Home|Sports|Bahamas Bowl makes return for ninth yearSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 1, 2023 333 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl will make a return to The Bahamas as the ninth edition is set to kick off the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Football Bowl Season. The game will be held on Saturday December 16, getting underway at 11 a.m. It will be televised live on ESPN. The announcement came from the organizers yesterday.

The 11 a.m. kickoff is the earliest in the game’s history that it will start. It will be played at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.

“It’s an honor to be the very first game of Bowl Season,” said Lea Miller-Tooley, executive director of the HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl. “It’s an action-packed time of year for college football, and the HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl delivers a unique atmosphere with two great teams enjoying a week in one of the most beautiful locations in the world.”

The game is played between a school in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and a member of Conference USA (C-USA). It is one of 17 bowl games that is owned and operated by ESPN Events.

Last year, there was a close game between the Conference USA’s University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Blazers and the Miami University (Ohio) RedHawks. The Blazers won, 24-20, to lift the Prime Minister’s Trophy. The win gave the Blazers their second consecutive bowl win after they won the Independence Bowl in 2021.

In last year’s game, the Blazers’ defense made a key tackle to stop the RedHawks’ offense two yards shy of a touchdown as time expired. Blazers’ wide receiver Trea Shropshire tied the bowl record of 183 receiving yards that former Western Michigan receiver Corey Davis, now with the New York Jets, had in 2015.

The 2023 National Football League (NFL) Draft was in April and Blazers’ running back DeWayne McBride was drafted in the seventh round at pick 222 by the Minnesota Vikings. RedHawks’ wide receiver Mac Hippenhammer agreed to terms on a mini-camp invite with the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders won in 2021, the University at Buffalo in 2019, Florida International University (FIU) in 2018, the RedHawks in 2017, Old Dominion in 2016, Western Michigan in 2015 and Western Kentucky in 2014.

 Home|Sports|Jones, Liberty win third straight gameSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 1, 2023 337 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

After starting the season with a loss, Bahamian women’s professional basketball player Jonquel ‘JJ’ Jones and the New York Liberty have reeled off three wins in a row. Their latest victim was the Seattle Storm, Breanna Stewart’s former team. Jones, Stewart and the Liberty dismantled the Storm, 86-70, at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington, on Tuesday.

Jones finished the game with nine points and five rebounds in 18 minutes on the floor as she continues to make her way back from a foot injury. She had a good game on defense coming away tied for a team-high three blocks. Courtney Vandersloot also had three blocked shots for the Liberty. Jones finished 4-for-6 from the field, shooting 66.7 percent. It included making a shot from deep in two attempts.

The center got off to a hot start, scoring seven points in less than a minute and it looked like she was going to have a strong night offensively. The scoring got underway with a layup at 7:24 mark. She then made a jump shot from deep at the 6:59 mark as her team team led 9-6. It was 24 seconds later when the Grand Bahama native made a three-foot layup to cap off her seven-point outburst and give the Liberty an 11-8 lead. Jones also had three rebounds at that point.

Jones finished the quarter with those seven points and three rebounds and the Liberty led 27-21 at thee end of one.

In the second quarter, Jones scored her final two points of the night. That came at the 6:50 mark in the second quarter. The Liberty led 34-29 after that shot. The Storm bounced back to take the lead at 35-34 with 3:56 left in the second quarter. A 12-4 scoring run to end the first half, put the visitors up 46-39 which turned out to be the turning point of the game. They never trailed the rest of the way.

Stewart was brilliant in her return to Seattle, coming away with 25 points and 11 assists. Jewell Lloyd led the Storm with 26 points in the loss.

The Liberty shot the ball well, making 49.1 percent of their shots from the field compared to 38.4 percent for the Storm. They were able to punish the Storm for their turnovers as they scored 13 points from eight turnovers from the Storm.

It has been a slow start for the Bahamian this season as she works her way back from a foot injury. She is averaging 17.6 minutes per game in the four games that she has played in – a far cry from her 25-plus minutes per game in her last three seasons. She is averaging 8.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. Jones is shooting 51.7 percent from the field, and has 1.3 blocks per game.

The Liberty sport a 3-1 win/loss record with their only loss coming in their season opener against the Washington Mystics, falling 80-64. They won against the Indiana Fever, 90-73, and Jones’ former team, the Connecticut Sun, 81-65.

The Storm return to action on Friday, taking on the Chicago Sky (3-2) on the road at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. That game tips off at 6 p.m.

