November 22, 2022November 22, 2022

More than 60 boats expected in 5th Best of the Best Regatta

DANNY STRACHAN, chairman of the National Family Island Regatta, speaks yesterday during a press conference for the Best of the Best Regatta. Photo: Patrick Hanna/BIS

As of Tuesday, November 22, 2022

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#WITHOUT any major regatta to skipper to accumulate points this year, the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs has opened the field to include more than 60 boats to participate in the fifth Best of the Best Regatta.

#Minister Clay Sweeting and other stakeholders were on hand yesterday to reveal plans for the signature regatta, scheduled for December 1-4 at Montagu Beach. Sweeting noted that it’s the most anticipated event on the sailing calendar and this will be the best one yet.

#“The Best of the Best Regatta displays the best the Bahamas has to offer in the sport of sailing, a tradition that has been a part of the Bahamian identity for over 80 years,” Sweeting said. “This is significant because the government is endeavouring to make sailing the country’s national sport.

#“We are hoping to make this official by next year as we celebrate our country’s 50th Independence anniversary.

#“We expect this event will bring more than 20,000 Bahamians to Montagu foreshore to witness and participate.”

#Sweeting said the event will be televised live for all to see throughout the Commonwealth of the Bahamas as the boats in four different classes, including the E class for the first time for sailors under the age of 18, will compete for bragging rights and some hefty cash prizes.

#Having boarded a sloop on every regatta he attended this year as the minister, Sweeting said he understands what it takes to get the boats to the finish line, and he thanked all of the sailors and boat owners for partnering with the ministry in getting the sport back to the pre-COVID-19 environment.

#He also thanked the regatta committee for producing this year’s event, which will be unique in nature with a variety of activities for the entire family to enjoy each and every day of the regatta.

#He further thanked Coca-Cola, BTC, ZNS, Bahamas Evc, BAMSA and the Department of Local Government for serving as the major sponsors.

#Barry Wilmott, chairman of the Regatta Desk at the ministry, said the ministry will take the time out first to honour and recognise the sailors during a “sexy and attractive” event on Wednesday, November 30 with the Skippers Reception on the Pirate Revenge boat at sea.

#Sailing competition will begin on Thursday, December 1 through Saturday, December 3 with the preliminaries and Cup races, starting at 8:30am each day. Based on their performances in the Cup races, boats will get the opportunity to advance to the finals on Sunday.

#Entered in the A Class are the Good News, Ed Sky, New Legend, New Courageous, Original Courageous, Running Tide and Southern Cross.

#Eight B Class boats are entered. They are Ants Nest II, Cobra, Barbarian, Eudeva, Lady Sonia, Lonesome Dove, Ole Bay and Susan Chase.

#The C Class will comprise of 32 boats, including Sweet Island Gal, Dream Girl, Whitty K, Sassie Sue, Xena, Sacrifice, Miss Rowie, It Ain’t Right, Raging Bull, Slaughter, Lady Eunice, Whisper, Legal Weapon, Chasewr, Unca John, Patton Pride, H20, Cobra Too, Bul Reg, Irene Goodnight, Fugitive, Golden Girl, Confusion, King & Knights, San Sally, Queen Ex, Barbarian II, Melva B, Ashli B, Revelation 3:19 and Bearley Legal.

#E Class will be made up of Empress, So Fine, Miss Agnes, Lady Kayla, Mako, One Bahamas, 2 Brothers, Lady Zari, Bain Town Woman, Mama, Papa, Brothers #2, Capt. Peg, Judgement D, COVID-19 and Miss Beila.

#Wilmott said in addition to food provided by every settlement in the Bahamas and live entertainment all day on the regatta site, the ministry will be hosting a Family Day on Saturday where there will be a number of events, including a treat with Santa Claus arriving in a sloop sailing boat bearing gifts and treats for the children on the park.

#Caribbean Bottling Company’s marketing director Jonathan Thronebury revealed that through Coca-Cola, CBC will be launching the Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup, an initiative that was originally scheduled for 2020, but had to be postponed because of COVID-19.

#In conjunction with the Bahamas’ 50th Independence celebrations, Thronebury said the Bahamas Goombay Punch, considered by Coca-Cola as the official soft drink of the Bahamas, has placed six sailing sloops Tida Wave, New Courageous, Running Tide, New Legend, Southern Cross and San Sally, as the showpieces on the drinks from 2019.

