Home|Sports|Champions crowned at BLTA junior nationalsSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 14, 2023 22 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) got its 2023 AID Junior National Tennis Championships underway this past weekend at the BLTA’s National Tennis Center and three division champions were crowned.

Champions were crowned in the under-8 girls, under-10 girls and under 10-boys divisions.

In the under-10 boys division, Cory Conyers emerged as the champion. He took care of Max Schick in two sets with a 5-3 and 4-0 victory. Conyers, who didn’t drop a set all tournament, came back from a 0-3 deficit in the first set to get the victory.

Finishing third was Aiden Nsouli who won 4-0 and 5-3 over Benjamin Cartwright.

Londyn Mortimer was the winner in the under-10 girls division, winning all her round robin matches. Mortimer was dominant as she only lost three games in the entire tournament. In her final match, she blanked Kennadai Major, 4-0 and 4-0. Finishing second was Rebecca Bitan. She took care of Daliyah Culmer, 4-0 and 4-2, in her final match.

In the under-8 division, there was an exciting matchup between eventual winner Eden Storr and runner-up Christin McWilliam. The duo had a competitive three-set match. McWilliam won the first set 7-5. Storr came back and won the second and third sets, 7-3 and 7-5.

There were 13 new players in total who played in the three divisions in the junior championship.

AID is the title sponsor of the tournament.

“As an avid supporter of the tennis community in The Bahamas for over 30 years, we are honored to support this tournament; the pinnacle of local tennis competition for the youth of this country,” as read in a statement from AID. “The company believes wholeheartedly that sports instills the discipline, perseverance, and responsibility needed to build well-rounded, productive citizens, and we are excited to be a part of this remarkable sporting event.”

The junior tennis nationals continues on Friday with play from the under-12 division through the under-18 division. The event starts at 2 p.m. at the same location.

RHEMA Otabor getting ready to throw the javelin.

As of Monday, June 12, 2023

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RHEMA Otabor with her Nebraska coach, Justin St Clair.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senor Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#NEBRASKA’S junior Rhema Otabor got the early lead and held on for a personal best and collegiate leading mark to win the women’s javelin title at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Austin, Texas.

#Otabor headed a list of Bahamians in action over the four days of competition, including Terrence Jones, Charisma Taylor, Shaun Miller Jr and Anthaya Charlton, who all participated in their individual events at the Mike A. Myers Stadium. 

#In Thursday night’s final on the campus of the University of Texas, Otabor’s huge toss of 195-feet, 2-inches or 59.49 metres in the second round was good enough for her to secure the win as she broke her own school record of 194-6 (59.28m).

#She became the second Nebraska javelin thrower to win a national title, joining 1995 champion Denise Thiemard. She was also the first Bahamian to clinch the title. Retired national record holder Lavern Eve was a finalist for Louisiana State University. 

#Otabor now has the second best throw by a Bahamian, trailing Eve, who threw 63.73m for her national record feat in Nashville, Tennessee on April 22, 2000. The 20-year-old Otabor was elated with the victory more than anything else. 

#“I was really proud about my performance and I was really happy that I was able to execute my technique and my throws the way I wanted to, so I was very happy with my performance,” Otabor said.

#From the first round, Otabor dropped the gauntlet on the field with a 193-8 (59.04m) heave to snatch the lead. Although she wasn’t challenged, she pushed her mark further for the winning toss with the spear on the second attempt.

#With a comfortable cushion, Otabor relaxed and watched as her nearest rival, Lianna Davison, a sophomore at Texas A&M, could only muster a 182-10 (58.78m) on her fifth attempt.

#“I wasn’t concerned about going into the rest of my throws because essentially after I released the first throw and I knew it was a really good throw to get me into the final, I was a little relieved and I was able to be more aggressive with my second throw,” Otabor said.

#After she was declared the winner, Otabor could be seen getting a big congratulatory hug from her coach Justin St. Clair. 

#“After I found out that my first place was solidified, I could not put my feelings into words,” she remembered. 

#She had to go into anti-doping immediately afterwards, so she really couldn’t celebrate with her family and friends on hand. But she took advantage of it the next day with lunch with her aunts Latina Lightbourne and Letitia Dean, who made the trip from The Bahamas for the event. 

#They were joined by Otabor’s brother Michaelangelo Bullard, a javelin thrower as well, who is attending Texas State, but Bullard didn’t compete as he had to redshirt this season because of an injury.

#Otabor, a graduate of Nassau Christian Academy. will compete in another meet in the United States before returning home for the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National Championships, July 5-7 at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.

#Hopefully by then she will have surpassed the qualifying standards of 209-4 (63.80m) for the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary from August 17-26. If she doesn’t, Otabor feels she should be able to secure an invite from World Athletics based on her world ranking.

#The member of the Blue Chip Athletics Throwers Club, headed by coach Corrington Maycock, thanked all who supported her in her journey so far and said that she “hopes to continue to make you proud.”

