Home|Sports|Otabor is NCAA national javelin championSports

Bahamians shine at NCAA DI Outdoor Championship

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 12, 2023 18 4 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Bahamian collegiate athletes had a strong weekend at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 Championships that included the Nebraska University Huskers’ Rhema Otabor winning the national title in the javelin throw.

Otabor did it at the Mike A. Myers Stadium on the University of Texas Longhorns campus in Austin, Texas, as she led a strong contingent of Bahamian athletes in a very competitive meet. She won the javelin throw with a throw of 59.49 meters (m) (195’ 2”). That distance was a personal best for her, and it was also the college-leading throw. She broke her own school record and was the second Husker to win the javelin throw at nationals.

“It feels amazing to be national champion,” Otabor said. “It was one of the goals I had put down to achieve at the beginning of this season and it’s so awesome that I was able to accomplish it.”

Texas A&M duo of Lianna Davidson and Katelyn Fairchild posted 

personal bets to place second and third, respectively. Davidson posted 58.78m (192’ 10”) and Fairchild posted 57.97m (190’ 2”).

The junior said she came into the meet wanting to stay calm and have a clear mind, and did not want to overthink. Her first throw was strong as she posted a distance of 59.04m (193’ 8”).

“The first throw and the second throw felt very similar to me. The only thing that I could say was different is that I was a bit more determined and aggressive on the second throw, since I knew that my first throw guaranteed me a spot in finals,” Otabor said.

She was able to meet her goals at this meet and she plans on competing at the Central America and Caribbean (CAC) Games later this month before competing at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) Senior National Championships in early July.

The Texas Tech Red Raiders’ Terrence Jones competed in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay races. His best finish came in the 200m where he ran away with the bronze medal with a personal best of 19.87 seconds. Stanford University Cardinals’ Udodi Onwuzurike narrowly won in 19.84 seconds while Jones’ teammate, Courtney Lindsey, was second in 19.86 seconds. The top four finishers all ran under 19.90 seconds.

Jones ran out of lane nine and got off to a quick start. He was leading the race until the curve before Onwuzurike picked up speed and led coming off the curve. Jones tried passing him, but the Stanford runner was tough to catch down the straight.

The junior was expected to compete in the 100m finals but it did not go as planned as his 10.06 seconds in the semifinals was not enough to advance him to the finals.

In the 4x100m relay race, Jones and teammates Adam Clayton, Lindsey and Don’dre Swint ran a quick race with Jones anchoring the team. They posted a school and meet record time of 37.93 seconds only to be disqualified. The NCAA officials cited rule 15.9c because the first exchange was outside the allowable zone. That meant that second-place Louisiana State University Tigers won with a time of 38.05 seconds.

Also competing for the Red Raiders was Antoine Andrews in the 110m hurdles. It was not a good outing for the freshman as he clocked 14.30 seconds after hitting a few hurdles on the way to the finish line.

Anthaya Charlton had a good run for her University of Kentucky Wildcats in the 100m and 4x100m relay races. The 100m race saw her clock 11.18 seconds in the semifinals to narrowly miss out on advancing to the final. She finished with the 11th fastest overall time.

Charlton ran the second leg in the 4x100m relay along with teammates Victoria Perrow, Masai Russell and Karimah Davis. Charlton had a strong run on the second leg and helped them to a silver medal finish in a time of 42.46 seconds. Winning that race after clocking a season best and college leading time, and a facility, meet and collegiate time of 41.55 seconds in the semis, the hosts won with a time of 41.60 seconds. The Tigers was close behind with a season best 42.52 seconds to place third.

The Wildcats also featured Megan Moss who ran the second leg in the 4x400m relay. Her teammates included Davis, Tamiia Fuller and Dajour Miles. Moss helped them to clock a season best 3:27.47 to place sixth. The University of Arkansas Razorbacks was the winner with a season best of 3:24.05.

