commonwealth Bank Giants, with their hardware.

As of Monday, April 17, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#THE Commonwealth Bank and Your Essential Store Giants were crowned champions once again this year.

#The Bahamas Basketball Federation’s (BBF) National Basketball Championships were held this past weekend to determine which team reigned supreme in basketball throughout the entire Bahamas.

#Division one play included teams from New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco and Bimini. The division two matchups included teams from New Providence, Grand Bahama, Bimini, South Andros, Eleuthera, Central Andros and Abaco.

#The tournament commenced on April 13 and wrapped up this past Saturday.

#Saturday’s action included the championship showdown between Abaco’s Showtime Ballers against New Providence’s Commonwealth Bank Giants.

#In the final game of the night, the CB Giants closed the curtains on the Showtime Ballers, defeating them 107-89. The champions got off to a hot start against Abaco’s team, opening the game 18 to 6 and closed out the first quarter 40 to 24.

#Jackson Jacob, the team’s Most Valuable Player, started his work early in the game, pouring in 21 of his team-high 26 points in the first half of the game. He also finished up the BBF championship win with six rebounds and seven assists.

#Jacob got help from the team’s second highest scorer Dylan Musgrove, who picked up 20 points on an efficient 70% shooting percentage to pair with five rebounds and three assists.

#The team effort was well rounded as the new BBF division one champions had five players score in double digits in the victory.

#Jacob talked about his big night against the Showtime Ballers.

#“To be honest it feels great to get a win, hats off to those guys they played their hearts out and they have really great talent over there, they pushed us to our limits and we just had to answer,” he said.

#He said his first half motivation in the championship game was fuelled by negative chatter on social media about the Giants after their 66-75 loss to the Showtime Ballers. He added that he came into the game with the mindset to dominate early on after being motivated by the doubt on social media.

#The CB Giants dominated in the paint against Abaco’s team with a whooping 62 to 30. Also, they collected 25 second chance points on the night compared to Abaco’s 11.

#The New Providence team came out on top with bench points 29 to 20. Despite the CB Giants leading by as many 20 points in the game, the game was more competitive than the final score reflected.

#After a big first quarter by the CB Giants, Abaco’s team mounted a big comeback to trim the Giants lead down to as little as one mere point. The team hosted a clinic from behind the arc ], draining 11 three pointers on the night. Their comeback was led by the game’s leading scorer, Godfrey Rolle Jr, who dropped 28 points to go with three assists and three rebounds. He was joined by fellow teammate Brandon Meadows who notched 24 points and seven rebounds.

#Perry Thompson, head coach of the CB Giants, talked about his message to the team after the Showtime Ballers’ attempt at a comeback.

#He said the team had gotten accustomed to the 8-minute quarters but playing 10-minute quarters in the championship game messed with the rotation a bit. However, despite the issue with his rotation, he gave credit to Abaco’s team for being a tough team and hitting a lot of big three-point shots in the game. The coach added that coming out of halftime, he told the bench to be ready and he felt the team responded well.

#Despite the obstacles from the COVID-19 pandemic and some team roster changes, Thompson said in spite of all the challenges, the team stuck together and they now enjoy being on top.

#Division Two

#In division two action, the YES Giants accomplished a similar feat to the CB Giants after not only winning the 2023 NPBA championships but also the BBF national championship.

#The YES Giants handled business against the Grand Bahama’s Just Run team in the division two championships 110-76. Both teams kept things relatively close in the first half with the score being 24-15.

#However, the Giants flexed their championship pedigree and charged out to a 53-30 lead and never looked back. The team led by as many as 34 points.

#The YES Giants MVP and leading scorer on the night was Matthew Saunders who scored 18 points to go with three assists and four rebounds. He was joined by teammate Brandon Strachan, who worked his way to 16 points along with five assists and three steals.

#Perry Thompson, head coach of YES Giants, talked about the BBF division two championship win.

#“It was important for us to bring the national division two trophy back home to Nassau when we put this team together, we knew that we had the opportunity to win locally and at the nationals, I am very proud of these guys and they stuck to the gameplan,” he said.

#He added that the momentum coming off the 2023 NPBA title win really propelled the team to stay focused, and they knew what was at stake. Now it’s time to party.

#The YES Giants crushed the paint with 66 points to 36 points from Grand Bahama’s team. Also, they amassed 24 fastbreak points compared to three from the opposing team.

