ATHLETES compete in the RC Athletics Throwers Meet at the University of the Bahamas field on Saturday. Photo: Kermit Taylor/Bahamas Athletics

As of Monday, December 12, 2016

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#TWO athletes closed out the year on a high note as they attained the qualifying standards for the 2017 Carifta Games as they competed in the RC Athletics Throwers Meet at the University of the Bahamas field on Saturday.

#Jordan Lewis achieved his feat when he won the under-20 boys’ discus with a toss of 45.81 metres, while Laquell Harris joined him in surpassing the mark in the under-20 girls’ discus with her heave of 41.31m.

#Both athletes represented the Blue Chips Athletic Throwers Club that was formed a year ago under the direction of Corrington Maycock, now a IAAF Level II certified coach.

#Their performances, among the others from the large number of competitors who competed in the offseason meet, left meet director Ronald Cartwright beaming with excitement for the upcoming season that will get underway on Saturday with the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ Odd Distance Meet at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

#“I think the meet went very well,” said Ronald Cartwright, the head coach of the RC Athletics Throwers Club. “We had a lot more competitors than we had in the past, so that is a good sign. It’s very encouraging to see how many athletes are taking the throwing event so serious.

#“And from the meet, we had two persons who did the Carifta qualifying standards. I was really pleased with that. I think as the season progresses, we should be able to see a lot more throwers qualifying for Carifta because they now have a base to work with during the offseason.”

#Lewis said all of the hard work during the offseason is paying off and he’s gotten off to a great start, having qualified in the discus. He credited the competition he got for him attaining the standard so early.

#With his best throw coming on the fifth of his six attempts, Lewis won over Isiah Daxon, who did 38.16m on his third attempt for second place. Tristan Sherman got third with 32.32 on his first attempt.

#The order was reversed in the shot put as Daxon pulled off the win with 12.51m on his first attempt over Lewis, who did 12.04m on his sixth attempt. Kevin Sears got third with 11.73m on his third attempt.

#As for Harris, her toss of 41.31m was well over the under-20 girls’ discus Carifta qualifying standard of 41m. She beat out archrival Tiffany Hanna, who did 37.82m on her fourth attempt. Latavia Braynen got third with 26.12 on her fourth attempt.

#“I’m so glad that I qualified,” Harris said. “I came out here to do much better than I did, but I am satisfied with what I did.”

#Hanna, however, won the shot put with a heave of 11.46m, while Harris came in second with 11.13m.

#“The competition was good. I know now what I have to work on and I’m going to do that in training so that I can get the qualifying standard too,” Harris said.

#Some of the other performances of note came from Annamarie Oriaki, who dominated the girls under-14 division, winning the triple crown in the shot, discus and javelin.

# Dachye Stubbs was a double winner in the girls’ under-18 shot and discus as was Selena Brown, the older sister of collegian Serena Brown in the open women’s shot and discus.

# Johnny Jean-Jacques won the boys under-20 shot and discus

#Cartwright said that while they have not been able to generate the kind of funding necessary to host their throwers meet without a gate receipt, he said the response could be a lot better from those persons who wish to come out and cheer on the throwers.

#Here’s a look at the results posted at the meet:

#Girls Under-14 shot put – Annamarie Oriaki 9.46m (2nd att); Gabrial Murphy 8.89m (2nd att); Hailey Butler 8.58m (4th att).

#Girls under-14 discus – Annamarie Oriaki 23.91m (6th att).

#Girls under-14 javelin – Annamarie Oriaki 14.10 (6th att).

#Girls under-16 shot put – Garryn Scott 10.23m (4th att); Gewendolyn Lightbourne 9.23m (1st att); Jenae Higgs 8.90m (2nd att).

#Girls under-16 discus – Gwendolyn Lightbourne 19.81m (5th att); Candice Green 18.57m (5th att); Patrinique Johnson 11.05m (1st att).

#Girls under-16 javelin – Rhema Otabor 23.70 (4th att); Edricka McQueen 22.95 (6th att).

#Girls under-18 shot put – Dachye Stubbs 11.30m (2nd att); Acacia Astwood 10.46m (2nd att); Latia Saunders 10.26m (3rd att).

#Girls under-18 discus – Dachye Stubbs 33.44m (3rd att); Darranette Wright 25.94m (3rd att); Sydney Butler 25.75m (5th att).

#Girls under-18 javelin – Latia Saunders 25.90m (6th att); Jeva McCoy 25.30 (3rd att).

#Girls under-20 shot put – Tiffany Hanna 11.46m (2nd att); Laquell Harris 11.13m (2nd att).

#Girls under-20 discus – Laquell Harris 41.31 (3rd att); Tiffany Hanna 37.82m (4th att); Latavia Braynen 26.12m (4th att).

#Open girls shot put – Selena Brown 9.56m (2nd att); Tanisha Ingraham 9.18m (4th att).

#Open girls discus – Selena Brown 30.65m (3rd att); Tanisha Ingraham 19.17m (1st att).

#Open girls javelin – Sara Penn 24.60 (5th att); Tanisha Ingraham 24.16m (5th att).

#Boys under-16 discus – Tarajh Hudson 37.17m (2nd att); Devonte Rolle 27.34 (3rd att); Cecil Roberts 20.46 (2nd att).