Charisma Taylor saw action in four events for her University of Tennessee Volunteers. Taylor was in the 100m hurdles, long jump, triple jump and the 4x100m relay. Taylor’s best finish came in the triple jump when she placed fourth with a leap of 13.93m (45’ 8-1/2”). The University of Florida Gators’ Jasmine Moore won that event after posting 14.78m (48’ 6”) which was a personal best, college leading distance, facility, meet and collegiate record.

The long jump saw her finishing sixth after leaping to 6.41m (21’ 1/2”) on her final jump. The Longhorns’ Ackelia Smith had the best jump of 6.88 (22’ 7”) to get the victory in that event.

The senior missed out on the finals in the 100m hurdles running to a time of 12.94 seconds. She finished with the 10th fastest time in the semifinal.

Taylor ran the third leg for her school in the 4x100m relay along with Jacious Sears, Jonah Ross and Nicole Sreenan. They finished with their semifinal in a season best time of 43.25 seconds to place 10th overall.

Freshman Javonya Valcourt also ran for the Volunteers in the 400m semifinals. She did not finish the race.

Shaun Miller was tied for fourth in the high jump. The Ohio State Buckeyes junior cleared 2.16m (7’ 1”). Winning that event was the University of South Florida’s Romaine Beckford who cleared a personal best 2.27m (7’ 5-1/4”).

Wanya McCoy got his Clemson University Tigers started in the 4x400m relay final. However, the team of McCoy, D’Andre Anderson, Aman Thornton and Tarees Rhodes did not finish the race. They came into the final with a season’s best time of 2:59.78.

McCoy also anchored his 4x100m team of Giano Roberts, Cameron Rose and Guinove Joanus. They ran a season’s best time of 38.73 seconds to finish 11th in the semifinals.

Athletes that place in top eight in their events earned All-American First Team honors and ninth to 16th place earned All-America Second Team honors.

 Home|Sports|Jones, Liberty pick up two wins on the weekendSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 12, 2023 11 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

After their game against the Minnesota Lynx got postponed on Wednesday, due to dangerous air quality on Wednesday, Bahamian professional basketball player Jonquel Jones and the New York Liberty were back in action over the weekend with wins over the Dallas Wings and the Atlanta Dream.

It was a strong third quarter for the Liberty as they secured the 102-93 victory against the Wings yesterday at home at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The win improved the Liberty to a 6-2 win/loss record on the season. Jones, who was traded to the Liberty in the off-season, finished with eight points and eight boards in 27 minutes of play.

The Liberty got their weekend off with a 106-83 victory over the Atlanta Dream at the Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia, on Friday. Jones finished with a season high of 11 points in 21 minutes.

Sunday saw the 6’6” player have a plus-minus of 17 and finish the game shooting 3-for-5 from the field without an attempt from deep. She was 2-for-2 from the charity stripe and dished out three assists.

The Liberty was led by Breanna Stewart who had a game-high 32 points. The Wings’ guard Arike Ogunbowale led them with 25 points in the loss.

Jones got on the scoreboard on a turnaround jump shot at the 3:24 mark in the first quarter as the Liberty led 20-18. She finished the quarter with two points and two rebounds in the first quarter as the game was tied at 20 points.

The Grand Bahama native came alive briefly in the second quarter pouring in four points to head into the intermission with six points but the Liberty was down 51-45.

The Liberty had a strong third quarter to head into the fourth quarter with a 79-68 lead. They outscored the Wings 34-17 in that quarter. The fourth quarter was evenly played as the Liberty held off any comeback the Wings had planned.

It was an efficient game for the Liberty who made 39 shots on 31 assists. They made 13 three-pointers compared to the Wings’ six three-pointers. The Liberty’s largest lead was 14 points.

The 2017 Most Improved Player is averaging 9.1 points per game and five rebounds per game as she continues to work her way back from an injury and adjust to her new team nine games into the season.

The next game for the Liberty is a rematch against the Dream at home tomorrow at 8 p.m.

 Home|Sports|Baha Mar inaugural golf tournament raises over $100KSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 12, 2023 12 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Golfers came out and supported the Baha Mar Resort Foundation’s inaugural golf invitational on Saturday at the Baha Mar’s Royal Blue Golf Course. They were able to raise over $100,000 for the Foundation as it continues its community outreach.

