Home|Sports|Bahamas Games on the way backSports

Multisport event set for the summer of 2023

Simba FrenchSend an emailNovember 14, 2022 669 4 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas Games is on the horizon.

The event was officially launched on Saturday, culminating a two-day conclave hosted by the Bahamas Games Secretariat as representatives from the Family Island Sports Council; the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and sporting federations gathered at SuperClubs Breezes on Friday and Saturday. The official launch of the event was at Baha Mar.

The multisport event, which in 2023 will be dubbed ‘The Bahamas Golden Jubilee Games’, is set for July 7-15 on the island of New Providence next year. This the first time the games will be held in over 20 years with the last one being held in 2001. This is the sixth edition of the games.

The Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture was on hand to bring remarks at the launch.

“The launch of these games is very exciting not only to the ministry and myself, but also to the people of The Bahamas. The Bahamian people have been calling for these games as the last one was held some 20 years ago. I am happy and proud that as we move toward our 50th year anniversary, we are able to reintroduce these games and bring the excitement back to the Bahamian people. It is my belief that these games will once again unite us as a people and one nation coming together through the discipline of sports,” Bowleg said.

Deputy Chairman of the Bahamas Games Secretariat Sharon ‘The General’ Storr said that the planning of the games is coming along but there are a few items that need to be ironed out.

“The dialogue is healthy,” Storr said.

“There are one or two kinks that have to be worked out – in particular, the draft. New Providence wants to take a different approach to the draft and the Family Islands are contesting. We are a sporting family and tonight we have seen that. We are on the same wavelength and it is just a matter of modernizing and adapting to the young people. We have put in an age category in sports that did not have age categories like baseball and sailing.”

Storr said they realize that a lot of people do not know what the Bahamas Games is because of the 20-plus years break. Next up for the secretariat is to populate the committees. Storr said that the games is on schedule.

The islands that will be participating are Abaco, Andros, Bimini and the Berry Islands, Columbus Isles (Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador), Eleuthera, Harbor Island and Spanish Wells as one unit, Exuma and Ragged Island, Grand Bahama, New Providence, Long Island and MICAL (Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins and Long Cay).

Andros Sports Council Chairman Brian Cleare said he is happy to have the games back, particularly so the younger persons can be showcased.

“There are so many young athletes today who only heard about the Bahamas Games but never had the opportunity to experience it. This year, Andros is going to be participating in all of the disciplines. The majority of our athletes will be young athletes. We want them to experience what the games are all about,” Cleare said.

Cleare mentioned that athletes like national record holder in the javelin Keyshawn Strachan and basketball player Shaquille Cleare are expected to compete for Andros.

Chairman for Exuma and Ragged Islands Sports Council Kendall Feguson said that the conclave was productive. He said that one of the things that was discussed was a need for sports facilities on the Family Islands.

“Everyone including me is elated in the Exuma and Ragged Island community. The level of enthusiasm among the other Family Islands council members and the camaraderie is there. There is a need for facilities on the Family Islands. If we are going to compete as Family Islands, emphasis must be placed on facilities, so that we can offset what happens in New Providence,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson said despite a lack of facilities, they will be ready to compete.

Chairman for the Long Island Sports Council Jermaine Adderley said his island is preparing for the games, and that they will be strong in a number of disciplines, particularly sailing.

“We are getting into a groove of putting teams together,” Adderley said.

“We have already started in softball and we are about to start in basketball. We will then work our way into track and field. We are already ready in sailing.”

Adderley said he is looking to give those athletes who live on the island first preference, then look at those ones who live on other islands if they need more. Other than those sports mentioned, Long Island is also looking to do well in swimming, golf, boxing, bodybuilding and fitness, and possibly beach volleyball.

Bimini has been known to be a force to reckon with in the past in baseball. Chairman of Bimini and the Berry Island Sports Council Leonard ‘Brave’ Stuart said they are looking forward to participating in the upcoming games.

“We are going to hopefully have a strong team, not only in baseball but in track and field as well. We have some hidden gems who we do not want to discuss at this time, but we should be strong in baseball. We were great back in the day in that sport and we hope to carry on that legacy. We will have teams coming into Bimini and have teams traveling to South Florida, Freeport and Nassau to get ready for these games.”

Stephen Brown from Columbus Isles said they have something in store for New Providence.

