As of Tuesday, June 14, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bahamas will have a nine-member team among the 800 under-23 athletes from 29 countries competing at the historic inaugural Caribbean Games in Guadeloupe from June 29 to July 3.

#Romell Knowles, president of the BOC, revealed that it will cost about $100,000 for Team Bahamas to compete in the games, which will comprise of seven sports and is organised by the Panam Sports Association.

#Chef de mission Dorian Roach made the announcement of the team that includes the following athletes and coaches: Athletics (track and field) – Adrian Curry (men’s 100m); Camille Rutherford (women’s 100m); Megan Moss (women’s 400m); Corey Sherrod II (men’s 400m); Oscar Smith (men’s 100m hurdles) and Rhema Otabar (women’s javelin).

#The coach will be Kennord Mackey.

#Judo – Danial Strachan (men’s 90 kilogram) and Jasmine Russell (women’s 57 kilogram).

#Oneysi Portorreal Pons is the coach.

#Cycling – Felix Neely Jr (road race).

#Roach, who will travel on the management team with Rickey Davis as the doctor and Jenna Gibson as the physio-therapist, said it has been a long time coming for the staging of the games.

#“I know for a number of years, we have been trying to put on the Caribbean Games, a games that the English-speaking Caribbean countries can have as their own,” said Roach, a vice president of the BOC. “So we’re excited to see that dream to a fruition in 2022.”

#Roach, who is also the president of the Bahamas Triathlon Association, said they are hoping that the games will be established as one that the athletes can look forward to in the future.

#The initial games will also include basketball 3-on-3, futsal, swimming and netball, but Roach said they were unable to field any swimmers as the Bahamas Aquatics will be engaged in another event and they won’t have any swimmers available.

#“This is the first major kind of games after COVID. It’s a youth under-23 age group, so these are our athletes who are preparing for the bigger games in the future,” he said.

#“Guadeloupe is still going through some COVID-19 protocols, but we don’t expect to have any issues.

#“It’s unfortunate that we don’t have any swimmers and the track and field team is so small, but we have nine athletes who we feel will represent the country very well.”

#As these games are put on for the Caribbean athletes, Knowles said the Bahamas will support Guadeloupe in making sure that the games are a success and hopefully they can build on what takes place in the future.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg.

As of Tuesday, June 14, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#With a 25 percent increase that pushes their budget allocation to little over $5.8 million, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg produced a comprehensive programme.

#Minister Bowleg’s much-anticipated contribution to the budget debate in the House of Assembly yesterday touched on the return of the hefty grants to sporting federations, Sports in Paradise, athletes’ subvention and the Bahamas Games.

#Quoting from the legendary Nelson Mandela, Bowleg noted that while “sport has the power to change the world, to inspire and to unite people in a way that little else does,” it creates hope where once there was only despair and it is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial barriers” as it “laughs in the face of all types of discrimination.”

#National Federation Grants

#He assured the national federations, which are in compliance with the Ministry, will have their annual grant of $80,000, which was first established 30 years ago, be restored after it was drastically cut to $20,000 in recent times. All B core sports, according to Bowleg, will receive an increase of 10 percent in their annual grants this fiscal year as well.

#Sports in Paradise

#“My hardworking team and I are revolutionising the Bahamas’ Sports in Paradise and sports tourism brand,” said Bowleg, the immediate past president of the Bahamas Basketball Federation, which brings a number of events to the country.

#“We are encouraging persons to book it, come to the Bahamas – but when you come, don’t forget to bring your sporting gear.”

#He also noted that work is being done on the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium in preparation for the men’s national basketball team practice sessions for the second window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers on July 4.

#While Grand Bahamian Chavano “Buddy” Hield, of the Indiana Pacers in the National Basketball Association, has already committed to competing on the team, the BBF is still waiting on confirmation from Deandre Ayton of the Phoenix Suns and Kai Jones of the Charlotte Hornets. The qualifier, according to Bowleg, is just one of the many events that heralds the “Sports in Paradise” schedule over the next few months, including the Hoop Fest Basketball Tournament in December when Los Angeles Lakers’ Lebron James is expected to make an appearance to watch his son play.

#Bowleg also commended National Football League player Michael Strachan of the Indianapolis Colts for spearheading a list of NFL stars that participated in the inaugural Bahamas All- Pro Celebrity weekend that also featured Michael Vick, former quarterback and 2010 Comeback Player of the Year; Los Angeles Charges’ Keenan Allen, a five-time Pro Bowler and Rashad Fenton, Melvin Ingram and DJ Swearinger.,

#The event was staged on the heels of the Cleveland Browns O-Line players training camp, led by quarterback Deshaun Watson, at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

#The Bahamas and its Caribbean director Greg Burrows are preparing to stage the Babe Ruth Caribbean Baseball Championships, featuring teams from the United States, China, the Caribbean and Cuba, at the newly refurbished Baillou Hills playing field.