The conditions were favorable for golf as there was little wind and sunny skies as golfers came out to support the foundation’s initiative. Special prizes were awarded for individual competitions, which included the longest drive and closest to the pin. Thirty-eight pairs entered the tournament.

The winners were John Davis and Kristen Vizalli who finished with a net score of 52.6. Second place was secured by the duo of Ian Sweeting and Rodwell Knowles who scored 55.9. Trevor Wallace and Colin Lightbourn finished third after coming away with a score of 57.1.

President of Baha Mar 

Resorts, Graeme Davis was happy to see Baha Mar partners, community, and friends at the inaugural charity tournament.

“It is to go back and give to the community through our Baha Mar Foundation which rests on our three pillars of community, culture and conservation. We’ve been active since we’ve opened here over six years ago, where we’ve been constantly supporting the community through the arts where we have a tremendous outreach with our community here in the art world and cultural aspects of Junkanoo support, certainly through the orphanages, old age homes, through whether it be BAARK or the Humane Society, Cancer Society and Hands for Hunger. We’re out there wherever we can,” Davis said.

One of their partners that was on the course was John Bull. John Bull representative Omar Cepeda said they were happy to be a part of the tournament.

“We are always happy to do something with Baha Mar since we are together in many joint ventures, and we are a part of their retail team. This is a great opportunity for all our guys to do something for the community through the foundation as well as having fun,” Cepeda said.

He was also was on the course swinging his golf clubs.

“I haven’t played in five years, so I am here having fun,” Cepeda said. “The score doesn’t count for me. I am here having fun with my coworkers and meeting new people. It is great to be a part of this.”

According to Georgette Rolle-Harris, head pro at Royal Blue, the players played a scramble format which is designed for play to be faster. There were junior golfers who took 

advantage of the tournament.

“When you have such a good mix of drinks on the course with food and music, it is a freer style of playing golf. I think the Foundation pulled it off this year. We saw some low scores on the course. There are three junior golfers in the field, and it is a great opportunity for them. It is great to see companies reach out to junior golfers to give them an opportunity to play. They can mix and converse with adult players and they are happy to be a part of it,” Rolle-Harris said.

Davis was happy to see Corporate Bahamas show up and support the event.

“We just rebuilt two new tennis courts in the community to put rackets in kids hands,” Davis said. “Everything we’re doing constantly is focused on giving back to the community. So we’re excited to have our partners here, people from John Bull from Bahamasair, Sands,Coca-Cola Bottling and Deltec just a cross-section of wonderful corporate citizens that are out here helping the foundation today (Saturday).”

Baha Mar is no stranger to sports as they play host to Baha Mar Hoops, Bahamas Basketball Federation’s Summer of Thunder, Miami Heat training camp and Derek Jeter Golf Invitational which help to raise some funds for the Baha Mar Foundation.

 Home|Sports|The countdown is on, four weeks to go for Bahamas GamesSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailJune 9, 2023 350 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

With only four weeks remaining to the sixth edition of the Bahamas Games, a common question remains: ‘What are the Bahamas Games?’

After more than two decades of being dormant, this is a question that many young millennials and others who have yet to have an opportunity to participate in or see the games, may ask.

The Bahamas Games, established in 1989 under the then sports minister Peter J. Bethell, was the first of five sets of multi-events games. The following games occurred in 1991, 1995, 1998 and 2001.

The prevailing national conviction was that the extravaganza of the games was a unique factor in nationalizing the tremendous benefits of sports throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The games also allowed for the discovery of new talent among Bahamians who had the potential to become World and Olympic-level athletes.

The games incorporated various sporting disciplines, enabling athletes from the different sporting federations across our islands or groups of islands to participate and come together. The Bahamas Games were intended to be a joyous national event, meant to uplift, unify and uphold the primary spirit of athletics and sports, encouraging camaraderie through competition and courage.

