As of Friday, June 17, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#TARAJH Hudson capped off his season at Northwestern State University after advancing to the NCAA East Prelims in the discus by being named the Freshman of the Year for the Southland Conference.

#Hudson finished 24th with a toss of 174-feet, 11-inches in the discus at the NCAA East Prelims. He qualified for that stage by winning the NSU Last Chance Meet with a personal best of 186-6, a mark that bested NSU’s previous school record and sits in second behind teammate Djimon Gumbs.

#“It was an honour. There are a lot of talented freshmen in track and field in the conference, so to be voted as the best by the coaches is an honour,” Hudson said.

#“It proved that no hard work goes unnoticed. When you do your best, people will see you and reward you for it.”

#Also this year, at the SLC Championships, Hudson captured bronze in the discus with 176-9 as NSU swept the podium and he added a sixth-place effort in the shot put with a season-best 51-5 1/2.

#Hudson also had six top-three finishes in the discus, including wins at NSU Last Chance and SFA. He finished second at NSU and Texas State with a third-place at Miss. College.

#During the indoor season, Hudson competed in five meets in the shot put with a season-best of 47-3 at the SLC Championships as he placed 11th overall and he also had three top-10 finishes with an eighth-place at Texas A&M topping the list.

#“It was a good freshman season. I made it to Regional, which was my goal. I got to see what the competition was like in order to compete at the Nationals,” Hudson said.

#“I think I took a lot of things away from this season that will help me as I prepare for Nationals next year. It was a good foundation year for me.”

#As he looks back on his season, Hudson said the trip to the Regionals where he really enjoyed himself was the highlight before he was named as the Freshman of the Year.

#But he said his greatest disappointment was when he went to the Texas Relays and it took him a while to get adjusted to the new implements that he had to work with.

#“I think I still have to develop more strength and being able to compete in high pressure situations,” said Hudson, who is delighted to be able to return home and get back to his off-season training with coach Corrington Maycock and the Blue Clip Athletics Track Club.

#Next weekend, Hudson said he will be competing in the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations National Track and Field Championships at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

#Having already qualified for the NACAC Championships, Hudson said he would like to improve on his personal best performance before he returns to school in August.

#Hudson, a graduate of St Augustine’s College where competed in track and field and volleyball, has made the Dean’s List as a health and sicience major who wants to throw professionally before starting a career in physical therapy.

#The 19-year-old 6-foot, 41/2-inch athlete is the son of Taraseta and former natioal team volleyball player Oral Hudson. He has one brother Tajaro and one sister Taja.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jun/17/tarajh-hudson-named-freshman-year/?news

As of Friday, June 17, 2022

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CONNECTICUT Sun forward Jonquel Jones (35) puts up a basket from between Atlanta Dream guard Kristy Wallace (3) and forward Cheyenne Parker (32) during a WNBA basketball game on Wednesday night in Uncasville, Conn. (Sarah Gordon/The Day via AP)

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#JONQUEL Jones and the Connecticut Sun posted their highest scoring output of the season and won their fifth game in their last six outings.

#Jones finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots in the Sun’s 105-92 win over the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

#It was Jones’ eighth game with at least 15 points this season.

#The Sun shot 52 percent from the field, 54 percent from three-point range to improve to 11-4 with their fifth win in their last six games.

#Sun head coach Curt Miller said the team adjusted to the Dream’s defensive focus on limiting the reigning MVP.

#“They provided so much congestion in the lane that they were not going to let Jonquel get going around the rim, they were going to congest things for Alyssa Thomas, so we knew we were going to have to make some jumpers,” he said. “That’s what they were giving up and our players took it.”

#The Sun also improved to 4-2 in the Commissioner’s Cup, second only behind the undefeated Chicago Sky at 7-0.

#The Commissioner’s Cup presented by Coinbase is the league’s annual in-season competition, with a prize pool of $500,000 in the championship game for the players and at least $165,000 in charitable donations throughout this year’s series.

#This year, the Commissioner’s Cup will feature a new platform through which teams will provide funding to local nonprofits, and the league and teams have collaborated to select organizations in each market focused on civic engagement.

