As of Tuesday, August 1, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

Wilson, left, and Curtis. Photo: Raehel Knowles

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#WHILE the Bahamas won’t be returning home with any men or ladies’ team medals from the XVII Cazova Caribbean Senior Championships in Paramaribo, Suriname, two players were awarded individual trophies for their performances.

#During the awards ceremony at the Anthony Nesty Sports Hall on Sunday, Jannell Curtis claimed the best server award for the women, while Kyle Wilson was selected as best outside hitter and best scorer for the men.

#Mychael Vernon, who was named the Most Valuable Player after helping her team win the title over Trinidad & Tobago, was also the best receiver and outside hitter. Her team-mates Keshan Livingston was the best setter, Sashalee Thomas was best opposite player and Anesia Edwards was the second best middle player.

#Ketura Margaret of Suriname received the award for second best outside hitter, and Tennelle Chapman-Goodluck was handed the award for first best middle blocker. Three players of runner-up Trinidad and Tobago also received awards. Cheyenne Chin Choy as best digger and best libero, Krystle Esdelle as best scorer.

#Suriname opposite Zefanio Breinburg was selected as the men’s MVP after his team won the championship match defending their title against 10-time champion Barbados 3-2 (22-25, 25-21, 29-27, 23-25, 17-15) and he had an average of 18 points during the tournament.

#Breinburg was also the best opposite player. His teammates Anferney Schmeltz was handed the award for best digger and best libero, Keven Sporkslede received best receiver award.

#Ryck Webb of Jamaica was recognised for best Server and second Outside Hitter. His teammate Mark Blake was the first Middle Blocker. Donald Kameron of Trinidad and Tobago was Best Setter and Best Scorer, Raygid Isenia second Middle Blocker.

#The Bahamas women, coached by Jason Saunders and Glenn Rolle, finished fifth in the tournament and the men, coached by Lloyd Davis and Tonny Simon, were fourth, losing out to Trinidad & Tobago 3-1 (25, 25-19, 20-25, 25-18) in the bronze medal game.

As of Tuesday, August 1, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

Jaraun Burrows and Nardo Bridgewater representing Eleuthera in the 6th Bahamas Games.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#BEFORE they head off for their national team duties for the Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament, guard Domnick Bridgewater and centre Jaraun ‘Kino’ Burrows left their mark on the Bahamas Basketball Federqtion’s Summer of Thunder Tournament.

#The duo, who are playing professional basketball in France and represented the champions Eleuthera Adventurers in the 6th Bahamas Games, combined for 72 points as the Raw Talent Elite nipped the Virginia Military Institute 94-93 on Sunday at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

#In the first game of the tournament, Bridgewatger erupted for a game high 47 points, including three clutch free throws with just 24 seconds left to push Raw Talent up 94-91 and finished with three rebounds, three assists and as many steals.

#Burrows powered down inside for 25 points with five assists, three rebounds, a pair of block shots and a steal.

#Jordan Wilson helped out with seven points, seven rebounds, three steals and block and both Van Hutchinson Jr (eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block) and Richard Lowe added four points.

#Virginia Military had a more balanced scoring attack with six players in double figures, led by Taeshaud Jackson II scoring 15 points with 12 rebounds and a pair of assists, steals and blocks.

#Burrows, whose team is being coached by Jeffery Hendfield and his father James Burrows, said they wanted to make a statement early in the tournament that will run for the next few weeks with teams from the United States playing against local teams.

#“It’s awesome. We opened up last year with the win and we had aspirations to come out again this year and set the tone for the rest of the Bahamian teams,” Burrows said.

#“We want the college teams to know that when they come here, they will be tested and not push us over. So I feel we have put together a very versatile roster of professional, college and high school players.”

#Despite the fact that he and Bridgewater will be leaving this week for the Bahamas training camp in Puerto Rico from August 4-10 before they head over to Argentina for the Pre-Olympic Qualifier from August 14-20, Burrows said he always dreamed about competing at the Olympics.