#Boys under-18 shot put – Isiah Daxon 12.51m (1st att); Jordan Lewis 12.04m (6th att); Kevin Sears 11.73m (3rd att).

#Boys under-18 discus – Jordan Lewis 45.81m (5th att); Isiah Daxon 38.16m (3rd att); Tristan Sherman 32.32m (1st att).

#Boys under-18 javelin – Michaelangelo Bullard 41.28m (5th att).

#Bopys under-20 shot put – Johnny Jean-Jacques 14.10m (3rd att); Lynarchieo Moxey 11.87m (1st att); Bronson Rolle 11.04m (5th att).

#Boys under-20 discus – Johnny Jaques 41.59m (5th att); Lynarchieo Moxey 33.50m (4th att).

#Boys under-20 javelin – Bronson Rolle 51.50m (3rd att).

#Open boys shot put – Anton Lightbourne 13.05m (2nd att); Bradley Cooper 12.40m (4th att); Ken Mullings 11.56m (4th att).

#Open boys discus – Bradley Cooper Jr 43.83m (6th att); Anton Lightbourne 43.12m (5th att); Ken Mullings 41.68m (1st att).

Acacia Ashwood is flanked by her mother, Shenika Ashwood, coach Corringron Maycock and BAAA’s secretary general Drumeco Archer at her college signing.

Monday, April 23, 2018

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#IT was a proud moment for the St Anne’s Bluewaves and the Blue Chip Throwers Club as one of their student-athletes Acacia Astwood signed her name on the dotted line of a full four-year scholarship to participate as a member of the Rebels athletic team at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

#Flanked by her mother Shenika Astwood, younger sister Alicia, BCTC’s coach Corrington Maycock, Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations secretary general Drumeco Archer, St Anne’s High School faculty and some of her classmates, Astwood said she’s looking forward to taking her talent to the next level and UNLV is the ideal division one institution to further enhance her skills.

#“The team is basically family-oriented, which is how it is here at home and they have the academic resources for me to succeed,” said Astwood, who intends to pursue a degree in sports medicine coming from a strong background in science, referring to herself as a geek with a passion for sports medicine.

#“There is life after school and competing, so I wanted to make sure that they can cater to my needs. I believe the Bahamas needs more people to go out there and help athletes because I don’t think that there is enough support.”

#While it has only been two years that she’s switched from running track to throwing the discus and shot put, Astwood said she’s accomplished far more than a lot of athletes who have been competing longer than her.

#Her résumé includes making three national teams.

#Astwood, 17, participated in the past two CARIFTA Games in Curacao last year where she obtained a bronze medal in the under-18 girls’ discus and she finished fourth in the under-20 division here at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium over the Easter holiday weekend.

#Last year, she also represented the Bahamas at the Youth Commonwealth Games here at home.

#She has produced lifetime achievements of 45.27 metres or 148-feet, 6-inches in the discus and 10.60m (34-9 1/4) in the shot put and as she prepares to go to school to improve on those feats and return more polished for next year’s CARIFTA Games, Astwood admitted that she will miss Maycock and the way he “jokingly” made the practice sessions so much fun.

#It’s the culmination of a two-year journey that Maycock said he was pleased to have orchestrated for Astwood to follow.

#“It was a goal that she wanted to achieve from she started track and field,” stressed Maycock, who provided the avenue for Astwood to pursue as she made the transition in the sport.

#“Right now, I’m elated to to know that although she didn’t succeed on the track side, she did it on the field.

#“This is a life dream come true, to bring kids into this type of environment and watch them develop where they can now sign four-year scholarships.”

#Indicating that he has finally completed his commitment to Astwood, Maycock said he will turn his attention to assisting as many more student-athletes in their goals to go off to college and university in the future.

#“That’s what my club is all about, making sure that all of our athletes reap this kind of reward,” he told Tribune Sports.

#“It’s a big achievement for the club. It also speaks volumes for her and her family and all of the support that they gave to what she is doing. I just hope that the success continues. I think she will be a lot of big things and hopefully 2020 (Olympic Games) will speak for itself.”

#Through the support of Maycock, Shenika said she’s a very proud mother watching the college signing of her oldest daughter, Acacia.

#“I’m very proud of Acacia. She has accomplished a lot in such a short period of time,” she reflected. “I’m so thankful for all the doors that have been opened for her, especially the doors that coach Corrington Maycock has helped to be opened for her.

#“It’s truly a blessing. I can say I’m her biggest cheerleader and I will also be her biggest cheerleader wherever she goes. I’m looking for great things from Acacia. I’ve always told her that her academics comes first and all the throwing is just the gravy. So I hope to retire pretty soon.”

#But she noted that she’s not done yet because she still has her 12-year-old daughter Alicia, whom she hopes will follow in the footsteps of Acacia. “I feel proud of her because she’s been through a lot,” said the seventh grader at St Anne’s, who will begin training for the javelin this summer. “I just feel proud of her and I know she will inspire me a lot.”

#When asked if she will miss her big sister, she noted: “Not really, but I guess a little bit.”

#Archer said it’s stories like this one that has made the difference in the BAAA. “This is in keeping with the general philosophy of the federation and that is to promote this idea that sports change lives,” Archer said.

