Sports

Team kicks off Nations League competition tomorrow at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 2, 2022 262 4 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas senior men’s national soccer team will kick off its 2022 CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) Nations League campaign with a home match against St. Vincent and the Grenadines at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium tomorrow.

The match gets underway at 5 p.m. as international soccer returns to The Bahamas. It will be the first home game in this window, and the second is slated for June 10 against Nicaragua. There is a road match against Trinidad and Tobago on Monday.

Guardian Sports caught up with the team during practice on Tuesday night at the Roscow A.L. Davies Soccer Field. Head coach and former national team player Nesly Jean said the full team is here and ready to go.

“Most of the guys came in two days ago (Sunday), so we are trying to get the right chemistry. We are trying to get the guys that were overseas to come in and fit in with the team and play the way we play. It is still a lot of work to be done over the next two days and hopefully we will solve that problem,” Jean said. “Everybody is starting to understand what we are trying to do. We are just trying to fix one and two little things and make adjustments. We will be good to go by Friday.”

The Bahamas was promoted from League C to League B of the CONCACAF region after winning its group in the 2019 edition of the competition. They are in a tough group with St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and Nicaragua.

For now, Jean is concerned with getting started on a winning note as he takes it one game at a time.

“The first game is the most important game. We have to put all our focus into this first game and get a win. We are not worrying about Trinidad and Tobago or any other team. We just want to focus on the first game and get a win,” Jean said.

Team Captain Lesly St. Fleur, who has been on the national team for over a decade, is one of the seniors and leaders of the team. He knows the team is young and he is looking to help guide them.

“It is a good make-up of the team. We are bringing in the young players to mix with the veterans. It is good because it will be a strong team in a couple years. We have to groom them while we have the chance because some of us may not be here again. That is what we are doing – we are mixing it up with veterans and young players. We have been getting along together,” St. Fleur said.

This window is a very tough window for the team as they play two home games and two away games in 10 days.

“The boys have been performing day in and day out,” St. Fleur said. “We are preparing for this upcoming campaign, so we have to be mentally focused and that is what we are doing right now. I tell the players to give all they could and let someone else fill in the spot. We have four games and everyone has to play hard. We have to rest and recover then go back at it again. We have to be mentally focused and prepared to play these four games.”

Elvet Julmis, who plays center back, played with the senior men’s national team last year when they were in the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers.

“We have a young team instead of an older group. It is now left to see what we can do as a younger team, how we can develop and move forward quickly and how well we can adapt playing internationally. A lot of us have not played many international matches as yet, so hopefully they can adapt quickly,” he said.

The fans are back in the stands for this game, as COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, and Jean is looking to use them as a huge boost for the team.

“It is a huge impact with the fans here in the stadium,” Jean said. “That is what we need and guys are going to give 100 percent for their country but the fans in the stadium will give them an extra boost. It is good to have a home-field advantage when you have the fans. We are looking forward to seeing them and hopefully we can put on a good show for them.”

Goalkeeper Oliver Townend echoed his coach’s sentiments about the fans being back in the stands for the first time in over two years.

“It will be very important to have them because with COVID-19, we haven’t been able to have fans and that has a big impact because their support in the stands is helpful to the players on the field. We feel that support. It is going to be a huge boost for us and it’s on a field that we are used to playing on. It will help to calm the players’ nerves with the supporters behind them.”

Tickets are on sale at the box office for the match at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium. The single game tickets cost $20 for adults and $10 for youth. There is a special package for both games which is $30 for adults and $15 for youth.

The game will not be livestreamed.

Sports

Sheldon LongleySend an emailJune 2, 2022 254 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Bahamian multi-event athletes Ken Mullings and Kendrick Thompson have been going back and forth in the men’s decathlon over the past three years, with each breaking the national record on multiple occasions, and they’re both still relatively young in the sport. Thompson will turn 25 this summer, just a few months younger than Mullings who turned 25 in April.

Mullings first took down a 30-year mark in April of 2019, scoring 7,427 points at the University of Miami (UM) Hurricane Alumni Invitational in Coral Gables, Florida. Since then, the national record has been broken four times – once by Mullings and three times by Thompson, with the new record standing at 7,788 points accomplished by Thompson at the Jacksonville Athletic Club’s (JAC) Combined Events Qualifier at The Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida, over the weekend.