#The WNBA will donate $2,000 to the chosen organisation of each cup game’s winning team and an additional $500 to the losing team’s organisation.

#The league will donate $10,000 to the winning team’s chosen organisation and $5,000 to the organisation of the runner-up.

#The Sun are playing for the League of Women Voters of Connecticut.

#The Sun boast one of the tallest lineups in the WNBA featuring Jones (6’6”), DeWanna Bonner (6’4”), Brionna Jones (6’3”) and Alyssa Thomas (6’2”).

#The Sun have seven games remaining before the league’s All-Star weekend.

#They face the Seattle Storm on Friday, followed by four consecutive Commissioner’s Cup games against the Washington Mystics (June 19), the New York Liberty (June 22), the Dream (June 26) and the Sky (June 29).

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jun/17/jonquel-jones-and-sun-roll-win-five-six-games/?news

As of Friday, June 17, 2022

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Yolett McPhee-McCuin

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#ON the heels of a record-setting season and a new contract extension, Yolett McPhee-McCuin has landed another star-studded recruiting class for her Ole Miss Rebels women’s basketball programme.

#McPhee-McCuin’s incoming class includes highly touted freshman prospects and some of the top-rated transfers in the portal.

#The class was recently bolstered yesterday by the signing of 6’4” freshman centre J’Adore Young.

#The class also includes four-star freshman Ayanna Thompson along with transfers Marquesha Davis, Elauna Eaton, Rita Igbokwe, Broke Moore, Tyia Singleton, Myah Taylor and international prospect Marta Ostojic from Croatia.

#Ole Miss also returns a solid trio of experience, including starters Madison Scott and Snudda Collins, as well as the SEC’s Sixth- Woman of the Year in Angel Baker.

#After much speculation on social media following their exit from the NCAA Tournament in April, McPhee-McCuin reassured the Ole Miss fanbase of her commitment to the programme. She shortly thereafter signed a contract extension that will see her remain at the helm through the 2026 season.

#“I am humbled and grateful for the support from chancellor Boyce, athletics director Keith Carter, senior women’s administrator Jennifer Saxon and the rest of our administration,” said McPhee-McCuin.

#“Their commitment recognises the accomplishments that our programme has achieved, reflects their belief in the long-term vision that has been put into place, and demonstrates their unwavering trust of the success of our programme in the future. In addition, I’m thankful for the loyal support of our faculty and staff, boosters and our fans. I am looking forward to building on the foundation of our success and continuing to lead a programme that represents our fans, the university and the state of Mississippi.”

#The 2021-22 season came to an end for Ole Miss in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament with a loss to South Dakota.

#Ole Miss concluded the season 23-9, 10-8 in the SEC to earn an at-large bid and the no.7 seed in the Wichita Region. It was their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 15 years.

#McPhee-McCuin led Ole Miss to its first top 25 ranking since 2007.

#The season was highlighted by a 13-game win streak, the third longest win streak in programme history. It also included wins over three ranked opponents. In conference postseason play, Ole Miss earned its first SEC Tournament Semifinal game appearance in 29 years. The Rebels also found themselves slotted in the national polls with its first AP Poll appearance since 2007, when Ole Miss came in at No. 24 on January 24.

#McPhee-McCuin also recently produced the highest drafted Ole Miss player in programme history when Shakira Austin was recently selected third overall by the Washington Mystics.

#McPhee-McCuin joined the Rebels in 2018 with expectations to rebuild a programme that struggled in recent years and was in the cellar of the SEC.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jun/17/mcphee-mccuin-lands-star-studded-recruiting-class-/?news

As of Friday, June 17, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedioa.net

#AFTER a brief hiatus to coach at the high school and club level while improving on his golf game, former Bahamian national coach Edrick ‘Drips’ Poitier has returned to coaching at the collegiate level.

#Yesterday morning, Poitier was named the head coach of the Bowie State women’s volleyball programme, according to vice president for intercollegiate athletics and recreation Clyde Doughty Jr.