#Jones third in 200m

#After missing out on an opportunity to advance to the final of the men’s 100m, Terrence Jones made up for it in the final of the 200m on Friday night. with a lifetime best of 19,.87 for fourth place.

#The Grand Bahamian, competing for Texas Tech, sped out front in lane nine coming off the curve to hold the lead on the home stretch. He maintained his position for the majority of the race until he was caught and passed in the winding metres by Udodi Onwuzurike, a sophomore at Stanford, who took the tape in 19.84 with Jones’ team-mate Courtney Lindsey picking up second in his PR of 19.86.

#Jones trailed through the line behind the duo to become just the second Bahamian to dip under the 20-second barrier, Only national record holder Steven Gardiner, whose best of 19.75 from April 7, 2018 in Coral Gables, Florida, is faster. 

#This has been a sensational year for Jones, who on April 15, matched Derrick Atkins’ national record of 9.91 that he set at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan in 2007 for the bronze medal,

#Jones, however, missed a chance to compete for the sprint double at the nationals, He could only muster a 10.06 for 11th place in the 100m semis on Wednesday night. More disappointment came Friday when he anchored Texas Tech to an apparent victory in the men’s 4 x 100m, but they were eventually disqualified.

#Taylor fourth/sixth

#The women’s triple jump on Saturday was the last event for Tennessee’s senior Charisma Taylor to shine as she brought her collegiate career to a close.

#She soared 45-81/2 (13.93m) on her first attempt that had her sitting in third place until Ruta Lasmane of Texas Tech shot past her with 46-71/2 (14.21m) on her third try to hold onto third. Taylor dropped to fourth place.

#Jasmine Moore of Florida surged ahead of the chart with 48-6 (14.78m) for a PR, collegiate lead, meet and collegiate records with 48-6 (14.78m) over second place finisher Ackella Smith of Texas with 47-81/2 (14.54m).

#The performance came after she had a heavy work schedule on Thursday. 

#Taylor was sixth in the long jump final with her leap of 21-1/2 (6.41m). She was also 10th in the semi-finals of the 100m hurdles when she ran 12.94. The ninth and final spot went into the final with 12.91.

#Miller tied for fourth

#In one of the most keenly contested finals in the men’s high jump, Shaun Miller Jr of Ohio State finished tied with four other competitors at 7-1 (2.16m) for fourth place overall.  

#Romaine Beckford of South Florida beat out Vernon Turner of Oklahoma on fewer knockdowns at 7-51/4 (2.27m) for the win. Roberto Vilches of Missouri was third with 7.41/4 (2.24m).

#Charlton 11th

#In her debut at the NCAA Championships for the University of Kentucky, Anthaya Charlton ran 11.18 for 11th place overall in the semifinals on Thursday night. That eliminated her from the final.

#She made up for her exit by running the second leg for Kentucky in the women’s 4 x 100m relay final on Saturday as they clocked 42.46 to trail Texas with their winning time of 41.60.

#Charlton was in the same spot as she helped Kentucky win their heat in a season’s best of 42.30 for the second fastest qualifying time behind Texas with the collegiate leading, facility, meet and collegiate records in 41.55.

#Joining Charlton on the team were Victoria Perrow, Masai Russell and Karima Davis.

#Moss and Kentucky sixth

#Megan Moss, running on the second leg, helped Kentucky to a sixth place finish in the final of the women’s 4 x 400m relay as the curtain came down on the meet on Saturday night.

#Moss and her teammates Karimah Davis, Tamila Fuller and Dajour Miles clocked a season’s best of 3:27.47. But Arkansas emerged as the champions in their season’s best of 3:24.05.

#In the semifinals, the same quartet ran 3:29.95 for second place in their heat behind Duke (3:28.84) and the tenth overall, but the ninth fastest on the qualifying standard to book the final spot into the final. Duke ended up eighth in the final.  

#Valcourt didn’t finish

#In the women’s 400m semi final on Thursday, Javonya Valcourt started the last of three heats of the women’s 400m semi final, but she stopped running at the crack of the gun. There was no indication of whether or not she suffered an injury.

#McCoy and Clemson didn’t finish

#Wanya McCoy, running the pop off leg for Clemson, watched in disbelief as their men’s 4 x 400m relay team fail to finish the race after their third leg runner couldn’t hold onto the baton on the exchange from the second runner.

As of Monday, June 12, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#The Bahamas Flag Football League (BFFL) semifinals saw both defending champions ousted from the playoffs this past weekend. The day of upsets at the Winton Rugby Field started with the Fidelity/Money Maxx Phoenix Fire toppling the Paradise Games Wildcats. Avengers, the men’s defending champions, saw their chances of repeating thwarted by the Oasis Team Red Dot. Among the other teams to advance to the finals were the EDLC Lions and the Caro Contractors Lady Avengers. The finals are now set for the Lady Avengers to match up against Phoenix Fire. For the men’s division, the Lions will battle Team Red Dot for a chance to be crowned the 2023 BFFL champions.