#“When I didn’t get that opportunity to run track in the Olympics, I never thought that we would have a realistic chance in my lifetime to do it in basketball,” said Burrows, now considered the elder statesman of the team that will include four NBA players DeAndre Ayton, Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield, Kai Jones and now Eric Gordon, of Bahamian descent.

#“But shoutout to LJ Rose (team manager), Moses Johnson (assistant coach) and all the other guys behind the scene that put in the work to get this type of workforce to represent the country.”

#Coming in as a leader, Burrows said this is a very solid team on paper, but the job for coach Chris DeMarco and his staff is to make it a cohesive team coming out of their training camp in Puerto Rico where they will play a few scrimmage games.

#“In that short amount of time, we have put together a team that can be a contender for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France,” Burrows said. “With this being our 50th year of our Independence, it’s exciting for what we are calling the ‘Bahamian Dream Team.’

#“It’s exciting. It’s great for the culture, it’s a great inspiration for the kids and it’s powerful for a nation to see that we are coming together with our best to be one of the top teams in the world.”

#Only time will tell how well they can gel together and get the job done. It’s just about going out there and showing it,” Burrows said. “Hopefully we can get through this qualifying round and get to the big stage. That is the dream. We just hope to make it a reality.”

#Meanwhile, while the men’s national team is heading off, the Summer of Thunder Tournament continues today at 6pm when the Virginia Military will be back in action against the Pirates.

#Raw Talent, without the services of Burrows and Bridgewater, will take on Creighton University, which includes Bahamian Frederick King in the feature game on Friday at 6 pm at Atlantis.

#Additionally, at 2 pm, BC Zalgiris Kaunas are slated to play the University of South Carolina.

As of Tuesday, August 1, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

#THE 29th edition of the annual AID Claycourt Tennis Championships will be held again at the Gym Tennis Club in Winton Meadows, New Providence, August 12-26.

#The “AID”, as the tournament is commonly known, is the most popular event on the local tennis calendar and will offer singles and doubles competition in 10 categories, gentlemen’s and ladies’ open singles and doubles, gentlemen’s and ladies 35-and-over singles and doubles and mixed doubles.

#Additionally, boys and girls U16 singles divisions will be held for our younger tennis players.

#“The gym is again happy to host this amazing tournament and we are grateful to AID for their usual generous sponsorship,” said Eddie Carter, the president of the Gym Tennis Club and the tournament director.

#AID president Jason Watson said they are delighted to be able to continue to sponsor the event. “We look forward to the keen competition and camaraderie the tournament is known for,” Watson said.

#“AID is once again delighted to partner with the Gym Tennis Club in hosting this important, national tournament. We look forward to a great fortnight of spirited competition.”

#All entrants will receive the usual goody-bag of souvenir items, attractive trophies and other prizes will also be awarded to all winners and runners-up.

#The entry deadline is Wednesday, August 9 at 6pm and the draws for all divisions will take place at the Gym Tennis Club the following day, Thursday, August 10 at 6pm.

#Entries can be returned by email to aidclaycourts@hotmail.com or delivered to the Gym Tennis Club before that time.

#Participants may enter a maximum of three events.

#Entry fees are $20 for each singles and $10 per player for each doubles with juniors paying half price for all events.

• nal News

Upvote0

DEANDRE AYTON, BUDDY HIELD AND KAI JONES.

As of Monday, July 31, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#With National Basketball Association’s DeAndre Ayton and Eric Gordon all committed to joining Chavano “Buddy” Hield and Kai Jones, the Bahamas is expected to field its best team for the Pre-Olympic Qualifier in Santiago de Estero, Argentina.

#The Bahamas Basketball Federation over the weekend named a 15-man squad that will be reduced to 12 for the FIBA Americas tournament, scheduled for August 14-20 against teams from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Panama, Uruguay and the US Virgin Islands competing.