Just as prominent and more abstract was the reflective evidence that the games generated a sense of national unity and a greater appreciation of the collective charisma among residents of our scattered islands and island groupings. Realizing that while each island possesses its unique brand, it remains grounded in all that makes Bahamians a unique collection of people and proud members of an intimate family of islands.

The Bahamas Golden Jubilee Games will be held from July 7-15. The opening ceremony will be held on Saturday July 8, leading into our national 50th Anniversary of Independence celebrations.

These games will incorporate 16 sporting disciplines held at 16 different locations, enabling persons to enjoy and support the teams and sports of their choice.

The 10 teams forming the individual islands or grouping of islands include: the Abaco Survivors, the Andros Chiccharnies, the Bimini and Berry Islands Marlins, the Columbus Isles Arawaks (Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador), the Eleuthera Adventurers, the Exuma & Ragged Island Navigators, the Grand Bahama Lucayans, the Long Island Sheep Runners, the MICAL Flamingoes (Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins and Long Cay) and the New Providence Buccaneers.

The Bahamas Games’ style of competition is modeled after the Olympics. The games will be held over a week, with various events occurring sequentially or simultaneously. The overall score collectively will determine the winner of the games. However, each sporting event will still be awarded based on a first to third-place finisher, with those teams or their representatives being awarded gold, silver and bronze respectively.

One of the important events included with the Bahamas Golden Jubilee Games is the baton tour, which has already started its journey, beginning in Exuma and then to Grand Bahama. The baton will continue to touch each island or a representative island for a grouping of islands until it ends its journey returning to New Providence for the start of the Bahamas Games 2023.

The passing of the baton from one island to the next acts as a signal to all the islands that the Bahamas Games will begin shortly but also acts as a catalyst to inspire both supporters and athletes to bring their ‘A’ game, whether participating or cheering. The baton also reminds Bahamians of the national pledge of allegiance, “…one people, united in love and service”, which is reflected in the Bahamas Golden Jubilee Games’ slogan, ‘Our Nation, Our Islands, Our Games’.

The excitement for Bahamas Games 2023 is building, and everyone can participate and learn more about the games by going to the Bahamas Golden Jubilee Games website: thebahamasgames.org or following, liking and subscribing on social media for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @thebahamagames or TikTok and YouTube @thebahamasgames.

Every Tuesday, at 6 p.m., the public is encouraged to tune into the ‘Hype Tuesday’ show streamed live on the Bahamas Games’ Facebook and YouTube channels to represent their island and team and show their support who they feel will win the upcoming games.

For more information on how to participate in the games or general information on the games, interested persons can call (242) 322-1029/69 or send an e-mail to info@thebahamasgames.org or bahamasgamessecretariat@gmail.com.

 Home|Sports|Swim nationals set for next weekendSports

Meet serves as an early qualifier for the Paris Olympic Games

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 8, 2023 342 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas Aquatics Federation is set to host its 51st national championships at the Betty Kelly-Kenning National Swim Complex. It gets underway on June 15 and wraps up on Father’s Day, June 18.

President of the federation Algernon Cargill said he expects high quality swims from Bahamian and international swimmers. The boys and girls age groups that will be participating are 8-and-under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-17 and 18-and-over.

“This nationals is very important to the federation because it is a qualifier for Paris 2024 Olympic Games and we will see approximately 50 international swimmers coming to The Bahamas to participate in the championships,” Cargill said. “We will see our own international swimmers who will be competing at home and they’ll be excited to swim at home. We are very grateful for Corporate Bahamas for stepping forward to fund these championships.”

Bahamian swimmers such as Olympian Izaak Bastian, Lamar Taylor, DaVante Carey and Lilly Higgs will come home to compete for their respective clubs as well as attain cuts for various meets. Swimmers from Bermuda, the Dominican Republic and the United States of America (USA) will be looking to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics Games. The international swimmers will be competing for time and not points or medals.

Taylor holds the national record in several swim events and recently was named the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Swimmer of the Year. He won three individual NCAA DII championship titles. Carey, Bastian and Higgs are all national record holders. Bahamian swimmers who want to compete on national teams must participate at the nationals unless they are exempted.