#“When you look at Acacia, she’s a first generation to have gone off to university, so this is the beginning of the very same beliefs that we have been promoting since I was an athlete. “I understand the value of not just being an athlete, but a great student-athlete. We want to create good wholesome citizens and I believe that Acacia has demonstrated all of those attributes and so I’m looking forward to some great successes from her.”

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#St Anne’s High School’s Acacia Astwood has been one of the most consistent local field competitors as she prepares to represent the Bahamas in the CARIFTA Games here over the Easter holiday weekend.

#And if she is successful in making the team, the Blue Chip Athletics Throwers Club thrower said her goal is to improve on the bronze medal she won in the under-20 girls’ discus at the games last year in Willemstad, Curacao.

#Over the weekend at the 15th Star Performers Track Classic at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium, hosted by the Star Trackers and held under the patronage of sponsors JR and Karen McDonald, Astwood surpassed the qualifying standard of 41 metres for the second consecutive meet.

#The 17-year-old 12th grader was one of two throwers who would have done the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ qualifying standards on the field with four attaining it on the track, but it’s not official as there was no wind-reading system in place. Additionally, there was a power failure that forced officials to post the hand times for some of the events.

#“I feel pretty good about it because I’m becoming more consistent with it,” Astwood said. “Last week I threw 45 (metres) and this week I threw 45 (metres), so it’s basically telling me that I have a lot more to achieve. I can only get better with my meets.”

#Looking at her performances, Astwood said it’s all about improving on her accomplishments last year and her goal is to throw at least 53-55 metres before she heads off to college where she’s had a few offers, but yet to decide on where she would like to go.

#“With the support from my family, my friends and my coach (Corrington Maycock), I know that I can only get better,” Astwood stated. “So as the season progresses and we get ready for CARIFTA, I know that I will improve my performances.

#“I want to be on top of the podium this year. Last year, I got a bronze and this year, I want the gold. We have been correcting some stuff in practice, but every meet we realise that we have things that we need to perfect and that is what we are doing.”

#Maycock, the head coach of the Blue Chip Athletics Throwers, said Astwood is right on target for a great season.

#“Coming from one year of throwing, she has done a wonderful job, picking up the technique in throwing the discus,” Maycock said.

#“We’re also trying to get her to build up her performance in the shot put because she will also need that when she goes to college. “She’s already had a number of schools who have offered her scholarships, but right now, we’re not just focusing on Carifta, but the goal is to get her ready for the World Juniors. That is what we have pour programme geared towards.”

#But at this point in the season, Maycock said Astwood has far surpassed all expectations and he proclaimed that the sky is the limit in terms of what she is capable of doing this year.

#The other competitor to achieve the Carifta qualifying standards on the field was Tarhji Hudson of Cooper Throwers in the boys under-17 discus with a toss of 44.83m ( ), going over the standard of 41.50m ( ).

#On the track, Club Monica’s Megan Moss returned to competition after she nursed an injury that kept her out of action for the past month. She stormed to victory in the under-17 girls’ 400m in an impressive time of 55.96 that was well under the standard of 57.00.

#Also on the track, Anthaya Charlton of the host Star Trackers went under the standard of the under-17 girls 100m for the third time, running 11.97 for her victory, while her club and St Augustine’s College team-mate Adrian Curry sped to a 10.36 finish in the under-20 boys’ 100m. The standard is 10.60.

#“The heats were very good, but my start was off in the final and so I had to make it up coming to the wire,” Curry said. “But I feel that by the time I get to the trials, I will be ready to run even faster than I did.”

#And Romeo McKenzie of the Falcons Athletics led the way for the Grand Bahama contingent in breezing through the line in the under-17 boys’ 100m in 10.85. The qualifying standard for the event is 10.92.

#“It was good. I felt I went out there and I performed like coach told me,” said McKenzie, who is trained by Nikkita Johnson, a 15-year-old 10th grader at Tabernacle Baptist Academy. “I want to get ready for Carifta and hopefully bring home the gold.”

Anthaya Charlton

As of Friday, December 27, 2019

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#FROM the regional CARIFTA Games to the international stage at the North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Under-18 and Under-23 Championships, Anthaya Charlton had one of those sterling performances that enabled her to easily earn The Tribune’s 2019 Junior Female Athlete of the Year award.

#The versatile St Augustine’s College 16-year-old track and field athlete’s performance outshined that of a number of rising young stars, including top tennis player Sydney Clarke, who excelled on both the local and international scene.

#What topped the scale for Charlton is the fact that she secured medals and even a bit of history in just about every competition that she competed in this year as the sprinter/hurdler/long jumper, coached by her father, former national 400m record holder Dave Charlton, surpassed feats achieved by her older sister Devynne Charlton at the same stage in her career.

#Unbeaten all season long on the local scene in the under-17 division for the Star Trackers Track Club and SAC’s Big Red Machine, Charlton took her talents to the CARIFTA Games in George Town, Cayman Islands in April where she claimed gold in the under-17 girls 100 metres and the long jump and a bronze in the 100m hurdles.

#The latter performance left her as the bridesmaid for the coveted Austin Sealy Award as the most outstanding athlete at the meet as the Bahamas finished second behind powerhouse Jamaica in the final standings with nine gold, seven silver and 10 bronze.

#At the NACAC Championships in Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico where her mother, Laura Charlton, served as the team manager, Charlton soared to a gold medal in the under-18 girls long jump as she finished fifth overall in the joint team competition with three gold, four silver and one bronze.