#Game one

#The Wildcats came into their matchup against the Phoenix Fire on a quest to collect their fourth straight title win. As the pennant winners and the first women’s team to go undefeated in the regular season, expectations were high. However, the Phoenix Fire stomped out their chances of making history after defeating the team 8-6. The Phoenix Fire got to work early in the first half after scoring a safety to go up 2-0 on the three-time champions. In the second half, the team completed a pick six to go up 8-0. The defending champions scored a touchdown late in the second half but ultimately were unable to get over the hump.

#Jayson Clarke, head coach of the Phoenix Fire, talked about the upset of the defending champions.

#“During the season I have been telling my players I believe we have the talent, the skill, and the coaching ability. The first time we played them a lot of their scores were low percentage and the second time we played them we held them 0-0 at halftime and 8-0 in the second half,” Mr Clarke said.

#The coach added each time they played the defending champions they gained more confidence and yesterday’s message was to trust the coaching, trust our strategy, and trust the plan to be executed. Although the team closed this season’s title window for the Wildcats, the coach said that game is now behind them and while it was a great victory they cannot get relaxed.

#After coming up short in their championship quest, Wildcats’ general manager Dwight Marshall talked about the loss.

#“Phoenix played an excellent game they executed a good game plan and it was obvious that they wanted to control the tempo of the game… we made a lot of mistakes our defence played well and we had a lot of chances on offence but once you lose momentum in sports its hard to get it back but respect to the Phoenix Fire they beat the three-time defending champions,” Marshall said.

#Game two

#The Avengers were unable to book their ticket to another finals after Team Red Dot closed them out 29-0. Team Red Dot were aggressive from the start of the game. In the first half, the team put 20 points on the scoreboard which went unanswered by the defending champions. However, in the second period of the game the Avengers looked to score on multiple occasions but the game belonged to Team Red Dot. The team added another nine points to their second half total to advance to their first flag football finals.

#Edward Campbell, head coach of Team Red Dot, talked about how it felt to knock out the defending champions.

#“It feels really good that’s a great team [that] I have battled for many years trying to get out of the semifinals round so it feels good to beat the defending champions to advance to the championships for the first time,” Campbell said.

#The team’s mindset going into the playoffs was to forget the regular season records and pennant winners because it does not matter in the postseason. The coach said the team is not satisfied just yet and will look to claim another win.

#Game three

#In a competitive matchup, the Lions took down the Predators 10-6 to solidify their spot in the finals. Despite the score, the game went right down to the wire as both teams battled ferociously to advance to the finals. The Predators and Lions finished the first half 6-3 after they scored the first touchdown of the game but the opposing team followed it up with a field goal. In the second half, the Lions followed up their field goal with a pick six and extra point to make the score 10-6 giving them the lead. The Predators tried to score late in the game but were unsuccessful.

#Travis Thompson, head coach of the Lions, said it felt amazing to get the win because all season they had some ups and downs with the league but overall they preserved and stayed together as a unit and will now play in the championships to finish the job.

#Game Four

#The Lady Avengers won against the Sands Passion Fruit Hawks 7-6. The Avengers scored a touchdown early on in the first half and completed the play for the extra point. The team went up 7-0 going into the second half of play. Although the Hawks were able to score a touchdown to make the score 7-6, the Avengers did not allow them to score again sealing their spot in the finals.

#Shericka Sands, team captain of the Avengers, said it felt good and it has been a long time coming for the team to make it to the championships. Sands said the overall strategy in the win or go home game was to play their game and execute their plays and that strategy will remain unchanged for the finals.

#The BFFL playoffs will take a brief hiatus and will resume on Sunday, June 25 for the men and women’s championship games.

THE REGATTA site in Morgan’s Bluff, Andros.

As of Monday, June 12, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#Morgan’s Bluff, Andros will host the sloop sailing competition during the return of the Bahamas Games next month – with all other events being staged in New Providence.

#The Rev Harrison Thompson, who serves as the acting chairman of the Games Secretariat, confirmed over the weekend that Andros has been granted the rights to stage their All Andros Regatta as the sloop sailing on competition for the Bahamas Games from July 13-16.

#“I support that. I trust the day will come when we have other sports in different islands,” said Rev Thompson, who recently took over from the ailing Martin Lundy as the chairman of the Games Secretariat.

#The Rev Dr Philip McPhee, who is working with the regatta committee, expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis for securing their bid to the Games Secretariat to hold the regatta as a component of the Bahamas Games.

#“We are very delighted and pleased to announce that the All Andros Regatta is on and will be held in conjunction with the Bahamas Games,” Rev McPhee said. “There has been some glitches with that, but it has finally been crystalised now.

#“But the sloop sailing segment of the Bahamas Games will be held in Morgan’s Bluff, Andros. The Prime Minister has given his blessing to it. It will be the only sailing competition during that time.”

#Since the formation of the regatta as a part of the Independence celebrations from 1973, sloop sailing has been staged in Morgan’s Bluff and Rev McPhee said it’s only fitting that they continue that tradition with the Golden Jubilee celebrations.