#“After an intensive search it is with great excitement that coach Edric Poitier has accepted the position as the next head volleyball coach for Bowie State University,” said Doughty, Jr.

#“Coach Poitier brings a wealth of experience in the field of volleyball. He is a CIAA veteran and wholly understands what it takes to manage a quality programme that will be competitive in the CIAA and NCAA.”

#Poitier spent the past season as the head coach at a private high school in Jacksonville, Florida, where he guided the programme to a 19-7 overall record and a quarterfinal appearance in the Florida State District Championship.

#Prior to his high school tenure, Poitier did a one-year stint at Florida State College at Jacksonville in 2019, before serving as the head coach at Savannah State from 2016-2018; Bluefield State College (2013-2016) and Winston- Salem State (2010-2012).

#“I would like to express sincere gratitude to VP for Athletics, Mr Doughty Jr and President Dr Breaux for the opportunity to lead the programme at this time in its development,” said Poitier.

#“I look forward to trying to make the programme a viable one within the conference.”

#Poitier said when he saw the coaching job available, he applied because he felt it was one of the schools that had the potential to make it to the NCAA Division II Championships.

#“This court is the court where I won my first CIAA Championship back in 2000 with St Augustine’s College in Raleigh, North Carolina, so he said the scenario brought back a lot of memories. “My goal is to take a CIAA team to the NCAA and hopefully be a contender for the national title,” he said.

#“No school in the CIAA has done it before and when I was with St Aug, that was one of my goals. Hopefully, I can do it with Bowie State.”

#Poitier, however, said his new coaching role is bitter-sweet because it will limit the free time he had to work on his golf game, but he noted that at some point, he realises that he will have to give up some things to pursue his coaching career.

#With over 23 years of experience coaching at the collegiate level, one of the most appealing factors about Poitier was that he is no stranger to the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Conference.

#Poitier’s record of accomplishments emphasized on rebuilding programmes as he started his head-coaching career with St Augustine’s College (now St Augustine University), posting a 113-34 record in five seasons at the helm.

#In his first year, he went 14-13 overall, including a 14-6 mark in conference play. The next four seasons (2000-2003), Poitier recorded 20-plus wins and a conference championship in each season. Poitier went 23-6, including a 19-2 mark in conference play, a conference title and CIAA Coach of the Year in 2000, followed up with a 22-7 overall record, including a perfect 21-0 conference record and CIAA Championship, first round appearance in the NCAA Regionals in 2001.

#Poitier guided the Lady Falcons to a 29-3 overall record and 21-0 mark in CIAA action to go along with the programme’s third-straight CIAA title while advancing to the second round of the NCAA Regionals in 2002.

#In his last season at the helm, St Augustine’s posted a 25-5 overall record extending its win-streak to 63-straight wins over CIAA opponents (21- 0), a CIAA championship and the 2003 CIAA Coach of the Year award. Overall, his five-year stint with the Lady Falcons, he compiled a 115-35 overall record and a 99-8 record. He is a three-time CIAA Coach of the Year and is still the only CIAA coach to ever win an NCAA Tournament First Round match.

#Poitier coached the Bahamas women’s national team for nine years from 1992-99 and led the team to two gold medals and three silver medals at the Regional Caribbean Volleyball Championships and was the assistant coach from 1989-92.

#Poitier played on the Bahamas men’s national team as a setter for 13 years from 1979-92 and won the bronze medal at Commonwealth Volleyball Championship in London in 1981.

#Poitier is a 2003 graduate of Saint Augustine’s College with a degree in criminal justice. He is married and the father of three children.

#The Bowie State women’s volleyball programme is slated to begin the 2022 campaign on September 6 at Delaware State.

#“Right now, I’m in the process of trying to fill a roster,” Poitier said. “The roster they had was not where the athletic director wants it to be. That was why they looked for a new coach.

#“So my plans is to try and find at least 5-6 players that I can bring in here on a short notice. There are a lot of players in the NCAA transfer portal, who are looking for a place to go.

#“So I’ve been trying to find players who are from this area, who might want to come back home and play here. That has been my focus so that I can get the team ready to play.”