“The trash talking coming from those other Family Islands builds our morale,” Brown said.

“New Providence feels like no one can beat them but I got something in store for them. I think we will utilize the draft with great care. We know that only 12 members can play on a basketball team. I don’t care how much New Providence try, they will miss the best set of players. We have a good contingent in Columbus Isles and we will utilize them as best as we can.”

Brown, like the other Family Island council members, highlighted that facilities is an issue they have but they are using their resources to make something happen.

Thirteen sports are expected to be in action at the games. These are softball, basketball, athletics, lawn tennis, bodybuilding and fitness, boxing, baseball, sailing, cycling, soccer, golf, swimming and volleyball.

The theme for the Bahamas Games is ‘Challenges are Chances for the Courageous’.

https://thenassauguardian.com/bahamas-games-on-the-way-back/

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Sheldon Longley – The Nassau Guardian- Sports Reporter

2 Nov 2022

Oaktree Medical comes on board as the title sponsor of the CARIFTA Games

With the 50th staging of the CARIFTA Games about 150 days out, the first meaningful step in the event returning to The Bahamas took place yesterday morning with the introduction of the title sponsor.

Since opening its doors for business, Oaktree Medical Center, under the ownership of the husband and wife team of Dr. Don and Kristi Deveaux, has been a huge proponent of sports and the development of the youth in The Bahamas. Now, they are coming on board as the title sponsor of the 50th CARIFTA Games, set for the Easter holiday weekend, April 8-10, 2023, at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in Nassau.

https://thenassauguardian.com/300000-for-carifta/ – For Full Story.
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 Home|Sports|HOYTES/Geneva Rutherford Girls Basketball TournamentSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailMarch 3, 2023 198 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The St. Augustine’s College (SAC) Big Red Machine won the senior girls title at the HOYTES/Geneva Rutherford Girls Basketball Tournament in Freeport, Grand Bahama, knocking off the St. John’s College Giants in the championship game. The Eight Mile Rock Blue Jays won the title in the junior girls division, knocking off the D.W. Davis Royals in the championship game.

Senior Girls Championship

St. Augustine’s College (SAC) Big Red Machine 38, St. John’s College Giants 15

SAC – Antonicia Moultrie – 16 points

St. John’s – Reyannah Greene – 5 points

Most Valuable Player (MVP) – Antonicia Moultrie

Third-place game

C.R. Walker Knights 24, St. George’s High Jaguars 9

Knights – Shenell Stewart – 7 points

Jaguars – Demetria Rolle – 5 points

Junior Girls Championship

Eight Mile Rock Blue Jays 9, D.W. Davis Royals 8

Blue Jays – Skyler Curry – 3 points

Royals – Kenisha Capron – 6 points

Most Valuable Player (MVP) – Skyler Curry

https://thenassauguardian.com/hoytes-geneva-rutherford-girls-basketball-tournament/

 Home|Sports|The Bahamas falls to ArgentinaSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailMarch 3, 2023 433 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas senior men’s national cricket team squandered another opportunity to finish in the top three at the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) 2024 TwentyTwenty (T20) World Cup Sub Regional Americas Qualifier 2023, losing to the host country Argentina on Thursday. They fell by 43 runs at the St. Alban’s Club Ground in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The loss dropped The Bahamas to fourth position as they sport a 1-2 win/loss record. Their final game is tomorrow against the top ranked team in the tournament, Bermuda, who is a perfect 3-0. The Bahamas must win that game in order to move on to the Americas regional final set for September of this year.

Against Argentina, Team Bahamas bowled the first inning and was able to hold Argentina to just 117 runs for the loss of seven wickets after 20 overs. The home team got off to a strong start as they took advantage of The Bahamas’ bowling, scoring 40 runs in the first five overs. In the sixth over, Kervon Hinds broke up the partnership of Tomas Rossi and Pedro Baron as Sandeep Goud caught Rossi’s ball. He was out for nine runs.

The Bahamas was able to slow down Argentina by taking three wickets by the ninth over with Argentina scoring 61 runs. Lautar Musiani, who was not out in that inning, was a menace to The Bahamas as he finished with 44 runs.

Jonathan Barry bowled a great over in the 17th over as he got two Argentinian batsmen out with his first two deliveries. Barry did not get his hat-trick but he did get Augustin Rivero out on the fourth delivery. Barry did not give up any runs in that over and Argentina had 94 runs for the loss of seven wickets.