#As for the Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup, Thronebury said it’s open to all A class boats with the winner determined by cumulative points totaled from three major regattas – the Best of the Best, the National Family Island and Long Island Regatta.

#The winner will be announced upon the completion of the Long Island Regatta in June 2023 and will receive $5,000 in cash prize. An $8,000 stipend will be presented to assist the sport for their island’s junior sailing club, and exclusive congratulatory Goombay cans from September 2023 until January 2024.

#Danny Strachan, the commodore of the National Family Island Regatta, said with all of the top sloops sailing, the competition should be very fierce.

#“As you know, the boats have been laid up for about two and-a-half years, so everyone is anxious to get back on the water,” Strachan said. “So, they have been very diligent trying to get their boats ready for the Best of the Best Regatta.

#“So, in terms of the competition, you certainly will have the defending National Family Island Regatta champion, the New Legend out of Long Island and the Running Tide out of Long Island. Also, in the B Class, you will have the Lonesome Dove, the national Family Island Regatta champion and you will have the Whitty K, the last national champion in the C Class. So, you will have all of the champions here to determine who is the Best of the Best.”

#Anthiniqueko Gibson, the CEO and owner of the BahamasEvac Services, thanked Sweeting and his ministry for affording them the opportunity to provide the safety services on the water and on the ground during the regatta.

#“We look to bring a number of dynamics in terms of aspects to the event that ranging in health care and pre-screening care for all ages,” Gibson pointed out.

#“We understand that we will have a category of sailors from youngsters to adults and the general as well, so we are happy to be a part of this event.”

#Gibson said they will provide dive rescue medics and a team on hand for the duration of the regatta so they can take care of any medical emergencies in a safe and secure environment and will provide air services wherever it is necessary.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/nov/22/more-60-boats-expected-5th-best-best-regatta/?news

November 22, 2022November 22, 2022

‘Jay Shred’ Johnson brings another title back home

As of Tuesday, November 22, 2022

JASON Johnson shows off his medal and trophy won at NCP Atlantic Coast Championships held at Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina in Florida.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#AFTER taking a year off to further develop his physique, Jason ‘Jay Shred” Johnson returned to the international stage where he participated in a National Physique Committee (NPC) over the weekend and returned home with another title.

#Competing in the 2022 NCP Atlantic Coast Championships at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Johnson won the Men’s Physique Open Class D divisional title over five other competitors. The event was a Tim Gardner Production.

#“I love the event because the NPC side takes care of their athletes,” said Johnson, a professional bodybuilder. “I went there with a very nice physique and I felt the calibre of athletes competing brought the best out of me.

#“As soon as I walked out on stage and the judges saw me, they put me directly in the middle of the lineup of the placement. I think I was the clear winner once I walked out on stage. So I’m very happy with my performance.”

#While this was the 11th show that Johnson has competed in since he turned pro in 2018, this was his first one for the year. His last appearance was last year in Santo Domingo in an IFBB show where he was also the winner of his division.

#“I feel really good. I worked on certain body parts and I got to bring a complete package for the show,” Johnson said. “I did about five shows last year, but since then I improved on my size, especially my back and my legs and it showed.

#“I think this was the right time for me to come back. My comeback was really good. I got a lot bigger and so I’m really pleased with my physique after taking the year off. I looked very good and I felt very good.”

#The 31-year-old Johnson, who co-manages the Gains 4 Life Club with Lorraine LaFleur, said he spent a great deal of time preparing for his return to the stage. He said he’s ready to assist anybody else who wants to get involved in the sport or just to get rid of some excess weight.

#He urged persons to contact him at 432-5165 and ask for “Jay Shred” and he will be willing to assist in any way he can.

#In the meantime, Johnson said he will continue to improve on his physique so that he can be the best professional bodybuilder possible.

November 22, 2022November 22, 2022

McPhee-McCuin and Ole Miss Rebels top Flyers 63-50

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/nov/22/mcphee-mccuin-and-ole-miss-rebels-top-flyers-63-50/?news

BAHAMIAN coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin and her Ole Miss Rebels celebrate last night after winning their opening game of the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship at the Baha Mar resort. Ole Miss stayed undefeated in five games this season, sealing an impressive 63-50 win over the Dayton Flyers. Photos: Austin Fernander/Tribune Staff

As of Tuesday, November 22, 2022

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#It was a grand homecoming for coach Yolett McPhee- McCuin as her University of Mississippi Rebels ran away with their opening game of the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship at the Baha Mar resort last night.

