Home|Sports|The Bahamas drops two matches in SurinameSports

Sheldon LongleySend an emailJuly 27, 2023 7 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The 18th Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Senior Caribbean Volleyball Championships continued on Wednesday with both of The Bahamas’ teams falling.

Playing their final group stage match, The Bahamas’ men lost to Jamaica in five sets, 25-16, 19-25, 21-25, 27-25 and 15-11, at the Anthony Nesty Sports Hall in Parimaribo, Suriname. They fell to a 2-1 win/loss record in the tournament and will now have to play out of the quarterfinals to have a chance to move on in the tournament. The Bahamas, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago finished with identical 2-1 records in Pool B.

Meanwhile, the women fell in straight sets to Barbados, 26-24, 25-21 and 25-20, and are now 1-2 going into their final group stage match today.

The Bahamas’ senior men’s national volleyball team had a golden opportunity to put away Jamaica yesterday, leading two sets to one and up by four points in the fourth set, but just couldn’t close the door. The Jamaicans trailed 18-14 in the fourth set, but scored five points in a row to take a 19-18 lead. The set went back and forth from that point until Jamaica scored two in a row at 25-25 to put it away.

The Bahamas came out completely flat in the fifth and final set, dropping the first four points before finally getting on the scoreboard. They went on to trail as much as six points in the set and never recovered. The closest they got to Jamaica after the midway break was 12-10 and 13-11. Jamaica scored the final two points to put the set and the match away.

Ryck Webb led Jamaica with 27 points including 23 kills, three service winners and one block. Mark Blake had a balanced game with 16 points on six kills, six blocks and four service winners. Webb leads the entire tournament with 75 points, 23 more than the closest competitor. He also leads the way with 61 kills.

Kyle Wilson paced The Bahamas with 17 points on 14 kills, two blocks and one service winner. In tournament play, he trails Webb in second with 52 total points and 42 kills. In the match against Jamaica, Eugene Stuart added 14 points on 13 kills and one block. Prince Wilson had 13 points on 10 kills, two blocks and a service winner.

The battle was evenly matched throughout. Jamaica scored 107 total points compared to 102 for The Bahamas. Both had 49 successful kills. The match was won at the service line, though. Jamaica had 12 service winners compared to just five for The Bahamas.

In the women’s match yesterday, Barbados was the more aggressive team, working together, going after their shots, diving for balls and out-attacking The Bahamas. Simply put, The Bahamas was outplayed.

Shonte Seale had a game-high 21 points for Barbados, coming off 16 kills, three service winners and two blocks. Individually, she is second in the tournament with 60 points and is third in kills with 46. Tenneille Chapman-Goodluck was the next highest scorer for Barbados with 12 points.

Jannelle Curtis had a side-high 13 points for The Bahamas including 11 kills. She is third in the tournament with 57 points and is fourth in kills with 42. Brittany Bonamy was the next highest scorer for The Bahamas with seven points.

The first set went back and forth, and could have gone either way, but Barbados pulled through in the end, scoring the final two points of the set after it was tied 24-24. The second set was also tied late, 20-20, but Barbados turned up the heat when they 

needed to. They won five of the last six points of the set to pull off the 25-21 second set win. In the third set, The Bahamas couldn’t get any momentum going. They fell behind early, and despite pulling even a couple times, they could never get that critical go-ahead point.

Overall, Barbados won 50 points off kills, blocks and service winners compared to 38 for The Bahamas in those same three categories. Barbados had 24 faults in those three areas compared to 33 for The Bahamas. The match lasted an hour and nine minutes.

The Bahamas will play its final group stage game against Jamaica at noon today. A win would assure The Bahamas of a spot in the tournament semifinals which are set for Friday. The championship match will be played on Saturday.

The men’s championship match is set for Sunday. The semifinals will be played on Friday with the winners going after the gold and the losers playing for bronze.

This is the first time the tournament is being played since 2018.