Both men are still chasing the lofty world championships qualifying total of 8,350 points, which would give them automatic qualification for the World Athletics (WA) World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, this summer. There are other ways to qualify, but both Mullings and Thompson want to qualify outright, and both are looking to do it at their next meet – the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) Youth, Junior & Senior National Championships from June 24-25 at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.

“Me and my coaches have made a lot of improvement on the areas that I fell short in, in my last competition,” said Mullings. “I’m just looking forward to going to nationals and correcting a lot of wrongs that I did. It’s just about going there and putting together a strong 10 events. That’s the plan.”

In his last meet, Mullings won the area title for the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) region in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, prevailing with 7,537 points at that meet last month.

Thompson is coming off a hip flexor injury. He appears healthy again and is looking for a strong performance at the nationals.

“It really means a lot to me that I was able to finish the Jacksonville meet healthy,” said Thompson. “I have a couple weeks until nationals to sharpen up on a couple of my events. Hopefully by nationals, I would get the marks that I need to qualify for the worlds. I know that I could do it. I just need to bring it out. By nationals, I’m confident that I could pull it off.”

Prior to Mullings and Thompson exploding in the men’s decathlon for The Bahamas, the previous best by a Bahamian in the 10-event competition was 7,421 points by Antonio Greene all the way back in 1989.

Over two days of competition on Sunday and Monday, Thompson, representing the University of The Bahamas (UB) Mingoes, won all 10 events in Jacksonville to set the new national mark at 7,788 points. His previous personal best and national record was 7,762 points which was done at the UM Hurricane Alumni Invitational in Coral Gables in April.

After his performance on Sunday and Monday, Thompson said: “I’m really happy that I was able to win all 10 events. To me, that is an accomplishment within itself. I’m really happy with my overall performance and I’m just looking to sharpen up some more. I’m also happy with the record and I know coach (UB Head Athletics Coach Ednal Rolle) is happy for the record. We were looking at going for 8,000 points to give us a chance to qualify for the world championships. I fell short in two events in Jacksonville but I know how to rebound and go after the goal.”

As mentioned, there are other ways to qualify for the world championships. There are wildcard entries for a reigning world champion, a 2021 Diamond League Champion, and as the current area champion from an athlete’s respective area championships. Athletes can also qualify via their World Athletics rankings.

Mullings was able to check off one of those requirements – winning the NACAC area title in Ottawa last month. The BAAA would now have to file an official request on his behalf for world championships qualification.

Mullings scored 7,537 points at the NACAC Combined Events Area Championships, winning eight of the 10 events over the two days of competition. His personal best points total is 7,734 points, done at the BAAA National Championships last year.

It remains to be seen whether or not Mullings will get the nod for the world championships as the area champion. There are six area associations under World Athletics and the respective area champions are recognized and rewarded for their efforts.

Whether he gets the nod or not, Mullings is looking to qualify outright on points.

“Me and my coaches are definitely confident that I could get the job done. We just have to go out there and execute in all 10 events. I’m looking forward to being consistent and getting the job done,” he said.

As mentioned, both are expected to be in action at the BAAA National Championships at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium later this month, looking to attain automatic qualifying marks for the World Athletics World Championships.

Both Mullings and Thompson are coached by Ednal Rolle – head Athletics coach at University of The Bahamas.

Sports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailJune 2, 2022 248 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

As an avid after-school sports fan from his St. Augustine’s College (SAC) days, Christian Wilmore recalls how he eagerly watched and cheered from the sidelines. In the eighth grade, because of his keen interest in sports, he was asked to consider becoming a table scorer and since he was already at the games, anyway, he decided to give it a shot. This decision opened doors he never even imagined possible.

“Becoming a scorer gave me something to do and I discovered that I really enjoyed it, so I then began scoring for softball and basketball, basically all the sports at SAC,” recalled Wilmore. “Basketball became my first love though and I went on to score at local tournaments. The late Mrs. Katrinka Marshall, at the time, said to me that young basketball referees were needed and I should consider training to become one. I had never even considered it but thanks to her and coach Randy Cunningham, I got all the information needed and attended my first clinic and that was my start.”

Shortly after the clinic, at the age of 14, Wilmore refereed his first set of games in the public school’s national basketball tournament and he has not stopped since. A FIBA (International Basketball Federation) referee since 2012, he is the first Bahamian to serve as a referee at a world championships game and has travelled to 20-plus countries.

