Home|Sports|Turnquest wins nine-ball singles at West Coast ChallengeSports

Sheldon LongleySend an emailMay 1, 2023 409 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

At 16, Dakarai Turnquest continues to make inroads in the game of pool never achieved before in The Bahamas, or among Bahamians.

The young pool shark from Deadman’s Cay, Long Island, won the nine-ball singles at the 2023 West Coast Challenge Florida Pool Tournament in Orlando, Florida, over the weekend, and was third in eight-ball singles, solidifying himself as a threat to top pool shooters locally, from around the region and indeed from around the world.

Turnquest becomes the latest Bahamian to win the nine-ball singles at the West Coast Challenge Florida Pool Tournament, and at just 16, is the youngest person to ever do so. The tournament sanctioned by the Valley National Eight-Ball Association (VNEA), and Turnquest has qualified for the VNEA Junior World Championships and the VNEA Senior World Championships, both later this summer.

“I’m ecstatic,” said Turnquest in an interview from Orlando on Sunday. “First and foremost, I just want to say thanks to all my family and friends who have been supporting me from day one – my mom and dad and my siblings, and all of my extended family. Thanks to all of my friends from NGM Major High in Long Island and also a special thanks to Ellis and Ingrid Major from Long Island. They own a pool club in Long Island and none of this could be possible without them. They sponsor me to come to these tournaments and I cannot thank them enough.”

Ellis and Ingrid Major are the proprietors of the Lloyd’s Sporting Lounge and Entertainment Center in Deans, Long Island, and are avid supporters and contributors of the game of pool on that island, and in The Bahamas. Young Turnquest doesn’t own a pool table at home and he said it’s a tough task balancing his school work and practicing for major tournaments. He usually frequents Lloyd’s Sporting Lounge about once per week to work on his game.

“It takes a lot of determination, focus and hard work to play pool at a very high level, and there are a lot of people who are very supportive of me and I must thank them for that,” said Turnquest. “The game of pool is very common in The Bahamas, but at the same time, we as pool shooters don’t get the recognition from the government that we need to advance even more in the sport. Coming from a small nation like The Bahamas, if we come to tournaments like the West Coast Challenge and do as well as we are doing, we should be able to get the recognition and financial support that other people who represent The Bahamas in sports, and other cultural aspects, get.”

The five-day pool tournament, featuring some of the best pool shooters in the United States, particularly in the state of Florida, wrapped up on Sunday at the Wyndham Orlando Resort in Orlando. This is Turnquest’s third time participating at the West Coast Challenge Tournament. In 2021, he competed in the ‘B’ division and came 13th. In 2022, Turnquest competed in the ‘A’ division and came fourth.

He has also played in the US Open Pool Championships, the world junior championships and the BCA (Billiard Congress of America) Pool League World Championships.

Turnquest won seven matches on Friday to get to the final, including beating Angel Martinez, 5-1, Mike Bottoms, 5-3, and Connor McFadyen, 5-4. On Saturday, Turnquest played in the final and defeated Jason Richko, 5-3.

There were other Bahamians who took part in the tournament as well. Brian Gibson, also from Long Island, finished second in the eight-ball singles. That division was won by McFadyen who appears to be a new rival for the young Bahamian.

“There is always rivalries in sports, and way I look at it, it helps the players to sharpen their iron. Players in rivalries always push each other to get better, and I always try to take in as much experience as I could get from playing some of the top pool shooters,” said Turnquest.

Apart from Turnquest and Gibson, there were other Bahamians who took part in the tournament. Eugene Wallace was fifth in the eight-ball singles, Dario Woodside came sixth in the eight-ball singles, and the team of Turnquest, Gibson, Woodside, Harrison Knowles and Alex Burnside, known as the Lloyd’s Sharp Shooters, finished third in the eight-ball team competition.

Turnquest said he emulates his game after former world champion Shane Van Boening of the United States. He was able to meet Van Boening at the SVB (Shane Van Boening) Junior Open segment of the US Open Pool Championships last year. Turnquest advanced to the quarterfinals of that tournament and later finished fourth at the 32nd Annual VNEA World Junior Championships in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Turnquest said he hopes to play in more international tournaments in the not too distant future, constantly looking to improve and reach the pinnacle in the game of billiards in the world. He is the youngest pool master in the country and is regarded as one of the top pool shooters in the country.