 Home|Sports|Play suspended with The Bahamas down in tennisSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJuly 27, 2023 8 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas’ Billie Jean King Cup team in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, had its first day disrupted by bad weather.

The team of Sydney Clarke, Simone Pratt, Elana Mackey and Sapphire Ferguson, started the Americas Group II Tournament against Paraguay yesterday and one match was completed and the second was underway when play was stopped with Clarke in action at the number two singles. Coaching the team is Kim Gillian O’Kelley.

In the first match, on the hard courts at the Centro Nacional de Tenis Parque Del Este in Santo Domingo, Mackey went up against Lara Escauriza and fell in straight sets, 6-3 and 6-2.

The next match was stopped in the first set with Clarke trailing Risso Britez, 5-3. Clarke was up 30-15 in the ninth game of that first set when play was suspended. It will continue from that point today.

 Clarke went down 0-3 early in the set but appeared to gain some momentum, pulling to within 5-3 when play was suspended.

In Mackey’s match, she went up 1-0 in the first set, but Escauriza rebounded to go up 3-1 and never looked back. She went up 5-2 and closed out the first set, 6-3. The second set was at 3-2 in favor of the Paraguayan but that was as close as Mackey got the rest of the way. Escauriza won the final three games of the set to put the match away in straight sets.

The doubles match did not get underway.

In Santiago, Dominican Republic, the under-12 boys and girls were in action on clay courts against Puerto Rico. Their matches also got suspended because of inclement weather.

In the girls games, Caitlyn Pratt won at the number two slot for her third consecutive singles win. Danielle Saunders played the number one position in the girls competition and lost. Pratt and Marina Bostwick teamed up in doubles. They lost the first set before the match got suspended in the second set.

In junior boys competition, Chase Newbold dropped his match two sets to one in the number two position. That match lasted three and a half hours. Playing in the number one position for The Bahamas was Kingston Rees. He was in action in the first set before play was suspended.

Action resumes today in both tournaments.

 Home|Sports|The Bahamas splits against TrinidadSports

Men improve to 2-0 while women drop their first game

Simba FrenchSend an emailJuly 26, 2023 73 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas’ senior men’s national volleyball team picked up its second victory of the 18th Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Senior Caribbean Volleyball Championships on Tuesday, taking down Trinidad and Tobago in a five-setter victory at the Anthony Nesty Sports Hall in Parimaribo, Suriname. The Bahamas’ men came away with an 18-25, 25-22, 19-25, 25-18 and 15-11 win and sits at the top of Pool B in the tournament. The women were not so fortunate as they lost in five sets to Trinidad and Tobago’s women last night.

With the men, the two teams are familiar with each other having faced each other over the years. The Bahamas, which fielded a team mixed with professionals and college players along with players from the New Providence Volleyball Association (NPVA), has its sights set on winning gold.

This is the first time the tournament is being played since 2018.

The Bahamas lost the first set 25-18 but managed to win the second set in a close one, 25-22. Trinidad and Tobago won the third set 25-18 as The Bahamas went down 2-1. Looking for a key win in the fourth set, The Bahamas took care of Trinidad, 25-19. In the fifth set, The Bahamas came out on top 15-11 to remain unbeaten in the tournament.

The ladies side won the first set 25-17 before Trinidad and Tobago came back and won the second set, 25-19. Trinidad and Tobago went up 2-1 after winning the third set, 25-17. The Bahamas locked the match up at 2-2 with a 25-21 fourth set victory before Trinidad and Tobago won the fifth set, 15-12. It was the first loss for the Bahamian side. They have a 1-1 win/loss record in the tournament.

Head Coach for The Bahamas’ men Lloyd Davis said that his coaching staff had a short talk with the team at the end of the fourth set.

“We told them that they can go the long way which is to lose this game or we can go the short way which is to win and have one more game which is against Jamaica. The win puts us in a better position to get a bye and go to the gold medal round,” Davis said.

The Bahamas committed 30 unforced errors but Trinidad and Tobago recorded 45 unforced errors.