#It’s expected that more than 20 teams in the under-12 and under-6 age group categories will participate in the five-day tournament from July 7-11.

#Bowleg also signified the commitment by the North American, Central American and Caribbean, headed by Mike Sands, to take their NACAC Track and Field Championships to Grand Bahama August 19-21 at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex.

#Next year, Bowleg revealed that NACAC will bring the 50th edition of the CARIFTA Games to the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium over the Easter holiday weekend.

#The government has earmarked $1 million to ensure that the event is a success.

#In their Blueprint for Change, Bowleg also disclosed that a technical team will be going to the World Athletics’ World Championships in July in Eugene, Oregon to present their formal communication to have the World Relays return to the Bahamas.

#Athletes’ Subvention

#Having heard the cry of the professional and amateur athletes, who have been pleading for support, Bowleg stated that his ministry will supply a total of $1.4 million into the Elite Athletes Programme to assist more than 100 athletes across 11 different sporting disciplines, inclusive of track and field, swimming, tennis, boxing, cycling, judo, volleyball, basketball, bodybuilding/fitness, golf and baseball.

#“The objective of the ‘Elite Athlete Subvention Programme’ is to provide financial assistance to our athletes, to reduce the financial burden of cost associated with their training and competition expenses,” he said. “This financial assistance programme has proven to be of valuable importance to our elite and developing athletes, as they are now able to focus more on their development rather than having to concern themselves about where the next dollar is coming from.”

#Under the (Philip) Davis led administration, Bowleg said they think different and knows the benefits of investing in the country’s athletes, coaches and other stakeholders.

#“Sports is one of the vehicles we are going to use to build a better tomorrow,” he stated. “To build and prepare our athletes for the world stage, we must start the search at home.”

#Bahamas Games

#To that end, Bowleg said they have commissioned a Bahamas Games Secretariat, headed by former Director of Sports, Martin Lundy, who along with his team, are actively and aggressively engaged in assessing, formulating, and executing plans for the return of an exciting and highly competitive Bahamas Games.”

#The games, known as the Bahamas Jubilee Games, are scheduled for July 5-16, 2023 in collaboration with the Bahamas’ 50th Anniversary of Independence.

#It’s expected, according to Bowleg, that 16 sporting disciplines, including softball, basketball, track and field, lawn tennis, swimming, field and beach soccer, indoor and beach volleyball, bodybuilding, boxing, cycling, baseball, youth Olympic sailing, regatta sailing and golf, will take place.

#Teams and islands expected to participate are New Providence, Abaco, Acklins, Andros, Bimini and the Berry Islands, Cat Island, Eleuthera, Exuma and Ragged Island, Grand Bahama, Long Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador and MICAL – Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island and Long Cay. It will be the sixth edition of the mini-Olympic style games that got started in 1989 and continued in 1991, 1995, 1998 and 2001 when the last one took place.

#Special Olympians praised

#Bowleg also commended the Bahamas Special Olympics on their return home on Sunday from Orlando, Florida where they dominated the Special Olympics USA Games. The 23-member delegation, inclusive of Vashni Thompson, Austin Green, Bronson Aranha, Stephen Russell and Deron Forbes, was praised for their stellar performance.

#Bowleg said Bahamas Special Olympics president Gilbert Williams and the entire administration team, parents and volunteers must be commended for their hard work.

#He also singled out the men’s national soccer team that he watched on Friday night at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium where they played and lost 2-0 to Nicaragua.

#The team played their home game in the series on Monday night in Nicaragua, losing 4-0.

#Bowleg also announced that he will not forget his constituency of Garden Hills and will stage the annual Mario Bowleg Care Summer Camp June 27 to July 1 where participants will learn the fundamentals of the games of basketball, volleyball, baseball and swimming.

LEEVAN SANDS, far right, with some of the other Bahamian athletes who competed at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

As of Wednesday, June 15, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#WHILE he basked in the success of the Florida State Seminoles men’s track and field team, Olympic bronze medallist Leevan “Superman” Sands was just as in awe from what he saw from the Bahamian athletes competing at the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s National Outdoor Championships.

#Sands, a first year assistant coach with the Seminoles, helped guide Florida State to a fourth place finish in the men’s division of the four-day championship last weekend at the Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

#The Seminoles, coached by Bob Braman, came into the meet ranked at number three.

LEEVAN Sands with some of the jumpers from Florida State.

