Home|Sports|Sailing named the national sport of The BahamasSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailApril 14, 2023 411 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

It has been circulating around the sporting community for a few years that a change for the national sport of The Bahamas was in the making, and this Wednesday, it came to fruition as a resolution was passed in the House of Assembly in favor of sailing.

Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs Clay Sweeting moved the resolution and it was seconded by the Opposition Leader Michael Pintard.

Sailing has been a part of the Bahamian fabric for many years, and in the golden jubilee anniversary year of The Bahamas’ independence, it seemed only fitting that the sport be elevated to another level on the national landscape.

“In 2023, the year of our golden jubilee, I am privileged to stand here today to declare this resolution that we move to make sailing the national sport of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas,” Sweeting said.

Regattas throughout the archipelago of The Bahamas have grown over the years. Sweeting said there are 18 senior regattas and 17 junior sailing events, annually, indicating that the sport of sailing is among the most popular here in The Bahamas.

“We have witnessed its evolution, and it is a sport that has won the hearts of Bahamians and the millions of visitors to The Bahamas. It is a sport that subtly reminds us of who we are – a friendly, maritime people who continue to make waves internationally by sailing with vigor and grace,” Sweeting said. “It exhibits the underpinnings of the Bahamian spirit. This has been a long-awaited announcement for Bahamians far and wide. Sailing has been and will always be a part of who we are.”

The sailing community is no doubt thrilled with the announcement, officially making the switch from cricket to sailing. One of those persons who has written to successive governments, ministers and prime ministers for the change, for over 20 years, is Commodore of the National Family Island Regatta Danny Strachan.

“I am proud and elated because I was the lone wolf for more than 20 years campaigning and crying out in the wilderness for sailing to be the national sport,” Strachan said. “I spoke to the current prime minister and he saw to it that sailing is now the national sport. It was one of my dreams and something that I had on my bucket list when I became chairman and commodore of the National Family Island Regatta.”

According to Strachan, the official announcement of the change will come in about a week at the 67th National Family Island Regatta in George Town, Exuma.

Also elated to see the change is Commodore of the Long Island Sailing Association Chester Fox.

“Sailing brings more people to the forefront than any other sport,” Fox said. “When you go to an organized regatta, there is always a lot of support. At the Long Island Regatta, the rooms, vehicle and flights are booked out and it is an economic boost.”

Fox hopes that the sport can be enhanced and receive more funding that will in turn give the boats more prize money during the regattas that will help with maintenance.

Strachan said cricket has its followers, but the switch to sailing is the right thing to do.

“Sailing as our national sport is one of those pillars of our country that should exist. It took us 50 years for this pillar,” Strachan said. “Cricket is attached to our history of being a colony of Britain. However, it is now time for us to have our own destiny and determine what our national sport should be and it is fitting that sailing be our national sport. I am extremely proud of this administration.”

For now, the sailing community will wait and see how much of a difference the national sport tag makes for their sport.

https://thenassauguardian.com/sailing-named-the-national-sport-of-the-bahamas/

 Home|Sports|He came, he saw, he conqueredSports

; looking for more success in the future

Sheldon LongleySend an emailApril 13, 2023 672 5 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Earlier this year, it was brought to the attention of administrators in the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) that there was a special talent with Bahamian background running at South Plantation High School in Plantation, Florida, USA, who would be a great asset to the CARIFTA team.

Still, he would have to confirm his legal status and come home and partake in the ICS Security Concepts Bahamas National High School Track and Field Championships/CARIFTA Trials to stand a chance of making the team.

Cayden Smith, just 15, proved that he was up to the challenge. Not only did he come home and qualify in his specialty, the 200 meters (m), but he went on to CARIFTA and won gold for The Bahamas in the under-17 boys 200m and added another gold in the 4x100m relay.

He was certainly one of the stars of the meet for the host country at the 50th Oaktree CARIFTA Games inside the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.

Smith ran a personal best time of 21.70 seconds for the gold medal in the under-17 boys 200m and was instrumental in the sprint relay team winning gold by running a strong second curve on the third leg. The South Plantation high school athlete flew back to South Florida on Tuesday with two CARIFTA gold medals in tow.

Ethan Sam, of Grenada, won the silver medal in the under-17 boys 200m in 21.96 seconds, and Smith’s teammate Andrew Brown claimed the bronze in 22.03 seconds.

“It’s a wonderful feeling. This is my mom’s home country and it feels like mine as well. It was quite an experience to come here, be a part of this Bahamas team, compete and win gold. It’s a thrilling experience that I will never forget,” he said.

Despite being in the US, and spending most of his life there, Smith said he feels right at home in The Bahamas. The 15-year-old standout athlete is looking forward to representing The Bahamas again this summer and into the future.

The Pan American Under-20 (U20) Athletics Championships is set for August 4-6 in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, and Smith certainly expects to be a member of that team.