As the New Providence Association of Certified Basketball Officials (NPACBO) president, he encourages young Bahamians to consider becoming a referee.

“I would highly recommend those who love the game of basketball but objectively do not have the ability to play at the collegiate level but still want to be connected to the game, to try the officiating route. With 

international refereeing, you get to see the world and be compensated for doing so,” he explained.

Most recently, Wilmore was nominated for a position as FIBA Centrobasket U15 (Under-15) Championships referee for the 2022 tournament in Gurabo, Puerto Rico, from June 18-30. The Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF) celebrates his achievement and steady progression as a representative for The Bahamas globally as a FIBA referee.

“As a federation, we want to recognize the high standard of officiating we have represented here in The Bahamas through Christian’s leadership. He has emerged as one of the top referees in this region and proudly represented our country at numerous tournaments. One of our key initiatives as the BBF is focused on 

training and development of our administration, coaches and officials. We encourage young Bahamians to seize every opportunity to be trained, gain new skills, and have world exposure. We celebrate Christian’s continued international success,” expressed BBF Secretary General Jurelle Nairn-Mullings.

As a graduate student pursuing a PhD in Biochemistry at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, in Kingston, Jamaica, Wilmore has his sights set high in both the classroom and on the court. His goal is to one day officiate at the Olympics or a senior men’s or women’s world championships game. When that happens, he said he would have accomplished a big dream and would be satisfied.

Bahamian national record holder clocks season’s best; Strachan third in Eugene

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 1, 2022 311 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Bahamian hurdler Devynne Charlton is having a great season and that continued when she powered her way to a season’s best of 12.88 seconds in the women’s 100 meters (m) hurdles at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold 61st Golden Spike Meet at the Mestský Stadion in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on Tuesday afternoon.

That time gave her a fourth-place finish, running with a 1.0 meters per second (mps) tailwind.

Winning that race was 2020 Olympic Champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, of Puerto Rico, clocking 12.56 seconds. Polish athlete Pia Skrzyszowska ran a personal best time of 12.65 seconds to get the silver medal. American Nia Ali finished third after posting a time of 12.69 seconds.

In that race, there was one personal best and three season’s bests. It could be a preview of what to expect at the World Athletics (WA) World Championships, set for this summer in Eugene, Oregon.

Charlton’s previous season’s best time of 12.98 seconds came at the Kentucky Invitational in Lexington, Kentucky, in April. She ran 12.61 seconds at the Ooredoo Doha Meeting in Doha, Qatar, but it was not a legal time as there was a tailwind of +3.8mps.

The 100m hurdles national record holder has touched the track a lot this season, running both indoors and outdoors. The 26-year-old run again on Monday, taking part in the World Athletics Continental Tour FBK Games at the Blankers-Koen Stadium in Hengelo, Netherlands.

Anthonique Strachan is also having a strong season, showing that she is on a return path from injuries that hampered her in the past. She was in action this past Saturday, competing at the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. The 28-year-old placed third in the women’s 200m when she posted a time of 22.76 seconds running out of lane eight.

Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was a force to reckon with as she ran a season’s best of 22.41 seconds to cross the finish line first. American Brittany Brown was second after posting a time of 22.74 seconds to narrowly hold off Strachan.

“My overall plan for the race from the start was to try to get as much separation as possible,” said Strachan after the race. “I sort of executed that and I also sort of didn’t but it was a great race, can’t really complain about that.”

The Prefontaine Classic was the third Wanda Diamond League meet of the season.

Earlier in the outdoor season, Strachan held off Fraser-Pryce in this same sprint distance when she clocked a season’s best time of 22.55 seconds. That was done at the MVP Velocity Fest 11 at the Jamaica National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica.

Strachan may run at the Rome Wanda Diamond League on Thursday June 9. Charlton and Strachan along with other top tier Bahamian track and field athletes are expected to be in action at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium for the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) National Championships later this month.

Sports

Georgette is first Bahamian female

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 1, 2022 371 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Former CARIFTA swim team manager and local swimming enthusiast Georgette Albury is the first Bahamian female to become a FINA (International Swimming Federation) certified open water official, obtaining that certification when she passed a course at the FINA Technical School for Open Water Officials in Toronto, Canada, this past weekend.