#Unfortunately, Poitier said there are no plans to recruit any Bahamian players for the upcoming season because the deadline for the paperwork for international players has already expired, so they will have to wait until next year. “I know next year, I will have to fill a completely new roster so I definitely will be looking to see who is available from the Bahamas to play on the team,” Poitier said.

#He noted that Doughty Jr has welcomed him with open arms and he’s looking forward to making his contribution to Bowie State where he feels he has as legitimate chance of winning a national title, as opposed to coaching at the division one level where schools spend the big bucks to get the best players available.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jun/17/drips-poitier-gets-new-coaching-job/?news

As of Friday, June 17, 2022

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#FOR the second time in their young minor league careers, Texas Rangers prospects Zion Bannister and Keithron Moss are taking the field together with the same club.

#Both players are on the roster for the ACL Rangers in the Arizona Complex League and made their respective debuts last week.

#In Tuesday’s 5-4 win over the ACL White Sox, Bannister got the start in left field and hit seventh in the lineup while Moss got the start at secondbase at hit eighth.

#Bannister doubled and Moss finished 2-4 with an RBI. Bannister went 3-4 with a double in his ACL Rangers’ 4-2 win over the ACL Dodgers in the season opener.

#The highly touted 6’3”, 190-pound outfield prospect was called up to the club’s Spring Training roster for Cactus League play in Surprise, Arizona.

#Bannister was originally signed by the Rangers in July 2019 and made his debut on the Dominican Summer League roster the following month.

#As a member of the DSL Rangers 2 he hit .273 with six hits, one RBI, and a .333 OPS.

#He progressed to the AZL Rangers of the Arizona Rookie League on August 15 as a late season call up and appeared in 37 games where he hit .227 with six doubles, two home runs and 15 RBI.

#Moss, a 20-year-old, 5’11 188-pound infielder last appeared with the Down East Wood Ducks in Single-A baseball.

#The duo last appeared together in the Arizona Rookie League in 2019 and helped lead their team to the league title.

#Moss hit .429 in the playoffs and in the finale of the series sweep over the AZL Indians Blue 7-2, he finished 1-4 with one stolen base. He had one of his best offensive games of the season in the semifinals when he doubled and singled twice as the AZL Rangers defeated the AZL Giants Orange 2-1.

#In 34 AZL games, he hit .308 with a .425 OBP, .442 slugging percentage, and an .866 OPS. He totalled 37 hits, including four doubles, three triples and two home runs with 14 RBI, 27 runs scored and eight stolen bases.

#In 51 games last year in the Dominican Summer League, Moss hit .196 with 11 doubles, 23 RBI, 29 runs scored and eight stolen bases.

#Bannister was a late season call up to the AZL Rangers in 2019 after beginning his first season of professional baseball in the Dominican Summer League.

#He was assigned to the DSL Rangers on August 10 and in two games with the club, Bannister hit .300 and scored two runs before he was quickly assigned to the AZL Rangers on August 15.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jun/17/moss-and-bannister-team-again-acl/?news

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, center, holds up the Bill Russell Trophy for most valuable player after the Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 6 to win basketball’s NBA Finals championship, Thursday, June 16, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

As of Friday, June 17, 2022

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#By KYLE HIGHTOWER

#AP Sports Writer

#BOSTON (AP) — The Golden State Warriors are NBA champions once again, topping the Boston Celtics 103-90 last night for their fourth title in the last eight seasons.

#Stephen Curry scored 34 points and was named the NBA Finals MVP as the Warriors claimed the franchise’s seventh championship overall. And this one completed a journey like none other, after a run of five consecutive finals, then a plummet to the bottom of the NBA, and now a return to greatness just two seasons after having the league’s worst record.

#“We found a way to just get it done,” Curry said after the Warriors accepted the championship trophy and celebrated on the court. “It’s part of a championship pedigree, our experience. … We built this for 10-11 years. That means a lot when you get to this stage.”

#For Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala, it’s a fourth championship. The first three rings came in 2015, 2017 and 2018, when Golden State was dynastic and made five consecutive trips to the finals.