The meet is club oriented in that a club is crowned the overall champion. The defending champion is Mako Aquatics Club and they will be looking to win their fifth straight title like The Bahamas’ CARIFTA swim team did earlier in the year.

“It is an outstanding accomplishment to win four straight titles. We operate in a very competitive arena in the swimming community, and we have had a lot of dynamics change in the swimming communities here with clubs combining. Mako has gotten even stronger as well as Alpha because they combined with a part of the YMCA WaveRunners club in Freeport. YMCA was second overall to Mako last year, so Alpha would emerge very strong in these national championships. The Barracudas will pose a significant threat also to Mako’s attempt at a five peat,” Cargill said.

Apart from being an Olympic qualifier, the meet serves as an early qualifier for the CARIFTA Games. The junior swimmers try to achieve the qualifying standards. The Bahamas hosts the championships in 2024.

“We know that all the younger kids are trying to get their CARIFTA qualifying times early, and it is one of the reasons why we do so well at CARIFTA. We’re excited about that and that’s why all of the swimmers are competing,” Cargill said.

After the CARIFTA Swimming Championships in April, a club meet had to be cancelled because the pool was not up and running. Swimmers are currently practicing at the pool and Cargill said that the pool is expected to be functional from now until it closes for maintenance after the Bahamas Games in July.

“The National Sports Authority (NSA) has been working very closely with the federation to ensure that proper maintenance is provided but our biggest challenge would be during these hot summer months to keep that water temperature cool. The automatic chillers that are installed are no longer functional. We’re happy that we partnered with the NSA. We’re having weekly meetings to discuss some of the challenges, and we expect to have the pool working. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that everything goes well,” Cargill said.

The support from the crowd plays a huge role in the performance of the swimmers, said Cargill. They will support their favorite club and reunite for CARIFTA swimming as they cheer for The Bahamas. Cargill described the swimming community as being one of the best supporters of local sports and he expects the crowd to be loud as usual.

As of Friday, June 9, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#The Bahamas Aquatics Federation will host the 2023 Bahamas National Swimming Championships next weekend. The 51st edition of the swimming nationals will commence from June 15 to June 18 at the Betty Kelly Kenning National Swim Complex. The event will feature age groups of 8 and under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-17 and 18 and over. The event will serve as an early qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and the CARIFTA swimming championships in April next year.

#Algernon Cargill, president of Bahamas Aquatics, talked about the level of competition to be on display next weekend.

#“We are expecting some extremely high performances especially from our international swimmers coming home to try and qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games,” Cargill said.

#Among the 50 international swimmers expected to return home will include Lamar Taylor, Marvin Johnson, Luke-Kennedy Thompson, Olympian Izaak Bastian, DaVante Carey, and Lilly Higgs. According to the president, swimmers will be coming from the US, Bermuda, and the Dominican Republic to compete.

#Although athletes will be vying for a chance to qualify for next year’s Olympics, the swimming clubs are all looking to dethrone the defending champions, Mako Aquatics Club. The club has won the competition four consecutive times and will look to add another national swimming championship to their collection.

#Despite being one win shy of having the same number of wins as the CARIFTA swimming team, Cargill believes Mako Aquatics might face some challenges from the Barracuda Swim club and Alpha Aquatics.

#“The Mako Aquatics club is confident that they will defend their titles however I am expecting some stiff and exciting competition from Alpha Aquatics and the Barracudas,” he added.

#In addition to the event being a qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, swimmers will have the opportunity to qualify a year in advance of the CARIFTA games which are slated to be held at home next year following the fifth consecutive win this April.

#Cargill expects that local and international athletes will look to qualify early on to get it out of the way and work on improving their times and standards ahead of next year’s major swimming events.

#The championships will get underway at 9am for the first session and will start at 6pm for session two on day one.

As of Saturday, June 10, 2023

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# CHLOE Rounce, who now resides in Florida, will be one of the few Bahamians participating in the US-Kids Golf World Junior Championships in Pinehurst, North Carolina from August 2-6.