#Additionally, the Giants bench players poured in an eye opening 45 points off the pine to Just Run’s 11 points.

#Both Giants teams will look to celebrate after wins in the 2023 NPBA championships and BBF national basketball championship.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/apr/17/giants-crowned-champions-again/

As of Monday, April 17, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#EVER since they’ve been competing in the event, Ken Mullings and Kendrick Thompson have been trading their names on the Bahamas men’s national decathlon record.

#The duo, who are now training in different parts of the United States, hooked up at the 63rd annual Mt SAC Relays at the Hilmer Lodge Stadium in Walnut, California over the weekend where Thompson regained the record from Mullings.

#Also at the meet, sprinter Denisha Cartwright was holding her own in her individual events. In finishing in fourth place in the 10 events contested over two days in the decathlon, Thompson became the first Bahamian to rack up more than 8,000 points in his total of 8,038, while Mullings was fifth with 7,933.

#The pair of 25-year-old former team-mates at the University of the Bahamas soared over Mullings’ previous national record of 7,866 that he established at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, last July.

#The duo, however, are still chasing the qualifying standard of 8,460 points for the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, from August 19-27.

#Thompson, whose previous national record was 7,788 that he did in May at the JAC Combined Events Qualifier in Jacksonville, Florida, said his latest performance was what he expected, but it was still unexpected because of how it turned out.

#“It’s always good when I get a chance to compete against Ken. He always brings out the best in me,” Thompson said.

#“We knew that the competition was going to be stiff. I’m just glad that I came out on top and that I’m the first Bahamian to go over the 8,000 mark.

#“I think I put in a lot of work to get ready for the competition, so I expected a little more. But there’s no better feeling when you know that you went out and did the best you could and you came out with the best performance you could achieve. It was a great event.”

#They trailed Harrison Williams, representing Chula Vista Elite, who was the eventual winner with 8,492 points. Heath Baldwin of Michigan State came in second with 8,084 and Austin West of Iowa was third with 8,038.

#Thompson, a former student of Central Andros High and Tabernacle Baptist Academy where he played just about every sport, said when he enrolled at UB, he met Mullings and under coach Ednal Rolle, they began pursuit of the multiple event competition that includes the 100 metres, long jump, shot put, high jump and 400m over the first day and the 110m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500m on the final day.

#“I’m really excited about the future for us because they both have been training really hard,” said Thompson, who is now training in Dallas, Texas.

#“So it’s going to be a lot of fun whenever we face each other. I think we will continue to push each other to higher heights in the sport.”

#Despite relinquishing his national record, Mullings said he’s still pleased with his performance, producing five out of 10 personal best feats, so he can’t complain.

#He did admit that he encountered some hiccups, but it goes with the territory in competing in the gruelling event. “I’m not mad about what happened at all. I’m still looking forward to finishing at the top because I’m a competitor who loves to win,” Mullings stated.

#“I was actually in second place, but I continued to drop. That’s something I have to learn from and just get ready for the next one.

#“I have to take this loss like a champion and just hope to bounce back and regain the record. I don’t want people to think that it’s the last time the record will be broken. It will be broken at least three more times this year. We just have to wait to see who ends up on top at the end of the season.”

#The pair are expected to travel to Grenada to compete in their next head-to-head meet at the end of the month.

#They are then scheduled to face off in July before the World Championships, if they both qualify or get an invitation to compete.

#If they don’t head to Budapest, their last showdown is expected to be in October.

#Mullings, who is now training in Illinois, said he just needs to focus on his fitness level and he will be okay.

#“There’s a lot more in the tank. That’s why I’m not stressing out about this meeting,” he stated.

#“I just have to go back to training and get a lot stronger and I will be okay. This is just the first decathlon meet for the year, so we have a few more to look forward to competing in. I will be back.”

#Looking back at their performances in the meet, both Thompson and Mullings said if there’s anything they need to concentrate a little more on is the 1,500 metres, which has given them both a lot of struggle.

#If they can improve on their performances, they are both confident that they could be representing the Bahamas at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, in August.

#After spending some time grooming both competitors before they left for the United States, Rolle said he’s been impressed with their progression and he feels the sky’s the limit for them as they move on to loftier goals.

#“Because of their work ethics, they are now reaching the next level,” Rolle said.