#Ole Miss didn’t disappoint McPhee-McCuin either as the Rebels stayed undefeated in five games this season, sealing an impressive 63-50 win over the Dayton Flyers, coached by Tamika Williams-Jeter, who remained winless at 0-5.

#“We showed a level of toughness throughout adversity,” said McPhee- McCuin as they fought off a stiff challenge from the Flyers in the second half and particularly at the start of the fourth period.

#And winning on home soil was just incredible for McPhee-McCuin, who expressed her gratitude for the tremendous support she got from her family and friends, who came in from her hometown of Grand Bahama, led by her parents Daisy and former national coach Gladstone ‘Moon’ McPhee.

#“For me this means a lot. I got emotional. We’re a proudful people in the Bahamas,” she said. “So for me, this means a lot. I got emotional. I was born and raised in the Bahamas, so for me to come here and be able to play and have my team step up.”

#Forward Tyla Singleton came off the bench and poured in 14 points with 13 points in the paint, while Marquesha Davis was the only other player in double figures with 10 points, five rebounds and two steals.

#But Ole Miss had six other players who scored to produce a balanced attack.

#Angel Baker connected on nine, Madison Scott had eight, both Myah Taylor and Destiny Salary chipped in with seven and Snudda Collins helped out with six.

#For Dayton, Destiny Bohanon was the only player in double figures with 11 points. Anyssa Jones was their next best scorer with nine and seven rebounds, both Nayo Lear and Taisitya Kozlova had eight each. Ole Miss, coming into the arena with the sound of junkanoo music as McPhee-McCuin acknowledged the crowd, opened the game with the first basket to get off on the right foot.

#The Rebels, getting a challenge from the Flyers, held on for a slim 17-15 advantage at the end of the first quarter as both teams tightened up on their defence.

#After falling behind 21-19 early in the second quarter, Ole Miss applied the pressure and got a couple of stops to surge back out front 26-21. They went on to hold onto a 30-25 half-time margin.

#Although the Flyers came out of the intermission with some momentum, it wasn’t enough to derail the Rebels, who maintained no less than a four-point lead, until they gave up the final two points on a fast break layup for a slim 42-40 margin. After watching Dayton rally to even the score at 44-44, Ole Miss went on a 14-0 tear to pull ahead 58-44.

#Both teams were 5-5 down the stretch, but it didn’t matter as Ole Miss held on for the win.

#In the earlier games played, the Missouri Tigers def. Wake Forest Deacons 69-47, University of Utah Utes def. the Alabama Crimson Tides 93-68 and the Virginia Tech Hokies def. Kentucky Wildcats 82-74.

#Tigers 69, Deacons 47

#The Tigers stayed undefeated in six games, but missed the opportunity to see four players reach double figures for the third time this season.

#Forward Hayley Frank canned a game high 20 points with two assists and Katlyn Gilbert added 11 points with five assists and two rebounds. Centre Jayla Kelly had nine points and 10 rebounds and guard Haley Troup ended up with nine points as well.

#Wake Forest, who made their first trip outside of the US since 2014,, saw forward Olivia Summiel score 12 points with six rebounds and four assists and forward Demeara Hinds had nine points and nine rebounds.

#Utes 93, Crimson Tides 68

#Utah had a balanced scoring attack with four players in double figures as they went on to score 80 or more points for the fifth time this season.

#Guard Gianna Kneepkens led their attack with 21 points, four rebounds and two assists, forward Alissa Pili had 18 points, five rebounds and two assists, forward Jenna Johnson had 17 points, five rebounds and three assists and guard Isabel Palmer added 12 points with a pair of rebounds and assists.

#Utah came from a 31-23 deficit at the end of the first quarter and trailed 52-48 at the half. But they used a 27-16 run in the third to post a 75-68 advantage after three and held on for the win.

#Alabama, with their guards leading the way, got a game high 23 points from Brittany Davis with five assists and three rebounds, Aaliyah Nye had 17 points, three assists and both Loyal McQueen and Megan Abrams had 15 points.