# The 10-year-old former Windsor Academy student is now playing on the US Kids Golf Tour, the South Florida PGA Prep Tour and the Under Armor Junior Tour.

# She has travelled home to compete in the series of US-Kids Golf Tour at Baha Mar, organied by Georgette Rolle-Harris of the Fourteenth Golf Academy and sanctioned by the Bahamas Golf Federation’s Junior Golf Association, headed by Gina Gonzelez-Rolle.

# Rounce has qualified and been invited to compete in the Under Armor Junior World Championships in Orlando and the Canadian Invitational at Niagara in July.

# “I hope to win. If I don’t think I could win, then I should not go,” said Rounce about her expectations. “I just have to work on my tournament strategy and my endurance because it’s a very long tournament.”

# Last year, Rounce won the South Florida Drive, Chip and Putt competition in Doral, Florida, which allowed her to qualify for the Copperhead Classic in Tampa and the Jekyll Island Cup in Jekyll Island, Georgia in March.

# She is the daughter of Peter and Ranieh Rounce and the grand-daughter of David and Christine Rounce.. She will be attending the prestigious Benjamin School in Palm Beach in August. Her aspiration is to one day play on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour.

# A few other Bahamians have qualified to play on the US-Kids World Junior Championships, but have opted to play on the Bahamas Junior National Golf team that will be competing overseas around the same time.

As of Friday, June 9, 2023

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Bahamian graduating half-miler Sasha Knowles posing with Clayton State head coach Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

# HAVING just completed his fifth season as the head coach at Clayton State University, Golden Knight Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown said he could not be prouder of the achievement of his Laker’s track and field team.

# Brown, who joined the Laker Nation in September 2018 as an assistant, said they are still a work in progress, but their work ethic is yielding some fantastic results.

# “We had some outstanding performances, a few records broken and a few events that I was really impressed with,” said Brown, who watched recently as his 25-year-old Bahamian men’s national 800 metre record was shattered by Joel Forbes.

# “We are still a work in progress because we still have a long way to go. Our men’s team finished third for the first time (in the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) and our women finished fourth. We are doing very well, so I’m proud of all of the athletes who came out who were healthy and contributed and to those who were injured and are recovering.”

# As he continues the journey next year, Brown said he’s looking forward to his coaching staff getting to work with the athletes as soon as they come back to school in August to continue where they left off.

#“We’re looking for several individuals to qualify for the National Championships and just looking to continue our success until we get that W (win),” Brown said. “Nothing has changed.

# “I’m just excited because we have a good crop of kids coming in to match what we had there and so it’s going to be a good ride here.”

# Brown, however, will be without the services of the lone Bahamian on the team as middle distance runner Sasha Knowles from St Augustine’s College graduated last month.

# Knowles, who also competed for the first time in the 4500m hurdles, emerged as the one of three Lakers’ team members named to the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) track and field team of Academic Distinction.

# Knowles had a very decorated career for the Lakers. In her four-year cross-country career, she gathered three PBC Team of Academic Distinction honours and was a two-time D2ADA Academic Achievement selection.

# On the track side, Knowles is a two-time D2CCA Academic Achievement and PBC Presidential Honour Roll selection. She also earned all-conference honours in the 4×400 metre relay in the 2021 Outdoor Championships.

# In her career, Knowles ran the middle-distance races and competed in her first ever Heptathlon in the 2023 Outdoor Championships earning fourth place.

# Earlier this season, Knowles was awarded the Dotty M. Bumbalough & Pat Keene Female Academic Athlete of the Year, which is an award given to a senior student-athlete that earned the highest GPA in the department.

# “It was good. It’s always good to know that you have someone from your hometown out there. We are both from the same place and just hearing another Bahamian out there in practice brings a smile on your face,” Brown said.

#“I’m going to miss her. She was an honour student. I’m so proud of her and her parents and I hope what she gained here will help to propel her as she moves forward in life.”

# In her departure, Brown said he has a few Bahamians in the pipeline, but he declined to reveal any names until they have all of the necessary paperwork sorted out.

# “I’m looking forward to getting some more Bahamians here so that they can continue their success and help to represent the Bahamas on the international scene,” Brown summed up.