#“It’s interesting to see how one guy would have the record and the next guy would take it. It’s a continued back and forth situation between them, but they elevate each other.”

#With Thompson being the first to crack the 8,000 point barrier, Rolle said it would only be a matter of time before Mullings joins him because they both continue to improve with the training that they have put in.

#Rolle said if they don’t get to qualify outright for the World Championships, they are hoping that they will remain in the top 10 in the ranking so that they will at last be able to get an invite to compete in the championships like Mullings was able to achieve last year.

#While Thompson missed out on the opportunity because of an injury, he did go to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England last year, but he wasn’t able to overcome the injuries to finish the event.

#Denisha Cartwright

#in the win column

#In her individual events, Denisha Cartwright, representing Minnesota State, clocked 13.04 to win the women’s collegiate 100m hurdles.

#Danae Dyer of San Diego State was second in 13.27. Cartwright had the second fastest qualifying time of 13.52.

#Karon Dean of UTEP clocked 10.55 for the fifth fastest qualifying time, but he didn’t contest the final that was won by Louie Hinchliffe of Washington State in 10.3.

#Alexis Tilford-Rutherford of the University of Houston cleared 18-9 ¼ (5.72m) for 17th place in the women’s collegiate long jump. Alyssa Jones of Stanford won the event with 21-0 (6.40m).

#And Kaiwan Culmer, competing in the elite men’s triple jump, soared 52-9 ½ (16.09m) for eighth place. The winning leap was 57-3 ¾ (17.47m) by Emmanuel Ihemeje. But both jumps by Culmer and Ihemeje were wind-aided.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/apr/17/decathlete-kendrick-thompson-has-record-breaking-p/?news

SHOWN, from left to right, are Trevor Moss, meet director Demarius Cash, NACAC administrator Nikita Thompson, NACAC president Mike Sands and Drumeco Archer, president of the BAAA.

As of Monday, April 17, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#THE nation’s second city will host the second edition of the New Life Invitational on May 13 4pm to 8pm at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex.

#The inaugural event was held in Miramar, Florida in May, 2021 and now it’s being held for the first time in The Bahamas thanks to the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC).

#Officials maintain that although there is no official list of the athletes scheduled to attend the invitational as yet, there is a lot of excitement surrounding the sporting event.

#Demarius Cash, the special events coordinator, talked about the upcoming track and field event.

#“The key thing is to bring these type of meets across into North America to showcase Olympians and upcoming athletes who are vying for this year’s World Championships,” Cash said.

#He added that it’s going to be exciting in GB because their track produces some of the fastest times for athletes.

#The track invitational is geared towards attracting athletes within the area and outside of it. Officials are looking to bring out the top-24 athletes that are ranked.

#For local athletes that are not in the top 24, provisions will be made for them as event organisers will want them involved as well.

#Athletes can also look forward to a monetary prize at this year’s invitational.

#Mike Sands, president of NACAC, talked about more of the details surrounding May’s event.

#“The event is a silver label event that has a $75,000 prize money to it and we will go from first to sixth place and every athlete will be given prize monies but, more importantly, there will be points per world ranking, “Sands said.

#With the 2023 Word Athletics World Outdoor Championships set for late August, the New Life Invitational will provide athletes with a chance to qualify for the major sporting event. The event is set to be a track and field extravaganza as Sands said they have already gotten word from four sub-10 second 100m runners, two sub-eleven 100m females, and three sub-forty-five 400m runners.

#This year’s event will include the men’s long jump, the women’s triple jump, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, and hurdle events.

#Despite the excitement surrounding this year’s second edition of the event, Sands noted that hosting this year’s event will cost NACAC $250,000 which also includes the prize money.

#“NACAC has a competition budget that we provide support of this event, the fact that we initiated this one is taking a big chunk of our competition budget,” Sands said.

#He added that he is hopeful that some of the local sporting organizers will provide sponsorship for the event.

#The New Life Invitational in Grand Bahama will be the third event hosted by NACAC for the sporting calendar year.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/apr/17/grand-bahama-host-new-life-may-13/?news

As of Tuesday, April 18, 2023

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Versatile sprinter/hurdler Denisha Cartwright poses with some of the medals she won with the Mavericks women’s track and field programme at Minnesota State.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#SHE may be short in stature, but versatile sprinter/hurdler Denisha Cartwright continues to make an impact on the Mavericks women’s track and field programme at Minnesota State.