 Home|Sports|Kids Athletics Championships set for this weekendSports

The BAAA will also stage its age group trials; scores of young athletes to compete

Sheldon LongleySend an emailJune 1, 2023 415 4 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

One of the more comprehensive three-day meets on the local track and field calendar is set for this weekend at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

The Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) Age Group Trials and Kids Athletics Championships will be held Thursday to Saturday, June 1-3, at the stadium, with the age group trials being contested on Thursday and Friday, and the Kids Athletics Championships being held on Friday and Saturday. The meet will get underway at 5 p.m. on Thursday, 12:30 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday.

The age group trials will determine the eight athletes who will represent The Bahamas at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Age Group Under-13 (U13) and Under-15 (U15 Championships, set for July 15-16 in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic.

The top two finishers in the four divisions at the age group trials, under-13 and under-15 boys and girls, will be selected for the national team traveling to the Dominican Republic this summer. The Kids Athletics Championships will crown national champions in all of the youth divisions in local track and field.

The meet is open to clubs and schools and scores of young athletes are expected to take part.

“The BAAA is proud of this event. It is a part of the germination of our program, and this event represents the sprouting of new plants. We would have produced some of our best athletes out of this program and it doesn’t escape us as to why our program is probably the best in the world per capita. This is a program that we put a lot of emphasis on,” said BAAA President Drumeco Archer on Wednesday.

The Bahamas has been a regular participator in the regional age group championships ever since its inception in 1985. Many track and field stars from The Bahamas got their start in the sport at the Kids Athletics level, and have participated in the age group trials and championships.

“Kids Athletics is the engine that keeps track and field rolling in this country, and I’m always excited about this program,” said Archer. “Whenever you think that the program is about to drop on its head, we have the emergence of new athletes, and that is what makes me excited. While we look at the Shaunae Millers and the Steven Gardiners as the pinnacle of success, it is our hope that our future athletes will surpass that and become global leaders as well.”

NACAC President Mike Sands said: “Kids Athletics is the world’s largest grassroots program and it is an introduction to the sport of track and field. World Athletics, and by extension, NACAC encourages it. There are over 200 member federations with over 13 million young people who participate in the Kids Athletics aspect of track and field. It is the foundation to the success of any program in track and field. This is designed to inspire the next generation of athletes to continue on to the bigger stages of track and field. NACAC lends its full support to these championships.”

For the age group trials, participants in the under-13 category will contest a two-day pentathlon, with the girts taking part in the 60 meters (m), high jump, long jump, ball throw and 800m, and the boys competing in the 60m, high jump, long jump, ball throw and 1,000m. Athletes in the under-15 category will contest a two-day heptathlon, with the girts taking part in the 60m hurdles, 80m, high jump, long jump, ball throw, shot put and 1,000m. The boys will compete in the 80m hurdles, 80m, high jump, long jump, ball throw, shot put and 1,200m.

The Kids Athletics Championships will commence at the conclusion of the age group trials.

“We have to recognize our specialty coaches such as Sherry Francis and Nekeno Demeritte who have really driven the program to the success that we have seen in more recent times,” said Archer. “We recognize that there aren’t enough meets at the age group level and we wanted to create a championship event for the young athletes to give them more focus. Parents come to track meets to watch their kids perform. This is the one opportunity where you have the fullest engagement of the track and field community. This is an important event for us. It is a showcase for one of the assets of the federation and we hope to grow this area for our sport.”

Sands encourages the entire family to come out and support the young athletes. There will be competitors from all over The Bahamas competing this weekend.

“The Bahamas is one of the top ranking age group federations in the system,” said Sands. “I congratulate the BAAA for continuing this program and I also have to mention some of the coaches in the system because it takes a special breed to manage such a collection of kids. Sherry Francis, Nekeno Demeritte, Dexter Bodie and then you have to look at what clubs like Star Trackers and Red-Line Athletics are doing. You have to really have a passion for this to do this and so we cannot underestimate the amount of effort that they put into the program that keeps it going and make it a success.”

There will be medals for the top three finishers in each event and trophies for team division winners. Admission for the event is at $5 for children, $10 for adults and $15 for the VIP section. There will be three-day passes available at $12 for children, $28 for adults and $40 for the VIP section.

me|Sports|Kids get on the track at Kids Athletics ChampionshipsSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 5, 2023 129 4 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

It was a holiday weekend this past weekend but that did not stop the kiddies from coming out and participating in the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) Age Group Trials and Kids Athletics Championships at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

Speed Begins sprint sensation Keyezra Thomas out of Grand Bahama won the under-15 girls 100 meters (m) and 200m races. Thomas, who took the Bahamas National High School Track and Field Championships by storm in March, powered her way to cross the finish line first in the 100m dash with a time of 12.19 seconds. Team Velocity’s Sarsha Wright was second after clocking 12.86 seconds. Fast Forward Athletics’ Zara Fraser was close behind her with a time of 12.89 seconds.