Turnquest said he is passionate about the sport and looks to continue to excel.

https://thenassauguardian.com/turnquest-wins-nine-ball-singles-at-west-coast-challenge/

 Home|Sports|Bahamians compete at the Drake RelaysSports

Sheldon LongleySend an emailMay 1, 2023 254 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Not only were Bahamians in action at the Penn Relays, but the Drake Relays as well.

The 113th edition of the Drake Relays took place at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, this past weekend.

Devynne Charlton was in action in the invitational women’s 100m hurdles. She clocked 12.71 seconds to finish fifth.

There was an American sweep in that event as Tia Jones won in 12.44 seconds, Tonea Marshall was second in 12.61 seconds and former world champion Nia Ali finished third in 12.67 seconds. World record holder Tobi Amusan, of Nigeria, edged 

Charlton for fourth, finishing in 12.69 seconds.

In the college women’s 100m, Denisha Cartwright, a junior for Minnesota State University at Mankato, qualified for the final with the second fastest time, running 11.50 seconds in the heats. She came back in the final and finished second again, this time running 11.49 seconds.

Amira Young, a senior at Minnesota State University at Moorhead, won that event in 11.31 seconds. Cartwright was second and Erin Kinney, of South Dakota, a junior, finished third in 11.51 seconds.

In the college men’s triple jump, Shyrone Kemp, a senior for Minnesota State University at Moorhead, finished fifth with a distance of 14.94m (49’ 0-1/4”).

Roman Kuleshov, of Iowa Central Community College, won that event with a leap of 15.27m (50’ 1-1/4”). Praise Aniamaka, a sophomore from Purdue, finished second with a leap of 15.23m (49’ 11-3/4”). Jonathan Wilburn, a junior from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, was third with a leap of 15.07m (49’ 5-1/2”).

Onyekachi Ukaobasi, representing Minnesota State University at Mankato, edged Kemp for fourth, finishing with a best leap of 15.04m (49’ 4-1/4”).

Competing for the North Dakota State Bison, senior Daejha Moss finished 14th in the college women’s long jump with a jump of 5.43m (17’ 9-3/4”). She was 17th in the women’s triple jump with a leap of 11.37m (37’ 3-3/4”).

https://thenassauguardian.com/bahamians-compete-at-the-drake-relays/

 Home|Sports|Three Bahamian schools compete at Penn RelaysSports

SAC’s girls 4x100m team finish fifth; Cartwright, Strachan finish sixth and seventh in javelin

Sheldon LongleySend an emailMay 1, 2023 993 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

A trio of schools represented The Bahamas at this year’s Penn Relays Carnival – the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The 127th running of the four-day Penn Relays wrapped up on Saturday.

The St. Augustine’s College (SAC) Big Red Machine was the school to advance to the Championship of America (COA) final, and they did so in the High School Girls 4×100 meters (m) relay.

The team of Amari Pratt, Nya Wright, Darvinique Dean and Shayann Demeritte, in that order, clocked 46.61 seconds to finish fifth in the final, improving on the time of 46.80 seconds the same quarter ran in the heats to qualify fourth.

Hydel High, out of Jamaica, featuring world junior leader and CARIFTA Champion Alana Reid, took the gold in the final, running 44.96 seconds. Bullis School, out of Potomac, Maryland, 

finished second in the final in 45.59 seconds, and St. Jago High, out of Jamaica, won the bronze in 45.98. McDonogh School, out of Owing Mills, Maryland, held off SAC for fourth, finishing in 46.57 seconds.

The Queen’s College Comets also took part in the High School Girls 4x100m relay and won their heat in 48.32 seconds. The team of Rache Pantry, Nia Richards, K’Leigh Davis and Jamiah Nabbie, in that order, placed 17th overall out of the heats. They competed in the High School Girls 4x100m International and improved on their time, placing fourth in that relay in 47.61 seconds.

A total of 550 schools competed in the High School Girls 4x100m relay.

In the High School Boys 4x100m relay, SAC’s team of Khalon Christie, Andrew Brown, Trent Ford and Jonathan Fowler, won their heat and placed 28th overall out of the heats, in 43.15 seconds. That same team competed in the High School Boys 4x100m International and placed seventh in 42.78 seconds, improving on their time.

