THE Grand Bahama Lucayans, behind the top performance from Marvin Johnson, came and conquered the swimming competition at the sixth Bahamas Games.

As of Tuesday, July 11, 2023

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Marvin Johnson with his trophy.

DNDN McKenzie receives the girls’ best swimmer award from president Algernon Cargill and Georgette Albury from Bahamas Aquatics.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#THE Grand Bahama Lucayans, behind the top performance from Marvin Johnson, came and conquered the swimming competition at the sixth Bahamas Games.

#With a strong showing from day one on Friday to the finale on Sunday, the Lucayans surged out front and held on for an impressive victory at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex with a total of 1,697 points ahead of arch rivals New Providence Buccaneers, who had to settle for second with 1,484.

#The Arawaks from Columbus Isles settled for third with 906.50, followed by the Andros Chickcharnies with 863; Long Island Sheep Runners with 580; Exuma & Rugged Island Navigators with 503.50; MICAL Flamingoes with 261.50; Eleuthera Adventurers with 127.50; Abaco Survivors with 38 and Bimini Marlins with 28.

#Grand Bahama also dominated the medal count with 62 gold, 38 silver and 31 bronze for a total of 131. New Providence had 30 gold, 48 silver and 34 bronze for their total of 112. The Arawaks got 15 gold, nine silver and 26 bronze for 50.

#Long Island picked up night gold, 10 silver and 11 bronze for 30; Bimini had three gold; MICAL had two gold, four silver and two bronze for eight; Exum and Ragged Island had one gold, five silver and nine bronze for 15 and Eleuthera had one bronze,

#Eva Russell, the head coach of the Lucayans, said she couldn’t be prouder of the team from Grand Bahama.

#“We came together and displayed the quality of the team from Grand Bahama,” she said. “So I’m very proud of the way they competed together. We just came out of the Nationals and they were still able to produce some quality performances.”

#Russell said the 40-member team from Grand Bahama “rocked the house,”

#One of their stars was Marvin Johnson, who carted off the boys’ most outstanding swimming performance of the meet, based on points accumulated. He scored a total of 73 points to nip New Providence’s Trace Russell and Columbus Isles’ David Singh, who both had 71 points.

#“It’s good. Being able to represent Grand Bahama is a little more special because it’s my hometown,” said Johnson. “I usually represent the Bahamas, but to actually represent Grand Bahama is a lot of fun.”

#Johnson, a 17-year-old attending McCallie Boarding School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, said he didn’t know that he was in contention for the award. He said he simply wanted to go out and score as many points as he could for the Lucayans. The award was the icing on the cake.

#“There were guys whom I competed in on the national tram, so it was a lot of fun competing against them as we represented the different islands,” he said. “It was some stiff competition and I had a lot of fun competing in my first Bahamas Games.”

#Also making her debut in the games, which returns after a 21-year hiatus, was DNDN McKenzie, who won the girls most outstanding award with 67 points. She also beat out a strong field that saw her Buccaneers’ team-mates Taylen Nicholls and Trinity Pratt finish with 63 and 61 points respectively.

#“I feel so honored. I’m surprised I even got this. I was surprised,” said McKenzie, a 12-year-old student preparing for grade eight at St Anne’s School. “I was going to walk out and then I heard my name. I’m so happy.

#“Everybody told them that I got this award. I was so shocked.”

#McKenzie, however, said she was delighted to compete in her first Bahamas Games as she went all out with her performances, lowering her personal best times in some of the events she competed in.

#Although her performance, along with that of Nicholls and Pratt to propel Grand Bahama over the top, coach Travano McPhee said he felt Team New Providence gave it their best shot.

#“I think the draft was a little more relaxed this year, which didn’t benefit New Providence too much,” Mcphee said. “A lot of swimmers from New Providence took advantage of the opportunity to compete for another island.

#“But it was good competition. Congratulations to Grand Bahama. They had a full tram. This time of the year, the swimmers are now in off season after the nationals, so it was good to see how well they performed in the meet.”

#McPhee, who swam in the last games in 2001 and is now coaching with his daughter competing, said it was good to see the games back. He noted that a lot of the swimmers were asking a lot of questions about the meet. He said he just hopes that it can continue so the swimmers can have another major national event to compete in.

#Bahamas Aquatics president Algernon Cargill said they ensured that the meet was well organized and on time.

#“While we take nothing away from Team Grand Bahama because they brought some quality performers to the meet, I was happy to see Nigel Forbes turned in some best swims, which showed that the swimmers were serious about competing in the games.”

#The games also served as a qualifier for the 2024 CARIFTA Games that will be hosted at the same venue during the Easter holiday weekend. Swimmers got their first chance to attain the standards.

#Cargill, however, noted that Bahamas Aquatics will now swift its attention to the 20th World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan from July 14-30 where a four-member team that include Lamar Taylor, Davante Carey, Rhanishka Gibbs and Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson will represent the Bahamas, followed by the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile from October 20 to November 7.

Road race segment of cycling competition complete

As of Tuesday, July 11, 2023

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SHOWN, from left to right, are Kevin Daley, Jay Major and Chris Curry after the men’s road race.

A NUMBER of women competed in the cycling segment of the Bahamas Golden Jubilee Games.

Top junior cyclists, from left to right, are Taylor Knowles, Kami Roach and Launy Duncombe.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#JAY Major surged ahead in the sprint to secure the New Providence Buccaneers only win in the cycling competition as the road race completed their segment of the sixth Bahamas Games.