The home side finished with 117 runs.

Barry and captain Marc Taylor finished with a three-wicket haul each.

On the batting front, The Bahamas dug themselves into a hole early in the match, scoring just 15 runs for the loss of five wickets after the first five overs. They needed 103 runs from 90 balls with five wickets in hand.

Turan Brown and Gregory Taylor Jr. tried to stay at the stumps and they did just that before Brown was bowled out by Alan Kirschaum for seven runs in the 11th over. The Bahamas had 39 runs for the loss of six wickets after 11 overs.

Goud replaced Brown and Taylor and Goud took the total to 59 runs for seven wickets before Goud lofted the ball on the leg side and Pedro Baron caught it on a Kirschaum delivery. Goud finished with 12 runs.

The tail end batsmen were unable to take The Bahamas to victory as The Bahamas was all out for 74 runs with three balls to spare.

Taylor finished with a team-high 19 runs.

https://thenassauguardian.com/the-bahamas-falls-to-argentina-2/

 Home|Sports|Mingoes tie with Bears in fierce matchSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailMarch 6, 2023 169 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The University of The Bahamas (UB) men’s soccer team put its three-match winning streak on the line against the Bears FC in Bahamas Football Association (BFA) play at the Roscow A.L. Davies Field, and they might not have come out with a win, but they didn’t lose either.

The Mingoes played to a 1-1 draw, climaxing a heated match.

The Bears scored early in the match, around the 29th minute, and held that lead heading into halftime.

In the second half, Ronaldo Green was awarded a penalty kick but missed a shot that would have been an equalizer for the Mingoes.

In the 80th minute of the match, Joshua Johnson scored an equalizing goal for the Mingoes, tying the game, 1-1. Green sent a long pass into the box and Johnson was able to head it into the net for a goal.

“We started a bit slow today,” said Mingoes Assistant Coach Alex Thompson. “We had a player who was put on a red card and the league rescinded 24 hours before the game, so that forced an adjustment to the lineup before the game started. That’s no excuse because we had at least 10 chances inside the opponent’s box.”

Thompson said the team showed a lot of heart to get back in the match and come out with a draw. He added that one of the team’s goals is to finish in the top two in standings and the draw makes that harder to do.

“It’s still on the table mathematically,” he said. “We just have to handle the rest of the season and we need a little bit of luck as well.”

The Mingoes are right in the mix as far as finishing near the top of the standings is concerned.

 Home|Sports|SAC wins third straight BAISS titleSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailMarch 6, 2023 527 4 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Despite a few setbacks, including a disqualification in a relay event, the St. Augustine’s College (SAC) Big Red Machine found a way to extend its lead on the final day of competition of the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) Track and Field Championships and rolled into a victory over the Queen’s College (QC) Comets on Friday.

Before SAC was declared the winner, the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium erupted as SAC athletes and fans chanted and celebrated with Junkanoo music. They finished the meet with 1,324.50 points – a comfortable margin of 172 points over the second-place Comets. The Comets ended the meet with 1,152.50 points to finish second. The surprising finish of the three-day meet was third as the Temple Christian Suns occupied that slot with 451.50 points. The St. John’s College Giants finished fourth with 381 points and the St. Anne’s School Blue Waves placed fifth with 264.50points.

SAC’s Head Coach Jason Edwards, who looked drained but happy, said it was a good performance by the team over the course of the three-day meet. It was their third straight BAISS track and field title.

“I saw some amazing and hard-fought performances today (Friday),” said Edwards. “They set records and made CARIFTA qualifying times. Without the village of coaches that we have, this wouldn’t have been possible.”

After the second day of competition, Edwards said they did not want to take their foot off the gas pedal.

“We did not want to get complacent and ease up,” he said. “We wanted to fight like we were in second and not give anybody any confidence.”

Edwards said he does not know how they will celebrate but he knows that they have to celebrate the win. As for next year, Edwards is already thinking of holes that he must fill to come back better and stronger.

Coach for the Suns Kenya Culmer was overjoyed that her team finished third.

“I am extremely proud of all our athletes and coaches from the first day,” said Culmer. “We are a very small school with a big heart. All the athletes tried their best to get into the finals and they left it on the track. We tried to put at least two persons in each event on the field. Then, we ensured we were able to have teams for the relays.”