“The people in general in The Bahamas are so friendly and welcoming and supportive. It’s just been a wonderful experience straight through. It’s OK in Plantation, but it’s much nicer over here – just the beaches and the food and the people. Island life is nice. I love it,” he said. “I just want to say thank you to everyone for supporting me and to say you will definitely see more of me in the future. I’m looking forward to competing at the Pan Ams.”

The young speedster has tremendous talent – top 20 in the world on the top performance list for under-18 athletes in 2023. His goal is to crack the 21-second barrier this year and go after the junior national record the following year. The junior national record is 20.36 seconds, ran by Terrence Jones in 2021. Smith said eventually he would like to experience global success in the 200m. He could be regarded as a late bloomer, having not gotten involved in athletics until his time at Seminole Middle School in Plantation, Florida.

“I started track and field about four years ago and I’ve been loving it ever since,” he said. “What I like about the 200 is that if I mess up my start, I still have time to come back and excel. I could run the curve good, but the best part of my race is the straightaway. Once I’m on that, I feel great. Eventually, I want to be the best in the 200 in the world. That’s my goal. That’s what keeps me going. Based on what I was able to do this past weekend, I would like to hit 20 this season, and I feel like it’s achievable.”

Smith said he will continue to work on race strategy, building strength, form and speed work.

“I feel like I could get out of the blocks quicker and be more efficient on the curve. Once I get that done, I like my chances against anyone. I just have to continue working on conditioning and speed work and it will all come together,” he said.

Running as a part of the relay team was a rewarding experience to him, Smith said. He added that they really came together in a short period. The quartet of Trent Ford, Andrew Brown, Smith and Ishmael Rolle, in that order, won gold in a time of 41.46 seconds. Jamaica was second on the track, but was later disqualified. Grenada ended up with the silver medal, crossing the finish line in 41.95 seconds, and Trinidad and Tobago won the bronze medal in 42.51 seconds.

“The guys on the 4x100m team, I feel like we knew each other all along. That’s how well we bonded. We had like about three days max to work on exchanges but we made it work,” said Smith. “It feels good. We talked about it – how we were going to pull it off – and we did it. I was with these guys for about three days but if feels like I’ve known them forever. We’ve grown together.”

His teammates also weighed in on the success of the 4x100m relay team on Sunday night.

Lead-off runner Ford said: “I just had to get out and let the other runners come catch me. We had the confidence that we could do it and we came out and did it. It feels great.”

Brown ran the backstretch and kept the team in contention for the gold medal.

“It feels good. I knew once I did my part, the other guys would come together and pull it off,” he said. “Ishmael did what he had to do – bring the gold medal home for us. It’s a good feeling.”

Anchor leg Rolle had the Jamaican athlete right on his heels when he received the baton but the silver medalist from the under-17 boys 100m was determined not to be caught.

“My teammates did what they had to do to get us in first and I wasn’t going to let them down. I had to bring the gold home,” he said. “It feels ecstatic. I could hear and feel the crowd cheering us on and it feels good to come through. The crowd noise certainly gave us the motivation to bring home the gold.”

The Bahamas’ gold medal count got reduced to eight on Tuesday as it was determined that a protest by Jamaica, citing that it was the bronze medalist who false started in the under-20 boys 110m hurdles and not the gold medalist, was upheld, dropping The Bahamas’ Otto Laing back down to silver. Therefore, The Bahamas finished with eight gold, 13 silver and 20 bronze for 41 total medals, trailing Jamaica in second for a fourth straight time. Jamaica won CARIFTA track and field for a 37th straight time, collecting 39 gold medals, 20 silver and 11 bronze for 70 total medals. Trinidad and Tobago was third behind Jamaica and The Bahamas with five gold medals, seven silver and 10 bronze for 22 total medals.

https://thenassauguardian.com/he-came-he-saw-he-conquered/

 Home|Sports|Bahamians compete in CARIFTA open water swimSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailApril 13, 2023 686 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

One day after The Bahamas won the swimming portion of the 2023 CARIFTA Aquatics Championships, three swimmers were at Caracasbaai, Curaçao, for the open water event on Monday, April 10.

Competing for The Bahamas were first-time CARIFTA open water swimmers Caellum Darville, Layla Saidi and Aiden Bain.

It was the first time that The Bahamas had open water swimmers since 2019. They skipped last year. Head coach for The Bahamas’ open water team Travano McPhee said he was happy with the team’s performance.

“I was very pleased with the open water swimmers’ performance,” McPhee said. “The three swimmers represented the country well on the last day of competition in Curaçao.”

Saidi was the first swimmer in the water and she competed in the 16-18 girls division. She swam the 5K (five kilometer) distance race, finishing fifth overall with a time of 1:18.31.

“I felt that it went well,” Saidi said. “I am really happy with the result. It was very challenging physically and mentally. I stayed engaged throughout the entire race. I gave it my all.”

Bain swam in the 14-15 boys division but did not finish the course in the allotted time. He said he was not happy with his performance.

“The race was amazing, but very tiring,” Bain said. “The course was awesome but the entry into the water wasn’t fun at all – those rocks really bruised up my feet. The best of the course is where it took place – the scenery. It was the most beautiful thing with the deep blue waters and the high mountains.”