#In a gruelling finish to the line on the course in the loop around the Queen Elizabeth Sports Center, Major took the tape in one hour and 25.24 seconds, holding off Andros Chickcharnies’ Chris Curry, who trailed in 1:25.25. Kevin Daley of Columbus Isles Arawaks got third in 1:25.26.

#Major, coming off his victory in the recent Bahamas Cycling Federaton’s National Championships, said he was prepared for the challenge that he faced in the games.

#“I didn’t have such a good race in the timed trials. I sort of used that as my motivation because I really came here to do well in the road race,” Major said.

#“I was really happy with the way I performed. Winning the title was extra special because we had a very good field of competitors and I knew I had to go for it if I wanted to win.”

#Curry, 32, admitted that he knew it would come down to a sprint and so he wanted to make sure he put himself in a position to be in contention.

#Unfortunately, he said Major got the jump on him and the rest of the field and when he tried to go after him, it was a little too late. He congratulated Major on his performance.

#On Sunday, Lorin Sawyer took the men’s timed trials back to Eleuthera as he crossed the line in 24.54 seconds, well ahead of Daley, who was second in 24.54. Jeff Tynes of New Providence was third in 25.13.

#“It was good. There was a pretty strong head wind, but the course was pretty good. We had a little struggle with the traffic, but Bahamian people are not letting up for anybody,” Sawyer said.

#“This was fun. It’s probably the best event I’ve been to in this country. We had a lot of cyclists, which is good to see for the production of the sport.”

#On the ladies’ side, it was a sweep for Grand Bahama’s Smobia Moreau as she captured the ladies’ time trials in 27.51. Moreau’s nearest rival was her team-mate from Grand Bahama Maria De Rose, who trailed in 28.51. Eleuthera Adventurers Marla Albury was third in 29.07.

#Mireau came back on Sunday and added the road race title to her ledger in 2:45.57 with her Lucayan’s team-mate Maria DeRosa taking second in 2:45.40. Marla Abury of Eleuthera came in third in 2:45.41.

#“I am still in shock. After winning the timed trials, I didn’t expect that I would come out and win the road race as well,” she said. “I give God all the thanks and praise. I also want to thank my husband, my coach, Mr (Kenton) Roker and the entire team from Grand Bahama for their support.”

#It was a clean sweep of the titles for Grand Bahamian Launy Duncombe in the boys 15-17 division, and New Providence’s Kami Roach and Taylor Knowles in the girls 15-17 and 12-14 divisions respectively, Long Island’s Lachlan Menzies and Lenin Hamilton shared the honours in the boys 12-14.

#Duncombe, coming off his triumph in the timed trials in 16.23, took the road race in 47.54.

#“I feel good about it. There were some things that I could have done better, but overall, it was a good ride,” Duncombe said. “I feel good about my overall performance.

#“I still have a little more work to do. I have to go back and put in the work. But it’s a great feeling for me being a double champion. That has never happened for me before.”

#After hearing about the Bahamas Games last year, Duncombe said he went full force into training because he wanted to be able to represent Grand Bahama to the best of his ability.

#Roach, one of the top female competitors in the country, emerged as the junior girls’ double champion in the timed trials in 18.35 and came back and completed the road race in 48.26. “I knew this was going to be a good meet and so I came prepared to compete,” Roach said. “I didn’t have any expectations other than to win. “I knew I was a little ahead of my competitors, but I still had to go out there and perform and that is what I did. I think I did very well in both the timed trials and the road race.”

#She said she wanted to use the meet to prepare for the CARIFTA triathlon coming up here in August. She noted that there’s still some work she needs to do, but she was pleased with her performances.

#Knowles, winner of the girls 12-14 timed trials in 12.00, was just as ecstatic about her double feat.

#“It was a very good feeling. I will definitely work towards doing it again at the next Bahamas games,” Knowles said.

#“I really enjoyed the timed trials because it was a lot shorter.

#“But it was a nice experience. I got to meet a lot of new friends. All around, it was a good experience for me.”

#After taking some time to compete in swimming before they closed out on Sunday, Hamilton got the chance to participate in the road race, which he comfortably won in 28.33.

#“My performance was alright. I felt I could have done a lot better if I didn’t have to swim yesterday (Sunday).

#“My legs were a little sore,” Hamilton said. “I am preparing for the CARIFTA triathlon, so this was good to get me ready for it.”

#While the CARIFTA Triathlon here in August is his next goal, Hamilton said he was just delighted to be able to compete in the Bahamas Games.

#“I was really excited about it,” said the 14-year-old Hamilton, who is preparing to enter grade nine at St Paul’s School in Grand Bahama. “I really enjoyed competing in the games.”

#Federation president Roy Colebrooke said the two days of competition was unbelievable.

#“Those who you thought would have won, got upset,” said Colebrooke, who also serves as the chairman of the New Providence Sports Council. “The entire two days of cycling was very exciting.

#“I’m grateful, most of all, that the event went off without any major incident. Safety is our first motto and we’re just thankful to our partners, the Police, the ambulance, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and the athletes and coaches from around the Bahamas who helped to make this a success.

Book ticket to gold medal game in baseball

As of Tuesday, July 11, 2023

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Photo: MOYSC-Department of Sports

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#IN a battle of two remaining undefeated teams, the New Providence Buccaneers knocked off the Eleuthera Adventurers to book their ticket to the gold medal game for baseball in the sixth Bahamas Games.