#Frank Hanna, Alphonso Smith, Carl Spencer and Sir Durward ‘Sea Wolf’ Knowles, all now deceased, were a part of the organising committee that got the All Andros Regatta up and running. Rev McPhee, however, said over the years they lost some of the luster, but they hope to rejuvenate the interest this year.

#Rev McPhee, who was also a part of the steering committee for the All Andros Regatta, said they owe a debt of gratitude as well to the then Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Algernon Allen for making the provisions for the construction of the Regatta Village in Morgan’s Bluff. 

#With sailing having been declared the national sport of the country by the government during the National Family Island Regatta in Georgetown, Exuma in April, Rev McPhee said Androsians are going all out to ensure that the All Andros Regatta is a tremendous success.

#“This year alone, Androsians have built six E Class boats and by the end of the year, we should have 8-10 boats being build this year by young Androsians, who have come together because they want to be a part of the sailing fraternity in our nation.”

#All E Class boats from the length and breath of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas have been invited to participate in the All Andros Regatta at the Bahamas Games, according to Rev McPhee. He thanked Dallas Knowles and Buzzy Rolle from Exuma for helping to facilitate the two-man sailing class. 

#However, in the other class of competition, Rev McPhee revealed that only one boat will be allowed to represent each island or grouping of islands, as constituted by the Games Secretariat.

#In Andros, Rev McPhee said, Revelations 3:21 will represent the C Class; a boat will be drafted for the B Class as there’s none attached to the island and they have also drafted the Ruff Respect out of Long Island to represent Andros in the A Class.

#“Hopefully at the next Bahamas Games, Andros will be able to sail with its own boats in all of the classes, but we don’t have one on the stern of a B and an A boat that is Andros owned,” he said.

#Rev McPhee joined Rev Thompson in expressing his sentiments that the Bahamas Games could and should be spread around the archipelago with the possibility of softball being played in Eleuthera, basketball in Grand Bahama and swimming on another island.

#“I think it defeats the purpose when everything is centre in and around New Providence,” Rev McPhee said. “The government is prepared to spend a lot of money on developing these islands and so we hope that they can benefit in the future like we are doing with sloop sailing in Andros.”

#It’s the second time that Morgan’s Bluff has played host to the sloop sailing in the Bahamas Games. Andros Sports Council chairman Brian Cleare said they are ready to welcome the rest of the Bahamas to Andros, known as the Big Yard.

#“I think it will stimulate the economy in Andros and it will give the local youth on the island, who are interested in sailing, the opportunity to see a high quality of sailing from some of the best skippers the country,” Cleare said.

#“For the past two summers, we had a number of sunfish sailing as a part of our youth month and summer activities and those kids who sailed in the sunfish are some who have expressed an interest in sailing in the main regatta.”

#Having staged the arm of sloop sailing for the Bahamas Games in Andros before, Cleare said they are eager to duplicate their efforts, but this time they are intensifying their efforts because of the economic boost that will come to the island.

#“The preparation for the Regatta Village is ongoing. We did some repairs to it last year and so we have some minor repairs to be done to the site and so hopefully it will be ready in time for the regatta,” Cleare noted. 

#The North Andros District, according to Cleare, has also approved the naming of the regatta site after the Alphonso Smith, who was the commodore for the regatta for many years. He said they are working towards the possibility of having that done during this year’s regatta and Bahamas Games celebrations. 

#Cleare, who doubles as the Sports Officer for the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, said although they had some damage to their facilities during the hurricane season, they are still optimistic that Andros will be ready for the games.

#“We will be bringing out a very young team for the Bahamas Games, especially in track and field, but the kids are excited,” Cleare said. “A lot of the older athletes who participated in the last Bahamas Games 20 years ago have retired, but they are now assisting the younger athletes.

#“The last Bahamas Games, a lot of the younger athletes were not born, so we have to teach them about the concept of the games and they are now enthused. The games are coming along very well.”

#This weekend, Cleare said they will host the Battle for Andros where all settlements of Andros will come together in their basketball competition in North Andros – they will then make their final selection for the Andros team.

As of Monday, June 12, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#The Baha Mar Resort Foundation hosted an inaugural golf invitational this past weekend at the Royal Blue Golf Club.

#The 18-hole course, which was designed by Jack Nicklaus, featured play among golfers from many different organisations vying for a chance to win first place honours but also to give back to a worthy cause.

#The Baha Mar Foundation raised $100,000 from local sponsors at this first golf invitational and all proceeds from the competition will be donated to initiatives and organisations in local communities. The event saw over 42 teams with a total of 84 players play in a two-scramble format.

#Melvern Williamson, Baha Mar Resort Foundation Manager, talked about the purpose of this year’s event.

#“We planned this to ensure that we are always doing our part,” she said. “It is our corporate responsibility we feel to make sure that we are always doing what we can and this being the first will continue for years to come knowing that we can always give back.”

#She added that the support from the various companies that sponsored them was overwhelming.

#This first golf invitational was sponsored by John Bull, Sysco, Deltec Bank & Trust Limited, Caribbean Bottling, Commonwealth Bank, Bahamas Waste, Encore, Young’s Fine Wine and others.