#“It was our best showing since 2012 and I’m happy to have been able to assist in our team success,” said Sands, who worked specifically with the jumpers. “I’m very proud of what our team was able to do.

#“I’ve only been here for the past nine months and the jumpers were able to buy into the programme that I gave them. They said they were so glad to have an Olympian on the staff and that is where they want to go. They want to become an Olympian, but they also want to win Olympic medals.”

#The 40-year-old Sands, who is preparing to retire from competing in the sport after winning a medal in just about every major competition, including a gold in the men’s triple jump in 2004 and the long jump in 2003, said he’s delighted to be a part of the coaching fraternity where he can now pass his knowledge on to the next generation of jumpers. “We have some very good jumpers and I am very pleased about what the future holds for them,” Sands said. “We still have some more work to do with them because about four of them will be going to the USA Trials for the World Championships next weekend, so I will be there with them as a coach. “If they make the team, I will be at the World Championships in July to assist them in the World Championships. So I’m excited about the direction that the programme is headed and we look forward to next year.”

#While at the championships, the Bahamian national triple jump record holder got a chance to share a moment with some of the Bahamian athletes who competed for their respective schools at the NCAA Nationals.

#“I was very proud of what I saw from the Bahamian athletes,” Sands said. “It seems that the programme is heading into the right direction because we have some athletes who can make their presence felt in the future.”

#Sands, a former athletes’ representative for the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations, said he was rather impressed by the performances from the athletes, but he was particularly pleased with Shaun Miller Jr, whom Sands believes will be the next legitimate high jumper for Ohio State and Clemson’s sprinter Wanya McCoy and Texas Tech’s Terrence Jones.

#“I was hoping to see Charisma Taylor (of Tennessee) perform, but a slight injury forced her out of the competition,” Sands said. “She will be back next year, so I’m looking forward to seeing what she can do once she gets healthy.”

#Always in the mood for recruiting athletes, Sands said he’s hoping that one day he can get some Bahamians on the roster of the Seminoles, but he noted that the standard is a little high and in order to get a scholarship, the student-athletes have to be well-grounded.

#“I know we have some Bahamian athletes who can compete for Florida,” he said.

#“I will continue to look out for them because I want to have some athletes competing for the Seminoles. But they have to be academically inclined as well. I will continue to pursue Bahamians, but they have to be ready.”

#Sands was one of a few Bahamians who were a part of their coaching staff at the Championships.

#Among the others were head coach Lonnie Greene and his assistant “Golden Girl” Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie for the University of Kentucky and Norbert Elliott, the head coach for Purdue.

#Kentucky, featuring Megan Moss, was fourth in the women’s standings, while their men’s team finished tied with two others for 36th place.

#Purdue didn’t score in either division.

#The Florida Gators, coached by Mike Holloway and featuring Denisha Anderson, who ran on the women’s 4 x400 metre relay team, won both the men and women’s titles.

#The best individual performance by a Bahamian came from Florida International University Panthers’ Rhema Otabor, who picked up a fourth-place finish in the women’s javelin.

A VIEW of the refurbished Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

As of Wednesday, June 15, 2022

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BBA secretary general Teddy Sweeting.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bahamas Baseball Association is expected to christen the refurbished Balliou Hills Sporting Complex this weekend with the return of the Junior National Baseball Championships.

#At least 25 teams from New Providence, Grand Bahama and Abaco will make up the package of Tee Ball (6-and-under), Coach Pitch (8-and-under), 10-and-under, 12-amnd-under, 14-and-under, 16-and-under and 18-and-under divisions.

#After hosting the event in Grand Bahama for the past decade, the BBA decided to bring it back to New Providence where it got started in 2003 and was staged here for at least seven years.

#“After coming out of the COVID-19 situation and with the renovations to the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex for the hosting of the Babe Ruth Caribbean Youth Championships in July, we made an agreement with the National Sports Authority to host the Nationals here so we can have a dry run,” said BBA secretary general Theodore ‘Teddy’ Sweeting.

#“We want to give the NSA’s team the opportunity to go through all of the protocols with a smaller grouping so that they will be able to iron out the knits in preparation for the Babe Ruth Caribbean Championships. So we will be able to help out with that and see how it goes.”

#With the renovations almost complete, Sweeting said they are eager to stage the Nationals at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex from Thursday to Sunday. He noted, however, that the official opening day activities, including the official opening ceremonies, will take place under the lights on the Bankers’ Field.

#“I think we still have a lot of work to do for the Babe Ruth National Tournament. But we hope to have everything completed in time for the event in July.