#Injuries, including ones that sidelined Thompson for 2 1/2 years, and roster changes changed everything. But this season, with Thompson returning around the midway point, the Warriors were finally back.

#Back on top, too. Champions, again, denying the storied Celtics what would have been their record 18th championship, one that would have allowed Boston to break a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in league history.

#This tale for the Warriors ended much differently than what was their most recent finals appearance against Toronto in 2019, one that saw Kevin Durant tear his Achilles tendon in Game 5 and then Thompson tear his ACL in what became the Raptors’ title-clincher in Game 6.

#The aftermath of that loss was exacerbated by Durant’s decision to leave that summer in free agency to join the Brooklyn Nets and Thompson’s own Achilles injury while rehabilitating his knee injury.

#“It all paid off,” Thompson said. “It was dog days, a lot of tears shed. … You knew it was a possibility, but to see it in real time. … It’s crazy.”

#It thrust a Golden State team into a rebuild that became a reload. The Warriors used their two-year hiatus from the NBA’s biggest stages to retool their roster – adding a past No. 1 draft pick in Andrew Wiggins, who excelled in his first finals, along with another rising star in Jordan Poole.

#It all clicked. For Golden State coach Steve Kerr, it’s a ninth championship overall after winning five as a player. He’s the sixth coach to capture four titles, joining Phil Jackson, Red Auerbach, John Kundla, Gregg Popovich and Pat Riley.

#Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 34 points. Al Horford added 19. Jayson Tatum finished with 13 points, but shot just 6 of 18 from the field. Boston also committed 22 turnovers, dropping to 1-8 this postseason when committing 16 or more.

#It was just the fifth defeat in 22 title-series appearances for Boston, which turned its season around to have a chance at this crown. Boston was 25-25 after 50 games, then went on an absolute tear to get to the finals and nearly claim what would have been just the franchise’s second championship since 1986.

#It was the third consecutive season where things were affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic, and while things were closer to normal, pictures and video of the championship celebration will serve as a forever reminder that the virus was still an issue.

#NBA Commissioner Adam Silver could not be at the game because he remained in the league’s health and safety protocols related to the virus. The redesigned Larry O’Brien Trophy – the golden souvenir given to the NBA champions – was presented to the Warriors by deputy commissioner Mark Tatum instead. Boston trailed by as many as 22 points but went on a 16-4 in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 76-66 entering the fourth.

#A Jaylen Brown 3-pointer made it 86-78 with 5:33 to play, but the Warriors never relinquished the lead.

#A RUN, AND A RESPONSE

#The Celtics came out firing, riding the energy from a deafening TD Garden crowd to take an early 14-2 lead.

#Golden State wasn’t rattled and responded with a 35-8 run that stretched into the second quarter on the way to building as much as a 22-point lead. The Warriors outscored the Celtics 27-17 for the period and carried a 54-39 lead into the second half as some Celtics fans booed the home team as they left the court.

#Boston fought back in the third, but the Warriors found their range from beyond the arc, connecting on six 3s in the quarter.

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Devynne Charlton second in 100m hurdles

Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Steven Gardiner on their way to winning their 400 metres races at the Diamond League athletics meeting at Charlety stadium in Paris, Saturday. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

As of Saturday, June 18, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#COMPETING in the same meet for the first time this year, Bahamian Olympic champions Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Steven Gardiner surged to impressive victories in the 400 metres on Saturday at the Wanda Diamond League Meet in Paris, France.

Devynne Charlton (File photo)

#They were joined by World Indoor silver medalist Devynne Charlton, who came through for second in the women’s 100m hurdles as the trio showed that they are ready for the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon in July.

#Coming off a fourth place finish in the women’s 200m in Rome on June 9 in her last race, Miller-Uibo returned to her signature event in the 400m where she secured her victory in 50.10 seconds, but leaving fellow Bahamian Tonique Williams-Darling’s meet record of 49.15 from 2004 on the books.

#28-year-old Miller-Uibo used her 6-foot, one-inch frame to establish the early lead through the first 200m. She came off the final curve and on the straight away, took a peek at the rest of the field as she maneuvered down the home stretch.