#On the day, the two-person team of John Davis and Kristen Visalli from DTEC Plant Services won the competition with a total net of 52.6. Bahamasair’s Ian Sweeting and Rodwell Knowles finished in second place. Trevor Knowles and Colin Lightbourn of Caribbean Bottling finished the competition in third.

#John Zaremba, senior vice president of casino operations and first time golfer, talked about his experience at the event.

#“It’s fantastic, the weather could not be better and we are at Royal Blue – which is a phenomenal golf course. And I am with a bunch of friends and we are enjoying the day as we are doing it for a great cause. The foundation is a tremendous opportunity to assist everybody on the island and I am happy to be apart of it,” Zaremba said.

#Brenton “Boo” Rolle, first time participant and founder of Fix It Enterprises, talked about why he decided to participate and sponsor the event.

#“We are a family with Baha Mar,” he said. “We deal with all the drainage stations and giving back is a part of FIE’s mantra… I am from the inner city community and I know what it is like in the community and giving back is very essential as we believe in sponsoring, and partnering.”

#Larry Wilson, chief financial officer at the New Providence Ecology Park, said they decided to partner with the Baha Mar Resort Foundation because it aligns with what his company does as they are into clean energy, green waste and trying to improve the environment.

#Although Wilson said he is not the best golfer, he enjoyed the event and format because it was a lot of fun to compete with friends.

#The Baha Mar Resort Foundation Golf Invitational did not only give an opportunity for sponsors to enjoy themselves and give back but junior golfers did as well.

#Georgette Rolle, head of the Fourteen Club Golf Academy, talked about the experience of the juniors.

#“With our youth golfers here, because of all they have been afforded through the Foundation, most times youth will not have the opportunity to learn the importance of giving back. But the juniors that are here today did not have to be forced to come out which shows they are learning the true meaning of what it means to give back,” Rolle said.

#The Baha Mar Resort Foundation will look to continue its charitable efforts with more events like these in the future.

 Home|Sports|The Bahamas to host the 2023 Caribbean Masters ChampionshipsSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailJune 13, 2023 16 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

A masters competition in track and field is on the horizon in the Caribbean, specifically, here, in The Bahamas.

The Bahamas Masters Association has partnered with Island Relays to host the 2023 Caribbean Masters Championships on September 1 in Freeport, Grand Bahama.

“We are excited to host the Caribbean, Central America, South America, the United States of America (USA) and other countries in September to compete in this masters championship event. The Bahamas will soon be known as the world’s capital for track and field,” said Mike Armbrister, president of the Bahamas Masters Association.

Former Olympians and track and field competitors from around the world are encouraged to participate in the 2023 Caribbean Masters Championships, which is an open meet. Registration, hotel, travel and other information can be found at the website https://www.islandrelaysbahamas.com/.

Local Olympians Andretti Bain (www.andrettibain.com – 2008 Summer Olympics silver medalist in the men’s 4x400m) and Timothy Munnings (2000 Summer Olympics bronze medalist in the men’s 4x400m) plan to participate in the upcoming masters competition.

The 2023 Caribbean Masters Championships will be led by former American sprinter Bill Collins as the meet director. Collins, who specializes in the 100m, currently holds five masters world records. Younger athletes who train with Collins at the Houston Elite Track Club at Rice University refer to him as “superman” as quoted on his Wikipedia profile.

The Bahamas Masters Association has created masters training camps on New Providence and in Freeport this summer to encourage former athletes and Olympians to compete at this meet.

The event will take place at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex in Freeport. The Caribbean Masters Championships will be the second event that the Island Relays team hosts on Grand Bahama this year. In March, the group hosted a collegiate event where five schools from the USA (University of South Carolina, University of Oklahoma, Texas A&M University, University of Arizona and Vanderbilt University) and also University of the Bahamas (UB) participated. The group is planning to host the collegiate event annually on Grand Bahama. The Caribbean Masters Championships could be hosted on other islands, and nations, in the Caribbean in the future.

In 2024, The Bahamas is set to host the 2024 World Relay Championships.

 Home|Sports|McCoy ready to challenge JonesSports

Male sprinters expected to put on a show at nationals

Sheldon LongleySend an emailJune 13, 2023 215 4 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

To say that men’s sprints are back in The Bahamas this year might be an understatement given the performances that have been recorded.

A couple of young Bahamian collegiate sprinters, in particular, are running really fast. So fast, that they are now considered threats for any sprint title they line up for and could be the future of men’s sprinting in The Bahamas.

Texas Tech junior Terrence Jones is having the season of his life, running personal best times of 9.91 seconds in the 100 meters (m) and 19.87 seconds in the 200m. The 100m time equals a 16-year-old Bahamian national record that was set by Derrick Atkins at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan, and the latter was good enough for the bronze medal in the men’s 200m at the National Collegiate Athletic 

Association (NCAA) Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships this past weekend.

Indoors, Jones won the 60m title at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships, running 6.46 seconds and coming within a hundredth of the NCAA record he shares with two others.