#Team Bahamas, ranked at number 56 in the world, will be placed in Group A with Cuba, who they are scheduled to play on Monday, August 14, Argentina on Wednesday, August 16 and Panama on Thursday, August 17.

#Group B will include Uruguay, Virgin Islands, Chile and Colombia.

#The tournament will be one of the requirements for teams seeking to qualify for the next Olympic Games in Paris, France, July 26 to August 11, 2024.

#The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 will produce seven directly qualified national teams for the Olympic Games, with hosts France receiving automatic qualification to the event. The seven spots will include two teams from Americas, two teams from Europe, one team from Africa, one team from Asia and one team from Oceania.

#The four remaining places in the 12-team Olympic field are reserved for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments 2024, with two rounds of Qualifying Tournaments for Paris 2024.

#The first round, the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournaments, will be played at the continental level in August 2023 and provides 40 countries that did not make it to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 hope of still reaching the Paris Olympic Games in 2024.

#The tournaments will produce five teams who will go through to the second round, the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments 2024.

#Twenty-four teams will be participating in four Olympic Qualifying Tournaments with the 3 highest placed teams from Africa, Americas, and Asia/Oceania will be selected before the 16 highest placed teams from the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, and five teams through the pre-qualifying tournaments. The winner of each tournament will qualify for the Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament.

#As Team Bahamas gear up for their best chance of qualifying for the Olympics, for the first time, Ayton, still with the Phoenix Suns, has agreed to play with his new NBA team-mate Gordon.

#They are expected to join Hield of the Indiana Pacers and Jones of the Charlotte Hornets, who played together last year for Team Bahamas.

#The remainder of the squad, which will be coached by Golden State Warriors’ assistant coach Chris DeMarco, will include a number of players playing in Europe and in college.

#Jaraun ‘Kino’ Burrows is in Avignon, France; Domnick Bridgewater (Avigon, France); Rashad Davis (Challans, France); Willie Mackey (Lyon, France); Trtavis Munnings (Boulazac, France); David Nesbitt (UniFacisa, Brazil); Kentwan Smith (BC Lulea, Sweden); Garvin Clarke (IUP); Lourawls ‘Tum Tum’ Nairn (Michigan State); Franco Miller Jr (Flporida Gulf Coast) and AJ Scott (Wisconsin).

#The general manager for the team is LJ Rose and the assistant coaches are Mikhail McClean, Moses Johnson, Charles Allen, MyKee Thompson and Addi Waiters,

#The head of Performance is Motoki, assisted by Alli Greene. Kellen Hutchinson and Crippie Wilson are a part of the team operations. John Marc Nutt will travel as the film/social media coordinator.

#The Bahamas is coming off a 88-66 loss to Panama on February 26 and 115-70 to Venezuela on February 23 to finish the last qualifying window of the FIBA World Cup with a 2-4 win-loss record and

The Reloaded Baseball 9-and under (9U) and 10-and under (10U) teams compete during the Boombah Sports Complex for the Perfect Game Florida Summer Select Championship (Open). Photos: Antonio Rahming/Reloaded Baseball

As of Monday, July 31, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#THE Reloaded baseball team came up short at their first international tournament this past weekend in Sanford, Florida.

#The 30-member team competed in the 9-and under (9U) and 10-and under (10U) divisions at the Perfect Game Florida Summer Select Championship (Open).

#Despite not winning any games at the Boombah Sports Complex, the coaches and president were happy with the team’s overall progress and development.

#Peron Burnside, president of Reloaded Baseball, said there were a few bright spots in the losses.

#“With this being our first time in the tournament, the kids were competitive, we can see our practices have been paying off, what we have implemented in our system and how we want to work on key fundamentals is actually working,” Burnside said.

#With the Reloaded Baseball programme less than a few weeks away from celebrating a year in existence, Burnside is confident in the direction the programme is going.