Outside hitter Kyle Wilson led The Bahamas with 20 points that included five blocks and three digs. He has the second most points in the tournament with 35. Team captain and middle blocker Byron Ferguson had 17 points and Shonari Hepburn came away with 15 points. Bahamian Eugene Stuart is tied for the eighth most points in the tournament with 25 points.

“We knew it was going to be a tough match,” Ferguson said. “We let our guard down and had too many mental errors in the sets that we lost. Once we cracked down on those errors, we were good and that is how we came out victorious.”

The Bahamas’ men won their opening game against Curaçao on Monday three sets to one. They won the first two sets 25-20 and 25-21 before dropping the third set 25-13. The third set triggered the Bahamian side as they dominated the fourth set, winning 25-8.

The Bahamian ladies took care of Suriname three sets to two in their opening match on Sunday. They prevailed 28-26, 26.24, 21-25, 22-25 and 15-13.

The men will play their final group game against Jamaica at 7:30 p.m. this evening. Davis said that the game plan does not change which is to play their zone and system. The women will play against Barbados at 2:30 p.m. today before wrapping up group play against Jamaica at noon tomorrow.

The tournament wraps up on Sunday.

 Home|Sports|Cooper’s visit inspires youngsters to try rowingSports

Sheldon LongleySend an emailJuly 26, 2023 57 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

One of the fastest growing sports in The Bahamas received a boost in the arm over the weekend as American rower, bestselling author, and protagonist of the film ‘A Most Beautiful Thing’ which promotes the sport of rowing, shared his story with various youth groups, discussed U.S. scholarship opportunities, and conducted workshops.

Arshay Cooper, who experienced humble beginnings in Chicago, Illinois, growing up as a youngster and as a Black American, said he’s just trying to take his message to as many youngsters as possible and make a difference in their lives.

“I came from the west side of Chicago where it was very violent so I was in a position where I was just trying to make it out. I got introduced to swimming and rowing at a young age and I thought it was a beautiful thing. Here it was, at my school, Manley High School, we had an opportunity to make history – to be the first all-black high school rowing team in the country,” said Copper. “Rowing teaches you to be disciplined, it teaches you wellness, you have to be very meditated on the water and you have to be able to row for others. You also have to learn how to swim. We competed against the top teams from across the country and that gave us the experience that we needed.”

Cooper said that all of the members from his high school team went on to become entrepreneurs, he was able to write an award-winning book, and he produced a movie and started a foundation. After traveling to other parts of the world helping youngsters to learn how to row, he said he heard about the Nassau Rowing Club (NRC) and the program they were running here in The Bahamas.

“I have a desire to help kids develop in the sport of rowing. I want to help them obtain scholarships where they would have a better shot at furthering their education and help them to one day get into the Olympics and represent their country,” said Cooper. “At the end of the day, I have a heart for kids who look like me. Here in The Bahamas, I’ve spoken to hundreds of youngsters who are excited about getting an opportunity to row. So much hunger and talent is here. We want to help bring the resources in and connect with the Nassau Rowing Club and with the US Embassy in getting kids off to college.”

Over the course of five days, Cooper spoke to over 300 youngsters here in The Bahamas. He said he thoroughly enjoyed his time here and that for the most part, the youngsters understand that rowing helps in a lot of areas of life.

“There will be opportunities to travel and so many benefits,” he said. “There has to be determination and you have to be someone who is willing to learn and who has the willpower to improve and always get better at rowing. It’s hard. You have two have a strong work ethic. What you put into in is what you get out of it. It’s very technical. I didn’t become a national champion but I took part in local races, in regattas, and won medals. Rowing taught me how to swim and how to work well with others. It bring people together. My desire is to use the sport to help young kids get recruited for college and eventually enter the professional ranks. At this point, we just want to get more people involved in rowing and help them get to the point where they could eventually represent their country in rowing.”

Cooper has been involved in the sport for 22 years – ever since his high school days at Manley Career Academy High School on the west side of Chicago. His trip to The Bahamas was facilitated by the US Embassy and supported by the Ministry of Youth, Sport, and Culture.