#Charlton concluded the year with personal bests of 11.51 seconds in the century and 13.83, clearing the flight of 10 high hurdles in 13.83 in the Cayman Islands, while her leap of 5.81m (19-feet, 3/4-inches) in Mexico was her lifetime mark in the long jump.

#Had it not been for the medals from personal best performances, Charlton could have found herself trailing local tennis phenom Sydney Clarke for the overall spot. However, Clarke missed out on the top spot because her account of achievements were a little shy of eclipsing what Charlton did.

#As she closed the chapter on her junior career and opened the pages of what promises to be a rewarding collegiate and senior campaign, 18-year-old Clarke dominated the local scene and was seeded as the top player in every tournament she competed in on the International Tennis Federation’s Junior Tour this summer.

#While she fell short of hoisting the championship title in singles in tournaments in Trinidad & Tobago and Antigua & Barbuda, Clarke got that distinction in doubles in St Vincent and the Grenadines and was a part of the runner-up team in both Trinidad & Tobago and Antigua & Barbuda.

#For her efforts, she earned an ITF junior ranking of 711 and was awarded a full scholarship to attend the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Blazers in the fall.

#She completed her year by relinquishing her title a week ago to Kerrie Cartwright in the women’s final of the Giorgio Baldacci National Open Tennis Tournament where she also earned her third appearance on the Fed Cup team as she prepares to make her trek to Panama in April, adding to the trips she made last year and in 2017 on the biggest stage for team competition in the world in the sport outside of the Olympic Games.

#At the age of 17, Megan Moss is hoping that her freshman year at the University of Kentucky under the tutelage of Bahamian head coach Rolando ‘Lonnie’ Greene and assistant “Golden Girl” Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie will secure her a spot at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

#The St Augustine’s College 2019 graduate was primed to go to the CARIFTA Games and win another medal in the 400m, this time in her debut in the under-20 division as she posted a lifetime best of 53.06 to top the IAAF chart. But a nagging injury that led to a fifth place negated the individual podium appearance, but she got one for the silver as she anchored the 4 x 400m relay team.

#She ended up with the honourable mention for The Tribune’s Junior Female Athlete of the Year award along with CARIFTA gold medallists Rhema Otabor in the javelin with a record throwing feat of 43.07m and Jasmine Knowles in the 800m in a championship record of 2:09.49, basketball player Michelle Butler, in leading the Bahamas to a sixth place finish at the FIBA Americas Under-17 Centrobasket Championships with an average of 16.4 points and 11.6 rebounds per game and Elana Mackey, a tennis player who is now making a name for herself, going undefeated in her freshman year at the University of the Bahamas in cross country running.

#All the honourable mentioned athletes are 17 years old, which bodes well for their future.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

#By RICARDO WELLS

#THE Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) softball regular season concluded with the St Augustine’s College junior boys clinching their share of the pennant with a 17-7 win against Queens College Comets and Charles W Saunders clarifying the playoffs and avoiding the top-seeded Jordan Prince William Falcons in the senior boys division.

#The St Augustine’s-Queen’s College game came down to the bottom of the fourth inning. After the bases were walk-loaded by the Comets’ Daalan Adderley, SAC’s Tanige Wallace stepped up with a two run double to stretch the Big Red Machines’ lead to 10-7. SAC never looked back on their way to a ten-point victory, wcapped by a flamboyant cartwheel at home plate by Wallace during the seven-run fifth inning by SAC.

#With the win SAC tied St Andrews and Nassau Christian Academy as junior boys regular season pennant winners. The three schools used the runs scored between them during the season to determine playoff seedings.

#The BAISS playoffs start today at 4pm with the top seeds meeting fourth seeds for all four divisions and the junior boys and junior girls will kick off the action.

#Tomorrow the second seeds take on third seeds in the same order with all games at Freedom Farm Baseball Park.

#The Charles W Saunders senior boys avoided finishing fourth – and a first round match up with the undefeated Falcons – with a 26-23 extra innings win against the Queens College Comets. The game resumed yesterday to break a tie and with the win CWS moved up to third.

#Both girls divisions had ended in a three-way tie. In the junior girls the St Andrew’s Hurricanes, Nassau Christian Academy Crusaders and Charles W Saunders Cougars finished level in terms of win-loss records of 4-2. After calculating the runs differential, St Andrew’s came out on top with +4 from CWS (+1) and NCA (-5).

#NCA, St Annes and Queen’s College finished the senior girls season with records of 7-2. After the calculations, it meant a finishing order of NCA (+8), St Anne’s (+4) and QC (-12).