#Hokies 82, Wildcats 74

#No.14 Virginia Tech opened an impressive 29-8 lead at the end of the first quarter and 44-23 at the half. They came out of the locker room and went into a scoring spree with Kentucky in the second half, but managed to hold on for the win.

#Centre Elizabeth Kitley led four players in double figures with a game high 25 points, 13 rebounds, three block shots and two steals.

#Guard Ashley Owusu had 16 points, six rebounds and two steals, forward Taylor Soule added 15 points with seven rebounds and guard Georgia Amoore contributed 14 points with four assists,

#Kentucky, in dropping their first game in five appearances this season, trailed by 18 entering the final period but outscored Virginia Tech 25-15 in the fourth quarter, but it was not enough.

#The Wildcats got 17 points from guard Jada Walker and 12 points from forward Ajae Petty.

#Guard Robyn Benton had 13 points, while guard Maddie Scherr had six points, seven rebounds and four assists before fouling out. With today off, the teams will play their final game in the tournament on Wednesday.

#• Here’s a look at the schedule of matches on tap:

#WEDNESDAY

#11am – Alabama vs

#Wake Forest

#1:30pm – Missouri vs

#Virginia Tech

#4:30pm – Kentucky vs

#Dayton

#7pm – Ole Miss vs Utah

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/nov/22/mcphee-mccuin-and-ole-miss-rebels-top-flyers-63-50/?news

November 22, 2022November 22, 2022

UCLA beats Marquette for Battle 4 Atlantis title

UCLA celebrates after defeating Marquette in the NCAA college basketball championship game in the Battle 4 Atlantis at Paradise Island yesterday. Photo: Tim Aylen/Bahamas Visual Services via AP

As of Tuesday, November 22, 2022

#By AARON BEARD

#AP Basketball Writer

#PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) — UCLA took down an AP Top 25 team with a marquee name, earned a ranking of its own, then finished off a big 24-hour span by hoisting the Battle 4 Atlantis championship trophy.

#Freshman Kiki Rice scored 18 points and Gina Conti added 16 to help the 20th-ranked Bruins hold off Marquette 66-58 in overtime in yesterday’s title game, capping a three-day performance that ended with them dancing around on the court and pointing to their fans in the stands at the Atlantis resort.

UCLA’s Kiki Rice, left, controls the ball against Marquette’s Nia Clarke, right, during the NCAA college basketball championship game in the Battle 4 Atlantis. (Tim Aylen/Bahamas Visual Services via AP)

#Much of the attention on the Bruins (6-0) had centred on their No. 1-ranked recruiting class, but it was the veterans who took over down the stretch — tournament most valuable player Charisma Osborne (fourth year), Camryn Brown (fourth year) and Conti (graduate transfer from Wake Forest). “If they don’t show the newbies the way, we’re not going to be consistent enough,” coach Cori Close said. “They’ve been in these moments, they know.”

#Osborne had just nine points on 4-for-16 shooting after two big tournament games, but she scored the first basket of overtime on a tough runner to put the Bruins ahead to stay. She also assisted on Brown’s layup for a 62-55 lead late.

#Afterward, several of Osborne’s teammates predicted her MVP win by putting their arm around her and pointing at her as the announcement was being made during the postgame trophy presentation.

#In all, Osborne, Conti and Brown combined to score eight of UCLA’s last nine baskets starting from late in the third quarter.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: UCLA celebrates after defeating Marquette in the NCAA college basketball Battle 4 Atlantis championship game on Paradise Island, Bahamas, yesterday. Photo: Tim Aylen/Bahamas Visual Services via AP

#“I want to give credit to my teammates and coaches just for continuing to encourage me throughout the whole game,” Osborne said.

#Chloe Marotta scored 15 points to lead the Golden Eagles (5-1), and Jordan King had just 10 points before fouling out early in overtime.

#“I thought we lost a little bit of momentum,” Marquette coach Megan Duffy said of King’s exit. “Didn’t totally lose it, but just possessions changed a little bit … so we were just a little bit rattled in those first couple of minutes.”