Head of the Youth Division in the ministry Sandena Neely said they were happy to play a role in Cooper’s visit, helping with the coordination of the workshops for the many participants.

“We partnered with focus groups to provide over 200 kids for the film screening and for the rowing workshops,” said Neely. “Also, there were 50 students from youth apprenticeship camps. We’re big on diversity. We wanted to give the youngsters this experience.”

Neely said they also partnered with the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) in bringing in 30 cadets for the workshop, continuing to ensure that more and more young people are fully engaged this summer.

There was a special screening of the film ‘A Most Beautiful Thing’ at Fusion Superplex on Gladstone Road and workshops for over 300 youth. At the screening, the public witnessed firsthand the positive impacts of rowing.

 Home|Sports|Incident mars proceedings of Babe Ruth ClassicSports

Sheldon LongleySend an emailJuly 26, 2023 565 5 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

What was turning out to be a well structured tournament with hardly any incidents took a turn for the worst on Monday as teams battled for positions and medals.

The Babe Ruth Caribbean Baseball Championship and Invitational wrapped up on Monday at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex and the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium.

The 12-and-Under (12U) Division was a qualifier for the Cal Ripken Major/70 World Series at Ballparks of America in Branson, Missouri, later this summer, and the invitational 16-and-Under (16U) Division featured a number of quality teams from the region, the United States (US) and as far away as Europe.

Aruba emerged as the champion in both divisions and Puerto Rico was the runner-up both times. There was no bronze medal game in the 12U Division and The Bahamas won the bronze in the 16U Invitational.

It was in the 16U semifinal game between The Bahamas and Puerto Rico in which tensions flared between Team Bahamas Head Coach Greg Burrows Jr. and home plate umpire Edaine Cannister from Curaçao, and spilled over into a confrontation after the game.

According to reports, Burrows questioned an article of clothing worn by the Puerto Rican pitcher under his hat. Cannister said he ruled that the garment was not white and not in violation of the rules of baseball for that particular tournament. He said he allowed the game to continue and after further disruptions in relation to the same issue, he threw Burrows out of the game.

Greg Jr., on the other hand, said that the article of clothing was a clear violation of the rules, and initially the umpire asked the pitcher to remove it but in the following inning, he allowed the game to continue with the pitcher again wearing the garment.

“I’m an umpire with 40 years experience umpiring games all over the place. I know baseball rules by heart,” said Cannister. “He threatened me, saying that I am going to see what will happen to me and that he is not leaving. The protest committee, headed by his father Greg Sr., told me that he won’t go. I told his father that he has to go and he has to go out of the stadium, but as you could see, he was protecting his son. His father told me that if I didn’t allow him back on the field, he would remove me from the game and that I would not be allowed to umpire anymore in The Bahamas. I told him ‘so beith’.”

Greg Jr. had a different account of what transpired and said there was no threats made.

“What happened is the pitcher had a very bright bandana on under his hat and that was a clear violation,” said Greg Jr. “The umpire told me that it wasn’t against the rules but added that if a player had an issue with it, he would ask him to remove it. One of my players asked for the removal and the umpire asked the pitcher to take it off and he put it in his pocket. In the next inning, he came out with the bandana on his head again and after I questioned him about it, he threw me out of the game.

“A lot of things were blatantly discriminative toward my boys and what is allowed and what is not allowed. It’s unfortunate that we don’t check these guys when they come here. In my position, it’s important that I stand up for my players and for Bahamian players in general and not allow persons with an agenda to come in here and dictate to us.”

As for Greg Sr., he is the commissioner of Babe Ruth Baseball Caribbean Region and was the head of the protest committee for the tournament.

Cannister said he wasn’t backing down and by no means would have allowed Greg Jr. to re-enter the game as a coach. The game was halted for about an hour before order was partially restored.