Darville did not finish the race. He said despite the lengthy course, he tried to enjoy it.

“I definitely need to work on my pacing to make sure that I can stay consistent throughout my entire race,” Darville said. “The CARIFTA experience was truly something I will never forget. Being able to meet new people and bond with them over a four-day period surely helped me to build some friendships that will last for quite a while.”

Bain, who hails from Grand Bahama, enjoyed the CARIFTA experience, being with teammates, coaches, chaperones, physical therapists and the team manager. He said he is looking forward to next year’s open water event. It will be held here in The Bahamas as a part of the 36th  CARIFTA Swimming Championships.

“For next year, I’ll work on my pace as it was slow but I think it was my fault on that part,” Bain said. “At the start of the race, everybody went out hard and gradually got into their pace, but I went straight into my pace instead of trying to stay in the pack and then going into my pace.”

All three swimmers are looking at competing in next year’s open water swim competition. McPhee said they are hoping to host more open water competitions leading up to CARIFTA 2024.

“It will allow more swimmers an opportunity to qualify and represent the country at home at the 2024 CARIFTA Swimming Championships,” McPhee said. “Open water is becoming a popular event for swimmers and hopefully next year we will see medals won in this event.”

The Bahamas is set to host the 36th edition of the CARIFTA Swimming Championships in 2024.

https://thenassauguardian.com/bahamians-compete-in-carifta-open-water-swim/

 Home|Sports|Hield sets single-season record for three-pointersSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailApril 13, 2023 552 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Indiana Pacers did not make the playoffs this season but that did not stop Bahamian professional basketball player Chavano “Buddy” Hield from eclipsing his own single-season record for most three-pointers. Hield finished the season with a total of 288 made three-pointers in the 80 games that he played in this season. Coming into this season, his previous high three-point total in made shots from outside was 282 which he had during the 2020-2021 NBA season with the Sacramento Kings.

Hield passed his career high of 282 made three-point shots against the Detroit Pistons on Friday night, in a 122-115 loss on their home floor at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. He made five three-pointers in that game en route to a team-high 22 points in 22 minutes of play. 

“Should have been up to 300 three-pointers this year … save that for next year,” Hield said. “Just a testament to me doing what I’ve been doing for the last seven years in the league.”

The 30-year-old achieved the milestone when he pulled up for a three-point shot in the fourth quarter of that game with 6:19 left. The Pacers trailed 112-102 at that point. That was his final made shot from the deep for the game and his third in the fourth quarter.

The Pacers’ offensive rating, three-point percentage as a team, and field goal percentage are all better with Hield on the court than on the bench. His accuracy from deep spaces out the floor and makes the Pacers’ offense far more potent, which has made him a key component all season long.

He finished the final game of the season with 15 points, all coming from deep. They won that game 141-136 against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Hield fell just 12 made three-pointers short of the elusive 300-made three-point shots club that was entered into by the Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson this year. He joined his teammate Stephen Curry and the Philadelphia 76ers’ James Harden in that club. Thompson, who is the son of Bahamian retired basketball player Mychal “Sweet Bells” Thompson, finished with 301 made three-point shots this season.

Hield’s 288 made three-pointers placed him second behind Thompson this past season. Curry finished third with 273 made three-point shots.

The Grand Bahama native averaged 16.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game in his 80 games played this season. He was able to post a career-high 1.2 steals per game. He shot 45.8 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from deep which was his best clip from deep since the 2018-2019 season.

The Pacers had a promising season, but they struggled in the second half of the season. They finished with a 35-47 win/loss record, five games off the pace from advancing to the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). They finished 11th overall..

https://thenassauguardian.com/hield-sets-single-season-record-for-three-pointers/

 Home|Sports|Gibson, Singh put on show in CuraçaoSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailApril 12, 2023 394 5 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas, as a team, dominated the 36th CARIFTA Swimming Championships on its way to a fifth consecutive victory and seventh in the past eight meets. Leading the charge for The Bahamas in the pool were Saleste Gibson and David Singh who took home the high point awards for the 11-12 girls and boys divisions, respectively.

The Bahamas also had Rhanishka Gibbs and Nigel Forbes setting records in their races in the 15-17 girls and boys divisions, respectively.

Gibson scored a whopping 75 points. She was the one being chased for all but two of her seven individual races at the Sentro Deportivo Kòrsou – Pisina Enith Brigitha in Willemstad, Curaçao, from April 6-9. The Bahamas also had the second-best swimmer in that division with Skyler Smith coming away with 45 points.

“I am happy and proud of myself to win the high point award and all that I accomplished,” Gibson said.

Singh won the 11-12 boys division high point award by amassing 73 points. Singh, Gibson and Smith accounted for 16 individual gold medals for The Bahamas.

“I am very grateful to participate in my second year of CARIFTA. I have been training hard and I am happy to win the high point,” Singh said.