#Playoffs schedule

#Junior boys

#1 St Andrew’s School vs 4 Queen’s College

#2 Nassau Christian Academy vs 3 Saint Augustine’s’ College

#Senior boys

#1 Jordan Prince Williams vs 4 Nassau Christian Academy

#2 St Augustine’s College vs 3 Charles W Saunders High

#Junior girls

#1 St Augustine’s’ College vs 4 Nassau Christian Academy

#2 St Andrew’s School vs 3 Charles W Saunders High

#Senior girls

#1 St Augustine’s College vs 4 Queen’s College

#2 Nassau Christian Academy vs 3 St Anne’s High

By Brent Stubbs

Monday, February 23 2020

THE St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine held off a strong challenge from the Queen’s College Comets to win their 24th straight Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools title at Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium on Friday. Here’s a look at the final point standings: 1, St Augustine’s College – 1,307.50. 2, Queen’s College – 1,259.50. 3, St Anne’s – 468. 4, St John’s – 339.50. 5, Temple Christian School – 290.50. 6, St Andrew’s School – 281. 7, Nassau Christian Academy – 184. 8, Aquinas College – 180.50. 9, Jordan Prince Williams – 172.50. 10, Charles W Saunders – 110. 11, Faith Temple Academy – 91. 12. Kingsway Academy – 57.50. 13, Bahamas Academy – 28.50. Bantam girls 1, Queen’s College – 114. 2, St Augustine’s College – 113.50. 3, Jordan Prince Williams – 54. 4, St Andrew’s – 36. 5, St John’s – 33.50. 6, Temple Christian School – 29. 7, St Anne’s – 21. 8, Charles W Saunders – 16. 9, Faith Temple Academy – 4. 10, Bahamas Academy – 2. Junior girls 1. St Augustine’s – 174. 2, Queen’s College – 142. 3, St Anne’s – 86. 4, Jordan Prince Williams – 59. 5, Faith Temple Academy – 30. 6, St Andrew’s School – 24. 7, Nassau Christian Academy – 16. 8, St John’s – 15. 9, Temple Christian Academy – 13. 10, Aquinas College – 11. 11, Charles W. Saunders – 10. Intermediate girls 1, Queen’s College – 209. 2, St Augustine’s College – 190. 3, St John’s – 65. 4, Temple Christian Academy – 48.50. 5, St Anne’s – 38. 6, Aquinas College – 37. 7, Nassau Christian Academy – 29. 8, St Andrew’s School – 23.50. 9, Jordan Prince Williams – 1-. 10, Faith Temple Academy – 3. Senior girls 1, St Augustine’s College – 262. 2, Queen’s College – 122.50. 3, St Anne’s – 98. 4, Aquinas College – 61. 5, St John’s – 51. 6, St Andrew’s School – 44.50. 7, Nassau Christian Academy – 31. Temple Christian Academy – 13. Bahamas Academy – 3. Jordan Prince Williams – 3. Faith Temple Academy – 1. Bantam boys 1, Queen’s College – 94. 2, St Augustine’s College – 89. 3, St Andrew’s School – 55. 4, St John’s College – 43. 5, Temple Christian Academy – 33. 5, St Anne’s – 33. 7, Nassau Christian Academy – 28. 8, Aquinas College – 22.50. 9, Jordan Prince Williams – 14. 9, Charles W Saunders – 14. 11, Bahamas Academy – .50. Junior boys 1, Queen’s College – 208. 2, St Augustine’s College – 129. 3, St Anne’s – 69.50. 4, Temple Christian Academy – 52. 5, Nassau Christian Academy – 33.50. 6, Charles W Saunders – 33. 7, St Andrew’s School – 25. 8, St John’s College – 24. 9, Kingsway Academy – 21. 10, Faith Temple Academy – 13. 11, Aquinas College – 12. 12, Bahamas Academy – 1. Intermediate boys 1, Queen’s College – 210. 2, St Augustine’s College – 163. 3, St Anne’s – 72. 4, St John’s College – 44. 5, St Andrew’s School – 36. 6, Temple Christian Academy – 35. 7, Nassau Christian Academy – 30. 8, Aquinas College – 29. 9, Faith Temple Academy – 24. 10, Charles W Saunders – 23. 11, Kingsway Academy – 19. 12, Jordan Prince Williams – 5. 12, Bahamas Academy – 5. Senior boys 1, St Augustine’s College – 187. 2, Queen’s College – 160. 3, Temple Christian Academy – 67. 4, St John’s College – 64. 5, St Anne’s School – 50.50. 6, St Andrew’s School – 37. 7, Jordan Prince Williams – 27.50. 8, Kingsway Academy – 17.50. 9, Bahamas Academy – 17. 10, Nassau Christian Academy – 16.50. 11, Faith Temple Academy – 16. 12, Charles W. Saunders – 14. 13, Aquinas College – 8.

\f Friday, January 31, 202

Blue Chips Athletics’ Carifta qualifiers Rhema Otabor, Nathaniel Zervos and Keyshawn Strachan are pictured from left to right.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#SO far, about 12 athletes have attained the qualifying standard for this year’s CARIFTA Games, scheduled for the Easter holiday weekend in Hamilton, Bermuda.

#Out of that number, nine have attained the standard in field events, four of whom are members of the Blue Chips Athletic Club, headed by coach Corrington Maycock, who all did their marks in the javelin.

#They include national junior record holder Rhema Otabor in the under-20 girls’ division, Keyshawn Strachan and Michaelangelo Bullard, both in the under-20 boys’ division and newcomer Nathaniel Zervos in the under-17 boys’ division.

#“From the offseason, we set our goal to have them qualify and qualify early,” Maycock said. “We can now focus on getting ready for the games and trying to win more medals.”

#Within the next month, Maycock anticipates that there will be a few more competitors from his club qualifying. However, they will have to wait until the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations holds its final trials March 27-28 to determine if they make the team.