#“We are going to take what we have seen as deficiencies in each player and go home and strategically target them in each child and bring them right back for tournament play and get them the looks they need to see to get them to the next level,” the president said.10UIn round one of the playoffs, the Reloaded team stepped onto the field against the second-seeded Indians. The latter came into the match with a 2-0 win/loss record. Their win streak continued after shutting down The Bahamas’ team 12-6. The game concluded in four innings for the two teams. The Indians put on a strong showing starting in the second inning where they scored two runs. However, the valiant Reloaded team returned the favor in the third inning scoring 3 runs to the Indians’ 2. The score was 5-3 at the bottom of the third inning but the tide shifted in the fourth inning. The Indians scored 7 runs to put away the game. The Reloaded Baseball squad would score 3 runs in the final inning but ultimately came up short.

#Stephen “Bishop” Beneby, head coach of the Reloaded 10U team, talked about his team’s efforts in their first international tourney.

#“I feel good about what I saw. The first game on Saturday was just jitters, and we had two competitive games after so what we have to work on is helping kids with in-game situations, and working on routine plays,” Beneby said.

#Overall, he felt the team played okay and there is a lot of room for improvement upon their return home. The coaching staff will look to make the necessary adjustments for their next international tournament.

#9U

#Reloaded Baseball’s 9U team had a rough start to the tournament on Saturday. The team dropped to the TBT Ballers JSM Blue 17 runs to 0. Additionally, they fell to the East Coast Baseball team 15-1. However, this past Sunday the team scored their most runs in the tournament in a 13-3 loss to Southern Squeeze Orlando (SQZ). The third-seeded Orlando squad went 1-2 in the tournament before playing Reloaded. The home team reeled off 7 runs in the first inning. The 9U team was able to score 2 runs heading into the top of the second inning. For the next two innings the Reloaded team was unable to score but came alive once again in the final inning of the timed game. The teams both scored one run apiece in the final inning.

#After the completion of the two-day international tournament, Reloaded President Burnside remained optimistic as he is looking forward to the next one.

#“We have engaged I-Elite so we are going to revamp what we have seen here this weekend and put them in group play at Reloaded to work on in-game situations and mistakes made in games this weekend,” he said.

As of Monday, July 31, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

IZAAK Bastian

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#IZAAK Bastian, one of the country’s top swimmers, has announced that he’s “reached a crossroad” in his life and will be stepping away from the sport to focus his attention on pursuing his doctorate of physical therapy degree upon his anticipated graduation in 2025.

#After much contemplation, Bastian, who is winding down his studies at Florida State, announced over the weekend in a letter to the media that he made the decision to step away from competitive swimming for the foreseeable future.

#“I’m happy with what I have done and I’m hoping that other people in the sport would find the inspiration from it and take it further,” said Bastian, who is enjoying a well-deserved trip to Lisbon, Portugal.

#“So I’m pleased with it and stepping out of the sport this way.”

#The 22-year-old Bastian said the highlight of his career would have been growing up with so many people as they endured their struggles and trials and making so many friends, whom he went on to compete against.

#“I don’t like to focus on the negative too much, so I don’t think I’ve had any disappointing moments,” he stated. “I think I had a lot of experiences and lessons learnt throughout my career. You learn from everything, whether it is good or bad, so I don’t think I had any disappointments.”

#Bastian, the son of Rochelle and Darren Bastian, said there have been so many people who have impacted his life and he can’t leave without expressing his gratitude to all of them.

#“I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude to the entire media team for being a part of my journey,” he wrote. “The influence of the media cannot be underestimated, and I am deeply grateful for how you have responsibly reported on the sport, shedding light on the hard work, perseverance, and sacrifices required in the world of competitive swimming.

#“I extend my gratitude to all the reporters, photographers, editors, producers, and everyone behind the scenes who worked tirelessly to bring more publicity to the sport and the hard work of many of the athletes that I have the pleasure of calling my friends.”