#In full control of the race from lane four, the two-time Olympic champion coasted across the finish line with a jog as Polish competitors Natalie Kaczmapek and Anna Kielbasinski closed the gap in 50.24 and 50.28 in lanes five and six respectively.

#Gardiner, the reigning world champion, made his debut in Paris where he hopes to be back in 2024 to defend his Olympic title. Like Miller-Uibo, Gardiner established control of the race from the start in lane five, but got a challenge through the first 200m from Lidio Andres Felix from the Dominican Republic in lane four.

#Gardiner, however, used his 6-3 frame to shift into another gear on the back half of the race and clocked a season’s best of 44.21 to leave Felix behind in 44.92, while Nene Zakhiti of the Republic of South Africa was third in 44.99.

#Immediately following the race, Charlton took to the track and, after a stumble coming out of the bocks, negotiated her way from the outside in lane seven through the ten flights of hurdles for a second place finish in the women’s 100m race in her season’s best of 12.63.

#Toby Amusan from Nigeria was steady from start to finish in lane five and took the tape in an area record and personal best of 12.41. Great Britain’s Cindy Sember was third in 12.73.

#Miller-Uibo, Gardiner and Charlton are now on their way home for the Bahamas Association of Athletic Association’s National Championships on Friday and Saturday at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.

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As of Thursday, June 16, 2022

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#THE Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) has named three teams for international tennis competition this month.

#A group of talented Bahamians will be representing the country at a very competitive level.

#The teams include the following:

#Two under-12 tennis team competitions are set to take place in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The nations in the Caribbean and the Central American region are slated to compete for their respective nations.

#Team Bahamas’ U-12 girls’ team consists of Marina Bostwick, Caitlyn Pratt, Srae’ Rodgers and coach Sharon Greene.

#The boys’ team consists of Patrick Mactaggart, Kingston Rees, Nicholas Russell and coach Artie Johnson. The teams are expected to travel June 24 with matches getting underway on Saturday, June 25.

#The players are all representing the Bahamas for the first time on a national team. This is a wonderful opportunity for each of them to display their talent on a global level and to compete amongst the best of the best in the region. The young players will give it their best as each one has invested time and effort into tennis.

#All the players will participate in the upcoming Junior Nationals starting (today) this Thursday at the National Tennis Centre (NTC). Afterwards the team will travel next week to Santo Domingo to begin competition.

#Bahamas Davis Cup Team

#National champion Spencer Newman and player/ captain Marvin Rolle were the first two to receive BLTA team nominations for the 2022 Bahamas Davis Cup Team.

#At the trials held in May there were two other nominations – Kevin Major Jr and Baker Newman.

#The Davis Cup Group III Americas Competition will be held in Escazu, Costa Rica June 22-25 at the Costa Rica Country Club and the surface is hard courts.

#The Bahamas team departs on Sunday and will arrive a few days in advance of the competition.

#Countries competing are The Bahamas, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.

#Three teams will be promoted to the World Group II Playoffs and two teams will be relegated to Americas Group IV.

#The teams will be divided into two pools, the winner of both pools will be automatically promoted and the teams with the second best results from pool play will face each other for the third spot.

#A number of teams from Group II that were relegated will be competing, including Venezuela, Paraguay and Jamaica.

#The 2022 BJK Cup Group II Americas will take place at the Centro Nacional De Tenis Parque Del Este In Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

#Meet the Players

#• Marvin Rolle – Player/Captain

#Marvin Rolle is a decorated Davis Cupper. For 18 years Marvin received nominations (25) to Bahamas Davis Cup.

#His willingness to serve and represent the country is unmatched. His best run with the team is Group I Semifinals. Marvin has been a part of the Bahamas Davis Cup for 14 straight years. He has won 40 Davis Cup singles matches, 26 in doubles which is the most for any Bahamian player.

#Marvin’s career high ranking in doubles is 681 and 1,304 in singles. He epitomizes tennis strength, skill and class.