Like the previous two days, athletes were able to produce CARIFTA qualifying marks as well as set BAISS records on the third and final day.

In the field, SAC’s Kamera Strachan improved on her CARIFTA qualifying throw and broke the BAISS record in the under-17 girls javelin. Strachan threw 42m (137’ 9”). The CARIFTA qualifying mark is 35.35m (115’ 11-3/4”) and Strachan’s previous qualifying throw was 36.92m (121’ 1-1/2”). The previous BAISS record of 35.83m (117’ 6-3/4”) was done by Taylor Walters in 2016.

Strachan obliterated the field with her winning throw as the second-place finisher, Samaya Reid, of Temple Christian, threw 19.14m (62’ 9”). Placing third was the Comets’ Raashi Lyons with an 18.77m (61’ 7”) throw.

Kenny Moxey secured a gold medal for the Comets in the under-17 boys high jump when he matched the CARIFTA qualifying standard of 1.85m (6’ 0-3/4”), clearing that same height. He went under the CARIFTA qualifying standard in the 110m hurdles earlier in the season, then did it again at the BAISS meet. The Aquinas College Aces’ Anthony Sweeting cleared 1.79m (5” 10-1/2”) to finish second. Finishing third was Kingsway Academy’s Kenyon Johnson who jumped a height of 1.77m (5’ 9-3/4”).

In the under-20 boys 400m hurdles, the duo of Clinton Laguerre, of SAC, and the Blue Waves’ Berkley Munnings ran under the CARIFTA standard of 54.43 seconds. Laguerre won with a time of 53.98 seconds. Munnings was second when he crossed the finish line in 54.23 seconds. Munnings’ teammate Dana Rolle was third when he ran 57.33 seconds.

It was a BAISS record-setting race for SAC in the under-20 boys 4x100m relay. The team of Khalon Christie, Laguerre, Tumani Skinner and Johnathan Fowler powered their way to a time of 41.60 seconds. They lowered the previous record of 41.64 seconds set by the Comets in 2019. This year, the Comets’ quartet clocked 42.46 seconds to place second while the Blue Waves finished third in 42.76 seconds.

The final races of the day were the 4x400m relays and SAC won the final four out of six divisions. Those divisions were the under-17 boys and girls and the under-20 boys and girls. Temple Christian won the under-15 girls and St. John’s won the under-15 boys title after SAC’s team was disqualified.

In the 4x100m races, SAC won six out of eight titles. They captured under-13 boys, under-15 boys, under-17 boys and girls and the under-20 boys and girls titles. The Comets won the other two divisions – under-13 girls and under-15 girls.

Fowler, who doubled in the under-20 boys 100m and 200m, helped his 4x100m and 4×400 relays teams win gold.

“I came in doubting myself and I wanted to do some things this year, especially with it being my last,” said Fowler. “I felt like I did, particularly by qualifying for CARIFTA in the 100m in the heats. I went into the 200m and came out as the champion and also the 4x400m, but we were not able to get the record. We were able to get a record in the 4x100m with me running the anchor leg, so that felt good.”

Amari Pratt, who won the under-20 girls 100m title but fell to third in the 200m and helped to guide her 4x100m and 4x400m teams to victory, said she was pleased with her performances.

“I am happy with my performances,” said Pratt. “I am looking forward to what I have in two weeks from now at CARIFTA Trials. This is my last year at SAC, so it is good to come out with a win.”

The 12th-grade student said she is looking forward to the CARIFTA Trials/High School Nationals set for March 25-27.

In the division standings, SAC won all four of the boys divisions. The Comets and SAC split the girls divisions.

Next up on the local track and field scene will be the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association (GSSSA) Track and Field Championships, slated for March 8-10 at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.

 Home|Sports|36-member swim team named for CARIFTASports

Simba FrenchSend an emailMarch 6, 2023 434 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Bahamian junior swimmers Nigel Forbes and Rhanishka Gibbs highlight the swimming team that will represent The Bahamas at the 2023 CARIFTA Swimming Championships, set for April 6-9 in Willemstad, Curacao.

The two swimmers are a part of the 36-member team that will look to lift the championship trophy for a fifth straight year, and seventh in the past eight CARIFTA meets, at the Sentro Deportivo Korsou – Pisina “Enith Brigitha”, in Curacao.