#In the meantime, the athletes are all excited about their achievements.

#Otabor, posting her qualifying mark of 47.95 metres or 157-feet, 3-inches at the T-Bird Flyers Track Classic, erased Tracy Morrison’s junior national record of 47.52m (155-11), set at the CARIFTA Games in Guadeloupe on April 17, 2006.

#“I’m very happy that I made the qualifying standard so early in the season,” said the 17-year-old math major at the University of the Bahamas.

#“I’m happy with the marks. I’m happy that I threw that far.”

#Otabor, the defending under-20 girls’ champion from last year’s CARIFTA in the Cayman Islands, said she had to work more on her technique and her run-up.

#“If I can correct those stuff and tweak my performance, I would be straight going into CARIFTA,” said Otabor, whose aim is to throw at least 55m (180-5) this year.

#Being around so many athletes who have attained the standards and are close to qualifying, Otabor said it makes a difference because “it helps to keep our focus because we are all working hard.”

#She noted that coach Maycock has pushed her, sometimes too hard, but she’s seen the results, having established a CARIFTA record in her first appearance in the under-17 girls’ division with a toss of 44.21m (145-0) here at home in 2018.

#Since making his successful debut in the under-17 boys’ division when he threw the spear 50.14m (164-6) for the silver at home in 2018, Strachan returned to capture the gold in a CARIFTA-record performance of 64.31m (211-0) in the Cayman Islands. Now he’s even more inspired to compete this year in Bermuda, even though he will be moving up to the under-20 boys’ division.

#“I try to stay focused and spend a lot of time watching my videos from training,” said the 16-year-old St John’s College 12th grader.

#“I love this sport. I love competing. It has done so much for me already. I came from Andros and when coach Maycock first saw me at the 2016 Nationals, I didn’t have a coach, but he was willing to help me achieve my goals. I really want to thank him. I think if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here today.”

#Strachan, who also went on to win the gold medal at the NACAC under-20 Championships last year, said having qualified for CARIFTA, he would like to throw at least 68m (223-1).

#“That’s my goal for this year and then progress from there,” he projected. “Being around the athletes in the club really push me because you can slip up some times.

#“But I love training with them and communicating with them. I just feel like I am on top when we work out together. We help each other out tremendously.”

#Last year in the Cayman Islands, Bullard got fourth in the under-20 boys’ spear with his heave of 59.69m (195-10) behind team-mate Hughie Rolle, who clinched the bronze with 60.45m (198-4).

#This is just Zervos’ first year working with Maycock since he took a break from playing baseball to transition to athletics. The Queen’s College student made the under-17 boys’ javelin standard with his toss of 53.59m (175-10) in his first meet.

#“From the first day, coach Maycock told me that I would qualify in the first meet and he had faith in me,” Zervos said. “So when it happened, I was happy, but I wasn’t surprised.

#Zervos said he’s hoping to make it a fun year as he improves on his performance and eventually medal at CARIFTA.

#“The athletes in our club constantly remind me of what I need to do and how to better my technique,” he said. “I really need to improve on my run-up. My goal is 65 metres (213-3). It’s a bet that I have with my coach.”

#As time progresses, Maycock said he will continue to work on the basic fundamentals with the athletes, making sure that they stay focused on the goal ahead of them and that is to go to CARIFTA and win a medal.

#Unofficially, the list of qualifiers so far for CARIFTA are as follows:

#Under-17 girls

#Shaunece Miller, high jump, 1.63 (5-4 1/4)

#Under-17 boys

#Stephen Farquharson, high jump, 1.95m (6-4 3/4)

#Dondre Saunders, high jump, 1.93m (6-4)

#Nathaniel Zervos, javelin, 53.59m (175-10)

#Carlos Brown, 100m, 10.89 seconds

#Under-20 girls

#Megan Moss, 400m, 53.67 seconds

#Rhema Otabor, javelin, 47.95m (157-3)

#Anthaya Charlton, long jump, 5.66m

#Under-20 boys

#Shaun Miller, high jump, 2.08m (6-9 3/4)

#Terrance Jones, 200m, 21.0 seconds

#Keyshawn Strachan, javelin, 63.76m (209-2)

#Michaelangelo Bullard, javelin, 61.12m (200-6)

DIVISIONAL WINNERS with their awards at the Red Line Athletics Track Club awards presentation at SAC on Saturday night.

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

A proud Megan Moss with her awards.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#COLLEGIAN Megan Moss returned home to claim the Red-Line Athletics Track Club’s coveted Athlete of the Year award.

#Although she arrived home late after her flight from Florida was delayed on Saturday night, Moss joined a host of outstanding performers at the awards ceremony that was held at the St Augustine’s College pool.

#Among the winners in the various categories were Adrian Curry (under-20 boys), Joshua Miller (most improved athlete), Davon Johnson and Otto Laing (under-17 boys co-winners), Samaa Moxey (under-17 girls), Alejandro Rolle (under-15 boys), Jadan Clarke (under-13 boys), Madison Moss (under-13 girls) and Aiden Curry (under-11 boys).

#The awards were all based on the athlete’s athletic performances, but head coach Tito Moss said they intend to extend it to their academic accomplishments next year.