#The Bruins and Eagles threw the second-ever Atlantis women’s tournament off its projected course with upsets. First there was Marquette beating then-No. 3 Texas in Saturday’s first round, then UCLA followed with a romp against then-No. 11 Tennessee in Sunday’s semifinals.

#A year after a 1-vs-2 matchup between South Carolina and Connecticut for the title, this year’s championship paired two unranked teams at tipoff — though the Bruins entered the new AP Top 25 during the game and played the second half as a ranked team.

#THE BIG PICTURE

#Marquette: The Golden Eagles were picked to finish sixth in the Big East, but beating Texas and then Gonzaga in the semifinals brought them close to cracking the AP Top 25.

#This tough three-day performance might push them over the hump next week.

#“We came in, we played some really good competition and we proved ourselves,” Marotta said.

#UCLA: The Bruins entered Atlantis with the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class starting to settle into the college game, along with strong play from Osborne.

#But this was a reminder of the value of veterans to guide talented youngsters like Rice, the nation’s No. 2-ranked recruit.

#BROWN’S BOOST

#Brown finished with four points but had six rebounds and five steals, including one for a runout basket for a 57-53 lead in OT.

#“I couldn’t think about if I was tired (going into OT), I was just thinking about my hands being active,” she said.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/nov/22/ucla-beats-marquette-battle-4-atlantis-title/?news

November 22, 2022November 22, 2022

Basketball team funds

As of Monday, November 21, 2022

#EDITOR, The Tribune

#I wish to comment on the disappointment of the women’s National Basketball team having to cancel their participation in an international tournament in Mexico due to funding for travel. In the decades of the fifties and sixties sporting organisations, including the Olympic Association and the BAAA, held raffles and other fundraising events to finance teams traveling to international tournaments. Government contributed, but was not expected to finance these trips. Today, it appears, that our sporting associations expect government to fully finance international teams travelling.

#In the USA, Canada, England and the Caribbean associations hold fundraising events, sell sporting paraphernalia, seek sponsorship from persons and corporations to meet the travel budget. It is my experience that public assistance will be forthcoming when it is seen that efforts are being made by the associations to acquire the needed revenue. Following are examples: Commonwealth Wanderers Cricket team travelled annually to cities in the USA and Canada. We also travelled to Caribbean islands to play cricket. In 1976 we travelled to England, which was an expensive undertaking. We would determine a budget for each traveller (air travel and hotel only). We held fundraising events; raffles, cookouts and concerts, etc: Each traveling member had to sell tickets to meet his budget or pay the difference. The tickets were always sold, even above the budget amount.

#Players were given a letter to sponsors. Donations had to be made to the Club and not the individual. On most occasions the revenues derived from these events, etc, exceeded the budget for the trip and was used to provide prizes and compensation for our hardest workers and ticket vendors. Prizes were also given for outstanding performances by our players. Each year it was a unified effort made by all members to provide funds for the team to go on tour. Apart from touring we entertained teams from overseas here. The Ministry of Tourism contributed with advertising material, gifts for distribution, banners and on two occasions paid for Miss Bahamas to accompany the team. We were also given cash donations.

#In Canada we were entertained by the Governor General if we played in Ottawa. In other cities we were very often entertained by Mayors. In Detroit and Chicago Edmund Lewis and his daughter conducted traffic (Bahamas style in their police uniform). In Chicago we lived at the Playboy Club. The Cricket Club, that has become so popular with tourists and local residents was the idea of President Sidney Deveaux. His plan was supported by Board Members, in particular Irving Taylor, Edmund Lewis, Theophilus Fritz and Paul Thompson. Cabinet Ministers Peter Bethel and Dr. Norman Gay obtained permission for the use of the land. The Ministry of Works drew the plan and provided consultants. All of the building materials and most of the labour were donated. Messrs Percy Munnings, Thephilus Fritz, George Myers, Sir Orville Turnquest, Gerald Dean, Gerald Bartlett, J Barry Farrington and many residents of Lyford Cay were major donors. The building was completed with funds from a loan from Barclays?

#A loan from Barclays Bank, that was approved by Mr Saddler of Lyford. The management of Chris and Connie Robertson as made the restaurant profitable and popular. The cricket association benefits from the financial success of the restaurant. The large numbers of persons involved in most of then sports in our country should make fundraising events successful must be a source of funding and not only the government.