“There is nowhere in the world, when an umpire ejects someone, even if he is right or wrong, that the person comes back on the field or in the game. It doesn’t exist. It was agreed that the game would continue without the coach and that he would be asked to leave the premises. I was asked to continue and I told my umpire-in-chief that normally I don’t do this but I will continue for him,” said Cannister. “The moment I got back on the field, he (Greg Jr.) was behind the backstop and he continued to threaten me. I told the guy from the protest committee to remove him but as you can see they are protecting someone. They should have called the cops. They didn’t do anything and I finished the game. No one was protecting me.”

Cannister went on to say that he was physically attacked by Greg Jr. in the locker room after the game, but Greg Jr. dispelled that notion, saying that all he did was throw some water on him. Cannistersaid it was much more than that. He said he filed a report to Babe Ruth League on the incident, and at the end of the day, he’s just relieved that no serious damage was done and that he didn’t suffer any major injury.

“After the game, he (Greg Jr.) came into the locker room and jumped on me and threw punches into my face. I started to defend myself and a colleague came inside and started to move him. He threw a bottle of water at me and it hit me in my hand. It could have been worse. Imagine if he had a gun or a knife with him. He could have easily killed me in there,” said Cannister.

Greg Jr. refuted those claims.

“Nothing physical happened. That wasn’t the case,” he said. “It was a clear uniform violation by their pitcher and all I did was bring it to the umpire’s attention. He (pitcher) was wearing a very bright bandana, it was very visible and it became a distraction to my hitters. I simply asked the umpire to have the pitcher remove it, and he removed it at first, but by the next inning he had it back on again. When I asked about it again, he threw me out of the game.

“I don’t think anything will come out of it. There was nothing physical. I didn’t put my hands on him. His story is one sided on what happened and that’s unfortunate. I think it would just be best that he doesn’t umpire any game in The Bahamas again.”

Greg Sr. backed up those statements from his son, saying that nothing physical transpired and that there was no fight. He said an incident did take place, they shook hands afterwards and the matter was over.

At the end of the day, The Bahamas lost the game to Puerto Rico 6-5 and ended up playing North Netherlands in the bronze medal game. They won that game, 8-0, Monday night. The Bahamas’ 12U team finished fifth.

Over 200 athletes from countries from around the region, the United States and as far away as Europe took part in the five-day tournament.

 Home|Sports|The Bahamas plays Paraguay todaySports

Billie Jean King Cup Americas Group II Tournament gets underway today in the DR

Simba FrenchSend an emailJuly 26, 2023 21 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas’ Billie Jean King Cup (BJKC) team is in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (DR), and got in their final practice yesterday. They will take on Paraguay in the Billie Jean King Cup Americas Group II Tournament on hard courts at the Centro Nacional de Tenis Parque Del Este in Santo Domingo today.

Representing The Bahamas will be Simone Pratt, Sydney Clarke, Elana Mackey and Sapphire Ferguson. Kim Gillian O’Kelley is the captain.

Other countries competing in the tournament are Costa Rica, host country Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela. The Bahamas is in Pool B with Venezuela, Paraguay and Costa Rica.

Two teams will be promoted to the Americas Group I and two will be demoted at the end of the tournament.

President of the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) Perry Newton likes the odds of the senior women’s national team. 

“The Bahamian ladies have very strong odds of finishing in the top of their pool. We are familiar with most of the teams with Paraguay being new to the zone. The team now has a lot of experience and should do well,” Newton said.

The Bahamas plays Venezuela after Paraguay and will end pool play against Costa Rica.

Pratt, Clarke and Mackey are no strangers to this competition, having played in last year’s competition. Ferguson is making her debut in this competition as a 16-year-old.

“It’s always good when we are able to have juniors make the team as it helps to prepare them for the road ahead. Ferguson will do well as she is surrounded by veteran players who have spent several years playing college tennis as well as having represented us in the Billie Jean King Cup Tournament for several years. Adding the experience of ‘Coach Kim’, she (Ferguson) is in very good hands,” said Newton.