#To the public, Bastian said their unwavering support has been a driving force behind his journey.

#“Your cheers, encouragement, and support have lifted me through triumphs and challenges,” he wrote. “Your belief in me has inspired my pursuit of excellence, and I can’t thank you enough. You all have made this journey extraordinary, and I am forever thankful.”

#While he’s stepping back from competing, Bastian said he plans to give back to the sport that has given so much to him as he further pursues his education.

#“I want to give back to the kids a little more and that is something that I can achieve a little more, now that I am no longer on the competitive side,” he said.

#“If that is helping out with coaching or giving lessons or just being someone as a resource for them to use if they have any questions about my process or their own individual process, I just want to be a bank of knowledge if they need it.”

#In his advice to the younger swimmers following in his footsteps, Bastian encouraged them to have “fun in the process,” which is the most important aspect of the sport.

#“When you race, it’s only for a few seconds or minutes at a time and that’s such a small amount when compared to the time you put into training,” he said. “So have fun with the grind and compare yourself with yourself.

#“Don’t look at other people and be hard on yourself. If you are better than yesterday, that’s a win. So keep up the hard work and be happy and you will enjoy your longevity in the sport like I did.”

#During his career, Bsstian collected a pair of medals at the Commonwealth Youth Games, he participated in the Central American and Caribbean Games, two Commonwealth Games, the World Championships a few times and once at the Olympic Games in 2021.

#A multiple CARIFTA medalist and record holder, Bastian also particip[anted in the CCCAN Championships and CISC Championships where he also also won a few medals.

#As a college student/athlete ast Florida State, Bastian left his mark with a pair of records and he made it to the NCAA Championships all four years he competed and was All-American and their relay teams. He also went to the ACC Championships where he medaled.

#Despite the fact that he still have another year of eligibility at Florida State, Bastian said he;s decided to

The women’s national volleyball team placed 5th overall at Senior Caribbean Volleyball Championships in Paramaribo, Suriname.

As of Monday, July 31, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#IT was not the final outcome expected over the weekend as the men’s national volleyball team fell short of the bronze medal, while the women’s team ended up fifth at the Senior Caribbean Volleyball Championships at the Anthony Nesty Sports Hall in Paramaribo, Suriname.

#In their semifinal match on Saturday against Trinidad & Tobago, Team Bahamas lost 3-1 (25, 25-19, 20-25, 25-18) as outside hitter Kyle Wilson scored 20 points.

#Captain and middle blocker Byron Ferguson and middle blocker Hepburn Shanari scored 13 and 12 points respectively.

#“We learn in this tournament that every game is different,” said Bahamas head coach Lloyd Davis, who was assisted by Tonny Simon. “We played a lot of games the past couple of days and I am thankful that volleyball at this level has been restored after the COVID-19 pandemic. Our group shows a lot of poise and resilience.”

#Team Bahamas lost 3-1 (25-23, 25-16, 23-25, 25-22) to Barbados on Friday to drop to the bronze medal game. In that match, Prince Wilson led the attack with 21 points, including five spikes and five blocks.

#The Bahamas finished 2-1 for second place in Group B, the same record as Trinidad & Tobago, who came out on top by virtue of beating the Bahamas in their head-to-head match-up.

#Barbados was undefeated at 2-0 in Group A with Suriname second at 1-1.

#Members of Team Bahamas were Kyle Wilson, Prince Wilson, team captain Byron Ferguson, Shonari Hepburn, Donovan Wilmott, Jamaal Ferguson, Renaldo Knowles, Je’Vaughn Saunders, Eugene Stuart, Jesse Delancy and Gaege Smith,

#The women, on the other hand, experienced some injuries, according to head coach Jason Saunders, which prevented them from performing as expected, finishing in fifth place in the round robin at 1-3.