Just 20, Jones has established himself as the favorite for the double sprint title at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) National Jr. and Sr. Track and Field Championships this year. Interestingly enough, he stiffest competition might just come from another 20-year-old.

Wanya McCoy is the other Bahamian collegiate sprinter who is having the season of his life. The Clemson University sophomore has run personal best times in both short sprints this year, clocking 10.10 seconds in the 100m and 20.41 seconds in the 200m.

In the shorter race, McCoy has tied the late Shavez Hart as the fourth fastest in Bahamian history. Jones has tied Atkins for the top spot.

In the 200m, Jones is now second fastest behind national record holder Steven Gardiner, joining Gardiner as the only Bahamians to ever run under 20 seconds in the men’s 200m legally. McCoy is now the 10th fastest Bahamian of all-time in the men’s 200m.

He said he is looking forward to running against Jones at the nationals. Jones is the defending champion in the 100m and will be the man to beat in the short sprints. The BAAA National Jr. and Sr. Track and Field Championships is set for July 5-7 at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

“I feel pretty good. With the competition that I expect to get from Terrance, that will only cause me to run faster. I feel I could go sub-10 and qualify for the world championships,” said McCoy. “That’s my boy (Jones), but on the track, we’re not boys, so we’ll be going after one another. The goal is to qualify for the worlds and to become national champion so I’ll definitely be going after it.”

The qualifying mark in the 100m for the world championships is 10 seconds flat. In the 200m, the mark is 20.16 seconds, a time just two Bahamians, Gardiner and Jones, have run faster than. Coming off a trying collegiate season, McCoy said he’s looking forward to the challenge. He also excels in the 400m, running 45.91 seconds indoors this year.

“I feel like I have a lot left in the tank,” said McCoy. “When I ran 10.21 in March, I knew that I was up there. I got hurt in the same race, and that was a minor setback, but I got healthy and came back and ran a 20.41 in the 200 at conference which was my best for the season. The 10.10 in the 100 at regionals was a bit shocking, but I know that I could go faster. I know what I’m capable of. All-in-all it was a great season. There were some injuries, but that is a part of the sport. There are still some knick-knacks but I’ll come out at nationals and compete to the best of my ability.”

Long-term, McCoy said he was undecided as to what event he would specialize in, but for now, the half-lapper is his favorite race.

“I feel like I could do it all. In the shorter races, I’m working on getting a better start. I have the top end speed – I just need to get the start together,” he said. “Terrence (Jones) had a hell of a season and I’m definitely motivated and encouraged by that. Coming off last year when he was hurt a lot, he really rebounded this year and took his game to another level. To come back and did what he did this year, that shows a lot of heart and commitment. I feel as if we’re going to put on a show at nationals. I just want Bahamians to come out and support us at the nationals in about a month. It’s going to be exciting and we will need all the support we could get.”

For his efforts, McCoy ended his collegiate season as a second-team All-American in the men’s 4x400m relay, a first team all-conference in the men’s 4x400m relay, a first team all-conference in the men’s 400m, and a second team all-conference in the men’s 200m.

Indoors, he was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) men’s track most outstanding athlete for his efforts. He was the champion of the 400m, the fifth place finisher in the 200m, and a key member of the ACC Champion men’s 4×400m relay team. His 400m time of 45.91 seconds is second-fastest in school history.

In the men’s 100m, Jones and McCoy lead the way among Bahamians and then there are athletes like decathlete Kendrick Thompson, Samson Colebrooke and Karon Dean who have run under 10.35 seconds this year.

“The leg speed is definitely there,” said McCoy. “If we could get together and get the stick around, I’m sure we could qualify for the worlds in the men’s 4x100m relay. We just have to go out there and run to the best of our ability and we should be able to qualify.”

The Bahamas would have to post a time fast enough to enter the top 16 teams in the world in order to qualify for the world championships. The 19th World Athletics Championships is set for August 19-27 at the National Athletics Centre, in Budapest, Hungary.

Locally, here at home, the 100m is expected to be a big draw, and Jones and McCoy could certainly be in the spotlight.

 Home|Sports|Otabor is NCAA national javelin championSports

Bahamians shine at NCAA DI Outdoor Championship

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 12, 2023 18 4 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Bahamian collegiate athletes had a strong weekend at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 Championships that included the Nebraska University Huskers’ Rhema Otabor winning the national title in the javelin throw.

Otabor did it at the Mike A. Myers Stadium on the University of Texas Longhorns campus in Austin, Texas, as she led a strong contingent of Bahamian athletes in a very competitive meet. She won the javelin throw with a throw of 59.49 meters (m) (195’ 2”). That distance was a personal best for her, and it was also the college-leading throw. She broke her own school record and was the second Husker to win the javelin throw at nationals.

“It feels amazing to be national champion,” Otabor said. “It was one of the goals I had put down to achieve at the beginning of this season and it’s so awesome that I was able to accomplish it.”