Swimming in the 11-12 girls division for The Bahamas are Alissa Ferguson, Saleste Gibson, Madison Julien, DNDN McKenzie, Kimaya Saunders, Skyler Smith and Jaylah Threadgill.

Representing Team Bahamas in the 11-12 boys division Christon Joseph, Alexander Murray, Trace Russell, Harold Simmons, David Singh and Kaylan Williams.

Competing in the girls 13-14 division for The Bahamas will be Lelah Lewis, Alanna Murray, Trinity Pratt, Zoe Williamson and Alexia Zatarain.

Swimming for The Bahamas in the 13-14 boys division are William Farrington, Michael Fox, Tristen Hepburn, Donald Saunders and Dijon Simmons.

The girls 15-17 team will comprise of Gibbs teaming up with Katie Goulandris, Kyana Higgs, Keianna Moss, Seannia Norville-Smith, Mia Patton and Elle Theberge to compete for The Bahamas.

The final group, the boys 15-17 team, will see Forbes along with Jack Barr, Emmanuel Gadson, Ellie Gibson, Marvin Johnson and Caden Wells swimming for Team Bahamas.

The open water team will feature Aiden Bain, Caellum Darville and the lone female, Layla Saidi.

It will be a role reversal in the coaching staff as Cameron Bruney, who was the assistant for last year’s team, will be the head coach for The Bahamas. It will be his first time serving in that capacity for the CARIFTA team. Assisting him will be Travano McPhee who was the head coach of last year’s team. He is also the open water head coach. Mancer Roberts Jr. is also an assistant coach. The team manager is Celestial Darville. Karon Pinder-Johnson is the female chaperone and Traven Cargill is the male chaperone.

“I think the team is strong just as it was last year. We have some people coming up who will do very well. There are persons on the team that people do not know how well they will do. Once they get over there once they will get an opportunity to go,” Bruney said. “I am looking forward to seeing them compete and doing their best. That is what it is about. It is about development and giving these swimmers an opportunity to race in an environment that they never race in. That is what brings out the best in them.”

Bruney added that the team selection process was straightforward and the coaches agreed on the team selection process. As for training, he will have to consult with the other coaches to work out a favorable schedule so that they can start training as soon as possible.

“I will talk to the other coaches on the team and the other ones who have athletes on the team and come up with the best schedule possible so we can all work together,” Bruney said.

The Bahamas will be looking to secure a fifth consecutive title in 2023, and seventh in the last eight meets.

The Bahamas came away with 975 total points for a win in the four-day meet in Barbados in 2022. Overall, The Bahamas finished with 65 total medals – 14 gold, 22 silver and 29 bronze. Jamaica was second with 833.50 points and the Cayman Islands was third with 754 points.

https://thenassauguardian.com/36-member-swim-team-named-for-carifta/

 Home|Sports|Mingoes knock off Great Whites for third straight winSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailMarch 7, 2023 113 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The University of The Bahamas (UB) Mingoes men’s basketball team played better as the game against the Zulu Media Marketing Great Whites in New Providence Basketball Association (NPBA) action at the A.F. Adderley Gymnasium on Saturday night progressed, and just like the previous two wins, they finished strong to pick up a victory. The Mingoes won, 81-64, for the team’s third straight win.

Delano Armbrister led the Mingoes with 24 points, including four three-pointers, in the win. Gabriel Styles came off the bench to dump in 17 points and pull down 11 rebounds. Erquantae Edgecombe scored 11 points and had 11 rebounds. Theodore Grant led the team with seven assists and added 10 rebounds.

“We came out and did what we had to do to get a win,” said Styles, who posted his highest score for the season with 17 points. “We fought hard on the boards and we got the ball out fast.”

The Mingoes scored 33 fastbreak points and had 17 points off turnovers.

As mentioned, this is the third straight win for the Mingoes. They defeated the Rebels, 87-66, on February 11 and Sand Dollar, 68-58, on February 25.

“We had a really good game last week and we came into this game with a lot of confidence, especially after practicing all week,” said Armbrister, who also posted his highest point production this season with 24 points. “We practiced hard and we came and we wanted to play fast and move the ball well and play great defense. We did all of that and picked up the win.”

Armbrister’s previous highest score was 23 points against the Discount Distributor Rockets on January 16.

The Great Whites took a nine-point lead with 3:22 to go in the first quarter off a layup from Demetri Mackey. They went up, 22-13, at that point. The Mingoes didn’t let that lead last for long.