Georgette’s husband Kendric Albury also received his certification, becoming a FINA certified open water official. Bahamas Aquatics Federation President Algernon Cargill recertified for a third consecutive time. Mancer Roberts was the fourth Bahamian to receive certification this past weekend. Both Cargill and Roberts were officials at the 2022 CARIFTA Open Water Championships that was held at Carlisle Bay, Barbados, in April.

Cargill and Roberts are both also on the approved FINA Open Water Officials list. Kendric and Georgette Albury will be approved to that FINA list at a later date, based on their experiences, which according to Cargill can be as early as next year. Georgette said she is looking forward to assisting in the growth of the open water arm of aquatics.

“I am elated to be the first female in The Bahamas to be FINA certified,” Albury said. “To become FINA certified as an open water official means that I can now work along with other FINA qualified officials to promote the growth of open water and aquatics overall. Before this weekend, we only had two FINA certified open water officials and now we have four.”

As officials, Kendric and Georgette Albury will be able to serve as chief referees, referees, starters, turn judges or safety officers to name a few. Cargill said he is proud to have Georgette as the first Bahamian female taking up the mantle as a FINA certified open water official.

“We are excited that Georgette Albury is the first Bahamian female to be a FINA certified open water official. It shows equality in our sport and shows that we are  promoting females as they have every right and opportunity to become certified officials in the federation. She did well in the class in Toronto and I am outright happy with her performance. It shows that the 

federation is indeed evolving. We are evolving not only in the number of referees but we are including females in the overall development of the sport,” Cargill said.

Georgette Albury hopes to see more persons involved, not just in open water, but other aspects of aquatics as well.

Open water swimming is different from pool swimming as the races are for longer distances. The CARIFTA and CCCAN (Central American and Caribbean Amateur Swimming Confederation)  distances for open water swimming are five and 10 kilometers while the World Open Water Swimming Championships distances are five, 10 and 25 kilometers. Swimmers are also met by outdoor elements such as jellyfish, seaweed and waves from the sea.

The Bahamas did not compete at this year’s CARIFTA Open Water Championships but Georgette Albury hopes that The Bahamas can compete at future meets especially with more FINA certified officials here. She anticipates that there will be more open water meets locally.

There has not been open water swimming in The Bahamas since the COVID-19 pandemic forced a stoppage of sports locally in March 2020. Cargill is hopeful that The Bahamas can be a stop on the Pan Am Aquatics Tour for open water swimming in the not-too-distant future.

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailJune 1, 2022 214 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Over the past two years, the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic has had its effect on sports and it has been a challenging period for athletes, coaches and sports enthusiasts. Road races, which have been ongoing in The Bahamas for many years, and has been one of the more popular physical sporting activities among Bahamians, were totally interrupted since March 2020. As the country is now trying to return to some sort of normalcy, wholesome in-person events like road races and fun run/walks are gradually returning.

To this end, the Bahamas Roadmasters Running Club (BRRC) announced the return of the Midnight Madness 10K (10-kilometer) Fun Run/Walk on the morning of June 3, 2022 (Labour Day), starting at 12:01 a.m. The event will start and end at Arawak Cay.

COVID safety protocols will be in effect and all participants will be provided with runners’ safety lights. The traffic division of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) will provide escort service for everyone’s safety on the road.

Bahamas Roadmasters President Anastasia Turnquest said: “We want all fitness enthusiasts to come out and walk or run with us as we light up West Bay Street in support of this year’s chosen charity, R.E.A.C.H. (Resources & Education for Autism & related Challenges). Runners and walkers can enjoy the fresh ocean air as they move along the coastline, having fun and jumpstarting their long holiday weekend.”

Turnquest expressed her appreciation to the sponsors Sun-Tee, Global Insurance Agency, Bahamian Brewery (Sands Beer), Caribbean Bottling Company and J.S. Johnson.

Refreshments will be served after the event. 

Registration is online at active.com, at Bahamas Welding & Fire in Centreville every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. or by or contacting the running club at e-mail address bahamasroadmasters@gmail.com.

The Bahamas Roadmasters Running Club was formed in 1990 with a mandate to advance long distance running in The Bahamas. In addition to the Midnight Madness race, the club also hosts the annual Bahamas Half Marathon, 10K & 5K Race Series in November.

Daily registration for the Midnight Madness run is at Four Seasons Nursery on Infant View Road West in Chippingham from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Sports

A trio of Bahamians enjoyed top three finishes at division two championships

Sheldon LongleySend an emailMay 31, 2022 799 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

While some Bahamian collegiate athletes were looking to make the national championships in division one track and field over the weekend, a trio competed in the division two championships which wrapped up on Saturday at the Grand Valley State University (GVSU) Track & Field Stadium in Allendale, Michigan, USA.