#Over the weekend at the Mt SAC, Cartwright not only won her speciality in the 100 metres hurdles final in a time of 13.04 seconds after posting the second fastest qualifying time of 13.52. The performance came after she lowered her school record from 23.29 to 23.18 in the 200m and ran 11.62 in the 100m at the Bryan Clay Invitational.

#“Things went the way I expected,” said Cartwright, a former volleyball player. “I was thinking about last year when I didn’t make finals and this year I was really focused on going out there and doing my best and not really thinking about any time.

#“I just went out there and did what I had to do and when the coach told me to execute, I did it. I felt the difference when I competed.”

#As an added bonus at the Mt SAC Relays, Cartwright also ran the second leg for Minnesota State in the 4 x 400m relay, splitting a 53 as they turned in third in their heat and finished 11th overall in 3:45.23.

#“I did my part,” said Cartwright, who served notice that she’s putting in her bid for a shot at the relay teams for the Bahamas this year. “I have a few open 400 metres that I have to run this season to get in my endurance work so I can better my 200.

#“If I really train for the 400, they will be in trouble.”

#Cartwright, 23, said after getting in the experience of competing at the Commonwealth Games last year in Birmingham, England, she’s more hungry to test her skills at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National Championships in June and hopefully get a chance to compete at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary in August, even if it’s just on the relay team.

#“Even though the collegiate season is long, once we are continuing to train after the nationals is over, I feel I can be ready to compete at the international level,” Cartwright said. “This summer, I’m thinking about whether I will stay here at school and train or I will come home and train with coach Rupert Gardiner.

#“I want to give it a shot at the World Championships. It won’t hurt to try.”

#While the relays are her options, Cartwright said she will definitely be making a push at the 100m hurdles, despite the fact that she has some contenders in national record holder Devynne Charlton, collegian Charisma Taylor and Sasha Wells, just to name a few.

#“I am looking forward to seeing how well I can compete against them,” she stated.

#In the meantime, Cartwright said she’s also concentrating on completing her studies in applied health science with health administration as she looks forward to graduating either in spring 2024 or fall 2023.

#“It’s tough with these professors, but that comes with the challenge of being a student-athlete. You have to get the job done,” she said.

#And at 5-feet, one-inch, Cartwright also has somewhat of a challenge competing against the much taller opponents. But so far, she has been solid as a rock.

#“Since I am short, my approach might be a little different for the hurdles than a taller person, but it’s not a disadvantage being short,” she stressed.

#In offering some words of advice to the younger athletes competing in the sport, Cartwright told them to just keep their heads up and don’t allow anyone to tell them they can’t achieve their goals.

#The 2018 CARIFTA team member, who ran the under-20 girls 100 and in the 4 x 100m where the team captured the silver, said she was impressed with the performances she witnessed at the games over the Easter holiday weekend, although she was a bit concerned about all of the disqualifications and races being re-ran. “But the performances were impressive. We have some really great athletes coming up,” she pointed out.

#“I just want to encourage them to keep going.”

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/apr/18/versatile-sprinter-hurdler-denisha-continues-shine/?news

As of Tuesday, April 18, 2023

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DERRICK ATKINS

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#FOR the past three years, Bahamian men’s co-national 100 metre record holder Derrick Atkins has been grooming the Utah Tech University women’s athletic programme from scratch. He’s been pleased with the progress just as he was about watching the improvements made by Grand Bahamian Terrence Jones.

#Atkins got an opportunity over the weekend to watch as Jones tied his national record of 9.91 seconds in winning the men’s 100 metres at the Tom Jones Memorial on Saturday. It’s a record that Atkins broke 17 years ago when he won the silver medal at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan, in 2007.

#“It’s funny because before I first broke it in 2006, it was there for 18 years and now he tied it at 17 years,” Atkins said. “I had the same type of progression as Terrence because it was tied at 10.18, then at NACAC in 2006, I dropped it to 10.15 and CAC I moved it to 10.08 before I dropped the 9.91.

#“So looking at Terrence, I saw his progression, especially after he won indoors in the 60m in 6.47. That equals to 9.9 in date with how the splits go. So when he ran 20.80 in the 200m, I knew he could do 9.9. I think he can get both men’s national 100 and 200m records before the end of the season.”