Queen’s College and the St. John’s College Giants also competed in the High School Boys 4x100m relay, but neither were able to finish. The Comets’ team consisted of Alexander Dean, Matthew Chandler, Zion Miller and Tairjiv Armbrister. The Giants’ team consisted of Tayshaun Robinson, Earle Johnson, Maxwell McNeil and Ismael Rolle.

A total of 572 schools competed in the High School Boys 4x100m relay.

In the High School Girls 4x400m, SAC’s team of Ezthia Maycock, Bayli Major, Antonecia Moultrie and Alexis Roberts, finished eighth in their heat and were 60th overall in 4:02.04. St. John’s team of Kennedi Knowles, Ta’mia Taylor, Shania Major and Payton Knowles, in that order, were 10th in that same heat, and 117th overall, in 4:08.56. More than 450 teams competed in the High School Girls 4x400m relay.

In the High School Boys 4x400m relay, SAC’s team of Tumani Skinner, Andrew Brown, Jonathan Fowler and Clinton Laguerre, were fourth in their heat and finished 19th overall in 3:20.80. St. John’s team of Jayden Cooper, Zion Davis, Christopher Williams-Minors and Maxwell McNeil, ran a time of 3:39.20. They were 10th in their heat and finished 387th overall.

A total of 569 schools competed in the High School Boys 4x400m relay.

In the High School Boys’ javelin competition, Queen’s College’s Kaden Cartwright was sixth with a distance of 59.01m (193’ 7”). In the high school girls version of that event, SAC’s Kamera Strachan finished seventh with a best throw of 40.13m (131’ 8”).

The Bahamas had three young athletes in the High School Girls’ Triple Jump Championship.

Lanaisha Lubin, of Queen’s College, finished ninth with a leap of 11.42m (37’ 5-3/4”). SAC’s duo of Bayli Major and Apryl Adderley settled for 11th and 16th with distances of 11.28m (37’ 0-1/4”) and 10.88m (35’ 8-1/2”), respectively.

Finally, in the High School Girls’ Shot Put Championship, Queen’s College’s Annae Mackey finished 16th overall with a heave of 8.80m (28’ 10-1/2”).

https://thenassauguardian.com/three-bahamian-schools-compete-at-penn-relays/

 Home|Sports|Brogdon makes collegiate equestrian zone finalsSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailMay 2, 2023 140 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Bahamian collegiate equestrian rider Carisa Brogdon is fulfilling the early promise she showed as a freshman both in and out of the riding ring for equestrian sport.

Brogdon competes with the Roger Williams University (RWU) Hawks equestrian team in Zone 1, Region 1 of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA). IHSA competitions take place under a horse-draw format, meaning that horses and riders are randomly matched. This format tests the horsemanship skills of the riders who must navigate jump courses and under saddle equitation tests on strange horses.

Under the guidance of Coach Nikki Speranzo, Brogdon’s performances throughout the show season, which included multiple first and second place finishes, helped her team earn a spot to Region 1 postseason competition. At the regionals, Brogdon placed third in the Limit Over Fences and second in the Limit Flat Divisions, becoming the only member of her team to advance to the IHSA Zone 1 Finals.

The Zone Finals took place at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. Brogdon rode well enough to finish in the ribbons, earning a ninth place finish in the Limit Flat Class, but failed to advance to the national finals.

Now a junior, Brogdon is making her presence felt on the RWU campus. She has been named the captain of the varsity team, she is the president of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, and holds a lead ambassador position in the university admissions office. Brogdon is pursuing a double major in marketing and business analytics with a minor in graphic design. She credits equestrian sport with helping her to maintain a balanced and disciplined approach to university life.

https://thenassauguardian.com/brogdon-makes-collegiate-equestrian-zone-finals/

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 Home|Sports|Charlton will be the only Bahamian on the track in DohaSports

Sheldon LongleySend an emailMay 2, 2023 174 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

It’s May, meaning World Athletics Diamond League competition is about to get underway for elite track and field athletes.

The first meet of the 2023 Wanda Diamond League season, the Seashore Group Doha Meeting, is set for this Friday at the Khalifa International Stadium, in Doha, Qatar.

The 14-event calendar has stops all over the world, starting with this Friday’s meeting in the Qatari capital. The schedule is noticeably different this year with the Diamond League Final coming to this side of the world for the first time ever. It will be held at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, USA – the site of last year’s world championships.