Gibson swam in nine individual races and four relay races. Individually, she swam the 50 meters (m) backstroke, 100m butterfly, 50, 100 and 200m freestyle, 50m fly, 200m individual medley (IM), 200m fly and 400m free. She finished fourth in the 50m back and swam away with the silver in the 200m fly. In the other individual events, she won gold.

“My performance was great,” Gibson said. “I was proud of myself and what I did over the four days. It was a great experience for me. I think that with the help of my coach, I worked hard to get to this position.”

She won the gold in the 100m fly with a personal best time of 1:09.11 to get her winning performances underway.

It was another victory for the swimmer in the 50m fly when she almost went under the 30-second mark. She powered her way to touch the wall in 30.02 seconds. It was another personal best time for her.

Gibson had a good swim in the 200m IM and she came out on top with a personal best of 2:43.24. She attributed her performance to improving her times in the back and breaststroke events.

In the 100m free, Gibson went into the final with a heats time of 1:05.41. She swam a much faster time in the final when she finished the race in 1:03.23.

It was a straight final in the 200m fly and she was able to come out on top in a time of 2:55.18.

Gibson lowered her personal best of 5:07.73 to 5:06.29 in the 400m free which was also a straight final.

Her final individual gold medal came in her final individual race of the meet – the 50m free. In that race, she posted a personal best time of 28.69 seconds.

Gibson swam in four relays – the 400m free, 400m medley, mixed 400m free, and 200m free. She helped those teams to win their races.

Singh outdid Gibson in terms of the number of races he swam in – 10 races. He secured the gold medal in the 50m back, 200 and 400m IM, 50 and 100m breast and 400m free for a total of six gold medals. He won silver in the 100 and 200m back events. He was fourth in the 50m fly and false started in the 200m breast race which wasn’t revealed until after he touched the wall first by about four seconds.

“It feels great to bring in all those points. Last year, I only won one medal and this year, I was able to score all of these points and win gold medals,” Singh said.

After his disqualification in the 200m breast, Singh had a good start in the 50m back and swam a personal best of 31.15 seconds to win that race and grab his first gold medal of the meet.

He then won the gold medal in a grueling 400m IM and came out with a personal best of 5:24.80.

After swimming the 400m IM in a personal best time, he also touched the wall first in the 200m IM in a personal best time, finishing in 2:29.75.

It was another quick race for Singh when he posted 34.63 seconds to win the 50m breast.

Singh was back in action in the pool in the 400m free and he was untouchable as he powered his way to winning that race in 4:46.23.

The 100m breast, in which he got his final gold medal, featured him powering through to win that event in 1:16.03.

Singh was impressive in the 11-12 boys relay and mixed relay races, helping them to be undefeated. Those relays were the 400m free, 400m medley, 400m mixed relay and the 200 free relay.

Smith swam in her first ever CARIFTA, but it did not look so in the pool as she quietly came away with three gold medals.

She got gold in the 100m back, 200m fly, and 200m back events. The 100m back featured saw the 11-year-old dropping her time to 1:14.19 for the victory.

Smith changed strokes and went into the 200m fly race in which she came out on top in 2:51.60. Her final gold medal came in the 200m back in which she obliterated her personal best time of 2:46.09, swimming a new personal best of 2:39.41.

She was also a part of the 400m medley relay team with Gibson that won gold.

Gibbs broke the CARIFTA record in the the 15-17 girls 50m breast in the preliminaries of that event on Saturday morning, touching the wall in 32.29 seconds. The 50m free final featured her posting a time of 32.88 seconds to win the gold medal. She also went on to win the 100m breast in a personal best of 1:14.74.

This CARIFTA was Forbes’ final one, having aged out. He left his name in the record books for the 100m fly, posting a time of 54.73 seconds.

Kimiaya Saunders was brilliant in the 11-12 girls category, coming away with two individual gold medals. She won the 50 breast with a time of 36.95 seconds. Her second individual gold came in the 100m breast when she touched the wall first in a time of 1:23.10.

The Bahamas never trailed in the meet as they secured their fifth straight title with 1,135 points.

Placing second was the Cayman Islands with 752 points. Trinidad and Tobago placed third with 534 points. The Bahamas was able to cart off the most gold medals (37), most silver medals (27), and most bronze medals (21) at the meet for a total of 85 medals.

The Bahamas will host the 37th edition of the championships in 2024.

 Home|Sports|Vanderpool turned in a sensational performance in the pole vaultSports

Sheldon LongleySend an emailApril 12, 2023 1,412 5 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Brenden Vanderpool had one of those special performances at the 50th Oaktree CARIFTA Games this past weekend that will have spectators talking about it for years to come.

The only disappointing aspect of the event is that most of the fans in attendance left after the under-20 boys 4×100 meters (m) final on Saturday night, not sticking around for the mixed 4x400m relay or the open boys pole vault final and, coincidentally, The Bahamas won both events. Perhaps, they didn’t know what was to come.

The CARIFTA Games wrapped up on Easter Monday night at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in Nassau, The Bahamas.