#Competing in the Nationals this weekend are teams from the Grand Bahama Grand Amateur Baseball League, the Grand Bahama Legacy League, New Providence’s Community Baseball League, the Ed Armbrister League, Freedom Farm and the Junior Baseball League of Nassau, and two leagues coming out of Abaco from the north and the central area of the island.

#Sweeting said the BBA is excited to see so many people in the Family Islands who are making a contribution to the growth and the development of the game.

#He said this is a good opportunity for these persons to showcase the talent they have to work with.

#“We start programmes in these islands, but we always need persons who are willing and committed to carrying on the work,” Sweeting said.

#“So we are happy that persons like Feast is making his contribution on the island of Abaco to assist the programme there.”

#While the teams will arrive on Thursday, they will go directly into the official opening ceremonies at the Bankers’ Field where Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg will declare the tournament open.

#Following the ceremonies, in which Bowleg is also expected to toss the first pitch, the tournament is set to get started with a Coach Pitch game.

#At least two or three games are scheduled for opening night, which will conclude with a massive fireworks display. “We want to do the fireworks because we had a two-year hiatus where we didn’t have any sports played because of COVID-19,” Sweeting said.

#“We know alot of the fans are looking forward to it and it will be something special for the players because they are so excited to be playing in the nationals again.”

#Unlike Grand Bahama where they got to play late in the evening under the lights at the Emera Baseball Complex, Sweeting said they won’t have the luxury at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex and so they will get started at 8am on Friday and Saturday and hope to be finished by 7pm.

#Sunday has been designed as championship day where all of the champions are expected to be crowned in each division.

#“We’re looking forward to an exciting weekend. We are praying for less rain or no rain,” Sweeting said.

#“We have a plan B, if it rains, so we have everything in place to make this a great weekend of baseball for our junior players.”

JACOBI Bain has completed his freshman season with the Gold Rush men’s tennis team at Xavier University of Louisiana as the ITA NAIA South Region Rookie of the Year.

As of Wednesday, June 15, 2022

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#Jacobi Bain completed his freshman season with the Gold Rush men’s tennis team at Xavier University of Louisiana as the ITA NAIA South Region Rookie of the Year.

#Bain, a six-foot, one-inch southpaw, was joined by Gold Rush team-mate Santiago Perez, who was selected as the Senior Player of the Year.

#While Perez, who hails from Pereira, Colombia, compiled a 21-1 win-loss record in singles and 17-4 in doubles as XULA completed the season with a 20-6 record, their first 20-win season of the modern era (1994-present), Bain went 20-7 in signals and 26-9 in doubles.

#Bain and Ramirez were also the NAIA doubles runners-up at the ITA Cup. And Bain also teamed up with Megh Pastel where they earned a no. 20 ranking in the ITA NAIA doubles rankings.

#The XULA will announce the national winners of these awards on Thursday, but Bain said he’s excited to be the fourth XULA man, all in the last six seasons, to win the rookie regional award.

#“I feel pretty good about it. It’s a great accomplishment to have,” said an elated Bain. “It was something that I was aiming for going into my first college year, so I felt pretty good about achieving the award.”

#Looking back at his season as a business management major, Bain admitted that he had some hiccups as a college freshman, but he managed to make the necessary adjustments as he went along during the season.

#“I think I had a pretty good season overall,” Bain said. “I may have lost two matches, but I definitely didn’t lose them in a row. So I was there fighting every day trying to get at my best. I think I did a pretty good job.”

#As the regional Rookie of the Year, the award turned out to be the highlight of his season. But he noted that on the court, beating their arch-rival William Carey, 4-1, was what stood out the most.

#In that tie, Bain won both doubles and singles.

#Throughout the season, he was normally the first Gold Rush player on the court so he didn’t get a chance to clinch any victories for XULA.

#But losing 4-3 in the Nationals turned out to be the lowest point for Bain, who got beat 6-4 in doubles, but won his singles 6-4, 6-2. “That was a tough pill to swallow because we were playing so well,” Bain stated.

#Bain, the 19-year-old son of Marion and Bradley Ban, is currently in Bradenton, Florida training at the Inspiration Tennis Academy as he looks to get better for next year. “Next year, I’m just looking forward to playing higher in the line-up. I want to be able to do my best to help my team succeed,” he said. “After winning this Rookie of the Year award, I’m inspired to get better and perform at a higher level when I return in August.”

Sheldon LongleySend an emailJune 13, 2022 295 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Competing at the Special Olympics USA Games for the first time, Special Olympics Bahamas turned in an exceptional effort, coming away with six medals – four gold and two bronze at the week-long event which wrapped up on Sunday in Orlando, Florida.