#Team Bahamas lost its final match in a five set thriller 3-2 (17-25, 25-19, 25-17, 21-25, 15-12) to Trinidad and Tobago, who committed 30 unforced errors, compared to Team Bahamas’ 48. Janelle Curtis led the team with 20 points, including five blocks and three spikes.

#Outside hitter Brittany Bonamy contributed with 12 points.

#“But still the ladies were able to give a very good showing,” said Saunders, who was assisted by Glenn Rolle. “While we did not make the medal round, we were locked into a three-way tie for third only to be eliminated by a tiebreaker, we showed that we belonged with the best in this region.

#“Looking back at the tournament, we had an excellent chance to beat Trinidad & Tobago and would have had it not been for a couple of unfortunate errors. I believe had we won that game we would have placed ourselves in position to go to the gold medal round.”

#Nevertheless, Saunders said they were able to see how close we are to winning in this region.

#“We know those areas that must be worked on and hopefully, with the help of our federation, association, government, corporate Bahamas and all supporters, the facilities and monies will be made available for what will be a new era in volleyball, building of Bahamas Games and this tournament,” Saunders said.

#“In the words of one of our male players, female volleyball in the Bahamas is about to skyrocket “

#The women’s team consisted of Jannelle Curtis, Sari Albury, Melinda Bastian, Brittany Bonamy, La’Tavia Braynen, Raechel Knowles, Venessa Sawyer, Laval Sands, team captain Je’Nae Saunders, Ashley Webb, Franceska McBride and Chandra Mackey.

THE Bahamas’ swim team, from left to right, Lamar Taylor, Rhanishka Gibbs, Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson and Davante Carey at the FINA World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.

As of Monday, July 31, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bahamas’ four-member team of Lamar Taylor, Davanta Carey, Rhanishka Gibbs and Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson closed out competition at the FINA World Aquatics Championships in the mixed 4 x 100 metre relay with a 27th place overall in Fukuoka, Japan.

#The quartet, who were a part of the contingent to the Commonwealth Games in Budapest, Hungary, last year, was fifth in the third of five heats in three minutes and 43.29 seconds on Saturday for their second consecutive national record-breaking performance.

#The same team also lowered the national record in the mixed 4 x 100 medley relay where they placed 24th overall in 4:03.98 with Taylor leading the way with his own national record-breaking feat on his opening leg of the 100m backstroke in 55.03.

#“Competing with my Bahamian teammates was fun,” Taylor said. “Just being able to beat one of the highest levels of competition and swimming against some of the best in the world is amazing.”

#In his final individual event on Saturday, 20-year-old Taylor finished 17th overall in the men’s 50m backstroke in 52.12 for his highest placing.

#He added the feat to his 28th in the 50m freestyle in 22.26 for another national record and 40th in the 50m butterfly in 23.91 earlier during the week.

#“I would say that my performance was really good, a few upsets but overall I’m not mad about them,” said Taylor. “It just shows that I have a little more way until I surpass my goal. I would say that I enjoyed my 50 fly the most. The fly is a stroke I get to swim much lately so being able to swim and perform well and drop time made me happy.”

#Taylor also got some inspiration as he watched his mother Gena Culmer-Taylor making history as the first Bahamian female to officiate at a World Swimming Championships.

#“I feel very proud and I know she is proud of her accomplishment,” Taylor said of his mother.

#With the summer competition now over, Taylor said he will try to get some rest and recover and prepare for his senior season at Henderson State University where he is coached by Scotty Serio and is majoring in health and human performance.

#The other three competitors also faced off in a pair of individual events as well.

#In his final event in the men’s 100m butterfly on Friday, Carey, 21, was 52nd in 55.48. He also was 47th in the men’s 100m backstroke. Carey is now heading to McKendree University where he will be entering his senior year for the Bearcats swim team.

#Gibbs, 17, had her final event on Saturday in the women’s 50m freestyle where she was 51st in 26.64 for a national record-breaking performance.