The Great Whites ended the first quarter up 27-20 but the Mingoes came out strong in the second quarter, led by Armbrister and Styles. The duo combined for 11 points in the first two minutes of the second quarter to give the Mingoes a 31-30 lead with 6:42 left on the clock. The Mingoes never looked back.

Selwyn McKenzie led the Great Whites with 16 points and seven rebounds.

The Mingoes (6-6) next play the Leno Regulators (7-5) on Saturday March 11, at 8 p.m., at the A.F. Adderley Gym. 

https://thenassauguardian.com/mingoes-knock-off-great-whites-for-third-straight-win/

 Home|Sports|Swimmers perform at ‘Last Chance Meet’Sports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailMarch 7, 2023 185 4 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas Aquatics Federation held its 2023 CARIFTA Trials, dubbed the ‘Last Chance Meet’, this past weekend and the swimmers were able to perform at a high level as they looked to make CARIFTA qualifying times and move up the rankings.

At the end of the two-day meet at the Betty Kelly-Kenning National Swim Complex this past weekend, 43 swimmers were able to go under CARIFTA qualifying times.

The Barracuda Swim Club’s Emmanuel Gadson had a strong meet after not swimming any long course meets in almost eight months. The 15-17 boys swimmer was able to improve on some of his times as he prepares to swim his final CARIFTA. He also swam some Central American and Caribbean Amateur Swimming Confederation (CCCAN) Championships qualifying times.

“The meet went well and I was able to drop times considering I have not done long course in a while so I felt good. It’s a difficult transition from short course yards to long course meters but I think I handled it good. I just have to go and train to get that endurance up,” Gadson said.

Gadson swam in six races – all were under CARIFTA qualifying times. He was able to drop times in five of those races.

He swam CARIFTA cuts in the 50 meters (m), 100m and 200m breaststroke events; the 100m and 200m fly and the 200m individual medley (IM). The only race that he did not improve his time in was the 100m breast.

Gadson came into the meet with a time of 31.09 seconds in the 50m breast which he lowered to 30.95 seconds, well under the CARIFTA qualifying time of 32.09 seconds. He swam 2:24.03 in the 200m breast as he shaved some time in that event. The CARIFTA qualifying time in that event is 2:41.17. In the 100m fly, he powered his way to touch the wall in 57.45 seconds as he lowered his previous time from 57.64 seconds. The CARIFTA qualifying time in that event is 1:00.17.

Gadson dropped a lot of time when he won the 200m fly with a time of 2:18.29. His previous best time was 2:25.44 and the CARIFTA qualifying time is 2:23.09. In the 200m IM, Gadson battled against his former CARIFTA teammate Erald Thompson III who has aged out of CARIFTA. Thompson finished ahead of him, but Gadson shaved almost two seconds off his seed time with a swim of 2:15.49. The CARIFTA qualifying time in that event is 2:20.77.

Alpha Aquatics’ Ellie Gibson had a good meet as he dropped time in five races. He dropped time in the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke along with the 100m and 200m free.

“It was a good meet for me. I worked hard to swim in this meet so I could attain what I wanted. I was also able to achieve CCCAN cuts which is higher than CARIFTA. The starts and the underwater kicks were different for me this weekend,” Gibson said.

In the 50m back, Gibson shaved about a second off his seed time of 29.33 seconds when he clocked 28.37 seconds to go well under the CARIFTA standard of 29.16 seconds. He then swam 1:02.71 in the 100m back to go under his seed time of 1:02.79. The CARIFTA qualifying time is 1:04.34. Gibson swam 2:18.56 in the 200m back and was able to comfortably go under his seed time of 2:20.28 and the CARIFTA qualifying time of 2:23.

It was a quick race for Gibson in the 100m free as he clocked 54.21 seconds to lower his seed time of 54.46 seconds. It is comfortably under the CARIFTA qualifying time of 55.09 seconds. In the longer free distance race, Gibson swam 1:59.75. His seed time was 2:00.58 which was also below the CARIFTA standard of 2:02.84.

In the 11-12 girls division, Jaylah Threadgill was able to swim top times in all of her events. She swam and improved her CARIFTA cuts in the 50m, 100m and 200m breast events.