The Bahamas’ national record holder in the women’s 100 meters (m) hurdles will be the only Bahamian in action in the Diamond League opener this Friday. Devynne Charlton will compete alongside a stacked field, taking on some of the world’s best hurdlers.

Charlton, who had her best race at the Eugene World Championships, setting the national record at 12.46 seconds, will run against Olympic Champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, of Puerto Rico, who just ran a wind-aided 12.29 seconds this past weekend.

Also in the lineup is former world champion Nia Ali of the United States, her fellow Americans Alaysha Johnson and Tonea Marshall and Jamaican Megan Tapper who has had some fierce battles with Charlton over the years. They are just some of the top athletic stars who will be competing in Doha this Friday.

For the world’s best track and field athletes, Doha will be just the starting point of a season-long campaign in athletics’ premier one-day meets.

In a journey spanning four continents and 14 cities, athletes compete for points, all gearing up for qualification for the Diamond League Final, the Prefontaine Classic, 

September 16-17, in 

Eugene.

Out of the 13 qualifying meets between May and September, a total of 10 will be held in Europe. A couple are in Asia and the other one is in northern Africa. For the Diamond League Final, many athletes will return to the stadium in which they won medals, or qualified for the finals, at the 2022 world championships. All 32 Wanda Diamond League champions will be crowned at Hayward Field in two days of non-stop action across every single discipline.

https://thenassauguardian.com/charlton-will-be-the-only-bahamian-on-the-track-in-doha/

 Home|Sports|Triple gold for GibsonSports

Charlton, Andrews also pick up victories in collegiate track and field

Sheldon LongleySend an emailMay 2, 2023 73 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Once again, Bahamian collegiate track and field athletes turned in some exceptional results this past weekend, continuing a trend that has already seen a couple of stunning national records as well as school records and personal best performances.

After a stellar career at Oral Roberts University (ORU) in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Gabrielle Gibson has moved on to finish her collegiate eligibility for the University of Kansas Jayhawks in Lawrence, Kansas.

The talented Bahamian was in action in three events this past weekend and won all three.

Gibson, a redshirt senior, competed in the women’s 100m, the 100m hurdles and the women’s 4x400m relay at the Rock Chalk Classic at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence, Kansas.

In the 100m, Gibson came out victorious in 11.42 seconds. She went on to win the women’s 100m hurdles in 13.22 seconds and teamed up with Grace Cramblett, Aaliyah Moore and Honour Finley, to win the women’s 4x400m relay in 3:40.90.

Gibson has been having a fantastic season. Just last week, she ran a stunning personal best of 13.07 seconds in the women’s 100m hurdles at the John McDonnell Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas, becoming the sixth-fastest Bahamian woman all-time in that event, and giving The Bahamas four athletes this season under 13.10 seconds in the women’s 100m hurdles.

Wendira Moss also competed at the Rock Chalk Classic, taking part in the women’s 400m for the University of Northern Colorado Bears. The collegiate junior finished third in 54.56 seconds.

Over at the Jim Green Track & Field Invitational at the University of Kentucky Outdoor Track and Field Complex in Lexington, Kentucky, Anthaya Charlton was in action in the women’s short sprints. Representing the Kentucky Wildcats, Charlton, a freshman, won the 100 meters (m) title in 11.27 seconds after running 11.32 seconds in the heats. In the 200m, Charlton finished sixth in the final in 23.97 seconds.

Megan Moss, a junior at Kentucky, took part in the 200-400 double. She was second in the 400m in 53.34 seconds and ended up seventh in the 200m, one spot behind Charlton, in 23.98 seconds.

Antoine Andrews, a freshman at Texas Tech University, was first in the men’s 110m hurdles at the Texas Tech Corky/Crofoot Shootout at the Terry and Linda Fuller Track and Field Complex in Lubbock, Texas. Andrews won that event in a wind-aided 13.46 seconds.

Shaun Miller Jr. competed in the men’s high jump at the 127th Penn Relays Carnival at the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Miller had a best clearance of 2.18m (7’ 2”) to finish second, matching the height of the winner, but falling to second based on his second-attempt clearance at the winning height. The winner, Romaine Beckford, a junior at South Florida, cleared 2.18m on his first attempt.

Bahamian athletes will be in action again this weekend as the collegiate track and field season continues.

https://thenassauguardian.com/triple-gold-for-gibson/