#PAUL THOMPSON Sr

#Nassau,

#November, 2022.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/nov/21/basketball-team-funds/

November 22, 2022November 22, 2022

Bahamians set to see NCAA basketball action

Home|Sports|Bahamians set to see NCAA basketball actionSports

Simba French Send an emailNovember 21, 2022 219 2 minute readFacebook Twitter LinkedIn Share via Email

Bahamian Yolett McPhee-McCuin and the Ole Miss Lady Rebels are set to play in The Bahamas tonight. They will take on the Dayton University Flyers in the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship, at Baha Mar at 7 p.m.

It is early season tournament time in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I basketball and several Bahamians will be in action for their schools.

When coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin was last coaching at home, she made history when she was an assistant coach for The Bahamas’ senior men’s national basketball team this past summer, becoming the first female to coach a senior men’s national team. Today, she will have a dream come true when she gets to coach the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) Lady Rebels at home. They will take on Dayton University Flyers in the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship at Baha Mar at 7 p.m. The Rebels sport a 4-0 win/loss record after dominating the Southern Miss Eagles, 92-46, last Wednesday.

Freshman Frederick King and the Creighton Bluejays will play in the Maui Invitational that gets underway at the Lāhainā Civic Center in Maui, Hawaii, today. The perfect 4-0 Bluejays will play the Texas Tech Red Raiders at 1:30 p.m., and that game will be televised live on ESPN2.

King played just nine minutes on Thursday night, but he made the most of it, finishing with eight points on 3-for-4 shooting from the field to help the Bluejays take down the University of California Riverside Highlanders, 80-51. He was able to pull down two rebounds and added two blocks.

Franco Miller Jr. and the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles will be in action at 7:30 p.m. in the Gulf Coast Showcase at the Hertz Arena in Estero, Florida. They will put their 2-2 win/loss record on the line when they take on the Northern Kentucky Norse.

The Grand Bahamian is coming off a tough outing where he went 0-for-5 from the field in an 81-50 drubbing from the nationally ranked University of Tennessee Vols. He had just one assist in 14 minutes on the floor.

The University of Akron Zips duo of guard Garvin Clarke Jr. and forward Sammy Hunter had a six-day rest and they will be in action today when they take on the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers at the Cayman Islands Basketball Tournament. Their first-round game gets underway at 1:30 p.m. today.

The Zips sport a 2-1 record this season and are coming off a 65-59 victory over the Morgan State University Bears last week Tuesday. Hunter has started all three games and in 20.3 minutes per game, is averaging 4.3 points and three rebounds. Clarke is averaging 3.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in 23 minutes per game.

Ahmard Harvey and the High Point University Panthers will be on the west coast when they take on the Central Michigan University Chippewas at 5:30 p.m. today in San Juan Capistrano, California.

The last time the Panthers took the floor was on Friday night when they fell 78-68 to the University of Nevada Las Vegas Rebels. Harvey came up empty in that matchup, missing his only field goal, but he was able to collect three rebounds, two assists and a block.

November 22, 2022November 22, 2022

Jackson to go to University of Miami

The Bahamas makes history at OPTINAMs

Home|Sports|Jackson to go to University of MiamiSports

Sheldon Longley Send an emailNovember 21, 2022 620 4 minute readFacebook Twitter LinkedIn Share via Email

Young Bahamian discus thrower Calea Jackson (second from left) has signed a letter of intent to attend the University of Miami (UM) in Coral Gables, Florida. Shown from left are BAAA President Drumeco Archer, Jackson, Calea’s stepfather Dwayne Mackey (background), Calea’s mother Carla Jackson and Calea’s coach Corrington Maycock of Blue Chip Athletics. Sheldon Longley

Blue Chip Athletics is continuing to produce top throwers in the country, and the athletes are reaping the rewards.

Calea Jackson, a 17-year-old senior at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School in Rabun County, Georgia, USA, became the latest athlete from the locally based Blue Chip Athletics, to sign a letter of intent with a major National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I school.

Jackson has chosen the University of Miami (UM) in Coral Gables, Florida, starting her collegiate education just a short plane ride from her home here in The Bahamas.