#Gibbs, heading into the 12th grade at Queen’s College, was also 39th in the 50m butterfly in 28.43.

#And Thompson, 19, was 34th in the women’s 200m medley in 2:25.36 and 38th in the 100m freestyle in 58.86. She is attending Howard University.

#“The team performed at a high standard,” said Bahamas Aquatics’ president Algernon Cargill, who was also in attendance. “Our athletes were excited to compete at a high standard and all performed at their best.

#“Lamar Taylor had an exceptional performance in the 50 metres backstroke and missed the semifinals by one hundredth of a second, placing 17th overall.”

#Cargill said overall, the championship was very competitive with multiple world records set. “This has inspired our athletes to train even harder in order to qualify for podium positions,” he stated.

Xavion Johnson, of The Bahamas, on top of podium with other medallists at the US Open Championships at the Fort Lauderdale Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Saturday.

As of Monday, July 31, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

XAVION Johnson, of The Bahamas, has won the Cadet judo title at the US Open Championships for the second time in five years.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#XAVION ‘Warrior’ Johnson got to hoist the Cadet judo title at the US Open Championships for the second time in five years, ironically on the same day, July 28.

#After first winning the title in 2018 and slipping to bronze in 2021, Johnson regained his top position on the podium on Saturday at the Fort Lauderdale Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

#“It felt really amazing winning the title, especially since this is my last year in the under-18 -60 kilogram class,” Johnson said. “I truly was flabbergasted when I won it again.”

#The 17-year-old Johnson, who is graduating as the salutatorian at Capstone Academy, said what was so significant about his performance was the fact that when he first did it in 2018, he was not as polished as he is now.

#“Everything has improved drastically in five years,” he pointed out.

#In what he described as his best tournament for the year, Johnson said he couldn’t ask for anything more.

#“The competition was amazing. I ippon everybody I fought in under-18,” he said. “I got fifth in under-21. This was the best I fought all year.”

#Johnson, whose mother Ordain Moss made the sacrifice to send him abroad to further enhance his skills, attributed his performance to his preparation from his trainer Ewan Breaton and Russell Gallant of Judo Alberta in Lethbridge, Canada.

#“My training for the event was really hard. I haven’t taken any breaks from judo for three weeks,” he reflected. “I was training day and night every single day to get ready for this event.”

#Now that he’s done, Johnson said his focus will be on the Cadet World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, August 22-26 and Cadet and Junior Panamerican Championships in Calgary, Canada, September 7-17.

#Johnson, who started judo in 2014 at the age of eight years old, won a silver medal at his first tournament and he has been hooked ever since.

#Growing from attending classes three times a week, to travelling abroad for months at a time and training three times a day.

#Over the last eight years, Xavion’s passion for judo has not wavered, earning him his black belt at the impressive age of 15. His discipline, passion and consistent sacrifice has secured him world ranking, multiple international titles and has allowed him to represent the Bahamas with pride and spirit on many prestigious platforms.

#His ultimate goal is to represent the Bahamas and win at the Olympics and World Championships.

#His accomplishments so far include:

#• Bahamas Judo Federation Tournament 2014 Silver

#• Bahamas Judo Federation Tournament 2015 Bronze

#• Judo Federation Bahamas Open 2015 Silver

#• Bahamas Judo Federation Tournament 2016 Gold

#• Bahamas Judo Federation Bahamas Open 2016 – 2019 Gold International Qualifications and Medals Qualifications

#• Carifta Championships 2017

#• Carifta Championships 2018

#• Carifta Championships 2019

#• Pan American Games 2019

#• Pan American 2022

#• Cadet Worlds 2022 International Medals (most prestigious)