#As the country celebrated its 50th Golden Jubilee Independence anniversary yesterday at the new Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium, the Buccaneers pulled off a 9-2 win.

#Buccaneers’ manager Clarence ‘CJ’ McKenzie said he was satisfied with the way the Buccaneers performed.

#“We really wanted to put ourselves in a position to compete for the gold medal,” McKenzie said. “Tomorrow, we expect the same thing, good defence and a lot of fire power, scoring a lot of runs.”

#The Buccaneers were able to produce at least two runs per inning to back up the strong pitching from Deshaughn Forbes to remain undefeated in three games as they advanced to the gold medal game at 4 pm.

#With the loss, Eleuthera dropped to 2-1 and will move into the bronze medal game at 1pm.

#Their opponents will come following the 10am match-up between the Lucayans from Grand Bahama and the Andros Chickcharnies.

#Grand Bahama avoided elimination as they shutout Andros 10-0 in four innings in their key match-up earlier yesterday.

#Manager Orville Saint said they played sparingly, but will definitely have to play up to par if they intend to win a medal.

#“At first it was a let down for me because I guess the expectations were a little high,” Saint said. “I’m glad we got beat in the first game.

#In the second game, we won that and the third game we should have won it.”

#Saint noted that his Lucayan bats were not up to par, but now they are playing up to their full potential and he’s hoping it will produce the kind of results they need for the final day of competition today.

#In their shutout of Andros, Kyton Bethel pitched a no-hitter with two walks and left fielder McKell Bethel led their offensive attack with a 1-for-2 outing with two runs batted in and a run scored.

#Designated hitter Ryan Norttage scored twice with a RBI.

#“Our bats are coming around, so anything is possible,” Saint said.

#“We have to work our way back up to the gold medal game. “I’m not going to put any pressure on my guys. I will just wait to see how they play tomorrow.”

#Zaden Cox suffered the loss as Andros suffered their second straight loss on the day, dropping a 7-6 decision to New Providence as the Chickcharnies got eliminated from further play.

#Malik Foster got the win on the mound and Tavaris Minnis was tagged with the loss.

#Versatile Deshaughn Forbes was 1-for-2 with two RBI and a run scored and left fielder Tata Isaacs was 2-for-3 with a RBI and two runs scored.

#Tavaris Munnings got the loss. Left fielder Justin Smith was 1-for-2 with a run scored.

#In the other game played yesterday, Columbus Isles blanked MICAL 16-0 behind the 1-0 hit, four walk, five strike outs and one hit by pitch performance by winning pitcher Junnel Bain.

#He also helped his own cause with a perfect 2-for-2 plate appearance with two runs scored and a RBI.

#Javier Bowe suffered the loss.

#• Games played in the aseball Tournament are as follows:

#FRIDAY

#Long Island def. Abaco 6-3; Eleuthera def. Grand Bahama 8-1; MICAL def. Columbus Isles 4-2; Andros def. Bimini 9-7; Grand Bahama def. Abaco 10-0 and New Providence def. Long Island 8-0.

#SATURDAY

#Columbus Isles def. Grand Bahama 11-5; Long Island def. Bimini 9-7 and Grand Bahama def. Abaco 13-0.

#SUNDAY

#MICAL def. Long Island 13-0; Grand Bahama def. Bimini 4-0 and Eleuthera MICAL 12-2.

#MONDAY

#New Providence def. Andros 7-6; Columbus Isles def. MICAL 16-0; Grand Bahama def. Andros 10-0 and New Providence def. Eleuthera 9-2.

The Andros Chickcharnies are ready for the gold medal game at the Bahamas Golden Jubilee Games.

As of Tuesday, July 11, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#THE clash of the titans for the gold, silver and bronze medals in tennis at the sixth Bahamas Games will not include the New Providence Buccaneers.

#Surprisingly, after four days of intense competition at the National Tennis Center, the Buccaneers failed to crack the top four in the team standings and will have to play Abaco for the fifth or sixth place.

#While it was anticipated that the Grand Bahamian Lucayans would have earned their berth, what wasn’t expected was that their opponents would come from the Andros Chickcharnies, while the Eleuthera Adventurers would take on the Long Island Sheep Runners for the bronze.

#New Providence actually finished third in their group, which knocked them out of contention for one of the top four spots. In their absence, many are still looking forward to some fireworks from the Grand Bahama-Andros and the Eleuthera-Long Island match-ups.

#Lucayans’ coach Danny Rigby said his team from Grand Bahama has played very well so far in the games and he expects that they will carry that momentum over to the final.

#“We know that every one of them takes the game seriously,” Rigby said. “So right now, we’re doing okay. We have a rough battle with Andros on Tuesday, but I think we will be right there. We have a well-balanced team, so is Andros, so it’s going to be a real fight out there.”

#The Lucayans’ team include players such as Denali Nottage, Rodney Carey Jr, Larikah Russell and Jalisa Clarke.

#Bradley Bain, one of the coaches for Andros, said the Chickcharnies did what they had to do and that was to get into the final.

#“I don’t anticipate going into events where we don’t have a chance to win,” Bain said. “We have a very strong team from Andros with MJ (Michael Major Jr) and PJ (Philip Major Jr) and Jacobi Bain on the men’s side and Sydney Clarke and her little sister Sarai on the junior girls’ side and Savano Hanna on the junior boys’ side, I think it’s a great combination.”