#With Jones coming down from the 400m, Atkins said he has a lot of strength to work with, so it will be interesting to watch him as he prepares during the remaining two months of the NCAA collegiate season before he goes to the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, in August.

#“Congratulations to him. Just stay hungry. That’s all I can tell him. Stay hungry,” said Atkins, in offering his own words of advice. “Don’t ever believe you have made or you are full. Just stay hungry because if you don’t have that hunger, it will go away in a blink of an eye.”

#Just like he did when he first achieved the national record feat, Atkins said Jones is probably in “disbelief” right now.

#“When I first ran it, I didn’t believe it until I followed up and ran even faster,”’ Atkins pointed out. “After 2006, I was on a mission that year. I wasn’t chasing the national record. I was chasing getting on the podium in 2007. So that was my mindset.

#“That was my only mindset, being on the podium. I knew if I was on the podium, it was going to be fast. I had to run fast to get on the podium.”

#In that race in Osaka, Atkins had to trail American Tyson Gay through the line. While Gay took the gold in 9.85, Atkins followed in 9.91 to hold off Jamaica’s Asafa Powell, who came through in 9.96 for the bronze before he then went on to compete in two Olympic Games in 2008 in Beijing, China and 2012 in London, England.

#With this being the prelude to the World Championships when Jones is on course for the World Championships, Atkins said track and field is a sport where athletes have to continue to build and stay locked in.

#“It’s too easy to get distracted when you read all the articles about you and how great you are and what you can and can’t do,” Atkins pointed out. “All I can tell that young man is to quiet the noise and stay hungry.”

#Now that he’s done with competing, Atkins is concentrating on his career as a coach. He started at Utah in 2020 to start the women’s programme at Utah Tech from scratch after he spent the previous two seasons as an assistant coach at Western Carolina University.

#Prior to that, he did three years as an assistant coach at Kennesaw State.

#“There wasn’t anybody before me. This is my third year going into it and we’re a lot better than we were when we got started,” he stated. “Every year, we’re breaking school records, kids are getting better and I have a really good freshman class coming in, so the goal is to be ready before the 2025 NCAA Championships, which is our goal.”

#Looking back at his transition from competing to coaching, Atkins admitted that he’s not what he envisioned.

#“It’s a lot different. As a coach, I’m learning different things to do and not to do every day and every year about coaching and developing these young ladies,” he stated. “As a coach, this is definitely fulfilling. This is my journey, regardless of whether I went on to compete at the Olympics or not.

#“I want to thank Floyd Armbrister. He made me want to coach. He was so impactful in my development as a young athlete when I was at CR Walker. I bring up a story about him all the time when I talk to my athletes. He had a passion for coaching, so for me it’s a learning process.”

#Atkins, however, said his journey could not go without the support and assistance he received from his communication with Bahamian coaches like Rolando ‘Lonnie’ Greene at the University of Kentucky and Norbert Elliott at Purdue University.

#“They guide me through this process. If I have any questions, I could call them up and they give me some advice on it,” Atkins pointed out. “It’s been a journey and I’m just super excited to see what the future holds.”

#Despite the fact that more universities and colleges in the United States are leaning more towards their football programme for men, Atkins said if Utah Tech can produce a men’s track and field programme, he’s eager to take it on.

#But for now, his focus is on the ladies’ programme.

#And in the future, Atkins said he hopes to follow in the footsteps of Greene and Elliott and even quarter-miler Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown, he hopes to one day have some Bahamian athletes at Utah Tech. He said he’s been trying and based on what he saw at the CARIFTA Games over the Easter holiday weekend, he’s confident that it will happen soon with all of the talent he saw.

#“We definitely made a huge change in the future of the development of our young athletes,” said Atkins, who competed at the games in 2001. “It’s been day and night, considering when I competed, which was a long time ago.

#“Compared now, we’re getting better. Jamaica obviously is ahead of us and that is expected. They have a bigger pool of athletes to develop from, especially dominating at the world stage. But we’re doing some great things and I hope that I can get a Bahamian to develop in the future.”

#If it doesn’t happen, Atkins said his wife assured him that he has a young son and daughter that he can eventually groom to follow in his footsteps.

#“For any Bahamian student-athlete to make it at college, they have to have good grades because there is more money available for academics than athletics,” he noted. “The better your grades, the more options you will have when it comes to getting to a division one or two or NAIA college for track and field.