The 23-member squad, 12 from New Providence and 10 from Grand Bahama, returned home to a rousing reception at Lynden Pindling International Airport yesterday.

The Bahamas picked up four of those six medals on Tuesday – two gold and two bronze. “King” Deron Forbes showed why he is the self-proclaimed king of the 400 meters (m) in athletics, taking gold in that event after going into the final with the fourth-fastest time from the preliminaries.

Forbes came back in the men’s 200m on Friday and settled for fifth after going into the final with the third-fastest time out of the prelims.

Also on Tuesday, Stephen “Goliath” Russell out of Freeport, Grand Bahama, won gold in men’s singles in bocce. He won both of his men’s singles matches in the prelims on Monday, and then came back to win the gold medal match on Tuesday. Russell then teamed up with Vashni “Metro” Thompson to win the gold medal in their division in bocce doubles later in the week. They defeated Aruba 10-3 in the gold medal match.

Russell and Thompson were simply spectacular, finishing undefeated in the bocce doubles competition. In the preliminary round, they turned back Aruba by a score of 10-1 and then defeated Delaware by the same score, 10-1.

In women’s singles in bocce on Tuesday, Thompson settled for a bronze medal. In the prelims, she lost her first match and won the second.

In bowling singles on Tuesday, Bronson “B Man” Aranha won a bronze medal for The Bahamas, competing in the M12 Division. In the M5 Division, Austin “Mr. Big Stuff” Green had to settle for fourth, missing the bronze medal by seven pins. In the preliminary round, Green averaged 125 while Aranha averaged 122. The duo finished seventh in bowling doubles.

In soccer, The Bahamas finished with a 2-2 win/loss record, most importantly winning the gold medal match in their division on Friday. The Bahamas defeated Special Olympics Ohio, 4-3, for the gold medal, on Friday. The team lost 3-2 to Special Olympics Florida on Tuesday, fell 3-1 to Special Olympics Michigan on Wednesday, and then won its first match, defeating Special Olympics Colorado, 2-1, on Thursday. They then came back and won the gold medal on Friday.

“Our athletes continue to shine and we are very proud of them,” said National Director of Special Olympics Bahamas Gilbert Williams who traveled with the team. The Bahamas was competing in the Special Olympics USA Games for the first time and is scheduled to compete in the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin, Germany, next year.

“We went after nine medals and came back with six, but we are proud of all of the athletes,” said Williams.

“Stephen ‘Goliath’ Russell said his goal coming into this event was to come away with a gold and that is exactly what he did, just erasing everyone in his path. One of his matches, he won 12-0, and then went on to win the gold. The self-proclaimed king of the 400 meters, Deron Forbes, went out there and showed what he could do. He could talk the talk and he certainly knows how to back it up. He went out there and won a gold as well.

“Forbes continued to impress in the 200m, and the bocce doubles team of Stephen Russell and Vashni Thompson, they were simply unstoppable. They ran all over the competition on that first day and then went out there and won gold. That dynamic duo went undefeated in doubles play in the competition. The soccer team bounced back from a rough start to win gold in their division. Bronson ‘B Man’ Aranha went out there and won a bronze medal for The Bahamas in bowling singles and Vashni did the same thing in bocce singles.

“There were some close finishes as well. Austin ‘Mr. Big Stuff’ Green had to settle for fourth in bowling singles, Forbes was fifth in the 200m in athletics, and the men’s doubles team of Austin Green and Bronson Aranha gave it their all but finished seventh in their division in bowling.

“The team performed extremely well, and outside of the performances, I can tell you that the athletes thoroughly enjoyed themselves. For many of them, this was their first time traveling to the US, for some of them, this was their first time at Disney, and for some of them, this was their first time competing internationally. With that being said, it was a great competition, a great time and it’s time for a great celebration. We appreciate all of the support that we’ve gotten, and with continued support, our athletes will continue to shine and make The Bahamas proud.”

The Bahamas competed in four sporting disciplines at the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games – athletics, bocce, bowling and soccer.

Over 3,800 athletes from the United States of America (USA), Canada and the Caribbean competed in 19 sporting disciplines in total. This was the first time that countries outside of the USA competed in the Special Olympics USA Games. The event was hosted by Walt Disney World, and all of the athletes and coaches had an opportunity to visit Disney’s Magic Kingdom and the other theme parks.

Most of the competitions took place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

Sheldon LongleySend an emailJune 13, 2022 335 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

A total of eight Bahamians were in action at the 2022 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships which wrapped up on Saturday at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, USA – the same venue for this year’s World Athletics (WA) World Championships.