#Bain said if it’s one thing he’s confident in, it’s the fact that “our players know what to do to keep the ball in play. They will come to play,” he insisted.

#“They (Grand Bahama) have to beat us on the court. They look good on paper, but they have to play the game.”

#In group A, Grand Bahama finished with a 2-1 win-loss record, while Long Island was 1-2 and Abaco was 0-3.

#In pool B, Andros topped the field at 3-1, Eleuthera was 2-2, New Providence was 1-3 and MICAL was 0-4.

#In explaining the format for tennis, referee Mickey Williams noted that each tie between two islands feature six matches, which include the junior boys’ and girls’ singles, senior boys’ and girls’ singles, girls’ and boys’ doubles and the mixed doubles to ten points, if necessary wherever there is a tie.

#To complete the round robin play on Sunday, Grand Bahama knocked off Long Island 5-1 and Eleuthera matched the same results against MICAL.

#The surprise came in the other match where Andros whitewashed New Providence 6-0.

#•Here’s a look at the results of those matches played:

#Grand Bahama def. Long Island 5-1

#Men’s Singles – Denali Nottage (Grand Bahama) def Anthony Burrows Jr (Long Island) 6-3, 6-2.

#Boys Singles – Synaj Watkins (Long Island) def. Aiden Ritchie (Grand Bahama) 7-6(5), 5-7, 10-7.

#Women’s Singles – Larikah Russell (Grand Bahama) def Genesis MISSICK (Long Island) 6-0, 6-0.

#Girls Singles Jalisa Clarke (Grand Bahama) def. Saphire Ferguson (Long Island) 6-4, 6-3.

#Men’s Doubles – Rodney Carey Jr and Denali Nottage (Grand Bahama)def Abishai Adderley and Anthony Burrows Jr (Long Island) 6-1, 6-1

#Women’s Doubles – Jalisa Clarke and Larikah Russell (Grand Bahama def BreAnn Ferguson and Genesis Missick (Long Island) 6-1, 6-2.

#Eleuthera def. MICAL 5-1

#Men’s Singles – Kevin Major Jr (Eleuthera) def Dentry Mortimer Jr (MICAL) 6-0, 6-0.

#Boys Singles – Patrick Mackey Jr (MICAL) def. Ayai Bethel (Eleuthera) 6-3, 6-4.

#Women’s Singles – Richette Percentie (Eleuthera) walkover.

#Girls Singles – Felicity McPhee (Eleuthera) def. Syrae Feaster (MICAL) 6-0, 6-0.

#Men’s Doubles – Zander Cromwell and Kevin Major Jr. (Eleuthera) def Patrick Mackey Jr and Dentry Mortimer Jr (MICAL) 6-0, 6-0.

#Women’s Doubles – Kaylee Kanuka and Elana Mackey (Eleuthera) walkover.

#Andros def. New Providence 6-0

#Men’s Singles – Michael Major Jr (Andros) def Justin Lunn (New Providence) 6-0, 6-0.

#Boys Singles – Savano Hanna (Andros) def Miguel Smith (New Providence) 6-3, 6-3.

#Women’s Singles – Sydney Clarke (Andros) def Elanqua Griffin (New Providence) 6-2, 6-1.

#Girls Singles – Sarai Clarke (Andros) def Aryuana Davis (New Providence) 6-0, 6-2.

#Men’s Doubles – Michael Major Jr. and Philip Major Jr. (Andros) def Justin Lunn and Marvin Rolle (New Providence) walkover

#Women’s Doubles – Sarai and Sydney Clarke (Andros) def Elanqua Griffin and Sierra Rodgers (New Providence) 6-0, 6-2.

#– The gold and bronze medal ties as well as the battle for fifth and sixth place will begin at 9am today at the NTC.

As of Tuesday, July 11, 2023

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SPRINTER Anthonique Strachan has punched her ticket to the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) 2023 National Track and Field Championships ended on a high note for juniors at the original Thomas A Robinson national stadium this past weekend.

#The meet wrapped up after three days of intense track and field competition from both the seniors and juniors. Senior athletes returning to home soil for competition on Independence weekend not only put on a show for the home crowd but also punched their tickets to the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Also, the juniors followed suit but instead booked their flights to Costa Rica and Buenos Aires for the North American, Central American, and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) under-18 and under-23 championships and 2023 Pan American Games.

#JUNIORS

#Shatalya Dorsette not only qualified for the NACAC U18 and U23 championships but also left the TAR stadium a double champion. The 17-year-old claimed both first place finishes in the 100-meter (m) and 200m finals. Dorsette once again finished first with CARIFTA gold medallist Jamiah Nabbie following behind for second. She finished with a personal best of 24.05 in the event. Meanwhile, Nabbie ended 0.05 seconds behind with 24.10.

#Grand Bahama’s Dorsette said she just wanted to execute the plans of her and the coach therefore, she was glad she ran with Nabbie because it gave her an extra push for a personal best. She said it felt great to become a double champion at the nationals after graduating highschool this year. The 2023 Sunland Baptist graduate now has her sights set on tertiary education at Louisiana Tech University where she will pursue her studies in Forensic Science.

#Adam Musgrove, who was already having quite the track season, added another accomplishment to his collection. Musgrove paired his gold medal in the 100m finals alongside another from the 200m finals. The recent Pan American Games qualifier notched a time of 21.08 for the win.

#Musgrove was overwhelmed with emotion as he talked about his newest track feat.