The most experienced member of the team is lefty Simone Pratt who has played in six Billie Jean King Cup tournaments. Clarke will play in her fifth. Mackey will be making her fourth and third consecutive appearance.

Clarke is looking for them to advance.

“I’m excited to be playing in the competition again,” Clarke said. “I’m excited to see how my teammates and I do, and looking forward to the end result. We were working hard. We put in a lot of work together and individually. I cannot wait to play against Paraguay tomorrow (today). I feel confident physically and mentally. I am much more confident mentally this year than I was last year. I have been working on some aspects of my game and I have seen improvement. I am ready to hit the courts.”

The Billie Jean King Cup team is the third Bahamian tennis team that is playing simultaneously in the Dominican Republic. The under-12 girls and boys teams are playing in the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) COTECC (Confederation of Tennis of Central America and the Caribbean) competition. The girls have a 1-2 win/loss record while the boys are winless at 0-3. Both teams will play against Puerto Rico today.

 Home|Sports|Turnquest finishes fourth again at world juniors Sports

Sheldon LongleySend an emailJuly 25, 2023 65 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

For the second year in a row, Bahamian Dakarai Turnquest has finished fourth at one of the biggest pool tournaments in the world for junior players.

The 33rd Annual VNEA (Valley National Eight-Ball League Association) World Junior Championships wrapped up on Sunday at the Marriott Riverfront Hotel in South Sioux City, Nebraska, USA.

Over 300 young players from all over the world competed in three age divisions – 7-11, 12-15 (Minor) and 16-20 (Major).

At 16, Turnquest competed in the Major Division, and for the second year in a row, he finished fourth. He still has three more years of age eligibility remaining. About 80 players competed in his division and the young Bahamian said he is encouraged by his performance in the three-day tournament over the weekend.

Turnquest, who hails from Deadman’s Cay, Long Island, finished fourth with a 6-2 win/loss record over the three days of competition in the double elimination tournament.

Turnquest won four matches on the first day, 4-1, over Landen Mareau, by default over Ian Bowman Jr., 4-0, over Ashton Lyons and 4-1 over Jason McColl to reach the final eight.

On the second day of competition, Turnquest got off to a quick start, defeating American Austin Olson in his first match, 4-2. He then lost to Sheridan Burmester, of New Zealand, 4-2, before rebounding to take down American Zach Bryan, 4-3. Turnquest then went up against American Cody Seegert in the medal rounds and fell 4-1.

Seegert ended up with the bronze and Burmester fell in the gold medal match to Kieran Dempsey, of New Zealand, 4-2. Both the gold and silver medalists hail from New Zealand.

“It goes to show what they are doing over there. The competition on the whole was very tough, especially as the tournament went along,” said Turnquest on Monday. “I felt like I could have played better, but overall I’m satisfied. There were a lot of great players from all over, especially New Zealand and the United States. The competition was fierce. I was prepared for it, but I just made a few mistakes at the end.”

At just 16, the Bahamian pool shark was in a league with players older than himself. He said he sucked it up as a learning experience and will look to return to that stage in 2024.

“It was really good to play against more experienced guys. I’m satisfied. I just have to continue to adjust and continue to improve, and always be prepared to play,” he said. “One of the most pleasant things that happened was that a lot of kids were coming up to me and asking for tips and advice. They were asking for pictures and really looked up to me as one of the better players in the tournament. I really enjoyed that.”

Turnquest traveled to the global tournament with his father Dominic Turnquest Sr., who said he was proud of the way his son played and handled himself.

“I am extremely proud of him. He did well again. Not only did he play well, but he was also one of the most humble players in the tournament. A lot of people commended me for going overboard to support him, but he’s my son and I will always support him. Overall, he is well liked. Everyone liked his spirit. He made his family proud and the whole Bahamas should be proud of him.”

Donned in a Bahari Bahamas shirt and black slacks, Turnquest carried The Bahamas’ flag at the opening ceremony at the world juniors on Sunday as the only representative from The Bahamas.