In individual events, Bahamian athletes secured a gold, silver and bronze, along with relay gold, at the 2022 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Men and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

It was a busy weekend for Denisha Cartwright as she competed in three events along with the women’s 4×100 meters (m) relay.

Cartwright, a sophomore for the Minnesota State University at Mankato Mavericks, struck gold in the women’s 100m hurdles, winning comfortably in a new personal best time of 13.35 seconds, earning 10 points for her school. She ran 13.40 seconds in the heats. Shanette Allison, a sophomore for the Lincoln University Blue Tigers, was a distant second in 13.68 seconds, and Marie-Jeanne Ourega, a freshman with the Academy of Art Urban Knights, finished third in 13.79 seconds.

This is the second time in her collegiate career that Cartwright has earned All-American First Team honors in the 100m hurdles. She finished third at the 2021 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships. This is also the first time a Mavericks athlete has captured a national title in that event in program history.

In the women’s 200m, Cartwright just missed out on a medal, settling for fourth in a personal best time of 23.55 seconds, and earning five points for her school. She ran 23.56 seconds in the heats. Winning the national title was Leah Belfield, a sophomore at West Texas A&M, in 23.30 seconds, finishing second was Selena Arjona-Alcazar, a junior at the Academy of Art, in 23.42 seconds, and rounding out the top three was Ayana Fields, a sophomore at Cal Poly Pomona, in 23.54 seconds.

Cartwright earned another All-American First Team honor in the women’s 100m. She finished seventh in that final in 11.94 seconds after running a personal best time of 11.46 seconds in the heats.

In the women’s 4x100m relay, the Mavericks’ team of Cartwright, Ja’Cey Simmons, Rose Cramer and Makayla Jackson, in that order, won the title in 44.29 seconds, earning 10 points for their school. West Texas A&M was second in 44.31 seconds, and the Academy of Art finished third in 45.02 seconds. The Mavericks ran 44.47 seconds in the heats.

The Mavericks women’s 4x100m relay squad became the first relay team to claim that title in school history. All four of the athletes earned All-American First Team honors for their efforts in capturing the national championship.

The Mavericks women finished third overall with 57 team points – the best team finish in program history, surpassing a seventh-place finish in 2010. West Texas A&M won with 77 points and host school Grand Valley State finished second with 64 points.

Among the men, Bahamian Jahmaal Wilson, a sophomore for the West Texas A&M Buffaloes, finished second in the men’s 110m hurdles in 13.80 seconds after running 13.89 seconds in the heats. The NCAA Division II record holder in that event could not duplicate the blazing 13.35 seconds that he ran two weeks earlier at the West Texas Last Chance Meet in Canyon, Texas, and had to settle for second in the two-section final.

Louis Rollins, a senior at Pittsburg State University, won in 13.65 seconds; Wilson had to settle for second, and TJ Caldwell, a freshman at Pittsburg State, finished third in 13.89 seconds.

Over in the men’s triple jump, Bahamian Shyrone Kemp, a junior for the Minnesota State University at Moorhead Dragons, finished third with a best leap of 15.75m (51’ 8-1/4”), matching his personal best and tying the school record he set earlier in the season at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California. He entered the competition ranked fourth in that event.

Mathieu Tshani, a junior for the Academy of Art, won the gold with a leap of 16.19m (53’ 1-1/2”), Henry Kiner, a junior at Pittsburg State, finished second with a leap of 15.85m (52’), and Kemp rounded out the top three. With the third place finish, Kemp earned All-American First Team 

honors for a third time in his collegiate career including a national runner-up finish indoors in March.

He was the only athlete from the school to earn first team honors at the division two outdoor nationals this year. Kemp has five Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) titles in the men’s triple jump and holds school records indoors and outdoors.

Wilson and the Buffaloes finished second in the men’s team standings with 61 points while Kemp and the Dragons finished in a three-way tie for 36th with the six points that he earned in the men’s triple jump competition. Pittsburg State won the title with 70 points, the Buffaloes were second, and host school Grand Valley State University rounded out the top three with 56 points.