Thomas ran a strong 200m race, posting a blistering time of 24.25 seconds to win that race. She finished ahead of Fraser who ran a time of 26.72 seconds. Zara Fraser’s club teammate Savannah Fraser was third when she stopped the clock at 26.85 seconds.

Hurray Murray’s Breyteisha Kemp doubled in the under-15 girls 800m and 1500m races. Kemp won the 800m race with a time of 2:35.92. She led a trio of Hurray Murray athletes in the podium finish. The others were Ramonique McLennon who was second and Breynice Kemp who placed third. McLennon posted a time of 2:37.00 and Breynice Kemp ran the two-lapper in 2:41.71.

Breyteisha Kemp ran a very focused race and created a huge gap between her and the second-place finisher in the 1500m. She clocked 5:48.14. Breynice Kemp was second in 6:02.84. Team Velocity’s Eden Johnson ran 6:41.33 to place third.

Fast Forward’s Rohman Rolle doubled in the 100m and 200m races in the under-15 boys division. Rolle clocked 11.78 seconds to win the 100m dash. He held off Team Velocity’s Kamron Henfield who ran 11.95 seconds. Bahamas Speed Dynamics’ Denim Stuart finished third with a time of 12.02 seconds.

Rolle came back and took the 200m dash in a time of 23.98 seconds. He was the only competitor to run under 24 seconds in that race. Swift Athletics’ Adam Knowles powered his way to second place when he ended with the clock at 24.26 seconds. Red-Line Athletics’ Aalijah Taylor recorded a time of 24.60 seconds to finish third.

Breyteisha Kemp’s club teammate Rion Larrimore also doubled in the 800m and 1500m races. Larrimore posted a time of 2:13.55 to hold off Core Athletics’ Kymani Bowe in the under-15 boys division. Bowe was right on Kemp’s heel as he  finished in 2:13.60. Team Velocity’s Cordell Munroe was third after finishing the race in 2:27.49.

Larrimore and his teammate Joel McPhee were first and second respectively in the 1500m distance race. Larrimore powered his way across the finish line in a time of 5:03.23 to win that race. McPhee ran his way to second place in 5:07.91. Munroe ran 5:31.73 for third.

In the under-13 boys division, there were two competitors who won both of their races. They were Swift Athletics Justin Shepherd and Hurry Murray’s Ramonick McLennon. Shepherd won the 100m and 200m while McLennon won the 800m and 1500m races.

Shepherd was the only runner to run sub-13 seconds in the 100m dash when he clocked 12.90 seconds. Fast Forward’s duo of Demih-Devaj Cash and Ahkeel Williams were second and third respectively. Cash clocked 13.03 seconds and Williams ran a time of 13.47 seconds.

The Swift Athletics athlete ran a time of 26.41 seconds to cross the finish line first in the 200m. Fast Track Athletics Emmile Higgins out of Freeport, Grand Bahama, ran 26.51 seconds to place second. Unique Athletics’ Ayden Russell posted a time of 26.72 seconds to finish third.

Shepherd also won the ball throw event as he threw a distance of 44.35m (145’ 6”).

McLennon’s time of 2:33.74 was far ahead of his closest competitor, Red-Line’s Patreco Sherman, in the 800m. The latter was second in a time of 2:46.74. It was enough to hold off Ayden Rolle who was third in a time of 2:46.82.

The Hurry Murray athlete’s time in the 1500m run was 5:25.12 to win the race. Rolle was second with a time of 5:31.55. Sherman was third this time after running 5:35.46.

Unique Athletics’ Jayden Jones won the 100m and 200m races and the long jump in the under-11 boys division. In the 100m, he ran a winning time of 14.19 seconds. He came back and ran 29.89 seconds to win the 200m. He leapt 3.89m (12’ 9-1/4”) to win the long jump event.

Swift Athletics’ Daythan Ingraham won the under-9 boys 80m and 200m races. He ran 12.16 seconds in the 80m dash and then he recorded a time of 31.76 seconds in the 200m race.