“My goal is still to some day become a professional, and my biggest goal is to be world champion,” said Turnquest. “I know that I just have to continue to work hard and continue to practice and hopefully I could accomplish my goals.”

Turnquest is the youngest pool master in The Bahamas, obtaining the title after finishing third at the “Battle of the Titans” Tournament at Lloyd’s Sporting Lounge and Entertainment Center in Deans, Long Island, in 2021. Today, he is regarded as one of the top pool shooters in the country.

 Home|Sports|Bahamian swimmers compete at worlds in JapanSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJuly 25, 2023 91 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson and Lamar Taylor hit the water first for The Bahamas at the Marine Messe Fukuoka Hall A as action got underway at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, over the weekend. 

Swimming in her second consecutive world championships, Thompson smashed her personal best in the 200 meters (m) individual medley (IM), placing fourth in the first of four heats. She powered through the cycle of strokes to clock a time of 2:25.36. Although she finished at the bottom of the rankings for her event she improved on her previous personal best of 2:28.48.

The 19-year-old swam the backstroke portion of the race in a personal best time of 29.92 seconds. Her 

previous personal best was 32.54 seconds. She then swam the breaststroke portion in 38.59 seconds and then clocked 42.27 seconds in the butterfly segment. She finished off the race with a split of 34.58 seconds on freestyle.

Thompson’s next individual race will be on Thursday in the 100m free.

Taylor was in action in the 50m fly heats, swimming out of lane six in heat number five. He won his heat swimming a new personal best time of 23.91 seconds and finished 40th out of 92 competitors. Taylor had a previous personal best of 24.21 seconds.

DaVante Carey was in action in the 100m backstroke. He swam out of lane zero in heat three. He went into the race with a personal best time of 57.27 seconds and ended up sixth in his heat and 47th overall out of 63 competitors in 57.50 seconds.

Rhanishka Gibbs is the other member of the team. She along with Thompson, Carey and Taylor will be in action in the 4x100m medley relay on Wednesday. Taylor will compete in the men’s 50m free on Friday.

All four swimmers will be in action in the 4x100m mixed freestyle relay on Saturday. In individual action on Saturday, Gibbs will swim in the women’s 50m free and Taylor will swim in the 50m back.

WINNING START: The men’s national volleyball team pulled off the victory in their opener against Curacao yesterday at the Senior Caribbean Volleyball Championships in Paramaribo, Suriname. The team is scheduled to play Trinidad & Tobago today.

As of Tuesday, July 25, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#After watching the women’s national team go the distance to hold off host Suriname in their opener on Sunday night, the men’s national volleyball team didn’t want to take any chances against Curacao yesterday.

#Playing in the Senior Caribbean Volleyball Championships in Paramaribo, Suriname, the men’s team pulled off a 25-20, 25-21, 13-25 and 25-8 win in their opener before they get set to play Trinidad & Tobago in their next game today.

#Members of Team Bahamas were captain and middle blocker Byron Ferguson Jr, middle blockers Shonari Hepburn and Donovan Wilmott, libero Jamaal Ferguson, setters Renaldo Knowles and Je’Vaughn Saunders, right side hitter Eugene Stuart and outside hitter Jesse Delancy.

#“The team played excellent (yesterday),” said head coach Lloyd Davis, who was assisted by Tonny Simon. “We got too relaxed in the third set, but we were able to rebound and come back and take the fourth set.”

#With the team that the Bahamas Volleyball Federation has assembled, Davis said it’s solid, but they have two reinforcements in setter Gaege Smith and outside hitter Prince Wilson, who should help to cement their chances to win the title.

#“We’re going to take it one game at a time and try to make our country proud,” Davis said.

#“All of the teams are pretty even from what we’ve seen so far. We’re about one hour and-a-half from the venue and our hotel. “So when we are finished playing, we go back to the hotel to get off our feet and get some rest. We’re going to take it one game at a time, but the goal is for us to win the title.”