#“This is a dream come true. I am really speechless because like I said I have never really won any major event so to come out here and win two at my last junior meet at home is a fantastic feeling,” he said.

#Melvinique Gibson, of the T-Bird Flyers, also doubled her medal count at the 2023 National Track and Field Championships. After securing the win in the 400m finals, Gibson followed it up with a 200m win making her a double champion as well. She finished with 25.37 in the event.

#Gibson said she could have executed better in the race but she just tried to have fun and give her 100% best. Overall, she felt she did well in the events over the weekend.

#SENIORS

#Sprinter Anthonique Strachan closed off the track and field championships as a double national champion in the 100m and 200m finals. On the final day, Strachan collected her second win clocking 23.41. Hurdler Gabrielle Gibson came second with 24.15 and Jenae Ambrose ended in third place.

#Strachan talked about the win after having some difficulties with her spikes.

#“The race was a pretty smooth race I just was working on my technique like I said previously before my spikes popped during warmup and was starting to pop even more when I was running…it was making it more difficult so I just changed up my race strategy and plan to just work on technique and race execution,” she said.

#Professional hurdler Devynne Charlton blitzed past the finish line first with a time of 12.93 in the 100m hurdles finals. Charisma Taylor trailed behind with 13.04 and Denisha Cartwright of Minnesota State University finished third.

#Charlton said she thought the race was pretty good despite the strong winds. She said Taylor pushed her throughout the race and she had to find another gear in the middle of because she felt the pressure in the beginning.

#Joel Forbes came away as the National Champion in the 800m race for the third time. He emerged victorious after running 1:52.32.

#Rhema Otabor, winner of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) javelin title, claimed the national title at home after throwing a personal best 59.75m.

#Otabor said she felt the series was okay. She said she started off strong but in the middle of her throwing she started to dip in distance. However, she was happy that she saved the best for last.

#Although she was happy with the personal best she is aiming for a throw of 60m. Next up for Otabor will be the NACAC U18 and U23 championships.

#Among some of the other athletes that qualified for the NACAC U18 and U23 championships include Lanaisha Lubin, Raywind Winder, Ishmael Rolle, Erin Barr, J Nabbie and others.

#Overall, BAAAs president Drumeco Archer said the event was a success.

#“I think it’s what we all expected it was a transition from the CARIFTA games we continue to see the athletes improving I am also happy with the performances at the senior level its bodes well for good competition when we go to Budapest also I think we will have a strong NACAC U18 and U23 team and we will be going into the World Championships equally as strong,” Archer said.

#The BAAAs president said he was impressed with all of the senior athletes including Strachan, Gardiner, and Donald Thomas. Also, he was excited to see Shaunae Miller-Uibo’s return to the track as it was a testament of her strength and will to always want to be at the top.

Major international championships all set for July 21-23 in Costa Rica

As of Tuesday, July 11, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#IN the aftermath of a successful hosting of its National Track and Field Championships, the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations announced the selection of its first major international team for the summer.

#A 22-member team will carry the flag in the North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Championships that will take place in Costa Rica from July 21-23.

#There are 19 under-18 girls, 16 under-18 boys, four under-23 girls and nine under-23 boys, selected to the tram. They are as follows:

#Under-18 girls

#Jamiah Nabbie. Shatalya Dorsett, Darvinique Dean, Jaynae Pinder, Erin Barr, Chanyah Taylor, Lanaisha Lubin, Phebe Thompson, Bayli Major, Koi Adderley, Tylah Pratt, Annae Mackry, Cailyn Johnson, Dior-Rae Scott, Taysha Stubbs, Shayann Demeritte, Nya Wright, Nia Richards and Alexis Roberts.

#Under-18 boys

#Ishmael Rolle, Caden Smith, Zion Shepherd, Zion Miller, Robert Stuart, Tajh Brown, Berkley Munnings, Morgan Moss, Raywind Winder, Johnathan Rodgers, Robert Stuart, William McKinney, Justin Hanna, Jelani Morrison, Kenny Moxey Jr and Trent Ford.

#Under-23 girls

#Megan Moss, Lacarthea Cooper, Rhema Otabor and Shauneice Miller.

#Under-23 boys

#Terrence Jones, Antoine Andrews, Shaun Miller Jr, Tarajh Hudson, Keyshawn Strachan, Brenden Vanderpool, Demetrius Rolle, Adam Musgrove and Carlos Brown. The team will be managed by Laura Charlton, while Corrington Maycock will serve as the head coach.

#He noted that they have a very experienced and solid team and so the expectations are very high.

#“With this being the Bahamas’ 50th anniversary of Independence, we want to continue showcasing our talent in making the Bahamas proud,” he stated.

#As for being elected as the head coach, Maycock, the founder and head coach of Blue Chips Athletic Club, said it’s always a great feeling when representing the Bahamas at any level of a coaching staff.

#“Being the head coach is more demanding, but I have a super coaching staff and management team with me,” he stated.

#Maycock will be assisted by coaches Everette Fraser, Dereck Wells from Grand Bahama, Jason Edwards, Neketa Sears and Waldon Whyms. Assisting Charlton will be Sharon Gardiner. The chaperone is Jacqueline Rolle, the physician is Dr Cindy Williams and physiotherapist is Terrell Major.

#The BAAA, headed by Drumeco Archer, still has yet to name the team heading to the 19th World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, from August 19-27.