Beginners Track Club’s under-9 girls athlete Laveah Johnson ran away with the 80m and 200m titles. She won the 80m with a time of 13.11 seconds then won the 200m in 35.42 seconds.

In the under-7 girls division, Boost Athletics’ Summer Strachan ran away with the 50m and 150m titles. She won the 50m dash in 9.52 seconds and the 150m dash in 29.09 seconds.

In the under-15 boys shot put, Boost Athletics’ Kendal Turner won with a throw of 9.53m (31’ 3-1/4”). Unattached athlete Khristian Wright was second in the two-man battle with a throw of 4.73m (15’ 6-1/4”).

Red-Line’s Anniesha Rahming threw 6m (19’ 8-1/4”) to win the under-15 girls shot put. The Roadrunners Track Club’s Johniya George recorded a throw of 3.57m (11’ 8-1/2”) to finish second.

Next up on the local calendar for track and field is the BAAA National Junior and Senior Track and Field Championships set for July 5-7.

 Home|Sports|Christiansen repeats as chess championSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 5, 2023 116 4 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

For a second consecutive year, Grandmaster (GM) Johan-Sebastian Christiansen has emerged as champion in the Orjan Lindroth Memorial Chess Tournament open category. The 2023 tournament was held at Breezes Resort. It began on May 31 and wrapped up on June 5.

In the competition, the players played nine intense rounds over four days. It featured players from nine countries including The Bahamas, Spain, Norway, Serbia, the United States of America (USA), Cuba, Canada, the Cayman Islands and Jamaica. The tournament utilized the Swiss system which is similar to a round-robin tournament. Cash prizes were awarded to the top five finishers in the open category and the top three finishers in the 1700 and under category.

The highest placed Bahamian in the open category was Dr. Kenville Lockhart who ended up 11th.

The 1700 and under category was won by Jamaica’s Angelus McDonald. Avian Pride, who was the best local player in that category, placed second.

Christiansen, who is Norwegian, was tied with Spanish GM Jose Jiminez with eight points, but won the tiebreaker. He said he was happy to be back and defend his title.

“I was playing at my top level,” Christiansen said. “I was lucky to play good chess and was able to come out with a very good score. I had to come back and defend my title and I was able to do so against a stronger field with more grandmasters.”

Christiansen will be looking to win a third title next year. Finishing third place in the open category was GM David Nieto who scored 6.5 points.

McDonald, who won the 1700 and under category for Jamaica, said he was happy for the competition but wished some other players did not withdraw from the tournament. The Jamaican finished with eight points, looking to move up from his ranking of 1640. He was undefeated and finished with two draws.

“There were some good players in this tournament but I fared well. The victory feels good but I was expecting to play against some other players. They did not show up. The quality was decent but there was more who were left out that was going to make it interesting,” McDonald said.

The 19-year-old is hoping to play in the open category in the future as he looks to move his 1640 rating past the 1700 mark.

Placing third in that category was Jamaican Christopher Murdock with 6.5 points.

Lockhart was the best local player in the open category, finishing 11th with a score of 4.5 points. He said he has a long way to go in the game of chess and is ready to embrace the challenge.

“My play could be better and I have quite a ways to go in my chess career,” Lockhart said. “I enjoyed the competition with our counterparts from Jamaica and playing against grandmasters. The last few days was a real look at how chess should be in The Bahamas. I think this will give us a good push going forward.”

Pride came away with seven points and missed out on winning that section by a point. The 15-year-old said he enjoyed playing in the tournament.

“It was a difficult tournament for me but I tried my best in every game. The best match for me was on Saturday when I played against Terrence Lindo from Jamaica. It was the first time playing against persons from different countries and it was a good experience,” Pride said.

Noah Albury was one of the youngest players in the open section and had the lowest rating – 1482. It did not stop the 17-year-old from putting on a show as he finished 16th out of 24 players. The St. Augustine’s College (SAC) student scored 3.5 points that he had to work hard for.

“Everyone who I played against were better than me. The first day was my best day as I won one and lost one, but it was a battle,” Albury said. “The loss was against a very tough opponent but I feel I played well. The category was tough but I was not scared because I knew I was going to do well.”

The 17-year-old opened the tournament on a strong note as he took down the highest ranked player in The Bahamas, Franklyn Gibson, who has a rating of 1895. Albury is a Candidate Master (CM) elect which means that he can elevate to the CM title but he knows that he has a long way to go.

The wife of the late Orjan Lindroth, Amanda Lindroth, who was a sponsor of the event, enjoyed seeing the level of competition that was on display. There were six grandmasters who played.