#• Kevin Major Jr is receiving his 6th team nomination for the Bahamas Davis Cup. Kevin has a 7/8 win loss ratio and an ATP ranking of 1,916.

#Spencer Newman is The Bahamas current Giorgio Baldacci Open National Champion.

#This is Spencer’s fourth team nomination. He has a 7/5 win ratio. Spencer was quoted as saying: “Playing Davis Cup is among the highest honour any tennis player can receive.”

#Baker Newman is expected to round out the team and is receiving his fifth team nomination for Team Bahamas. In Davis Cup action Baker has a 11/6 win ratio and was a tennis collegiate standout for Vanderbilt.

#The BLTA along with the entire Bahamas extends its best wishes to the team as it represents the country and we pray for a safe journey and strong performances.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jun/16/blta-names-three-teams-international-tennis-compet/?news

As of Tuesday, June 14, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#AHEAD of the national championships for track and field and swimming, the Bahamas Olympic Committee has announced a 28-member team of athletes and seven coaches to represent the Bahamas at the Commonwealth Games.

#The games are scheduled for July 29 to August 7 and according to BOC president Romell Knowles, every so often, they are forced to name the team prior to the national championships.

#The Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National Championships is scheduled for this month and the Bahamas Aquatics’ Nationals will take place from July 7-10, but athletes from both disciplines, along with cycling, triathlon, wrestling, judo and boxing have already been selected to the team.

#“We could no longer wait until the national championships because this list is almost etched in stone. All of the accreditations, the processing have been done and the system is closed,” Knowles said.

#“Even if we wanted to add someone, it’s going to be a pain in the butt to try and get Birmingham to open up the system to allow us to make amendments. That’s not prohibited. We could do it on the executive side or the coach’s side, but the athletes, they see it as tampering or cheating.”

#Having met their quota of 28 athletes, Knowles said in order to replace an athlete, the BOC would have to fill out a form indicating that the athlete is either injured or not able to travel before they can replace anyone.

#However, in the case of the team selection, Knowles said double Olympic 400m champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo is still contemplating making the trip to Birmingham. If her and her camp decides to go, they have conveyed her interest to the local organising committee in Birmingham to have added to the team.

#Named by chef de mission Roy Colebrooke as members of the Commonwealth Games team are the following:

#Athletics – Devynne Charlton (women’s 100m hurdles); Anthonique Strachan (women’s 100/200m); Steven Gardiner (men’s 400m); LaQuan Nairn (men’s long jump); Jahmaal Wilson (men’s 110m hurdles); Terrence Jones (men’s 110m); Tynia Gaither (women’s 100/200m); Ken Mullings (men’s decathlon); Shaun Miller Jr (men’s high jump); Kendrick Thompson (men’s decathlon) and Charisma Taylor (women’s triple jump/100m hurdles).

#No coach has been selected as yet.

#Swimming – Izaak Bastian (men’s 50/100/200m breaststroke); Devante Carey (men’s 50/100m free, 50/100m/200m back and 50/100m fly); Lamar Taylor (men’s 50/100m free, 50/100/200m back and 50/100m fly); Luke Kennedy Thompson (men’s 50/100m breaststroke, 200/400/800m free and 200m IM); Lilly Higgs (50/100/200m breaststroke and 200m IM); Katelyn Cabral (women’s 50/100m butterfly, 50m free and 50/200m backstroke); Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson (women’s 100/200m freestyle, 200m IM and 200m breaststroke); Rhanishka Gibbs (women’s 50/100m freestyle and 50/100m breaststroke).

#The coaches for the team are Andrew Loveitt and Travano McPhee.

#Cycling – Felix Neely Jr and Lorin Sawyer.

#Kenton Roker will be the team’s coach.

#Triathlon – Armando Moss (men’s sprint).

#Cameron Roach will be the coach.

#Wrestling – Rashji Mackey (freestyle 92 kilogram) and Thorn Demeritte (freestyle 74 kilogram).

#The coach will be Clinton Burke.

#Judo – Cynthia Rahming (women’s 57 kilogram) and Andrew Munnings (men’s 73 kilogram).