#There is also a team that will be selected by the Bahamas Olympic Committee to head to the Pan American Games from October 20 to November 6 in Santiago, Chile.

|Sports|NP wins gold in baseball and men’s volleyballSports

Columbus Isles takes top spot in women’s volleyball as sixth Bahamas Games continues

Sheldon LongleySend an emailJuly 12, 2023 92 5 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The sixth Bahamas Games is in full swing, with three sporting disciplines wrapping up on day five yesterday, and three more getting started. As it moves closer to the weekend, athletics and boxing will take center stage.

In baseball, New Providence (NP) Head Coach and Team Manager Clarence “CJ” McKenzie described it best when he said they were waiting 22 years to celebrate the way they did yesterday, knocking off Eleuthera in the gold medal game.

The gold medal game turned out to be a pitcher’s duel between Chad McKenzie of New Providence and Eleuthera’s Norman Bastian III, but at the end of the day, McKenzie’s team played defense while the Eleuthera Adventurers’ defense took the night off, or so it seemed.

The New Providence Buccaneers won 4-0 Tuesday night at the new Andre Rodgers 

Baseball Stadium, knocking off Eleuthera for the second night in a row. Eleuthera settled for the silver and the Columbus Isles Arawaks (Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador) took the bronze, losing to Eleuthera 3-1 earlier in the afternoon.

In the gold medal game, Bastian pitched all five innings and yielded just two hits, but his defense committed six costly errors behind him, including three drops on routine fly balls or an infield pop fly. The Buccaneers plated the first run of the game in the bottom of the third when Eleuthera’s right fielder Devilus Delva dropped a fly ball. New Providence added another run in the bottom of the fourth and then padded the lead with two insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth.

“This feels excellent. Grand Bahama won the last baseball championship 22 years ago, so we had to listen to them bragging for 22 years,” said Head Coach and Team Manager “CJ” McKenzie last night. “We feel great winning this one and we look forward to winning the next one as well. We had very tight defense today. Our pitcher Chad McKenzie was phenomenal on the mound and the defense went to work. We were confident in the beginning but we knew that we couldn’t take any team for granted. We respected every opponent but at the end of the day, we believed that we had the best team and we proved that.”

Winning pitcher Chad McKenzie went the distance, pitching all six innings. He hurled a one-hitter, struck out 10 and gave up just one walk. Bastian was strong in defeat, striking out nine batters and giving up just one earned run.

“I feel good,” said winning pitcher Chad McKenzie, a 20-year-old who just finished his freshman season at Ventura College in Ventura, California. “Being so far from home in California, it’s a great feeling to come home and help New Providence win the gold medal. It was a lot of fun. From the second inning, my arm got a little sore, but through God I just kept going. He gave me the strength to keep going, and at the end of the day, I was able to finish what I started.”

Pheron Charlton was 1-for-2 with an RBI (run batted in) for the New Providence Buccaneers and Sanchez Sands had the other hit for them. Frankie Mooreen had the only hit for Eleuthera.

“It’s a sad feeling,” said losing pitcher Bastian. “It’s a team sport and it is disappointing but sometimes when you have those errors, it’s a tough pill to swallow. It could have gone either way, but I just take it as an off day for the defense and just suck it up. A lot of people didn’t expect us to be in the gold medal game but there is a lot of talent on this team and hopefully we could continue to grow together. We played well as a team. I’m a little upset but I’m proud of the way we played throughout the tournament. A lot of these guys are 17 and 18 and they will be around for a long time to come. We’ll suck this one up as a learning experience and come back stronger next time.”

In the game to get to the gold medal match, Joel Miller had two of the three hits for Eleuthera to lead them past Columbus Isles, 3-1. Columbus Isles settled for the bronze.

In women’s volleyball, Columbus Isles lost their only game of the Bahamas Games tournament to the Buccaneers, but bounced back to knock off the tournament’s favorite in the gold medal match, 18-25, 25-12, 25-19 and 25-15. Abaco women won the bronze, defeating the Grand Bahama Lucayans, 25-23, 25-13 and 26-24.

“This feels great, coming back 22 years later and being able to play and win the gold medal is a great feeling,” said Columbus Isles’ Team Captain Laval Sands. “I know they came out here expecting to beat us, especially after beating us during the round-robin phase of the tournament but we pulled together when we needed to the most and got the job done.”

Columbus Isles had to regroup after middle blocker Krystel “Kizzie” Brown tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) earlier in the tournament.

“That was a blow for us but we just came together and said this one is for her,” said Sands. “Service and communication was key for us tonight. We’re veterans and it feels good to pull this one off, and we did it for Kizzie.”

In the men’s gold medal match, New Providence defeated Columbus Isles in three sets, 24-14, 25-17 and 25-21. Columbus Isles settled for the silver and the MICAL Flamingoes (Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins and Long Cay) won the bronze medal in the men’s category, defeating Grand Bahama in the bronze medal match, 27-25, 25-19 and 25-21.

In tennis, the Andros Chiccharnies won the team gold medal, going undefeated in the tournament. Grand Bahama won the silver and Eleuthera settled for the bronze. Sydney Clarke, of Andros, was the most outstanding player in the women’s category and Denali Nottage, of Grand Bahama, was the most outstanding men’s player.

The Long Island Sheep Runners finished fourth, New Providence was fifth and the Abaco Survivors ended up sixth. MICAL brought up the rear.