“My husband would have been thrilled with the participation level and the quality of chess played. He loved the game and love thought and learning. This certainly was an example of that,” Lindroth said.

The event was hosted by the Bahamas Chess Institute and president of the Bahamas Chess Federation (BCF) Candidate (CM) Kendrick Knowles played. Although he did not perform like he wanted to, he said he was happy with the fierce competition that was on display. He scored 2.5 points for an 18th place finish in the open division.

“It was the vision of Orjan Lindroth to bring in as much international masters to help the sport grow. It was a successful event although it was long and hard. I thought I played some of my best chess but the results would not show that. Hopefully I will play better when I am not the president,” Knowles said.

There were two women in action in the open category and there were five in the 1700 and under category. A total of 33 percent of the arbiters were women.

The title sponsor of the event was Scotiabank Bahamas Ltd.

 Home|Sports|Team confirmed for NACAC Age GroupSports

Eight earn spots on Team Bahamas; set to travel in July

Sheldon LongleySend an emailJune 5, 2023 217 6 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Following a very competitive Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) Age Group Trials and Kids Athletics Championships at the end of last week at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium, an eight-member national team was able to be identified, and will represent The Bahamas at the 4th North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Age Group Championships, July 15 and 16, in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic.

The top two finishers in the under-13 and under-15 divisions will receive that honor, going up against the region’s best in about a month’s time. As far as island representation is concerned, the team is split straight down the middle with four coming from Grand Bahama and the other four from the capital New Providence.

In the under-13 girls division, Trinity Rolle from Fast Track Athletics in Grand Bahama won the title, accumulating 2,594 points over the two days of competition. Symiah Strachan from Boost Athletics in New Providence finished second with 2,535 points. Jazae Johnson from the Striders Track Club missed out on the two automatic qualifying spots for the national team but secured the bronze on Friday, finishing third with 2,511 points.

“I was a lil nervous, but my coach just told me to hang in there and I did that,” said Rolle. “I just went out there and pushed as hard as I could and I’m glad that I was able to come out on top. I feel great. I still have to work on my field events some more but I feel good with where I’m at and I’m confident that I will do well at the NACAC.”

Fast Track Athletics Head Coach Rayvanno Ferguson said he is very proud of Rolle.

“She did exceptionally well. She went out there and did what she needed to do. We worked on her weaker events over the past weeks and she was really able to improve. I knew that her strong event would have been the 800 and she went out there and showed how strong she is in that event. I knew that she would have had a far better 800 than most of the other athletes.”

The under-13 girls and boys competed in a pentathlon, doing five events over two days. The under-13 girls did the 60 meters (m), high jump, long jump, ball throw and the 800m; and the under-13 boys competed in the 60m, high jump, long jump, ball throw and the 1,000m.

Rolle comfortably won the 800m, finishing in 2:37.12 to secure her victory in the under-13 girls pentathlon.

A pair of Grand Bahamians, both from Hugh Campbell Primary School in Freeport, Grand Bahama, captured the top two spots in the under-13 boys division. Avonte Lotmore from Grand Bahama Heats Athletics, won with 2,828 points. Emmile Higgins, from Fast Track Athletics, finished second with 2,804 points, just edging Ahkeel Williams, from Fast Forward Athletics, who finished third with 2,801 points.

“It feels amazing,” said Lotmore. “To come here, win and be a part of Team Bahamas is a great feeling. The workouts were hard but I was determined to put in the work. I just have to continue to work on my stamina and speed and I feel I will be okay.”

Lotmore’s coach at Grand Bahama Heats John Ingraham said his athlete was training hard all season and this is the moment that he was waiting for.

“I’m very proud of him. He now has a chance to showcase his talents throughout the whole region,” said Ingraham. “He is an excellent athlete. I’m very proud of him and what he was able to achieve. I told him to just go out there and show me that you want this, and he was able to do that. It’s been a back and forth between Avonte and Emmile (Higgins) all season. They push each other in practice and it’s a good thing that two Grand Bahamians made it through. It’s a proud moment for Grand Bahama.”

The under-15 girls and boys competed in seven events on Thursday and Friday. The under-15 girls did the 80m, 60m hurdles, high jump, long jump, ball throw, shot put and the 1,000m. The under-15 boys competed in the 80m, 80m hurdles, high jump, long jump, ball throw, shot put and the 1,200m.