#His daughter, Megan Moss, exemplified both her athletic and academic prowess, having graduated from St Augustine’s College this year with a 3.76 GPA and accumulative of 3.55 with 9 BGCEs with 6 A’s and 3 B’s, while participating on the Big Red Machine’s track team and representing the Bahamas on four international teams.

#Unbeaten locally in the 400m, Moss went on to compete at the CARIFTA Games in the Cayman Islands (where she is a co-record holder of the under-17 girls 400m in 53.16 seconds), the Youth Olympics in Argentina; the NACAC Under-18 and U-23 Championships in Mexico and U-20 Championships in Costa Rica.

#Having posted a lifetime best of 53.06 to earn her the number one spot in the world in the U-20 division and 23rd overall in the world, Moss is now at the University of Kentucky where she completed her first semester as a freshman with a 4.00 GPA. She will begin competition for the Wildcats when she returns to Kentucky in January.

#“I am definitely honoured to get Athlete of the Year for my club,” Moss said. “I definitely had some great performances this year, but also some disappointing performances. But overall, it was a great season and all the hard work really paid off.”

#While running her personal best in the CARIFTA trials was the highlight for her this year, Moss said not securing a medal at the Games was her biggest disappointment. But she admitted that going to the University of Kentucky in August has balanced it all out.

#“I’ve had a great experience so far making the transition,” said Moss, who is pursuing a degree in human health sciences. “Both the athletic side and the academic side have been a great transition. I’m just looking forward to breaking some of my personal and school records and to qualify for the Olympic Games (in Tokyo, Japan).”

#Under the tutelage of “Golden Girl” Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie, an assistant coach at the University of Kentucky, headed by Bahamian Rolando ‘Lonnie’ Greene, Moss feels she’s in the right atmosphere to accomplish her goals next year.

#“It’s just a great and comforting environment,” said Moss, who is home to take advantage of another Bahamian Christmas before she returns to school on January 1. “I just want to encourage the other athletes in the club to stay focused, continue working hard and everything will fall into place for them in the end.”

#Sasha Knowles, another graduate from SAC now in her freshman year at Clayton State University, received the honourable mention for the under-20 girls’ division behind Moss.

#The 17-year-old biology major is now being coached by veteran Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown in her new environment in Georgia.

#“I thought it was going to be difficult, but it wasn’t that hard,” said Knowles, who ran some cross country events and will begin her indoor season when she returns in January.

#“I’m actually glad that I am with Chris. He has a very good personality and I’m glad that I could form an athlete-coach relationship with him.”

#Adrian Curry, having graduated from SAC this year as well, will be enrolling as a health science major at Ohio State in January with Devine Parker and Shaun Miller as they join Tavonte Mott.

#Together, 18-year-old Curry said they hope to make some noise as they try and qualify for CARIFTA and the Olympics.

#“I feel I worked very hard this season and I’m very glad that coach came up with the awards this year and that I won,” said Curry, who was unbeaten this year for SAC’s Big Red Machine in his speciality in the men’s 100m, posting a season’s best of 10.41.

#“Overall my season wasn’t as bad, but as how some of the qualifying standards were set, it was a bit annoying for me, but I still went out and made some of the national teams and got medals and made my country proud. So this was probably one of my best seasons.”

#Both Otto Laing, a sprinter/long jumper at St Augustine’s College and Davon Johnson, a sprinter from St Anne’s School, shared the top award for the under-17 boys division.

#Johnson, a 16-year-old 12th grader, said he was thankful to God for the opportunity to accomplish what he did.

#“I knew the work and the determination that I put in to produce my performances,” said Johnson, who clocked 10.98 in the 100m and was a member of the under-17 boys 4x100m relay team that picked up a silver at CARIFTA “I’m really proud of myself.

#“Next season, I’m looking forward to making CARIFTA again and I want to win another medal for my team. I will be moving up to the under-20 division, but I know I have to put in more work.”

#Samaa Mackey, the under-17 girls winner as an 800m specialist, said she put in the hard work and it all paid off.

#“I ran very fast this year,” said Mackey, a 26-year-old 11th grader at SAC, who was extremely proud of her personal best of 2:41.27 in the two-lap race. “I want to make the CARIFTA team next year and to win a medal.”

#Tito Moss, the founder of the club, said he advised the athletes and their parents that they will hold an awards presentation this year. He said having achieved that goal, they intend to recognise the athletes for their academics next year.

#“These kids are student-athletes and I want the emphasis to be on their academics as well as athletics,” he said.

#“So as the club grows, we will be doing more to show our appreciation to them. We also honoured parents and our physio-therapist, Mike Armbrister and St Augustine’s College, who allow us to use the school as our base.”

#As one of the parents honoured, Ricardo Miller said since the inception of the club he has had a lot of respect for Moss as a coach and he was even more thrilled when his son Joshua decided to join.

#As a result of his performance, Joshua was named the Most Improved Athlete of the Year.

#“I’m looking for bigger and better things next year,” said Ricardo Miller. “They have a lot of new athletes and they are training hard and doing well. So I will continue to support the club because I see where they are making strides.”

\ Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Davon Johnson

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#HE graduated in the St Anne’s Class of 2019 as the valedictorian, but now Red Line Athletics’ sprinter Davon Johnson has decided to follow in the footsteps of his older brother David III at St John’s University in Minnesota.

#“Things are going good. I didn’t expect to be here after the coronavirus came along, but everything is going good,” the younger Johnson told The Tribune.