#• Carifta Games 2017 Bronze

#• ATJA &AJJF Judo National Championships 2017 Gold & Gold

#• Dallas Invitational 2017 Bronze

#• Tennessee State Championships 2018 Gold & Gold

#• Dallas Invitational 2018 Gold, Gold, AOY

#• ATJA &AJJF National Championships 2018 Gold & Silver

#• US Judo Open 2018 Gold

#• Dallas Invitational 2019 Gold & Silver

#• Presidents Cup 2019 Gold

#• Junior Olympics 2021 Bronze

#• US Judo Open 2021 Bronze

#• Manitoba Open 2022 Bronze, Bronze

#• Quebec Open 2022 Gold

#• Ontario Open 2022 Gold

#• Matsume Cup Denmark 2023 Gold

Team Bahamas featuring Sydney Clarke, Elana Mackey, Simone Pratt, and Saphirre Ferguson competed at the 2023 Billy Jean King Cup in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic this past weekend.

As of Monday, July 31, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#AFTER competing against the Pool B teams at the Billie Jean King Cup (BJKC) in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Team Bahamas was relegated to the Americas Group lll.

#The team, featuring Sydney Clarke, Elana Mackey, Simone Pratt and Saphirre Ferguson, wrapped up their final games against Costa Rica, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic in a relegation play-off. The competition ended with Ecuador from Pool A and Venezuela from Pool B being promoted to Americas Group l.

#Team Bahamas fell to the host country in two matches. Mackey went up against Ana Zamburek of the Dominican Republic in singles competition. The Bahamas dropped the first set of match one 6-3. The host team comfortably nabbed the win in the second set 6-0.

#Match two got underway between The Bahamas’ Clarke and Kelly Williford of the Dominican Republic. The two ladies needed three sets to determine a winner in the competitive match. Williford was the first of the two to collect a win. She concluded the initial set 6-3. In the following set, Clarke bounced back for Team Bahamas, dropping the Dominican Republic 6-1. With match two now tied, both ladies were hungry for the win. Ultimately, Williford gained the upper hand in the third consecutive set, winning 6-2.

#The Americas Group ll relegation play-off saw Clarke convert on 67% of her first serve ins.

#Meanwhile, Williford went 36/72 in the same category at 50%.

#However, the latter made 64% of first serve points won and Clarke went 32/51 for 63% in their match.

#Perry Newton, president of the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA), was impressed with the way the team competed in the Dominican Republic. “I am firstly thankful that God kept all the teams safe. I am extremely proud of the players as it is a culmination of a year of hard work.” Newton said.

#He added that despite the ladies being placed in Americas Group lll for 2024, they played an amazing tournament and just came up a bit short.

#“The competition was intense and there were many positive takeaways. The team is in high spirits and is looking forward to next year’s competition,” he said.

#Team Bahamas did not walk away from the BJKC empty-handed as the team took care of business against Costa Rica.

#Mackey turned in a competitive performance in her singles match versus Lucia Gallegos en route to the team’s 2-1 win.

#The match was evenly matched until the final set.

#In set one, Mackey got the first win 6-4. Costa Rica stole set two with an identical score. The last set went to Team Bahamas after Mackey won 7-6(4).

#Costa Rica won match two after Nicole Alfaro defeated Clarke in another best of three tiebreaker. The singles match saw Alfaro narrowly win set one 7-6(2). However, Clarke charged back in the consecutive set, winning 6-3.

#In the final set, Costa Rica claimed the win 6-3.

#The final match featured doubles action with the duo of Clarke and Pratt. The dynamic duo brought it home for Team Bahamas following a drubbing in two sets. The ladies won set one 6-2 and followed behind with 6-3 in the last set of the match.

#Additionally, Venezuela earned a 3-0 win against The Bahamas this past weekend. After playing in three matches, The Bahamas finished third in Pool B with a 1-2 won/lost record. Also, the team went 2-7 in the matches won and lost.

#The BLTA president said there is a lot of talent in The Bahamas but now it is the time to continue to provide opportunities for athletes to train and compete at a high level.