Vanderpool certainly didn’t let the sparse crowd take away from his performance as he rose to the occasion and put on a show for those in attendance. The Bahamian pole vaulter broke a 36-year-old national record that belonged to his father Brent Vanderpool and also erased the CARIFTA record.

Last year at the CARIFTA Games, Vanderpool soared 4.35m (14’ 3-1/4”). This year, he was nearly a meter higher, jumping an astonishing 5.06m (16’ 7-1/4”). The old national record of 4.89m (16’ 0-1/2”) was set by the older Vanderpool in 1987 – one of the oldest national records on the books – and the former CARIFTA record of 5.05m (16’ 6-3/4”) was established by Thiery Baptiste of Martinique in Nassau in 2018.

The Bahamian star pole vaulter is coached by his father whose national record he broke. It will likely go down as one of the all-time great stories of succession in sports in The Bahamas.

“This feels fantastic. I’m ecstatic. Praise be to God,” exclaimed the younger Vanderpool on Saturday night. “I just have to give credit to my dad and my coach Brent Vanderpool. He’s my mentor and my image. It’s an honor to break his national record. I think I was able to put a smile on his face because I was able to prove myself and get it done. I can’t forget my mom, too. She was by my side straight through. I’m just so ecstatic right now. I was finally able to do it and it feels great.”

On Sunday night, Vanderpool entered the competition at 4.30m (14’ 1-1/4”) and cleared it on his first attempt. He then passed on his next four heights before challenging the 4.55m (14’ 11-1/4”) position. By this time, there were just two jumpers remaining in the competition – Vanderpool and Jeremiah Felix of St. Lucia. Felix passed at 4.55m and went over the bar on his first attempt at 4.60m (15’ 1”) to put the pressure on Vanderpool, or so he thought. Vanderpool cleared 4.55m on his second attempt, then went over the bar on his first attempt at 4.70m (15’ 5”) to retake the lead. Felix had no response.

Vanderpool put the icing on the cake, passing at 4.75m (15’ 7”) before going after the national and CARIFTA record at 5.06m. It was a spectacular display of pole vaulting as he cleared it on his first attempt to seal the gold, and new national and CARIFTA record. Even more remarkable, at just 18, Vanderpool still has a year of eligibility left at the CARIFTA Games. He is expected to go after a third straight CARIFTA title at the 51st CARIFTA Games in St. George’s, Grenada, next year.

The Bahamas got two medals in the pole vault competition as Tyler Cash finished with a best 

clearance of 4.45m (14’ 7-1/4”) for the bronze medal. Felix won the silver, bowing out at 4.60m. Cash was ecstatic with the bronze.

“You don’t experience things like this on a regular basis. I’m here representing my country and it feels amazing,” he said. “I have to give love to my mom, my family and my friends at home. I’m ecstatic to be here competing and to come out with a medal is a blessing. I’m trying to make it to the Olympics one day. Brenden broke the record and we celebrate him, but next year, I’m going for that gold,” he added.

Cash, too, has a year of eligibility remaining.

In one of the hurdles events in the evening session on Easter Monday, The Bahamas got an additional gold medal as the original gold medalist Demario Prince of Jamaica was disqualified for what was later revealed as a false start. The infraction was brought to the attention of officials late Monday evening and Prince was subsequently disqualified.

Otto Laing was fantastic for The Bahamas, crossing the finish line in a blazing personal best time of 13.49 seconds in the under-20 boys 110m hurdles. He was originally regarded as the silver medalist, but was later upgraded to gold based on the disqualification of the Jamaican athlete.

“I wasn’t expecting to see that time on the clock seeing that my PR (personal best time) before this was half of a second slower. To run that time on the big stage is crazy. I’m ecstatic,” said Laing after his race. “That’s only through God. No matter if it is raining or what the weather is like, if you have to run, you have to run and that is what I did. I showed up when it matters and I’m glad with that.”

It was a wet and soggy night as scattered rain occurred all night. Laing didn’t let that stop him as he got a blazing start and came through for the impressive personal best time. The other Bahamian in that race, Tayshaun Robinson, who beat Laing at the ICS Security Concepts Bahamas National High School Track and Field Championships/CARIFTA Trials two weeks prior, was originally fifth in the race but upgraded to fourth after the disqualification. He was timed in 14.05 seconds.

In the longer hurdles on Easter Sunday, Darvinique Dean and Shimar Bain won medals for The Bahamas.

Dean rebounded from an eighth-place finish in the under-17 girls 400m the night before to win a silver medal in the under-17 girls 400m hurdles on Sunday. She stopped the clock in 1:02.50, about a half of a second off her personal best time.

“After my performance in the 400, I was torn down a bit and just hungry,” said Dean. “Even though I didn’t come first, I got a medal and I’m happy with that.”

Jamaican Jody-Ann Daley won the gold in 1:01.05 and her teammate Rhianna Lewis won the bronze medal in 1:02.61. The other Bahamian in that race Bayli Major finished fourth, just outside of the medal picture, in 1:02.92.