# Brown, a native of Eleuthera, is a veteran quarter-miler, having participated in five Olympic Games, earning a gold medal (2012), a silver (2008) and two bronzes (2000 and 2016) in the men’s 4x 400m relay. He also won numerous individual medals in the World Indoor Championships as well as the Commonwealth, Pan American CAC and Carifta Games.

As of Friday, June 9, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#The Paradise Games Wildcats are aiming to complete an historical feat in The Bahamas Flag Football League (BFFL): winning four straight league titles.

#Recently, women have been making waves in not only soccer and football but flag football as well. The Wildcats started the regular season with some lofty goals and have ticked them off their proverbial checklist along the way.

#The women’s team – the defending champions – wrapped up the regular season in dominating fashion as the first flag football team in history to remain undefeated in the women’s division. Ultimately, the team capped off the regular season as the pennant winners and, as they continue to break barriers along the way, one goal remains: a four-peat.

#The ferocious Wildcats will step onto the Winton Rugby Field for the first time this postseason to take on the Fidelity/Money Maxx Phoenix Fire. Last year, the team’s driving force came behind the passing of the late coach Phillip Rahming. The team dedicated their third title win to the man that had a vision of the Wildcats being more than just a dominant flag football squad in The Bahamas. Now with the “second” season underway, the team is more poised than ever to make flag football history. No team has ever completed four straight title wins in the league.

#Dwight Marshall, the team’s general manager, talked about the mindset they have going into this weekend’s flag football showdown.

#“The ladies are always confident it’s a veteran group and they have been on this stage over and over. Many of them have played in playoffs since they entered the league so they just see it as another challenge…this is just a next step to give themselves a chance to win another championship,” Marshall said.

#Marshall added that the name of the game is consistency for his team, and building on things that need to be worked on after every season. Despite the successes of the veteran squad, he acknowledged that every team has strengths and weaknesses but the way the Wildcats prepare, and how they play, is what sets them apart.

#Overall, Marshall is proud of the feats his team has accomplished over the years and he was also happy about Wednesday’s announcement of NFL Flag Football expanding to The Bahamas.

#“It’s big news, it will provide a lot of opportunities for the ladies I am sure . . . it gives them a pathway to make something bigger out of their flag football careers,” he said. “Hopefully it opens some doors for the ladies who have been in the league [and] it’s very exciting for younger players who are just getting into flag,” he said.

#Despite the numerous milestones achieved by the seasoned women’s team in the BFFL, the late great coach Phillip Rahming had aspirations of his team soaring to heights beyond The Bahamas. The defending champions are accustomed to travelling twice a year to the United States and some of the members have also competed on The Bahamas’ All Star teams in 2017 and 2018.

#Following the announcement of the country as the first Caribbean nation to join NFL Flag, Wildcats defensive captain Jayde Knowles talked about the excitement from a team’s perspective.

#“We are more than ecstatic that NFL Flag Football Bahamas has established more opportunities for our youth to receive scholarships, but more importantly the possibility of a future Olympic team in the sport that we love is phenomenal and gives us more reason to continue striving to be the best in the region,” Knowles said.

#With Sunday’s semifinals looming, Knowles added: “We are continuing to break barriers, reach new heights, and make history when you think of women’s flag football in The Bahamas you will never forget the Wildcats standard.”

#Fans can witness the Wildcats’ quest to make history this Sunday at the Winton Rugby Field starting at 1.10pm.

As of Friday, June 9, 2023

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Joel Forbes

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#CHRIS ‘Fireman’ Brown said he was surprised that it took 25 years for his Bahamian men’s national 800 metre record to be broken.

#Meet Joel Forbes, considered a “late bloomer,” who only started competing in the sport seriously at the age of 19. He just shattered Brown’s mark of one minute and 49.54 seconds that he ran on August 17, 1998 at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Maracaibo, Venezuela.

#Forbes’ record-breaking feat came at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Marion, Indiana. The junior at Cumberland in Tennessee ran 1:49.32 to ink his name in the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ (BAAA) record books.