In sailing the day before, the New Legend, skippered by Stefan Knowles, won the gold in the ‘A’ Class for Long Island. Ruff Justice, skippered by Joshua Knowles and Mark Knowles, claimed the silver for Andros and Silent Partner, skippered by Morris Rolle, won the bronze for Grand Bahama.

In Class ‘B’, the New Chase, skippered by Stefan Knowles, won the gold for Long Island. Barbarian II, skippered by Delsworth Gibson, claimed the silver for MICAL and Ants Nest, skippered by Lee Armbrister, won the bronze for Grand Bahama.

Stefan Knowles was a triple winner as he led Sassie Sue to a gold medal performance in the ‘C’ Class for Long Island. Sacrifice, skippered by Crysto Cartwright, won the silver for Grand Bahama and H2O, skippered by Efford Kemp, won the bronze medal for the Exuma & Ragged Island Navigators.

In soccer, New Providence women won the gold, defeating Grand Bahama, 2-1, in the gold medal match.

In cycling, Jay Major, of New Providence, won the gold in the men’s road race. Andros’ Chris Curry secured the silver and Kevin Daley, of Columbus Isles, finished third. Eleuthera’s Lorin Sawyer won the men’s timed trials. Daley, of Columbus Isles, was second and Jeff Tynes, of New Providence, finished third.

Grand Bahama’s Smobia Moreau won the ladies’ road race and timed trials. Grand Bahama’s Maria DeRosa finished second in the road race and Marla Abury, of Eleuthera, came in third. It was the same order of finish in the timed trials. Laury Duncombe, of Grand Bahama, won the gold medal in the 15-17 boys road race and timed trials. New Providence’s Kami Roach did the same in the 15-17 girls category and Taylor Knowles accomplished that feat in the 12-14 girls category. Long Island’s Lachlan Menzies won the gold medal in the 12-14 boys category timed trials and Lenin Hamilton took top honors in the 12-14 boys road race.

The sporting disciplines of softball, basketball and golf got underway yesterday. Soccer and eduKarting will wrap up today. Athletics and boxing will get underway on Thursday, and optimist sailing will be the final discipline to get started, set to commence on Friday.

The Golden Jubilee Bahamas Games got underway last Friday and will wrap up this coming Saturday. Following the final event in athletics on Saturday, the open men’s 4×400 meters (m) relay, a brief closing ceremony will be held at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.

The games are back in action after a 22-year break.

 Home|Sports|Deltec Bank sponsors the next generation of sailing talentSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailJuly 12, 2023 53 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Deltec Bank and Trust Limited (Deltec Bank) is pleased to announce its sponsorship of the Bahamas National Sailing School, marking the country’s 50th anniversary of Independence.

The sponsorship program will cover the costs associated with professional sailing lessons for 10 students, in the amount of $30,000, and the purchase of new sailing boats for the school. Deltec Bank will also host the spring championship in 2024, which represents an exciting third and final qualifier for international race teams.

As a maritime nation, The Bahamas has a rich history of sailing, as a means of inter-island transportation of goods, primarily in the fishing industry, and as a leisure and competitive sport. This past April, in the House of Assembly, a motion was passed to name sailing as the national sport of The Bahamas, underpinning the Bahamian spirit and evolution of the sport in the country. A pillar of The Bahamas’ community, providing greater access to sailing was a natural step for Deltec Bank and its ongoing local stewardship.

“Sailing has long been a part of the fabric of The Bahamas, and despite our global reach, Deltec Bank has always been proud to call The Bahamas home,” said Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Deltec Bank and Trust Odetta Morton. “We strongly believe in the power of sport and education to open doors to opportunity and are proud to contribute to The Bahamas’ rich maritime culture by investing in the next generation of sailing talent.”

Since the announcement of sailing as the country’s new national sport, the Bahamas National Sailing School has received a surge of interest from youth keen to learn the basic skills this summer. Alumni of the school have gone on to sail at the collegiate level, acquired college scholarships based on their sailing merit, and even entered careers in the industry. Although the school endeavors to make the sport available to Bahamian youth from all walks of life, as a non-profit organization, it relies on funding from the government and private sectors to continue its operations and associated events, including its annual optimist national championship, a sailing event that takes place at the Nassau Yacht Club in October.

After the Deltec Bank Spring Championship, top sailors will be selected to attend the world championships, and the North American and European championships, representing The Bahamas.

“We are incredibly grateful and excited to partner with Deltec Bank to advance our sailing programs this summer. Our motto has always been rooted in making a difference in the lives of youth through sailing and teaching our students to stay focused on making their dreams come true,” said Emma Tinkler, representing the Bahamas National Sailing School. “Deltec Bank’s support not only helps us fulfill our mission of providing accessible sailing education, but it also directly supports our students in achieving their ambitions.”

The official check presentation with the Deltec-sponsored students was held yesterday, and the new sailing boats will be operational by early next year.

The Bahamas National Sailing School offers comprehensive educational programs, training opportunities, and competitive events for the youth across the nation. The school strives to create a sustainable sailing ecosystem that aids in the development of the next generation of national and international sailing champions.

Sports|The Bahamas finished fifth at CAJGCSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJuly 12, 2023 115 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas’ 14-member junior golf team had a busy three days of competition at the 35th Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships (CAJGC), placing fifth overall at the event at the North Sound Club, in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.

The event began on Wednesday, July 5 and wrapped up on Friday, July 7. There were six other countries competing including Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and the host nation.