After Texas Tech Red Raiders’ sophomore Terrence Jones and Clemson Tigers’ freshman Wanya McCoy bowed out of their individual sprint events on Wednesday, Bahamian females were in action on Thursday.

Arguably, the most dynamic performance came from Florida International University (FIU) sophomore thrower Rhema Otabor in the women’s javelin. The Bahamas’ junior national record holder and school record holder finished fourth overall in the women’s javelin with a toss of 55.92 meters (m) – 183’ 5” – just off her personal best throw of 56.25m (184’ 6”).

Otabor was in the bronze medal position for much of the competition but was passed in the fifth round by Madison Wiltrout, a junior from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

Brigham Young University (BYU) senior Ashton Riner won the competition with a toss of 58.24m (191’ 1”), Nebraska sophomore Maddie Harris was second with a throw of 57.69m (189’ 3”) and Wiltrout rounded out the top three with a toss of 56.46m (185’ 3”).

With the performance, Otabor earned first-team All-American honors, helping the FIU Panthers to conclude its 2022 outdoor track and field campaign on a strong note. Otabor became the first FIU track and field athlete since Clarissa Cutliff in 2018 and 2019 to appear in consecutive NCAA Outdoor Championships.

She finished 21st overall in 2021 with a best toss of 49.60m (162’ 9”).

“We’re so proud of Rhema and all that she has accomplished this season,” said FIU Head Coach Ryan Heberling. “She’s also just scratching the surface of how good she can be. Right now though, it’s a moment she worked so hard for and deserved.”

In the women’s 400m on Thursday, Megan Moss, a sophomore at Kentucky, finished fifth in her semifinal heat and was 15th overall in a personal best time of 51.73 seconds. She was the alternate on Kentucky’s winning 4x400m relay team which completed the 1,600m race in 3:22.55. In the semifinals, Moss ran the third leg for the team which finished second in their heat and qualified for the final with the second-fastest time of 3:25.67.

Also on Thursday, Doneisha Anderson ran in the 4x400m heats for the University of Florida. The Florida Gators’ junior ran the third leg for her team which finished second in their semifinal heat and qualified for the final in 3:28.40. In the final on Saturday, Anderson ran the second leg and the Gators finished ninth in 3:31.16.

The Gators won both the men and women’d team titles, finishing with 54 and 74 points, respectively. The University of Texas at Austin Longhorns were second in both the men and women with 38 and 64 points, respectively.

Finally among Bahamian women, Charisma Taylor was scheduled to compete in the triple jump event, but the Tennessee Volunteers junior did not start.

On Friday, Ohio State University freshman Shaun Miller Jr. and Kansas State University senior Kyle Alcine were in action in the final of the men’s high jump.

Miller had a best leap of 2.15m (7’ 0-1/2”) and finished ninth overall, just missing first-team All-American honors. He made the second team. Miller had one knockdown at his opening height of 2.10m (6’ 10-3/4”), cleared the bar on his first attempt at 2.15m, and then knocked the bar down all three times at 2.18m (7’ 1-3/4”).

Alcine finished in a four-way tie for 15th, clearing 2.10m before knocking the bar down all three times at 2.15m.

The four-day meet, featuring the best collegiate athletes in the United States, wrapped up on Saturday. 

Sports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 13, 2022 342 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas was unable to get on the scoreboard for a second straight game in senior men’s soccer, dropping their first leg matchup against Nicaragua, 2-0, on Friday evening. The match was the third in seven days for both teams as the first window in the 2022/2023 CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) Nations League continues.

It was the first time in history that these two teams played each other.

Playing at home at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, The Bahamas went toe to toe with Nicaragua early on as they defended the visitors well. The match appeared like it was going to be scoreless at the half, but a defensive breakdown by the home team left Jaime Moreno with enough time for a header on the left side of the penalty area in the 40th minute. He sent the ball past the right side of the Bahamian goalkeeper Julio Jemison and into the back of the net.

Nicaragua added a second-half goal to complete the scoring.

Assistant coach of the Bahamian team Kevin Davies said it was a tough loss, but he was happy with the effort the team gave on the field.

“It was a tough one,” Davies said. “We held our own for quite a bit. One mistake gave up a goal. We had one or two chances that we did not take advantage of. Overall, I am very proud of the team. I think we gave it our all.”

The second goal from Nicaragua came in injury time in the second half on a free kick in The Bahamas’ territory. The goal came on a header from Matias Moldskred to give the visitors an insurance goal.

The Bahamas’ captain, centerback Lesly St. Fleur, spoke about the two goals that Nicaragua scored.

“We had two or three chances. We did what we could have done and everybody put in the work. We lost focus in the final two or three minutes of the game. They scored the first goal of the game after we went out of sync as everyone was somewhere else. The same thing happened in the second half,” said St. Fleur.