“This is both of our (Dean and Major) first CARIFTA, and hats off to her as well. She did an amazing job. I’m sure there is many more to come for both of us,” said Dean.

Major said she went out there, did her best and will refocus and certainly go much faster next time.

In the under-20 boys version of the 400m hurdles, Shimar Bain made sure he won a medal in his final CARIFTA Games, finishing third in 52.48 seconds. Jamaican Roshawn Clarke won the gold in 49.92 seconds and his teammate Antonio Forbes secured the silver with a time of 51.72 seconds.

“This is my last CARIFTA and I wanted to leave with something, especially with this CARIFTA being at home. I was also looking for a PR (personal best time) and I was able to get it, so I’m grateful for that,” said Bain.

This year’s CARIFTA Games will be remembered as one of the more action-packed and engaging editions of the event in its history. There were concerts, shows, gatherings and even a fun run/walk, the “Let’s Move Bahamas” CARIFTA Fun Run/Walk, surrounding the 50th Oaktree CARIFTA Games.

The Bahamas finished second to Jamaica for a fourth straight time, winning nine gold, 12 silver and 20 bronze for 41 total medals. Jamaica won CARIFTA track and field for a 37th straight time, collecting 38 gold medals, 21 silver and 11 bronze for 70 total medals. Trinidad and Tobago was third behind Jamaica and The Bahamas with five gold medals, seven silver and 10 bronze for 22 total medals.

https://thenassauguardian.com/vanderpool-turned-in-a-sensational-performance-in-the-pole-vault/

 Home|Sports|Eva Hilton sweeps golf titlesSports

They won all four of the divisions in the public primary schools

Simba FrenchSend an emailApril 20, 2023 80 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The 2023 Interschool Golf Championships continued yesterday with the public primary schools getting on the course at the Bahamas Golf Federation’s (BGF) Nine-Hole Golf Facility at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre. Eva Hilton Primary School swept the competition by winning all four divisions.

Eva Hilton easily took care of Palmdale Primary School with a score of 135 to 179 to win the upper primary boys division. The team was made up of Antonio Hernandez, Yelisey Smith and Kymani Rolle.

Hernandez put on a dominant performance in the individual round, turning in a score of 34 strokes. Smith was tied with T.G. Glover Primary School’s Deandreay Poitier, 11 strokes behind Hernandez with a 45. Smith secured the second-place finish on a countback.

In the upper primary girls division, Eva Hilton took care of Garvin Tynes Primary and C.W. Sawyer Primary. Eva Hilton scored 156 while Garvin Tynes was second with 184. C.W. Sawyer placed third with 198.

Securing the upper primary girls’ individual top award was Aiyanna Hernandez. She finished at 43 strokes. Garvin Tynes’ Janae Philips was her closest competitor with a score of 55. Maddison Culmer from C.W. Sawyer was third when she ended the day at 56.

Eva Hilton’s team of Daniel Ramsay, Treilon Stuart and Andrew Roberts was the only team that competed in the lower primary boys division. They finished with a total team score of 172.

Playing against six Eva Hilton Primary School golfers in the lower primary boys division, Sandilands Primary School’s Liam Stubbs stood out and came out victorious with a score of 47 strokes in that division. He held off Eva Hilton’s Ramsay who finished with a score of 28. Ramsay held off Stuart who was one stroke behind him at 29.

Eva Hilton was also the only team that entered the lower primary girls division. The team of Jamiah Miller, Kazmyn Rolle and Denira Moxey combined for a score of 199.

Winning that division’s individual award was Zohalle Smith from St. Andrew’s School out of Exuma. She ended the day with 56 strokes. Miller was six strokes behind with a score of 62. Finishing third was Palmdale Primary’s Marlee Poitier who had 66 strokes.

Today is the final day of competition.

https://thenassauguardian.com/eva-hilton-sweeps-golf-titles/

 Home|Sports|‘Jazz’ putting on a show with the MarlinsSports

Sheldon LongleySend an emailApril 20, 2023 98 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

To say that Bahamian Jasrado ‘Jazz’ Chisholm Jr. is back to being the electrifying player he was prior to a back injury last season, might be an understatement.

The Miami Marlins’ outfielder put on a show on Tuesday, and carried it over into Wednesday, enjoying one of his best stretches of the 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) season so far.

Chisholm has hit safely in his last three games, including blasting his second home of the season in a 4-2 win for the Marlins over fellow Bahamian Antoan Richardson and the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday. Richardson is a first base coach with the Giants.

In the final game of the three-game set at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday, Chisholm had a hit in six at-bats – tied for the most at-bats he’s had in one game in his four-year career. For the series, he went 4-for-13 with a home run, four RBIs (runs batted in) and two runs scored. The Marlins lost on Wednesday, 5-2, in 11 innings, but won the series against the Giants two games to one.

The Tuesday game might have been Chisholm’s coming out party for the 2023 season.

Batting in the number six position on Tuesday, the 25-year-old Chisholm had a towering three-run home run in three at-bats, giving the Marlins a 4-2 cushion over the Giants in the bottom of the fourth inning and they never looked back. They went on to win by that same score.