In the under-15 girls division, Keyezra Thomas from Speed Begins out of Grand Bahama, won easily with 4,159 points. CARIFTA high jumper Alexandria Komolafe, representing X-Treme Athletics out of New Providence, was a distant second, finishing with 3,447 points. Caitylyn Smith, from Red-Line Athletics, finished third with 3,234 points.

Thomas was a qualifier in the 400m for the 50th Oaktree CARIFTA Games in New Providence, The Bahamas, but was unable to compete because she is under the age limit. To be eligible for CARIFTA track and field, an athlete has to be turning 14 in the year of competition. Thomas is just 13 and won’t turn 14 until 2024. Thomas is also the under-13 girls champion from the 2021 NACAC Age Group Championships in Managua, Nicaragua.

“I feel good. I’m happy,” she said. “I just want to thank God for allowing me to come this far and perform the way that I did. I fell in love with the high jump at this meet so that is definitely one of my favorite events now. I surprised myself with how well I did. I didn’t know that I would have done so well in the high jump. I’m pleased and I’m looking forward to representing The Bahamas again, and bringing home the gold again.”

Keyezra is coached, in part, by her mother Meoshe Thomas, an assistant coach with Speed Begins. The head coach of Speed Begins is Audrick Lightbourne.

“I was pleased with her performance because she worked toward it and the results showed,” said mother and coach Meoshe. “She put her best foot forward and I can’t ask for more than that. I would want her to work on the hurdles a bit more. The good thing is that she saw her mistake in the hurdles and she is prepared to fix that. I also feel like she needs to work on the long jump a lil more. Once she works on those two events, she will be fine.”

Thomas completely dominated the competition, winning the 80m, shot put and 1,000m and placing second in the long jump, ball throw and high jump events. She was fourth in the 60m hurdles. The high jump was the most shocking result as she challenged CARIFTA high jumper Komolafe throughout the competition, finally giving way at 1.58m (5’ 2-1/4”). Komolafe cleared a personal best 1.61m (5’ 3-1/4”) to win the high jump competition.

Coming out on top in the under-15 boys division was Jachario Wilson of Bahamas Speed Dynamics out of New Providence, finishing with 4,495 points. Kamron Henfield of Team Velocity out of New Providence was second with 4,430 points, and Rohman Rolle from Fast Forward Athletics finished third with 4,272 points.

“I feel good about it,” said Wilson. “I had a good start to the meet and I was able to push through. I know I was going to be able to execute. I knew that once I executed in the 1,200 and run my race, I would be fine. I feel like I have to work on the high jump and long jump a lil more and once I do that, I will be fine.”

Bahamas Speed Dynamics Head Coach Darren Lightbourne said he always had the confidence that Wilson would pull through. This is Lightbourne’s second athlete that has qualified for the NACAC Age Group Championships. He guided Jonathan Higgs to a qualifying spot in 2021.

“I feel awesome,” said Lightbourne. “This is Jachario’s first time doing seven events in the multi and he did extremely well. Now, we’ll get ready to travel and represent the country and I have no doubt he will do well again. He’s well-rounded and I’m extremely proud of him and what he was able to accomplish.”

The eight first and second place finishers from the local age group championships, Trinity Rolle and  Symiah Strachan in the under-13 girls, under-13 boys Avonte Lotmore and Emmile Higgins, Keyezra Thomas and Alexandria Komolafe in the under-15 girls and under-15 boys Jachario Wilson and Kamron Henfield, will represent The Bahamas at the 4th NACAC Age Group Championships, set for July 15 and 16, at the Athletics Stadium inside the La Barranquita Sports Complex in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic.

Kids Athletics Club Head Coach Sharon ‘Sherry’ Francis will lead that team and she will be assisted by Kenrid Munroe and Mikhilo Strachan. Dr. Karlton Rolle is the Team Doctor and Sonia Black is the chaperone.

“This meet was very competitive and it was amazing to see how the kids went out there and laid everything on the line to complete all of their events,” said Francis. “A lot of the divisions went right down to the final event to decide who the overall winner would be. Some kids would be strong in a particular event and not so strong in another and the results kept fluctuating over the two days of competition so it was very competitive. We appreciate the efforts of the kids. The results were impressive and we will be taking a very strong team to the NACAC Age Group Championships in the Dominican Republic.”

Following the conclusion of the age group trials, the BAAA Kids Athletics Championships was held on Saturday where national champions were crowned in all of the youth age divisions. The BAAA Age Group Trials and Kids Athletics Championships is one of the more comprehensive three-day meets on the local track and field calendar, and brings the youth athletics season to an end.