Texas A&M duo of Lianna Davidson and Katelyn Fairchild posted 

personal bets to place second and third, respectively. Davidson posted 58.78m (192’ 10”) and Fairchild posted 57.97m (190’ 2”).

The junior said she came into the meet wanting to stay calm and have a clear mind, and did not want to overthink. Her first throw was strong as she posted a distance of 59.04m (193’ 8”).

“The first throw and the second throw felt very similar to me. The only thing that I could say was different is that I was a bit more determined and aggressive on the second throw, since I knew that my first throw guaranteed me a spot in finals,” Otabor said.

She was able to meet her goals at this meet and she plans on competing at the Central America and Caribbean (CAC) Games later this month before competing at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) Senior National Championships in early July.

The Texas Tech Red Raiders’ Terrence Jones competed in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay races. His best finish came in the 200m where he ran away with the bronze medal with a personal best of 19.87 seconds. Stanford University Cardinals’ Udodi Onwuzurike narrowly won in 19.84 seconds while Jones’ teammate, Courtney Lindsey, was second in 19.86 seconds. The top four finishers all ran under 19.90 seconds.

Jones ran out of lane nine and got off to a quick start. He was leading the race until the curve before Onwuzurike picked up speed and led coming off the curve. Jones tried passing him, but the Stanford runner was tough to catch down the straight.

The junior was expected to compete in the 100m finals but it did not go as planned as his 10.06 seconds in the semifinals was not enough to advance him to the finals.

In the 4x100m relay race, Jones and teammates Adam Clayton, Lindsey and Don’dre Swint ran a quick race with Jones anchoring the team. They posted a school and meet record time of 37.93 seconds only to be disqualified. The NCAA officials cited rule 15.9c because the first exchange was outside the allowable zone. That meant that second-place Louisiana State University Tigers won with a time of 38.05 seconds.

Also competing for the Red Raiders was Antoine Andrews in the 110m hurdles. It was not a good outing for the freshman as he clocked 14.30 seconds after hitting a few hurdles on the way to the finish line.

Anthaya Charlton had a good run for her University of Kentucky Wildcats in the 100m and 4x100m relay races. The 100m race saw her clock 11.18 seconds in the semifinals to narrowly miss out on advancing to the final. She finished with the 11th fastest overall time.

Charlton ran the second leg in the 4x100m relay along with teammates Victoria Perrow, Masai Russell and Karimah Davis. Charlton had a strong run on the second leg and helped them to a silver medal finish in a time of 42.46 seconds. Winning that race after clocking a season best and college leading time, and a facility, meet and collegiate time of 41.55 seconds in the semis, the hosts won with a time of 41.60 seconds. The Tigers was close behind with a season best 42.52 seconds to place third.

The Wildcats also featured Megan Moss who ran the second leg in the 4x400m relay. Her teammates included Davis, Tamiia Fuller and Dajour Miles. Moss helped them to clock a season best 3:27.47 to place sixth. The University of Arkansas Razorbacks was the winner with a season best of 3:24.05.

Charisma Taylor saw action in four events for her University of Tennessee Volunteers. Taylor was in the 100m hurdles, long jump, triple jump and the 4x100m relay. Taylor’s best finish came in the triple jump when she placed fourth with a leap of 13.93m (45’ 8-1/2”). The University of Florida Gators’ Jasmine Moore won that event after posting 14.78m (48’ 6”) which was a personal best, college leading distance, facility, meet and collegiate record.

The long jump saw her finishing sixth after leaping to 6.41m (21’ 1/2”) on her final jump. The Longhorns’ Ackelia Smith had the best jump of 6.88 (22’ 7”) to get the victory in that event.

The senior missed out on the finals in the 100m hurdles running to a time of 12.94 seconds. She finished with the 10th fastest time in the semifinal.

Taylor ran the third leg for her school in the 4x100m relay along with Jacious Sears, Jonah Ross and Nicole Sreenan. They finished with their semifinal in a season best time of 43.25 seconds to place 10th overall.

Freshman Javonya Valcourt also ran for the Volunteers in the 400m semifinals. She did not finish the race.

Shaun Miller was tied for fourth in the high jump. The Ohio State Buckeyes junior cleared 2.16m (7’ 1”). Winning that event was the University of South Florida’s Romaine Beckford who cleared a personal best 2.27m (7’ 5-1/4”).

Wanya McCoy got his Clemson University Tigers started in the 4x400m relay final. However, the team of McCoy, D’Andre Anderson, Aman Thornton and Tarees Rhodes did not finish the race. They came into the final with a season’s best time of 2:59.78.

McCoy also anchored his 4x100m team of Giano Roberts, Cameron Rose and Guinove Joanus. They ran a season’s best time of 38.73 seconds to finish 11th in the semifinals.

Athletes that place in top eight in their events earned All-American First Team honors and ninth to 16th place earned All-America Second Team honors.

 Home|Sports|Jones, Liberty pick up two wins on the weekendSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 12, 2023 11 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

After their game against the Minnesota Lynx got postponed on Wednesday, due to dangerous air quality on Wednesday, Bahamian professional basketball player Jonquel Jones and the New York Liberty were back in action over the weekend with wins over the Dallas Wings and the Atlanta Dream.