As for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, that meet is set for June 8-11 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Sheldon LongleySend an emailMay 31, 2022 340 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

In an ongoing attempt to qualify for the World Athletics (WA) World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, this summer, national record holder in the men’s decathlon Kendrick Thompson was in competition at the Jacksonville Athletic Club (JAC) Combined Events Qualifier at The Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida, over the past two days.

Thompson was superb again, breaking his national record of 7,762 points in the men’s decathlon by 28 points. He scored a new national record of 7,788 points at the JAC Meet, breaking the national record in the men’s decathlon for the second time this year. His previous personal best and national record of 7,762 points was done at the Hurricane Alumni Invitational at the University of Miami (UM) Cobb Stadium in Coral Gables, Florida, in April.

After day one of competition on Sunday, Thompson led the competition with 4,193 points overall – 39 points ahead of national record pace – and needed just 608 points in the final event of the competition on Monday, the men’s 1,500 meters (m), to break The Bahamas’ national record. In 

essence, he had to run a 4:51.85 men’s 1500m race or faster to break the national record. The University of The Bahamas (UB) Mingoes multi-events athlete proved that he was up to the challenge, completing the grueling three and three quarter-lap event in 4:47.71, scoring 633 points. His personal best run in the men’s 1,500m is 4:44.82.

Thompson is still off the qualifying standard for the world championships which is listed at 8,350 points.

On Sunday, Thompson won the 100 meters (m) in 10.80 seconds – just two one-hundredths of a second off his personal best time. He was able to earn 906 decathlon points in that event. He won the long jump with a personal best jump of 7.47m (24’ 6-1/4”), earning 927 points. In the shot put, Thompson had a winning heave of 13.60m (44’ 7-1/2”) in the men’s shot put – about a foot and a half short of his personal best throw, and earning 704 points.

Thompson continued his impressive performances with a first-place finish in the men’s high jump with a clearance of 1.99m (6’ 6-1/4”) – just a centimeter off his personal best jump. He earned 794 points in that event. Thompson finished the first day of competition with a run of 48.99 seconds in the men’s 400m – short of his personal best time of 46.22 seconds. He earned 862 points in that event.

Despite falling off a bit in the men’s 400m, Thompson was still ahead of national record pace heading into day two of the competition on Monday.

In the first event, on Monday, the men’s 110m hurdles, Thompson crossed the finish line first in 14.53 seconds, earning 907 points, and finishing just short of his personal best run of 14.52 seconds. In the next event, Thompson had a toss of 39.70m (130’ 3”) in the discus, just under his personal best throw of 40.04m (131’ 4-1/4”). He earned 658 points with that effort.

Thompson then competed in the men’s pole vault competition and cleared a winning height of 4.15m (13’ 7-1/4”) – short of his personal best clearance of 4.35m (14’ 3-1/4”). He earned 659 points for that jump. His ninth event of the competition was the men’s javelin and Thompson had a winning heave of 60.01m (196’ 10”) – short of his personal best throw of 63.74m (209’ 1”). He scored 738 points for that throw.

Thompson gathered himself for the final event of the two-day competition, the men’s 1,500m, and was just short of his personal best run, but scored enough to break the national record again.

Thompson won all 10 events in the men’s decathlon competition over the last two days. The event wrapped up last night in Jacksonville.

Sheldon LongleySend an emailMay 31, 2022 234 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

In his second game back from hamstring tightness, Bahamian professional baseball player with the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB) Jasrado ‘Jazz’ Chisholm Jr. was in his usual spot leadoff spot in the lineup, but came up empty in four plate appearances.

In afternoon baseball on Memorial Day in the United States, Chisholm finished 0-for-4 with a strikeout, bringing his batting average down to .271.

Chisholm is now hitless in his last nine at-bats and has just one hit in his last 18 plate appearances. He remains among the team leaders in a number of offensive categories, but has fallen off a bit, and is trying to re-find the groove that catapulted him among the league leaders offensively and had him regarded as one of the top young second basemen in the game.

Chisholm’s batting average has fallen off 33 points, from .304 to .271, in his last five games.

As a club, the Marlins are struggling as well, losing two straight, five of their last six and eight of their last 10 games. They gave up seven runs in the seventh and eighth innings yesterday, to fall to the Colorado Rockies, 7-1, at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. They will face the Rockies again tonight, and tomorrow.