#The women’s team, coached by Jason Saunders and Glen Rolle, consist of middle blocker/right side hitter Sari Albury, outside hitters Melinda Bastian and Brittany Bonamy, middle blocker/right side hitter La’Tavia Braynen, right side hitters Jannelle Curtis, Raechel Knowles and Venessa Sawyer, setters Laval Sands and Je’Nae Saunders (captain), middle blocker Ashley Webb and liberos Franceska McBride and Chandra Mackey.

#After taking a day off, the ladies will be back in action today when they play Trinidad & Tobago as well.

#They will then play Barbados on Wednesday and wrap up round robin play against Jamaica on Thursday.

#The playoffs will get started on Friday and run through Sunday when the medal round will take place.

#The men, on the other hand, will close out round robin play on Wednesday against Jamaica.

#Their playoffs will get started on Thursday and the championship will be contested on Sunday.

#Also travelling with the team are Augusto Sabbitini, an assistant coach and trainer, Lanza Miller, referee and Kurkwood Greene, the head of the delegation.

As of Tuesday, July 25, 2023

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JOB WELL DONE: In the 16-and-under invitational segment of the tournament, played in the new Andre Rodgers National Baseball Stadium, the Bahamas fared much better, winning the bronze medal with an 8-0 whitewashing of North Netherlands last night. Photos: Ernesto G Williams

Aruba’s 12U gold medal team in the Babe Ruth Caribbean Championship yesterday at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

Puerto Rico’s 12U silver medal team at the Babe Ruth Caribbean Championships.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#ARUBA blanked Puerto Rico 11-0 to win the 12-and-under division of the Babe Ruth Caribbean Championship yesterday at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

#In the process, the two teams advanced to the Cal Ripken Major/70 World Series at Ballparks of America in Branson, Missouri, in a couple of weeks.

#It was revenge for Aruba, who suffered their only loss in the tournament to Puerto Rico. Manager Revelino Maduro said they did what they had to do.

#“It was great. We had some good pitching, our catcher played very smart, our defence held up and we got some very good hits,” he said.

#As they look ahead to Branson, Maduro said the tournament will help them to see what they need to work on.

#He said their pitchers will have to get a little more sharp but, other than that, “we are ready.”

#Shortstop K Leer went 3-for-4 with four runs batted in (RBI) and scored twice, while second baseman X Maduro was 1-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored and J Reed was 2-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored to lead Aruba’s offensive attack.

#Kevin Erasmus pitched 4.2 innings, giving up three hits with eight strikeouts and six walks for the win before he was relieved by J. Werleman. Puerto Rico used three pitchers, but could not stop Aruba’s attack.

#“I think I could have thrown more strikes, but I am happy that we won it,” said 12-year-old Erasmus, who lost in their first game to Puerto Rico. “We just have to get ready for the World Series.”

#Puerto Rico’s manager Efraen Suarez said they lost out to a very good team with good itching.

#“They had good pitching all through the game. Our hitting was not here today,” he said. “We had a good time being here in the Bahamas, but we would like to have won.”

#Suarez, however, said they are heading to Branson, so they have to get their pitchers ready and improve on their batting if they intend to be a contender for the title.

#Cuba picked up the bronze medal by blanking Curacao 10-0 on a two-hit, four strikeouts. one walk performance from winning pitcher H Ianmarco. Shortstop AC Miguel led their offensive attack by going 3-for-4 with four RBI and three runs scored.

#Host Bahamas had to settle for fifth place.

#In the 16-and-under invitational segment of the tournament, played in the new Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium, the Bahamas feared much better, winning the bronze medal with an 8-0 whitewashing of North Netherlands last night.

#In identical fashion as the 12U, Aruba and Puerto Rico played for the gold in the 16U invitational. Their match was still going on up to press time. No results were available.

#Earlier in the day in the playoffs, Puerto Rico beat North Netherland 10-0 and Aruba nipped the Bahamas 6-5. With their victories, Aruba and Puerto Rico advanced to the final, while the Bahamas and North Netherlands had to play for bronze.