The coach of the team was Frederick Taylor and the team manager was Gina Gonzalez-Rolle.

Puerto Rico took the Hank James trophy for the overall title. The Dominican Republic finished second and rounding out the top three positions was Jamaica.

The Bahamas was first in the 11-13 girls division, winning with a 32 over-par score, six over-par in the first round. The Bahamas had strong play from Haley Hall and Madisson Carroll-Carlos who individually, finished 43 over-par and 44 over-par, respectively, ending up third and fourth. Just the top individual score from each round was counted toward the team’s total.

The Bahamas turned in a third place finish in the 15-and-under boys division. They scored 37 over-par, led by a seven over-par third round score. They were represented by Kerrington Rolle, Camdyn Forbes and Jackson Mactaggart. Rolle finished third overall in that age group with a score of 14 over-par 227. Forbes was 11th overall scoring 31 over-par 244 and Mactaggart finished 42 over-par 255.

The Bahamas’ 11-13 boys finished in the top five in their division with a final score of 30 over-par 243. Patrick Mactaggart finished in the top five in the individual play with a score of 30 over-par 243. His teammate Denahj Mortimer was 15th in that division with a score of 72 over-par 285.

The older age groups had a tough time. The 18-and-under boys and girls divisions struggled the most, finishing at the bottom. The boys were seventh after scoring 71 over-par while the girls scored 73 over-par, also finishing seventh.

Alex Dupuch was the highest Bahamian finisher in the 18-and-under boys division. He scored a 22 over-par 235 to finish 11th. Zion Taylor and Christopher Callender were the other competitors in that age category, finishing 20th and 21st, respectively. Taylor finish with a score of 49 over-par 262 while Callendar scored a 71 over-par 284.

In the 18-and-under girls division, Miljojka Gojkovic finished 12th with a score of 74 over-par 287. Tynes was 13th after scoring a 76 over-par 289.

The other division in which The Bahamas was represented was the 15-and-under girls division. They placed sixth out of seven teams in that division. In that division, Seannae Norvile-Smith and Taylor Sands finished ninth and 10th, respectively. Norville-Smith scored a 67 over-par 280 and Sands scored a 99 over-par 312.

The team returned home on Saturday.

 Home|Sports|The Bahamas ends CAC Games with four medalsSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJuly 11, 2023 103 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas wrapped up action at the 24th Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games with four medals – one gold, one silver and two bronze medals. The multi-event meet began on June 21 and wrapped up on Saturday July 8 at various venues around San Salvador, El Salvador.

In the grand scheme of the meet, The Bahamas placed 17th overall and was one of 20 countries to win at least one gold medal.

Swimmer Lamar Taylor warmed up for the World Aquatics World Championships by swimming away with a gold and a bronze.

Taylor was the first to touch the wall in the 50 meters (m) backstroke when he set a new national record of 25.08 seconds. That time was also an ‘A’ cut for the 20-year-old for the upcoming world championships, set for July 14-30 in Fukuoka, Japan.

Taylor held off CAC Games record holder Dylan Carter, of Trinidad & Tobago, who posted a time of 25.55 seconds. Finishing third was Mexico’s Diego Camacho who posted a time of 25.68 seconds.

Taylor’s bronze medal came in the 50m freestyle in which he powered his way to post a time of 22.51 seconds. Carter won that race when he stopped the clock at a new games record of 21.87 seconds. Aruba’s Mikel Schreuders won the silver medal, finishing in 22.43 seconds.

Ken Mullings was in a competitive battle against Puerto Rico’s Ayden Owens for the top of the podium in the decathlon event. In the end, Mullings had to settle for the silver medal after scoring a personal best 8,060 points. Owens scored 8,281 points to secure the victory. They were the only competitors to score above 8,000 points. Finishing third was Owens’ teammate, Yariel Soto, who scored 7,762 points.

Mullings won the high jump, discus and the javelin throw events.

The final medal for The Bahamas, a bronze, came in the men’s high jump and was won by Shaun Miller Jr. He cleared 2.22 meters (m) – 7’ 3-1/2” – to secure the bronze medal. Winning that event was Puerto Rico’s Luis Castro with a height of 2.25m (7’ 4-1/2”) and finishing second was Cuban Luis Zayas who cleared the same height as Castro but finished second based on number of knockdowns.

It was an historic meet for The Bahamas in the sport of equestrian as it was the first time the country competed in that sport at this level. Jumper Anna Vlasov and her horse Gulliver du Saint-Chene not only competed but was able to qualify for the final in the individual jumping event.

The men’s water polo team advanced to the quarterfinals but lost 23-7 against Puerto Rico. They eventually finished eighth after they lost their 7th-8th place game, 18-16, against Centro Caribe Sports on Friday. Like he has been doing all tournament, Joshua Gibson led them with five goals in that game. Overall, he scored 12 goals to finish tied for 15th on the leading goal scorers list.

Leron Rolle was in action in archery and was able to advance to the round of 32 in the men’s compound individual category. He lost to Puerto Rico’s Bryan Thompson, 142-141, in the round of 32.

In sailing, Paul De Souza and Jaqueline Frode finished fifth with a score of 42 points in the snipe. The highest they finished in any of the races was third. Joshua Higgins finished with 81 points to place 11th overall in the ILCA 7 sailing event.

It is a slight drop off for Team Bahamas from the 2018 edition of the CAC Games in Barranquilla, Colombia. They won seven medals – four golds, two silver and a bronze to place 10th overall at that meet.