Jackson is one of the top young discus throwers in the country, and abroad she is a two-time state champion in that event for the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee Eagles. She was also fourth in the under-20 girls discus at the CARIFTA Games in Kingston, Jamaica, this year, turning in a personal best throw of 44.90 meters (m) – 147’ 3”.

“I’m just happy to know that I have so much love and support. It was overwhelming,” said Jackson about the huge turnout for her official signing session on Saturday. She signed her letter of intent at Empire Fitness Bahamas in Seagrapes Plaza in Nassau East.

“I wanted to choose a school that fit me athletically as well as academically, and Miami is that school,” said Jackson on Saturday. “I had a great time with the coach there and it’s a wonderful place for me to continue my education and my career. I felt that if I want to be successful in the direction that I want to go in, Miami would be the best place for that.”

At UM, Cory Young is the Associate Head Coach with responsibility for the throws.

“I like his coaching style. He likes to keep the team relatively small so there could be individual training. There is quality over quantity there and that is one of the things I like. Also, it’s not too far from home,” said Jackson. “I just want to be able to do well and prove myself. I feel like I’m up for the challenge.”

Jackson left Queen’s College after grade nine and spent the last three years at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee. She she is on the doorstep of beginning her tertiary education.

“The only time I get proud is when they sign scholarships – that’s when things hit home with me,” said Corrington Maycock, head coach of Blue Chip Athletics. He has been a coach and mentor to Jackson ever since grade seven. “I am very proud of her and what she had done. She worked hard for this. Like I tell the athletes, whatever scholarship we get, we will accept. We’re happy that the last nine kids out of the program went to major division one schools. That says a lot about the program, and we want to continue that trend going forward. This is what athletics is all about – making sure everyone has an opportunity to experience free education and success in life. The goal of the club is to make sure all of the athletes have the same opportunity to go off to school. They just have to put in the hard work and they will reap the rewards.”

Jackson is set to start her tenure at UM in the Fall of 2023 and she is studying to become a medical doctor.

“Track and field is not just a sport – it is a community-driven program that expresses the real spirit of this country. Many of the great leaders of this country once came out of sports,” said Drumeco Archer, president of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA). “I want to congratulate Corrington Maycock for reviving the sport of field, and not just track. It is noteworthy and remarkable. I also want to congratulate people like Laquel Harris who has been the backbone behind this program. Some of their standards might sometimes seem unreachable but it is in striving for those standards that one is able to achieve greatness.

“Today we are celebrating one individual who has continued to extend the reshaping of this track and field dynasty. Calea has blossomed into not just an amazing athlete, but an amazing individual. She is a world-class athlete and she is also a world-class student – a student who has maintained a 4.0 GPA (grade point average), and a student who has been sought after by so many universities. Since I am a Miami Dolphins fan, I am particularly pleased that she is going to Miami, and Miami has inherited a good woman.

“Calea, your scholastic achievements are beyond measure and we want to congratulate you for gracing the halls of Miami as your choice of universities. Track and field is producing top citizens in this country and that is what makes me most proud as president of the BAAA.”

On Saturday, young Jackson was supported by her parents, BAAA President Archer, Coach Maycock and Coach Harris, family and friends and a number of her club teammates at Blue Chip Athletics. Jackson’s signing comes about a year after javelin phenom Keyshawn Strachan, of Blue Chip Athletics, signed with Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. Strachan, an alumnus of St. John’s College, is listed as the number two junior thrower in the world on the World Athletics Top Performance list for 2022.

As for Jackson, mother Carla Jackson and stepfather Dwayne Mackey were front and center at the signing on Saturday.

“As parents, you have raised an amazing person – not just an athlete but a well-rounded amazing individual who has carried the banner of your family proudly. For that, we say thank you to the parents,” said Archer to Jackson’s parents on Saturday.

Mother Carla said she is proud of the young woman that her daughter has become.

“We’ve done a lot of work and we’ve come a long way. I’ve been really hard on her – to the point where this last year, I started to feel guilty,” said Carla Jackson. “Calea knew what she needed to do to get where she needed to be and she did it. I am so proud of her. She has surpassed what I expected. There is nothing else that we could do. She knows what she needs to do going forward. She is now an adult and we are ready for the next chapter in our lives.”

As mentioned, Jackson will begin her tenure at the University of Miami in the Fall of 2023. An emotional Jackson said she is excited and is looking forward to the opportunity.