#“If you have good grades, there are more options for you if you are talented on top of that. Coaches can put together so many packages that can allow you to get a full scholarship. Gone are the days when you can get a full athletic scholarship. The rules have changed. It’s a year to year contract. It’s a business because coaches’ jobs are also on the line as they invest in you.”

#The 39-year-old Atkins is a graduate of CR Walker who went on to compete at Dickinson State where he excelled for all four years, establishing several indoor and outdoor conference sprint records and he also helped lead the Blue Hawks to four Dakota Athletic Conference championships.

#For his stellar effort, Atkins was inducted into DSU’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016 as a seven-time NAIA national champion, winning titles in the 55m, 100m and 200m in 2003, 2004 and 2005 as well as being named All-American 15 times in the sprints and relays. He also led Dickinson State to consecutive NAIA outdoor national championships in 2004 and 2005, and to a runner-up finish in 2003.

#In addition to his national record in the century, 37-year-old Atkins has produced a wind-aided 9.83 and has a lifetime best of 20.35 in the 200 metres.

#Atkins has captured the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ 100m title at the National Championships seven times from 2005-2009 and again in 2012-2013.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/apr/18/derrick-atkins-making-most-his-opportunity/?news

As of Tuesday, April 18, 2023

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Serena Norius with her awards.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#IN making the transition from the bikini to what she now considers to be her forte as a figure, Serena Salis Decius-Norius showed that all the hard work over the past year paid off as she successfully claimed her second overall title at the NPC’s Diamond Classic in Bogota, Colombia, on Saturday.

#Decius-Norius, accompanied by her husband and trainer pro bodybuilder Jimmy Norius and her boss Sagita Cooper of Sigita’s Beauty Parlor in Lyford Cay, rocked the stage as she emerged as the champion in the over-35 short class for the overall title.

#“I’m happy now because it’s finished,” said Decius-Norius as she breathed a sigh of relief. “My diet was harder than my workout. In the last few weeks, I only absorbed about 500 calories, which was very tough. But I am now very proud of myself. I did very well.”

Serena Norius gets ready to enjoy a hearty meal after the victory.

#Decius-Norius noted that the judges informed her that she made a vast improvement since they saw her at the show a year ago. She thanked Cooper for not only being in the stands to watch the show, but for making it possible for her to secure the much-needed financial assistance through some of the clients for her travel, outfit and other expenses.

#“She saw what I had to go through with my full-time job,” Decius-Norius said. “It’s a super expensive sport and she made sure that I didn’t have anything to worry about. I want to tell her thanks for all that she did for me, including taking the time off to train and to travel to compete.”

#As for her performance, the 39-year-old Italian born Decius-Norius said she felt she did a lot to prepare herself for the show and it worked out very well.

#“I have a lot of trophies, but I’m just working on trying to get my pro card,” said Decius-Norius, who captured her second title in seven shows, adding to her first title in 2021. ”Between now and November, I have a lot of time to get ready for my next show.”

#In critiquing his wife’s performance, Norius said she’s right where she needs to be heading into her next show at home in the Bahamas at the NPC Caribbean Grand Prix Classic at Atlantis in November with a few minor adjustments to be made. “We worked on her proportions, her symmetry, her harmony and her balance,” Jimmy Norius said. “The only thing we need to do in order for her to obtain her pro card is just her conditioning. Our objective was just to bring up her upper body, but we didn’t work on her legs as much as we should for the past year.

#“I think for her next big show, we will bring some improvement to her hamstring and gluteal region that will put her in the money to earn her pro card. She will then be able to rock with the best in the world as she improves in those areas.”

#Compared to COVID-19 environment as the world was just transforming out of last year, Norius said the competition was much bigger and stiffer for his wife this year with about 40 competitors, although there were only three in her class and six in figure combined.

#“She did extremely well,” he summed up.

#While he’s preparing his wife for her next show in November, Norius told the public that they can get to see him perform in his first show at home as a pro during the Bahamas Games in July.

#“I am looking forward to making my return home for the Bahamas Games,” he said. “I have a show scheduled for Barbados in June, but my priority is the Bahamas Games. I haven’t competed on local soil for about four to five years and I want to give the Bahamians the opportunity to see how much juice this 48 year-old still has left in him.”

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/apr/18/serena-claims-her-second-overall-crown/?news