With the Marlins trailing 2-1, Chisholm jumped on a 1-0 pitch from Giants’ reliever Jakob Junis, an 85.8 miles per hour (mph) changeup that missed its spot, and sent it to deep right center field, giving the Marlins the lead. Later in the game, Chisholm got a great jump on a shot from Mike Yastrzemski that had extra bases written all over it. Chisholm tracked it down and made an over-the-shoulder catch, leading to MVP (Most Valuable Player) chants from the crowd in attendance, particularly from his supporter section of loanDepot Park, known as the Jazz Band.

“Honestly, I can’t really remember the route,” said Chisholm to Marlins’ beat reporter Christina De Nicola about the catch. “That was just a blacked-out moment where I just put my head down and just started running for the ball. Honestly, I saw the ball hit and I literally said, ‘I can’t catch this ball’. I just went, and by the time I got to the ball, it was still in the air. So that’s all I got on that.”

When asked about the catch, Marlins’ Manager Skip Schumaker said: “He’s a super athlete. He’s so quick that he’s one of the only guys that I’ve ever been around that you have to actually slow him down because he’s so quick and so twitchy. Nobody really has that.”

Chisholm appears to be one of those hitters who could produce no matter where he is inserted in the lineup.

“Big home run. Obviously, the ball in the gap was huge that he ran down. You guys all saw him in Spring Training to now. We’re only two weeks in and he’s running down stuff both to the gap and in getting really good jumps,” said Schumaker. “What a difference even from the first game to now. Just like [Jorge] Soler could carry you, Jazz can do the same thing. And when both those guys are going, then we’re doing ok.”

Marlins’ outfielder Jorge Soler batted in the designated hitter position on Tuesday and finished 3-for-4 with a run scored. On Wednesday, he was 1-for-3. Back in the lead-off spot on Wednesday, Chisholm finished the game 1-for-6.

“You just hit the learning curve,” said Chisholm. “Beginning of the season, I wasn’t hitting the changeup. … It’s just the learning curve. That’s why it’s like the ‘don’t panic’ button.”

Chisholm volunteered to move to center field from the infield this season, paving the way for Miami to acquire 2022 American League Batting Champion Luis Arráez from the Minnesota Twins who has been hitting the cover off the ball in his time in Miami. The 26-year-old Marlins’ second baseman from Venezuela in hitting a league-leading .438. He is also leading the league in on-base percentage (OBP) at .493.

As for Chisholm, he looks comfortable in center field and is starting to produce at the plate. He is hitting .235 with three home runs, eight RBIS and seven runs scored this season. Last year, he had a batting average of .254 with 14 home runs, 45 RBIs and 39 runs scored before getting injured and sitting out most of the season with a stress fracture in his lower back.

Despite losing yesterday, Chisholm and the Marlins have won six of their last eight games and have crawled back into contention in the National League East Division of Major League Baseball. They have a 10-9 win/loss record on the season and trail the front-running Atlanta Braves (14-5) by four games in the standings.

https://thenassauguardian.com/jazz-putting-on-a-show-with-the-marlins/

 Home|Sports|Ayton double-double helps Suns even series at 1-1Sports

Simba FrenchSend an emailApril 20, 2023 79 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Bahamian DeAndre Ayton answered the call with a double-double on Tuesday night, helping the Phoenix Suns even their best-of-seven first round series at a game apiece with a 123-109 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Playing at home at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, Ayton and the Suns put on a shooting clinic and got their first win of the 2023 National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs. Ayton finished the game with 14 points and 13 rebounds in 32 minutes on the floor. The big man made a huge impact in the field, finishing 7-for-10, shooting at a 70 percent clip. He grabbed three offensive boards and 10 defensive boards while battling foul trouble.

Devin Booker led the way with 38 points and Kevin Durant poured in 25 points for the Suns.

After scoring two points and grabbing three rebounds in the first quarter, the Bahamian asserted himself and was dominant as he added 10 points and pulled down five rebounds in the second quarter.

He opened the second quarter by going to work with a mid-range jump shot at the free throw line. He helped cut into the Clippers lead at 31-26. The top pick in the 2018 NBA Draft came back at the 9:11 mark in that quarter and connected on another shot from the free throw line and the Clippers led 35-28 at that point. He scored the next two points for the Suns and kept them close.

Ayton capped off a personal 8-0 scoring run with another made shot from his sweet spot to keep the Suns in the mix at the 7:58 mark of the second quarter. The Clippers led 40-32 at that point. The center capped off his scoring in that second quarter with a putback on his own missed dunk with 6:30 left in the first half. The Clippers let 45-36 at that point. Ayton was instrumental for his team during that stretch as he stopped the Clippers from running away with the game. After going down 51-39 with 5:01 left in the game, the Suns dug down deep. They came all the way back to tie the game at 59 at the half.

The Suns did not let up in the third quarter as they went up by 10 points, taking a 71-61 with 8:39 left in the third quarter. They led 92-87 at the end of the third quarter.