“The meet was good to me as I was able to swim best times in my events. I have been trying to get CARIFTA cuts and place in the top two. I wanted to drop time in the 50m free and I did,” Threadgill said.

Donald Saunders, from Lightning Aquatics, swam four races and was able to shave some time in the 100m free race. The 13-14 boys swimmer clocked 55.70 seconds to lower his time of 57.78 seconds. The CARIFTA qualifying time is 57.78 seconds.

“I have high aspirations for CARIFTA and I hope to perform well. The experience last year was great getting to swim against new competition. I am looking to perform to the best of my abilities. I was happy to drop times at this meet and I plan to drop more times at CARIFTA,” Saunders stated.

The Barracuda’s William Farrington used the ‘Last Chance Meet’ to go under the CARIFTA qualifying times for the first time in the 13-14 boys 200m breast and the 400m IM. He clocked 2:46.15 in the 200m breast to go under the CARIFTA qualifying time of 2:48.59. Farrington then powered his way to a CARIFTA qualifying time of 5:18.12 in the 400m IM. The qualifying time in that event is 5:18.30.

“I was able to get some CARIFTA times at this meet,” Farrington said. “I was able to rack up some times that I needed. I am happy to get the times at this meet as I have been wanting them all season.”

The CARIFTA swim team was named on Sunday and they will begin training this week. The Bahamas is looking to win a fifth straight title, and seventh in the last eight CARIFTA Swimming Championships.

https://thenassauguardian.com/swimmers-perform-at-last-chance-meet/

 Home|Sports|‘Jazz’ blasts first home run of the springSports

‘Jazz’ blasts first home run of the spring

Sheldon LongleySend an emailMarch 7, 2023 168 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

After a relatively slow start to 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) Spring Training, Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr. proved that he is back to full strength, or near to it, recovering from a back injury that hampered him the latter part of last season.

The Bahamian superstar player had his first multi-hit game of the spring on Friday, including a towering home run to left center field, putting the Miami Marlins on the scoreboard in that game against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Marlins went on to lose the game, 8-3, and have won just one game against eight losses in Spring Training, but there is little doubt that the electrifying, charismatic center fielder for the marlins is back.

Chisholm finished 2-for-3 in that game against the Cardinals on Friday, with a RBI (run batted in) and a run scored. For the spring, he is batting .308 with a home-run, two RBIs and a run scored. He has four hits in 13 at-bats.

Chisholm suffered a stress fracture in his lower back last season, forcing him to shut it down after 60 of the team’s 162 games. He missed the Midsummer’s Classic (all-star game) after becoming the first Bahamian ever to be voted into the game, and also the first to be voted as a starter. He was set to be the starting second baseman of the 2022 MLB All-Star Game.

Chisholm and the Marlins will open the 2023 season at home, loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, against the New York Mets. They will host the Mets for four games and then host the Minnesota Twins for three games.

Switching from the infield to man center field for the Marlins this season, Chisholm took it in stride, saying he is intrigued by the move. Speed certainly plays a factor as it believed that Chisholm could cover a lot of ground in centerfield. Chisholm was the Marlins’ every day starter at second base in 2022, and has started at shortstop in the past, but after the Marlins acquired reigning American League Batting Champion and all-star infielder Luis Arraez from the Minnesota Twins, they decided to experiment with Chisholm in center field. Newcomer Jean Segura and Joey Wendle are expected to cover the left side of the infield for the Marlins.

“Jazz is a very unique athlete, very dynamic,” said Marlins’ General Manager Kim Ng to Paige Leckie of MLB.com. “He’s got great range, great speed. He’s got a lot of the things that you look for when you’re thinking about center field. We’ve seen how he handles popups, and how he ranges to the ones that are really tough to get to.”

Chisholm was having a breakout second full season with the Marlins before getting injured. As mentioned, he was voted into the all-star game as a starter but couldn’t play due to injury.

Last year, Chisholm had a batting average of .254 with 14 home runs, 45 RBIs and 39 runs scored in 60 games. He had 12 stolen bases, finished with an on-base percentage (OBP) of .325 and an on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) of .860.

This season the Bahamian professional baseball player is looking for improved numbers across the board.

The Marlins 2023 Spring Training continues with an afternoon game against the Washington Nationals today. That game will get underway at 1:10 p.m. at the Marlins Spring Training facility – Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida. 

https://thenassauguardian.com/jazz-blasts-first-home-run-of-the-spring/