#“I spent a couple of days here with my brother getting a couple of things done before I move onto the campus. So everything is going well and I can’t wait to start my journey at St John’s.”

#With the coronavirus putting a damper on many student-athletes making their transition from high school to college, Johnson said he’s looking forward to the strict protocols in place to help mitigate the spread of the disease on campus.

#“Some persons will be doing classes virtually and some persons will be doing classes face to face, so I just want to see how everything will work out,” said Johnson, who will begin his classes on August 30 as he pursues a degree in accounting.

#While he was able to secure a partial scholarship for academics, due to the fact that the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology limited the amount of assistance given to students during the pandemic, Johnson said he will expect to compete for the Athletic team when the season gets started next year. “I want to compete for the track team. I just haven’t been in contact with the coaches as yet,” said Johnson, who goes in with a personal best of 10.9 seconds in the 100 metres.

#It was not an easy task in completing his tenure as a high school student, but Johnson said the experience will definitely prepare him for college.

#“I was really just motivated to achieve the goals that I set out for myself,” said Johnson when asked how he managed to juggle competing in track and his studies to emerge as the most outstanding student-athlete for the Blue Waves at St Anne’s.

#“It really comes down to being motivated and putting your trust in God, believing that he will see you through and allow you to achieve your goals and aspirations. I’m thankful to God for what I have accomplished.”

#For the second consecutive year, Johnson made the CARIFTA team, picking up his first medal as a member of the under-17 boys 4 x 100m relay team that finished second at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex in George Town, Cayman Islands. He also made the finals of the 100m where he was seventh in 11.07. “I just hope to give it my all when I go to train over here. I want to get in good shape so that I can come home and make the CARIFTA team again,” said Johnson, who made his CARIFTA debut in 2018 here at home at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

#The 2020 CARIFTA Games, the 49th version of the top junior regional track and field competition, was scheduled for the Bermuda National Sports Centre in Devonshire, Bermuda over the Easter holiday weekend, but was postponed to 2021 because of the coronavirus.

#Having celebrated his 17th birthday on July 13, Johnson will be moving up to the under-20 division in 2021. But now that he’s moved out of his family nest in Johnson Terrace, headed by parents David Jr and Joanne Johnson, Johnson feels he will be better prepared for the challenge ahead of him. “God set me up to be here right now. I had a rough time because I didn’t know how I would have made it with the border closed because of COVID-19,” Johnson reflected. “I just want to thank God for allowing me to be here. It’s just a blessing.”

#After David III informed him about his experience at St John’s, having graduated two years ago and is now working for a company called Veritis in Minneapolis, Davon said he was eager to enrol at the school and he was advised that they had an excellent accounting programme, which could help him in his future endeavours from an academic standpoint.

#“I want to thank God, thank everybody who supported me and all of my family for the sacrifices that they made to send me off to school and to put me in an environment where I can excel and improve in life,” Johnson summed up.

#“I also want to thank all of my friends, who encouraged me on this journey. I hope that I won’t let any of you down as I come here and do what I have to do.”

Antoan Richardson

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#At the midway point of Major League Baseball’s shortened season, Antoan Richardson and the San Francisco Giants are in the midst of the National League wild-card race.

#The Giants are currently on a six-game winning streak and improved their record to 14-16 with a 6-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks Sunday night at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California.

#Halfway through the season, the Giants are third in the NL West and No. 7 in the NL overall. Eight of the 15 teams in the NL will advance to the playoffs.

#The Giants open up a three-game home stand tonight against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

#San Francisco got off to a slow start to the season at 8-16 but have worked their way back into contention for a playoff spot at the 30-game mark in the 60-game season.

#“I believe in this club, I believe in the resilient nature of this club, I believe in the offensive strides we’ve made, obviously the starting pitching has been one of the strengths of this club, I believe in our capability from every angle right now,” first year manager Gabe Kapler said to the Mercury News.

#Over the course of the last six games, the Giants have outscored opponents by 29 runs with a differential of 42-13.

#In February 2019, Richardson re-joined the Giants, the club where he began his professional career. In his role as an outfield coordinator, he was tasked at overseeing on-field development throughout the organisation.

#He had the opportunity to serve as a first base coach at the major league level for the first time late last season.

#Richardson coached first for the Giants for a single game last June in their 5-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.

#Regular first-base coach Jose Alguacil was away from the team attending his son’s graduation, and the Giants rewarded Richardson with the call-up.

#Kapler brought Richardson on as a full-time member of the staff for the 2020 season.

#In the offseason prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Richardson had an immediate impact following the team’s first few Spring Training games, particularly on its base running.

#The Giants posted a whiteboard in their clubhouse at Scottsdale Stadium which recognised the “baserunning BOSS” from each game. Kapler credited Richardson for the team’s emphasis on leads and turns this spring in an effort to gain the edge on the basepaths.

#He also joined several players and staff that knelt during the national anthem before the Giants’ 6-2 exhibition victory against the Oakland Athletics.

#The group included right fielder Jaylin Davis, who is African American and appeared in just 17 games for the Giants.

#Davis said he leaned on Richardson for support as one of the few minorities in a leadership position within the game. As a player, Richardson was drafted by the Giants in the 35th round of the 2005 MLB Draft.