The Marlins have dropped to fourth in the National League East Division standings with a 19-27 win/loss record – 11 and a half games behind the front-running New York Mets (32-17). The World Series Champions Braves are second in that division at 23-25 and the Philadelphia Phillies are third at 21-28. The Washington Nationals bring up the rear in that division with a 18-31 record.

On Memorial Day on Monday, Chisholm started the game by flying out to Rockies’ left fielder Sam Hilliard in the top of the first inning. In the top of the third, he grounded into a force out, and two innings later, he struck out on a foul tip. In his last at-bat, in the top of the eighth, Chisholm flew out to Rockies’ center fielder Yonathan Daza.

The Marlins scored their only run of the game on a towering home run by Jesús Sánchez in the top off the second inning. The 496-foot moonshot is listed as the longest home run in the majors for 2022 and is on record as the longest home run in the league since a 505-foot blast by Nomar Mazara with the Texas Rangers in 2019.

As for Chisholm, he is still having a breakout second season in the majors. About a week ago, he was pulled from the lineup, in a game against the Braves at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, suffering from tightness in his left hamstring. The injury proved not to be extreme, and Chisholm avoided any extended time on the injured list. He missed just four games.

The 24-year-old Bahamian is batting .271 with seven home runs, 27 RBIs (runs batted in) and 21 runs scored. He has an on-base percentage (OBP) of .320, a slugging percentage (SLG) of .541, and an on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) of .861. Chisholm also has seven stolen bases.

Defensively, Chisholm has 60 putouts and 81 assists in 144 total chances this season. He has helped turn 17 double plays and has a fielding percentage of .979. The Marlins’ leadoff hitter is still well on his way to his first career MLB All-Star selection.

After their series with the Rockies, the Marlins will return to LoanDepot Park in Miami for four games against the San Francisco Giants. Bahamian Antoan Richardson, a former major leaguer, is a first-base coach with the Giants.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL BOWL SEASON BEGINS IN THE BAHAMAS ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16

As of Tuesday, May 31, 2022

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#NASSAU, Bahamas – Bowl Season will begin in the Bahamas this year as the longest-running international bowl game in college football history, the HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl, will be played Friday, December 16 at 11:30 am ET.

#Nassau’s 15,000-seat Thomas A Robinson National Stadium will host the eighth edition of the HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl, which will air in the United States on ESPN. The 2022 Bowl will kick off the first year of a new relationship with HomeTown Lenders as the game’s title sponsor.

#“We are thrilled to be the opening game of Bowl Season and to showcase the beautiful islands of the Bahamas through this event, which has been a fixture on the sporting calendar since 2014,” said Bahamas Bowl executive director Lea Miller-Tooley.

#“The Bahamas Bowl has provided tremendous competition for our participating teams from Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference, while offering a one-of-a-kind experience for student athletes, coaches and families to travel to a foreign country and be rewarded for a successful season. We know that the 2022 bowl will remind everyone why ‘Bowl Games are Better in The Bahamas’.”

#Each year, American football fans travel to Nassau to see their universities compete in the only bowl game currently played outside the United States.

#In the inaugural game in 2014, Western Kentucky defeated Central Michigan 49-48 in a memorable offensive shootout.

#Subsequent winners have included – 2015: Western Michigan (def. Middle Tennessee, 45-31); 2016: Old Dominion (def. Eastern Michigan, 24-20); 2017: Ohio (def. UAB, 41-6); 2018: FIU (def. Toledo, 35-32) and 2019: Buffalo (def. Charlotte, 31-9). After a year off in 2020, the game returned to Nassau in 2021, as Middle Tennessee used a fourth quarter comeback to secure a 31-24 win over Toledo.

#The 2022 HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl – one of 17 college bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events – will once again feature teams from Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference.

#For more information on the 2022 HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl, visit BahamasBowl.com.

#About The HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl

#The HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl, the longest-running international bowl game in college football history, will provide student-athletes, conference partners, alumni, fans and sponsors a first-class international bowl experience while promoting The Bahamas and highlighting the educational and athletic opportunities for the youth of The Islands through college football.

#The eighth HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl will take place in Nassau, Bahamas on December 16, 2022 at Thomas A Robinson National Stadium between schools from Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference. The game will be televised nationally in the United States on ESPN.

#ESPN Events

#ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide.

#In 2022, the 32-event schedule includes three early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events, and a college softball event.

#These big events account for approximately 400 hours of live programming, while reaching nearly 64 million viewers and attracting over 800,000 annual attendees.

#With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

#For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.