#Willard McKenzie Jr will be selected as the coach.

#Boxing – Carl Hield (junior middleweight); Rashield Williams (junior welterweight).

#The coach will be Vincent Strachan.

#With over 55,000 athletes expected to participate in the games, in addition to the coaches and officials, which should push the amount to over 75,000, Knowles said it will be very costly and that is one of the reasons why the Bahamas, like every other country, has been presented with a quota to meet.

#Knowles said they don’t have a qualifying standard for the games and while they are still working on a criteria, they are expected about the team selected, based on the recommendations from the national federations, to represent the Bahamas.

#And with athletes like Gardiner, Strachan and Charlton heading the list for Team Bahamas, Musgrove said it’s good when the calendars don’t clash and the elite athletes can compete for their country.

#“We are elated to have this quality and high calibre of athletes competing for the Bahamas for the games this time around,” Musgrove said.

#Musgrove, who has served as chef de mission for a number of national teams in the past, noted that these games will be like no other due to the COVID-19 restrictions with the Games Village for the athletes divided into three venues, for the athletes with the boxers at the NEC Hotel Campus, swimming and track and field at the University of Birmingham and the University of Warwick for cycling, triathlon, wrestling and judo.

#“These games are very, very complex and, as a result of that, the management of these teams will have to pull their weight,” Musgrove said.

#“Myself and the other management team will be spread very thin ensuring that Team Bahamas has the best possible opportunities in each and every sport to do what they need to do.

#“We want to create an environment as the management team whereas the coaches and athletes won’t have to worry about anything but to compete to the best of their abilities for the Bahamas over the three villages.”

#It’s anticipated that it will cost the BOA about $200,000 to cover the expenses of the games for all of the athletes, coaches and officials, including their travel, accommodations, insurances and per diem in Birmingham.

#“We have a responsibility for the athletes to showcase them in front of the world at no cost to their national federations,” Knowles said.

#“Thanks to our sponsors, Puma, Olympic Solidarity, Pan Am Sports and the Government of the Bahamas.”

#Due to the COVID-19, pandemic, Knowles said governments are finding it more difficult to sponsor events like this and so they will have to seek more support from corporate Bahamas to assist the national federations in carrying out their commitments to their athletes and coaches for their international events.

As of Tuesday, June 14, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bahamas Olympic Committee has gotten the approval for seven Bahamian athletes to receive a monthly stipend of $1,000 each from the Olympic Solidarity Scholarship heading into the 2024 Olympic Games.

#BOC president Romell Knowles made the announcement yesterday as they also revealed the teams that will represent the country at the inaugural Caribbean Games, scheduled for June 29-July 3 in Guadeloupe and the Commonwealth Games, set for July 29-August 7 in Birmingham, England.

#Ratified and approved from the list of entries submitted for the scholarships to help in their development going into the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France are the following athletes: Devante Carey from swimming; Devynne Charlton, Samson Colebrooke, Wendell Miller and Kendrick Thompson from athletics (track and field), Rashji Mackey from wrestling and Justin Roberts from tennis.

#Knowles said the athletes were selected based on the recommendations from the various national federations and a committee within the BOC selected the talents based on their talent or who has the highest level of potential to qualify in their particular sport.

#“That information is then sent on to the Olympic Solidarity, who then send it on to international federations from the various sport,” Knowles said. “The International Federation has to approve that athlete. If they approve it, the Olympic Solidarity would accept it.”

#The athletes will be getting the same amount as athletes from around the world.

#But at any point, Knowles said the fund could be stopped if any athlete is in violation of doping or if they are not consistent in their training process.

#“Ther BOC can stop it at any time. There are monthly policy reports and the IOC can question it or they can stop it,” Knowles said. “The whole idea is to help those athletes with the greatest financial need or the highest potential to qualify for the (Olympic) games.”

#While there are some athletes whom many feel should be considered for selection, Knowles said they tried to select the best possible athletes from the Bahamas to participate in the two-year programme.

#The programme, according to Knowles, will officially begin as the athletes receive their first pay cheque of $1,000 for the first month.