It was a strong third quarter for the Liberty as they secured the 102-93 victory against the Wings yesterday at home at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The win improved the Liberty to a 6-2 win/loss record on the season. Jones, who was traded to the Liberty in the off-season, finished with eight points and eight boards in 27 minutes of play.

The Liberty got their weekend off with a 106-83 victory over the Atlanta Dream at the Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia, on Friday. Jones finished with a season high of 11 points in 21 minutes.

Sunday saw the 6’6” player have a plus-minus of 17 and finish the game shooting 3-for-5 from the field without an attempt from deep. She was 2-for-2 from the charity stripe and dished out three assists.

The Liberty was led by Breanna Stewart who had a game-high 32 points. The Wings’ guard Arike Ogunbowale led them with 25 points in the loss.

Jones got on the scoreboard on a turnaround jump shot at the 3:24 mark in the first quarter as the Liberty led 20-18. She finished the quarter with two points and two rebounds in the first quarter as the game was tied at 20 points.

The Grand Bahama native came alive briefly in the second quarter pouring in four points to head into the intermission with six points but the Liberty was down 51-45.

The Liberty had a strong third quarter to head into the fourth quarter with a 79-68 lead. They outscored the Wings 34-17 in that quarter. The fourth quarter was evenly played as the Liberty held off any comeback the Wings had planned.

It was an efficient game for the Liberty who made 39 shots on 31 assists. They made 13 three-pointers compared to the Wings’ six three-pointers. The Liberty’s largest lead was 14 points.

The 2017 Most Improved Player is averaging 9.1 points per game and five rebounds per game as she continues to work her way back from an injury and adjust to her new team nine games into the season.

The next game for the Liberty is a rematch against the Dream at home tomorrow at 8 p.m.

 Home|Sports|Baha Mar inaugural golf tournament raises over $100KSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 12, 2023 12 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Golfers came out and supported the Baha Mar Resort Foundation’s inaugural golf invitational on Saturday at the Baha Mar’s Royal Blue Golf Course. They were able to raise over $100,000 for the Foundation as it continues its community outreach.

The conditions were favorable for golf as there was little wind and sunny skies as golfers came out to support the foundation’s initiative. Special prizes were awarded for individual competitions, which included the longest drive and closest to the pin. Thirty-eight pairs entered the tournament.

The winners were John Davis and Kristen Vizalli who finished with a net score of 52.6. Second place was secured by the duo of Ian Sweeting and Rodwell Knowles who scored 55.9. Trevor Wallace and Colin Lightbourn finished third after coming away with a score of 57.1.

President of Baha Mar 

Resorts, Graeme Davis was happy to see Baha Mar partners, community, and friends at the inaugural charity tournament.

“It is to go back and give to the community through our Baha Mar Foundation which rests on our three pillars of community, culture and conservation. We’ve been active since we’ve opened here over six years ago, where we’ve been constantly supporting the community through the arts where we have a tremendous outreach with our community here in the art world and cultural aspects of Junkanoo support, certainly through the orphanages, old age homes, through whether it be BAARK or the Humane Society, Cancer Society and Hands for Hunger. We’re out there wherever we can,” Davis said.

One of their partners that was on the course was John Bull. John Bull representative Omar Cepeda said they were happy to be a part of the tournament.

“We are always happy to do something with Baha Mar since we are together in many joint ventures, and we are a part of their retail team. This is a great opportunity for all our guys to do something for the community through the foundation as well as having fun,” Cepeda said.

He was also was on the course swinging his golf clubs.

“I haven’t played in five years, so I am here having fun,” Cepeda said. “The score doesn’t count for me. I am here having fun with my coworkers and meeting new people. It is great to be a part of this.”

According to Georgette Rolle-Harris, head pro at Royal Blue, the players played a scramble format which is designed for play to be faster. There were junior golfers who took 

advantage of the tournament.

“When you have such a good mix of drinks on the course with food and music, it is a freer style of playing golf. I think the Foundation pulled it off this year. We saw some low scores on the course. There are three junior golfers in the field, and it is a great opportunity for them. It is great to see companies reach out to junior golfers to give them an opportunity to play. They can mix and converse with adult players and they are happy to be a part of it,” Rolle-Harris said.

Davis was happy to see Corporate Bahamas show up and support the event.

“We just rebuilt two new tennis courts in the community to put rackets in kids hands,” Davis said. “Everything we’re doing constantly is focused on giving back to the community. So we’re excited to have our partners here, people from John Bull from Bahamasair, Sands,Coca-Cola Bottling and Deltec just a cross-section of wonderful corporate citizens that are out here helping the foundation today (Saturday).”

Baha Mar is no stranger to sports as they play host to Baha Mar Hoops, Bahamas Basketball Federation’s Summer of Thunder, Miami Heat training camp and Derek Jeter Golf Invitational which help to raise some funds for the Baha Mar Foundation.