The loss has The Bahamas sitting in third place in League B Group C competition with three points. Nicaragua secured the three points with the win and now has seven points to lead the group. Trinidad and 

Tobago’s 2-0 win over St. Vincent and the Grenadines moved them three points ahead of The Bahamas for second place with six points. The outlier is St. Vincent and the Grenadines with one point that came on a draw with Nicaragua.

Nicaragua assistant coach Andres Rozo was happy to secure the three points.

“We got the three points that we wanted,” he said. “It felt like we made it more difficult for ourselves. We had more opportunities to score and it feels like we should have scored more goals and had a better complete game. The three points were important to take with us and we did that,” Rozo said through his translator, Moldskred.

Moldskred, who plays midfield for Nicaragua, was not too happy with his overall performance, despite the late goal.

“We had chances but we did not have enough flow in our game,” Moldskred said. “We were a little bit stressed and anxious when we had the ball. We fell down a bit. The opportunities started coming and I knew we had space. I was not the best on the ball and I finally got a goal in the end.”

In the game, referee Joseph Dickerson handed out five yellow cards. The Bahamas had three of them and Nicaragua received two – both in the first half. The Bahamas will be without winger Marcel Joseph for the second match against Nicaragua in Managua, Nicaragua, tonight. Joseph is facing suspension after picking up his second yellow card of the tournament.

“It is a significant loss,” Davies said about Joseph. “He is one of the veteran players. We have some young guys who are ready to step in and do the job, so it is next man up. Someone else will have an opportunity to show what he can do.”

In the game, three starters for The Bahamas had to be substituted off. First, it was right-back Derrick Ferguson. Jemison was substituted off midway through the second half, and as the match came to a close, midfield player Omari Bain went down.

“Derrick was a tough loss because it was late in the first half. He was having a solid game at the time. Losing your starting keeper is significant. Omari, who plays midfield striker with good speed – we lose a little bit there,” said Davies.

Both teams have arrived in Managua, Nicaragua, to complete their home-and-away series tonight. The match will be played at the National Stadium in Managua and gets underway at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Sheldon LongleySend an emailJune 13, 2022 40 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

A total of eight Bahamians were in action at the 2022 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships which wrapped up on Saturday at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, USA – the same venue for this year’s World Athletics (WA) World Championships.

After Texas Tech Red Raiders’ sophomore Terrence Jones and Clemson Tigers’ freshman Wanya McCoy bowed out of their individual sprint events on Wednesday, Bahamian females were in action on Thursday.

Arguably, the most dynamic performance came from Florida International University (FIU) sophomore thrower Rhema Otabor in the women’s javelin. The Bahamas’ junior national record holder and school record holder finished fourth overall in the women’s javelin with a toss of 55.92 meters (m) – 183’ 5” – just off her personal best throw of 56.25m (184’ 6”).

Otabor was in the bronze medal position for much of the competition but was passed in the fifth round by Madison Wiltrout, a junior from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

Brigham Young University (BYU) senior Ashton Riner won the competition with a toss of 58.24m (191’ 1”), Nebraska sophomore Maddie Harris was second with a throw of 57.69m (189’ 3”) and Wiltrout rounded out the top three with a toss of 56.46m (185’ 3”).

With the performance, Otabor earned first-team All-American honors, helping the FIU Panthers to conclude its 2022 outdoor track and field campaign on a strong note. Otabor became the first FIU track and field athlete since Clarissa Cutliff in 2018 and 2019 to appear in consecutive NCAA Outdoor Championships.

She finished 21st overall in 2021 with a best toss of 49.60m (162’ 9”).

“We’re so proud of Rhema and all that she has accomplished this season,” said FIU Head Coach Ryan Heberling. “She’s also just scratching the surface of how good she can be. Right now though, it’s a moment she worked so hard for and deserved.”

In the women’s 400m on Thursday, Megan Moss, a sophomore at Kentucky, finished fifth in her semifinal heat and was 15th overall in a personal best time of 51.73 seconds. She was the alternate on Kentucky’s winning 4x400m relay team which completed the 1,600m race in 3:22.55. In the semifinals, Moss ran the third leg for the team which finished second in their heat and qualified for the final with the second-fastest time of 3:25.67.

Also on Thursday, Doneisha Anderson ran in the 4x400m heats for the University of Florida. The Florida Gators’ junior ran the third leg for her team which finished second in their semifinal heat and qualified for the final in 3:28.40. In the final on Saturday, Anderson ran the second leg and the Gators finished ninth in 3:31.16.