#“Going into the championships, I had an idea that I would break the record,” said Forbes, who, like Brown, also ran the 400m. “At our last chance meet in Cleveland, Tennessee, I was close to the time, so that showed me that I had a chance to do it.

#“Even when I ran at Conference, my coach told me that I have the ability to break faster than the national record. When I did it, I was so happy. It was an unbelievable experience for me.”

#Brown, who admitted that he’s never met Forbes, could only smile when he heard about the performance after Forbes did it with splits of 53 in the first 400m and 56 in the last lap of the race.

#“I was like wow. Finally, somebody went under 1:49.5,” Brown said. “That was impressive. I was excited to know that somebody out there has that fire and spark to go for it. It was a record that was there forever, but records are meant to be broken.

#“So I’m extremely proud of him. I can truly say that as a Bahamian who ran the event, it was good to see someone else who was able to join me in running that fast. I hope that one day we can clash, or at least I can be around to see him perform.”

#As a youngster growing up at St John’s College, Forbes said he got to run for the Giants’ track team, but it wasn’t until he was enrolled at the University of the Bahamas that he found himself venturing over to the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium to train and compete.

#He joined Quick Step Athletics Track Club, headed by Clinton Smikle and the rest was history.

#“I was trying to get a track scholarship and so I went out there to train and to see what I can get worked out,” Forbes said. “I had a school lined up in Alabama, but the same time I was trying to get in, they fired the head coach.

#“After that fell through, things worked out at Cumberland and I went there and I worked extremely hard. I knew that I was on to something once I started competing there.”

#On his late entry into competitive track and field, Forbes said it wasn’t something that his parents, Delores and Wellington Forbes, pushed for him or his brother, Joshua Forbes. In fact, he said after he secured the scholarship to Cumberland, he’s gotten all of the support that he needs.

#“In our family, we haven’t had anyone running track in college,” Forbes said. “So they are not only surprised, but they are happy to see how I am excelling in it. I’m just happy that I can do it.”

#As a young boy growing up, Forbes said he heard about Brown and so when he got a chance to break the record, he was extremely thrilled because he was an idol that he looked up to, although he never got a chance to meet him in person.

#“He called me after I broke the record, and we had a good talk. He encouraged me to continue to hold my head up high and continue to excel,” Forbes said. “Looking at it now, it was a big accomplishment and to hear him compliment me was something that I will really cherish. He said he was proud of my performance.”

#Smikle said when Forbes joined his club, he was running 2:21 in January 2018. A year later, Smikle said Forbes became the national champion, running 2:02. Following that, he dipped under two-minutes with a time of 1:57. So Smikle said he saw the progression.

#“He’s a really hard worker. Once he puts his mind to doing something, he goes out there after it,” Smikle said. “I feel that there’s still more left in the tank for him. I expect that he can run under 1:55.”

#Forbes thanked Smikle for taking the opportunity to work with him.

#While home for the summer, Smikle said he will be working with Forbes to get him ready for the BAAA’s National, scheduled for July 5-7 at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.

#Forbes noted that if the opportunity presented itself, he would definitely like to represent the Bahamas on any of the international meets this summer. He said he is also prepared to run the 400m and will be willing to run on the 4 x 400m relay team.

#“I’ve had a long season. I’ve been running since August with Cross Country and I’ve been racing just about every weekend since up to nationals,” Forbes said. 

#While he’s enjoyed a wealth of success in the 400m, having held the Bahamian national record and won numerous individual medals as well as several as a member of the 4 x 400m relay team, Brown said the 800m has been an event that he’s not settled himself in.

#“I would like to challenge him,” said Brown, who has not quite finished competing although he’s now serving full-time as the head coach at Clayton State University in Atlanta, Georgia.

#“It won’t be this year because July is too quick, but if he gives me until the trials next year, I would be prepared to compete against him and to see how far I can push him.”

#At this stage in his progress, Forbes said he’s willing to face a challenge from any Bahamian who is willing to line up against him, even his idol, whose national record he just recently broke.