It was all Suns in the fourth quarter. Ayton made a layup at the 2:30 mark to give his team a 119-109 lead. They scored the game’s final four points to seal the win.

In two postseason games, Ayton is averaging 16 points and 10.5 rebounds while shooting 57.7 percent from the field in 32.5 minutes on the floor.

The Footprint Center was sold out for a 76th consecutive time for both regular season and playoff games. The series now shifts to Los Angeles, California, where both teams will look to take a 2-1 lead at the Crypto.com Arena. That pivotal third game airs at 10:30 p.m. this evening on NBA TV.

https://thenassauguardian.com/ayton-double-double-helps-suns-even-series-at-1-1/

 Home|Sports|Interschool Golf Championships continueSports

Windsor School wins two primary and three high school titles

Simba FrenchSend an emailApril 19, 2023 329 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The second day of the 2023 Interschool Golf Championships wrapped up yesterday with the private primary schools, small schools and homeschooled children in action at the Bahamas Golf Federation’s (BGF) Nine-Hole Facility at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre.

There were six schools that competed in the upper primary school boys division. In the end, it was the team of William West, Leonardo Bisterzo and Hugo Johnston from Windsor School at Old Fort Bay that won. They finished with a team score of 107. Finishing second was St. Andrew’s International School with a score of 117, and coming in third was King’s College which scored 122.

West won the individual portion with a score of 31. St. Andrews’ William Mahelis scored 34 to finish second. Finishing behind Mahelis in third was Lyford Cay International School’s Sebastian Halewyck with a score of 35.

There were only two schools that competed for the team awards in the upper primary school girls division. In the end, Windsor School comfortably won that division with a team score of 148. That team consisted of Zara Greaves, McKayla Grace Wood, Amelia Inguaggiato, Alexandra Lefeber and Kaleah Brown.

Winning that division’s individual award was the Meridian School’s Kayleigh Rolle who scored 37. She held off Windsor’s Zara Greaves who scored 38. Kingsway Academy’s Tracy Johnson was a distant third after scoring 50.

The team award in the lower primary boys division was taken by Lyford Cay with a score of 153. That team consisted of Aden Jones, Diego Gago and Alexander Murray. Windsor School was second with 163.

Jones won the individual award in that division with a score of 49. St. Andrew’s Connor Stevenson was second with a score of 50 on a countback. He and homeschooled golfer Reef Harvey finished with the same score, but Harvey ended up third.

Poitier Golf Homeschool team of Zion Poitier, Zeden Poitier and Zaire Poitier scored 147 and was the only team in the lower primary girls.

The Nassau Christian Academy’s Sarah Scheidecker scored 44 to win the individual award in that division. Zion Poitier and Zaire Poitier both scored 47 but Zion finished second while Zaire placed third.

In the high school division, Windsor School at Albany carted off three division titles – senior boys, junior boys and junior girls.

In the senior boys division, Windsor School put on a dominant performance to win over Queen’s College. Windsor scored a total of 94 while Queen’s College came away with 117.

Representing Windsor were Jaden Ward, Oliver White, Zadok Smith, Alex Dupuch and Camdyn Forbes.

Ward, White and Smith finished the tournament on the podium in individual play. Ward scored 30 while White finished second with 31. Smith finished with 33 to place third overall.

Queen’s College senior girls team took home the senior girls team title, coming away with 132. That team included Lauren Deal, Biswapriya Pati, Bailey Bostwick, Zara Robinson and Lauren Ramsey. St. John’s College was second with 142. Trailing close behind St. John’s was Kingsway Academy with a score of 144.

Winning that division individually was St. John’s Tyesha Tynes who held off Deal, 37-38. Kingsway Academy’s Gabrielle Pratt finished the course with a 40 to place third.

Windsor School finished the junior boys division with a 97, which was well ahead of second-place finisher Lyford Cay International School with 123.

Playing for Windsor School was Aidan Gorospe, Kerrington Rolle, Edward Johnson, Maximilian Landry and Nicholas Turnquest.

Queen’s College placed third with a team score of 150.

In the individual play in the junior boys category, it was a very close battle between teammates Gorospe and Rolle. In the end, it was Gorospe who held off Rolle by one stroke. Gorospe finished with a score of 29. Rolle scored 30 to finish second. Securing the third-place finish was H.O Nash Junior High School’s Rashawn Hanna who finished with a 36.

Windsor School and Queen’s College were in contention for the junior girls title. In the end, Windsor’s team of Lily Bisterzon, Elyse Hanna, Yulia Chipman and Olivia Ott secured the team title with a score of 122. Queen’s College finished second with a score of 138.

The individual title in the junior girls division was fierce and needed a playoff to determine a winner. In the end, it was Tamberly School’s Maddison Carroll who emerged as the winner. She and Bisterzo both finished with a score of 33. Finishing third was Queen’s College’s Chemari’ Pratt who finished with a 34.

Action continues today at 10 a.m. with the public primary and junior high schools in action.

https://thenassauguardian.com/interschool-golf-championships-continue/