The Gators won both the men and women’d team titles, finishing with 54 and 74 points, respectively. The University of Texas at Austin Longhorns were second in both the men and women with 38 and 64 points, respectively.

Finally among Bahamian women, Charisma Taylor was scheduled to compete in the triple jump event, but the Tennessee Volunteers junior did not start.

On Friday, Ohio State University freshman Shaun Miller Jr. and Kansas State University senior Kyle Alcine were in action in the final of the men’s high jump.

Miller had a best leap of 2.15m (7’ 0-1/2”) and finished ninth overall, just missing first-team All-American honors. He made the second team. Miller had one knockdown at his opening height of 2.10m (6’ 10-3/4”), cleared the bar on his first attempt at 2.15m, and then knocked the bar down all three times at 2.18m (7’ 1-3/4”).

Alcine finished in a four-way tie for 15th, clearing 2.10m before knocking the bar down all three times at 2.15m.

The four-day meet, featuring the best collegiate athletes in the United States, wrapped up on Saturday. 

Sports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 13, 2022 39 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas was unable to get on the scoreboard for a second straight game in senior men’s soccer, dropping their first leg matchup against Nicaragua, 2-0, on Friday evening. The match was the third in seven days for both teams as the first window in the 2022/2023 CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) Nations League continues.

It was the first time in history that these two teams played each other.

Playing at home at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, The Bahamas went toe to toe with Nicaragua early on as they defended the visitors well. The match appeared like it was going to be scoreless at the half, but a defensive breakdown by the home team left Jaime Moreno with enough time for a header on the left side of the penalty area in the 40th minute. He sent the ball past the right side of the Bahamian goalkeeper Julio Jemison and into the back of the net.

Nicaragua added a second-half goal to complete the scoring.

Assistant coach of the Bahamian team Kevin Davies said it was a tough loss, but he was happy with the effort the team gave on the field.

“It was a tough one,” Davies said. “We held our own for quite a bit. One mistake gave up a goal. We had one or two chances that we did not take advantage of. Overall, I am very proud of the team. I think we gave it our all.”

The second goal from Nicaragua came in injury time in the second half on a free kick in The Bahamas’ territory. The goal came on a header from Matias Moldskred to give the visitors an insurance goal.

The Bahamas’ captain, centerback Lesly St. Fleur, spoke about the two goals that Nicaragua scored.

“We had two or three chances. We did what we could have done and everybody put in the work. We lost focus in the final two or three minutes of the game. They scored the first goal of the game after we went out of sync as everyone was somewhere else. The same thing happened in the second half,” said St. Fleur.

The loss has The Bahamas sitting in third place in League B Group C competition with three points. Nicaragua secured the three points with the win and now has seven points to lead the group. Trinidad and 

Tobago’s 2-0 win over St. Vincent and the Grenadines moved them three points ahead of The Bahamas for second place with six points. The outlier is St. Vincent and the Grenadines with one point that came on a draw with Nicaragua.

Nicaragua assistant coach Andres Rozo was happy to secure the three points.

“We got the three points that we wanted,” he said. “It felt like we made it more difficult for ourselves. We had more opportunities to score and it feels like we should have scored more goals and had a better complete game. The three points were important to take with us and we did that,” Rozo said through his translator, Moldskred.

Moldskred, who plays midfield for Nicaragua, was not too happy with his overall performance, despite the late goal.

“We had chances but we did not have enough flow in our game,” Moldskred said. “We were a little bit stressed and anxious when we had the ball. We fell down a bit. The opportunities started coming and I knew we had space. I was not the best on the ball and I finally got a goal in the end.”

In the game, referee Joseph Dickerson handed out five yellow cards. The Bahamas had three of them and Nicaragua received two – both in the first half. The Bahamas will be without winger Marcel Joseph for the second match against Nicaragua in Managua, Nicaragua, tonight. Joseph is facing suspension after picking up his second yellow card of the tournament.

“It is a significant loss,” Davies said about Joseph. “He is one of the veteran players. We have some young guys who are ready to step in and do the job, so it is next man up. Someone else will have an opportunity to show what he can do.”

In the game, three starters for The Bahamas had to be substituted off. First, it was right-back Derrick Ferguson. Jemison was substituted off midway through the second half, and as the match came to a close, midfield player Omari Bain went down.

“Derrick was a tough loss because it was late in the first half. He was having a solid game at the time. Losing your starting keeper is significant. Omari, who plays midfield striker with good speed – we lose a little bit there,” said Davies.

Both teams have arrived in Managua, Nicaragua, to complete their home-and-away series tonight. The match will be played at the National Stadium in Managua and gets underway at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST).