Home|Sports|Hitmen, Operators reach championshipsSports

They will play Marlins and Wildcats in the best-of-five championships

Simba FrenchSend an emailOctober 6, 2022 240 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The New Providence Softball Association (NPSA) fastpitch league playoffs was set to be completed from last week but inclement weather pushed it back to Tuesday when it finally played out. The remainder of the semifinals resulted in the men’s defending champions C&S Hitmen and the women’s RAB Operators sweeping their way into the NPSA Championships.

The Hitmen had no more mercy on the Chances Mighty Mitts as they easily shut out them out, 17-0. The Operators won 15-9 over the University of The Bahamas (UB) Mingoes. Both series were best-of-three.

The teams in the championships are now known in both divisions with number one seeded Hitmen taking on the second-seeded Cyber Tech Blue Marlins in the men’s division. The ladies championship will feature the defending ladies champions and the number one seeded Sunshine Auto Wildcats battling the second-seeded Operators.

The Wildcats and the Blue Marlins were waiting from Saturday, September 25 for their opponents and should be well-rested. As a matter of fact, all four teams will be well-rested as the first game of the championships get underway on Thursday, October 13. The championships will be in a best-of-five format.

On Tuesday night, in the featured game, Hitmen veteran pitcher Edney ‘The Heat’ Bethel put on a clinic in the shutout victory for his team. He pitched a no-hitter in the four-inning contest, facing 13 batters and recording 12 strikeouts. The one batter who got on base earned a walk, stopping the perfect game for Bethel. At the plate, Bethel went 1-for-2 with a run batted in (RBI). He scored twice.

The Hitmen let it be known that they came out to end the game early, scoring six runs in the top of the first inning. They came back in the top of the second and doubled the lead to 12-0. Two more runs in the third inning and three more runs in the fourth proved to be enough for the mercy rule to be invoked.

The Hitmen and the Blue Marlins met three times in the regular season with the Hitmen winning the series 2-1. The Blue Marlins won the first matchup, 14-0. The Hitmen bounced back with 8-0 and 4-3 wins in the next two games.

Four Operators batters got multiple hits. Michelle Thompson, Jeanette Hilton, Keesha Johnson and Vanessa Sawyer each had two hits in the win for them.

The first two innings belong to the Operators as they opened the game with a four-run first inning and a two-run second inning to go up 6-0. The Mingoes got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third inning, but the Operators led 6-2 at the end of that inning.

After not scoring in the third and fourth innings, the Operators went on to score five runs in the top of the fifth to open an 11-3 gap. The Mingoes scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to bring the game to 11-6 in favor of the Operators.

Unlike the men’s division, the game needed the full seven innings as the Mingoes tried to make the score respectful. The game went into the bottom of the seventh inning 15-9 in favor of the Operators. Unfortunately for the Mingoes, the tail end of their batting lineup was up and they came up empty.

The Mingoes were led by Adonya Rolle who went 3-for-4 at the plate with a RBI.

The Operators and the Wildcats met three times in the regular season, with the Wildcats winning that series 2-1. The Wildcats won the first two games, 10-3 and 17-9. The Operators won the final game, 8-7.

https://thenassauguardian.com/hitmen-operators-reach-championships/

As of Wednesday, October 5, 2022

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RISING young discus thrower Calea Jackson of Blue Chips Athletics.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#ALTHOUGH she won’t sign her official letter of intent until November, rising young discus thrower Calea Jackson from Blue Chips Athletics has confirmed that she will be attending the University of Miami in August on an athletic scholarship for the Hurricanes women’s track and field programme.

#Jackson, 17, is currently attending Rabun Gap-Nacooche School, a boarding school in north Georgia, She had qualified for CARIFTA during her seventh grade at Queen’s College, but because she was only 12 years old, she was ineligible to compete.

#In April, she participated in her first Caribbean regional competition at CARIFTA in Kingston, Jamaica where she placed fourth in the discus.

#In preparation for the upcoming season, Jackson said she’s in constant dialogue with her Blue Chips Athletics Club Corrington Maycock online to get her workouts done because there’s really no throwing programme for her at school.

#“I am looking forward to CARIFTA, seeing that it’s going to be in the Bahamas,” said Jackson, who will be competing in the under- 20 girls’ division. “I want to do really well because it’s at home. I feel I have a lot to prove, so I’m looking forward to competing.”

#On her choice of college to attend, Jackson said Miami was an easy location to settle on.

#“I had a lot of good schools to look at and to choose from,” she pointed out. “But I chose Miami because not only do I think I would excel from the athletic perspective, but also from an academic perspective.

#“They have an awesome medical programme and that is the field that I want to go into in the future. They also have a great track programme. That was the balance that enabled me to select that school.”

#Although she’s versatile in the throwing events, Jackson said she and Maycock, as well as the coaching staff at Miami, agreed that she would abandon the shot put and concentrate a little more on her specialty in the discus with her emphasis now being placed on the hammer.

#“I wasn’t as good in the shot put as I am in the discus and I always wanted to do the hammer, but it’s not offered for high school,” said Jackson, who has a lifetime best of 45.19 metres or 148-feet, 3-inches in the discus and 11.45m (37-6 ¾) in the shot put.

#On her transition from high school to college, Jackson said she feels it will be an easy one.

#“It should not be a difficult transition for me because I’m already in a boarding school and I don’t think much will really change, except for the fact that I have a coach there training me,” she said. “So I’m looking forward to having a coach training me so that I can continue to excel in the sport.”

#Maycock, a former CARIFTA thrower who has turned into one of the country’s top throwers’ coaches, said Jackson has shown tremendous progress since she first qualified for CARIFTA as a seventh grader at Queen’s College.

#“She came a long way,” said Maycock, who celebrated his birthday on Tuesday. “She’s in boarding school in Georgia, so I continue to coach her online. She is working very hard, so I’m expecting some great things from her when she heads to Miami.”

#As he looks ahead to next year, Maycock said Jackson has an exceptional collegiate career as she competes in only the discus and the hammer, the latter of which he feels will turn out to be her best event.

#“This is her last year in high school, so we expect for her to compete at the Penn Relays today,” Maycock said.

#“I think she will be one of our better throwers because she has the potential. She’s a very hard worker.”

#Jackson, who left Queen’s College in 2020 for Georgia where she currently attends school with Mila Sands and Khory Moss, expressed her gratitude to God, her mother Carla Jackson and coach Maycock.

#She also thanked her team-mates for their support as she prepares to venture into the collegiate ranks next year.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/oct/05/calea-jackson-commits-university-miami-hurricanes/?news

As of Wednesday, October 5, 2022

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RICARDO McPhee and Christopher Rahming Jr with team officials.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#FROM playing together at age five with the United Football Club to team-mates on the men’s national team before they split up and played against each other’s academies in England, Ricardo ‘Ricky’ McPhee and Christopher Rahming Jr are now re-united as team-mates on their first professional soccer team in Italy.

#The pair of 23-year-old players signed their first pro contracts two weeks ago to play for the Casteilaneta Calcio 1962.

#While McPhee, a centre/ forward would have played in their first game on Sunday that ended in a scoreless draw, midfielder Rahming Jr is expected to play in their next game after he just got all of his official paper work completed.

#While he was playing for an academy in England, Rahming Jr said his coach introduced him to a few pro teams and when the offer was made to try out for Casteilaneta Calcio 1962, he invited McPhee. Together, they impressed the coaching staff and were signed to a one-year deal.

#“I just feel that it’s all God who brought us back together to make something happen big for the Bahamas,” said Rahming Jr. “It’s kind of like fate that we met playing so young with each other, then against each other in rival academies and now we have signed our first pro contract together. It’s only God to have brought us together again.”

#For McPhee, whose team lost out to Rahming Jr’s when they played in their separate academies in England, it was a blessing to play with someone who has known just about all of his life.

#“We both share the same dreams since being young kids and now to see us achieve that dream, not just at the same time, but in the same place, is truly a blessing. I want to thank God for this.”

#In his debut with the team, McPhee said it was more than he anticipated.

#“It was as tough match, very physical, fast and technical, but there’s nothing that my ability could not get through,” McPhee said.

#Based on what he saw, Rahming Jr said he hopes to provide some strength to their midfield.

#“I’m just looking forward to getting into the game and to display my ability to help the team as much as I can,” he said.

#As the only non European Union based players on the team, Rahming Jr and McPhee said it does not matter where you come from.

#“If you say you want something, just go and get it,” McPhee stressed.

#To the players they left behind, Rahming Jr said just as they got the exposure, it could happen to any other Bahamian.

#“They just have to put in the hard work and wait for their opportunity to come,” he stated.

#Over the next eight months, the duo are hoping to produce the kind of performances on the field that will enable Casteilaneta Calcio 1962 to contend for one of the two playoff spots in the league this year.

#The team finished in the middle of the table last year and is eager to move up the ladder.

#If there’s any hurdle that they both have to deal with, it’s the language barrier.

#They noticed that not many Italians speak English and so they find themselves learning some Latin words on the fly.

#“It’s been a little hard to learn the Latin language,” McPhee said.

#If there’s any consolation, McPhee said they are located in a very small city where “everyone knows everyone” so it gives us much more time to get adjusted to our environment and at the same time focusing on football. “We have fans driving to our matches, which are normally 45-one hour away from our city,” McPhee said.

#The stadiums they play in on the road house between 2-3,000 seating capacity, as compared to just under 1,000 at home.

#For the younger players back home in the Bahamas, McPhee advised them that it’s not “how you start, but rather how you finish. If you dream it and you believe it, you can achieve it. “I come from playing home, growing up on Carmichael Road to moving to England for football, then to Cyprus and Sweden to the division II level to come here for my first professional contract. Anything is possible.”

#The son of Chantell Varence and grandson of Clarice Varence, McPhee has two sisters Shernesha and Sherniah Pratt.

#McPhee graduated from Garvin Tynes Primary School, attended Aquinas College for grade seven and then entered the Leadership Academy Home School before leaving to complete the 11th and 12th grades in the United States of America.

#Rahming Jr is the son of Christopher Rahming Sr and Yvette Rahming and the brother to Gabrielle Rahming.

#He attended St Anne’s School from primary to eighth grade before enrolling in St Andrew’s School for the ninth grade and then departing for the USA as well to complete his high school tenure.

#“To anyone playing football in the Bahamas, if God gives you a dream to play pro, it’s a reason he gave you that dream,” he said.

#“So put your head down and work up and trust God. That is the only way you will make it.”

#Together, the duo want to “put the Bahamas on the map,’ McPhee said. “We want the world to know that we also play football in the Bahamas,” he added.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/oct/05/ricardo-mcphee-and-christopher-rahming-jr-reunite-/?news

As of Wednesday, October 5, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemdedia.net

#IN an effort to continue to promote the Bahamas as a “Paradise” destination to play golf, renowned American golfer Tiger Woods has released the names of 17 of the top 21 players in the world who will be coming to participate in his 2022 Hero World Challenge.

#This year’s Challenge is set for November 28 to December 4 at the Albany Bahamas resort and will include defending champion Viktor Hovland of Norway, who is currently ranked at number 11 in the world.

#The field of competitors coming in will comprise of seven major winners who have won a total of 11 major championship titles and 16 Professional Golf Association (PGA) Tour champions with a total of 87 titles to their ledgers.

#Now in its seventh year, the tournament rounds will be played from Thursday, December 1 – Sunday, December 4.

#Live television coverage will be provided by GOLF Channel during all four rounds and by NBC during the third and final rounds.

#According to the organisers on their official website, good-any-one-day grounds tickets and a limited number of premium hospitality packages for the Hero World Challenge are available for purchase at HeroWorldChallenge.com.

#Proceeds from this year’s Hero World Challenge benefit the TOR Foundation, Tavistock Foundation and the Bahamas Youth (Golf) Foundation.

#It’s anticipated that this year’s tournament will draw one of its strongest fields of competitors participating.

#While Hovland was just one of two players who won the title in their debut here, following in the footsteps of Jon Rahm, the 2015 champion, there are five players making their debut, who are looking to make an impact this year, They are Will Zalatoris, Cameron Young, Sungjae Im, Max Homa and Tom Kim.

#The list of entries for the tournament, which was first moved to the Bahamas in 2015, is headed by American Scottie Scheffler, the top ranked player on the official World Golf Ranking as of August 28.

#The next highest ranked player is fellow American Xander Schauffele, who is pegged at No.5.

#The players ranked from No.6 to 18 and from 20-21, are all listed to participate in the event. Missing from the list is the 2-4 ranked players and No.17.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/oct/05/hero-world-challenge-has-loaded-field-golfers/?news

Dahiana Santana and Jessica ‘The Cobra’ Camara.

As of Wednesday, October 5, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemdedia.net

#Promoter Michelle Minus and her First Class Promotions is back with another exciting professional boxing show, this time with an all-female cast of competitors.

#In their first show in more than a decade, Minus announced that in conjunction with Quinton Brennen of QB Events Consulting and Marketing, First Class Promotions will host a World Boxing Association super lightweight title fight between Canadian Jessica “The Cobra” Camara and Dominican Republic’s Dahiana Santana 8pm on Friday, October 28 at the Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium.

#Camara comes into the fight with a 7-1 win-loss record against Santana, the more experienced of the two with a 40-13 record. She is a former IBA world champion. Both fighters are aged 34.

#Under the theme “Fighting For the Cure,” the main event of the card, which will be a colour pink affair in recognition of Breast Cancer Month, will cover some 10 rounds, while there will be four other bouts featuring all females on the undercard.

#During the show, Minus said Ray Minus Jr, the founder of Champion Boxing Club which gave birth to First Class Promotions, will be honoured for his contribution to the sport of boxing, both at the amateur and professional ranks.

#“Ray has been one of the most outstanding boxers, who has contributed significantly to the sport,” said Minus, who worked feverishly with her husband during the heydays when he coached and produced three boxers with seven championship titles.

#They included Jermaine ‘Choo Choo’ Mackey with four belts and both Meacher ‘Major Pain’ Major and Elkino Saunders with one. All three boxers held the WBA Fedecaribe titles, while Mackey held the Bahamas, World Boxing Council (WBC) Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE) and the British Commonwealth super middleweight titles.

#Minus noted that during the night, Minus said they will also recognise a number of the fighters who came up through the ranks of Champion Boxing Club and First Class Promotions under the tutelage of Minus, who is currently recuperating from a series of injuries. The show is being partnered by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and will be sanctioned by the Bahamas Boxing Commission.

#According to Minus, this is just the beginning of the return of First Class Promotions.

#“I’m hooked up with the top weight division for boxing, the IBF, who match made the show,” Minus said. “When I made the call, they were able to put everything together because they want to bring more fights of this sort to the Caribbean and the Bahamas in general. “This is the first all-female boxing show ever staged in the Caribbean.

#“We are also planning on putting on the first unisex show here in the Bahamas in the future. We just want to make sure that we get this one under our belt first.”

#Minus said the whole idea is to support the fight against breast cancer and the Sister Sister Group.

#Tickets for the event are $35 for general admission and $125 for VIP. All major cards will be accepted for payment.

#Quinton Brennen, who now operates his QB Events consulting and marketing company after his departure from the National Sports Authority as the general manager, said he’s delighted to venture with First Class Promotions and Minus in taking the event from paper to fruition.

#“I’m responsible for the logistics, the organising, the full operation and the breakdown of the event,” he said. “Right now, we’re trying to secure all of the necessary funding to make the event a success.

#“But I’m happy to be associated with Michelle and First Class Promotions in this being a first time event in the country. Nothing much has been happening with boxing in the country, so it’s good to see the sport come back and come back in such a unique way with an all-female show.”

#Brennen said they hope to put on a first-class event that will attract all Bahamians to attend.

#The event comes just before the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture hosts its Sports Month in November where the focus will be on recognising some of the former greats who have made their contribution to sports in the country over the years.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/oct/05/all-womens-pro-boxing-show-set/?news

 Home|Sports|Bain finishes second in doublesSports

He and his partner lost to the second-seeded team at the regionals

Simba FrenchSend an emailOctober 5, 2022 236 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) Gold Rush sophomore Jacobi Bain and his doubles partner Nereo Suarez had to settle for a runner-up position in men’s doubles at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Gulf ITA (Intercollegiate Tennis Association) Regional Championships at the XULA Tennis Center over the weekend.

The top-seeded duo lost to second-seeded Texas A&M-Texarkana’s team of Alejandro Oviedo and Mauricio Trevino Velasco.

The first set was won 6-1 by the Texas A&M’s duo, but the Bahamian collegiate tennis player and his partner made a push in the second set, winning 6-4 to even the match at a set apiece.

In the end, they suffered the loss, 6-1, 4-6 and 10-7. Bain and Suarez will have to wait to be considered for an at-large bid for the ITA Cup, set for October 13-16 in Rome, Georgia. Bain and former doubles partner Juan Ramirez earned an at-large bid a year ago after placing second at the regionals.

Oviedo and Velasco earned an automatic bid for winning the tournament on Sunday.

To get to the final, the Gold Rush duo took down the Blue Mountain College (BMC) Toppers’ duo of Justin Van Amerongen and Rick Sakamoto, 8-1.

Bain was set to play in the singles championship as the fourth seed on Sunday against his teammate, third-seeded Mathieu Strauss. Bain was sick so Strauss picked up a walkover victory.

To get to the championship, Bain took down eighth-seeded Van Amerongen on Saturday, winning in straight sets, 6-2 and 6-2.

Bain had a 20-7 win/loss record last season in singles and was 26-9 in doubles. He was awarded the NAIA South Region Rookie Award for his efforts.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s (UAB) Sydney Clarke, a junior, was set to be in action at the Mercer Fall Classic in Macon, Georgia, last weekend. That tournament was postponed because of the passing of Hurricane Ian. She gets another chance to play this weekend, taking part in the Samford round robin tournament in Homewood, Alabama.

Elana Mackey and the Mars Hill Lions team were set to be in action against North Greenville University yesterday. That meeting was postponed. Mackey got her season underway last week Wednesday. Her Lions took down Johnson C. Smith College, 7-0.

In singles, Mackey took down Taylor Proffett, 6-1 and 6-0. In doubles, she and doubles partner Amanda Kadiri edged Proffett and Maykayla Ramos, 7-6.

The Lions return to action against Lees-McRae College at the Hart Tennis Complex in Mars Hill, North Carolina, on Saturday.

https://thenassauguardian.com/bain-finishes-second-in-doubles/

 Home|Sports|Majority of field revealed for Hero World ChallengeSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailOctober 5, 2022 261 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The majority of the field for the 2022 Hero World Challenge, a PGA (Professional Golfers Association) Tour event, was announced by host Tiger Woods yesterday. It features mostly top 20 golfers, according to the World Golf Rankings. Additionally, there are three tournament exemption slots up for grabs that will be announced at a later date.

The tournament is set for November 28 to December 4 at the Albany Golf Course in south western New Providence. This will be the seventh year that the tournament is held in The Bahamas.

Woods, who has battled injuries in the latter part of his career, is not listed as one of the 17 players who are set to play. However, it was not stated that the 46-year-old has not ruled himself out of playing this year.

The field is led by American Scottie Scheffler, who is the number one ranked golfer in the world as of August 28. He is also this year’s Masters Champion. Making the trip back to The Bahamas to defend his title is Norwegian Viktor Hovland. There are 16 PGA Tour winners, who have won a total of 87 events, committed to playing at Albany.

Rounding out the 17 confirmed players are Xander Schauffele (5th), Jon Rahm (6th), Justin Thomas (7th), Collin Morikawa (8th), Will Zalatoris (9th), Matt Fitzpatrick (10th), Sam Burns (12th), Jordan Spieth (13th), Tony Finau (14th), Billy Horschel (15), Hideki Matsuyama (16th), Cameron Young (17th), Sungjae Im (18th), Max Homa (20th), and Tom Kim (21st). World rankings are in brackets.

Thomas is the PGA Championship winner while Fitzpatrick is the U.S. Open winner. There are five players on the list making their tournament debuts – Zalatoris, Young, Im, Homa and Kim.

Hovland came from behind to win the 2021 Hero World Challenge. He was six strokes behind the third-round leader, Morikawa. He hit back-to-back eagle shot on holes 14 and 15 on the final day of competition to aid in his comeback attempt and give him the title in his first year at the tournament. Hovland finished 18-under par while Scheffler finished one stroke behind him in second. Hovland joined Rahm as the only first-time participants to win the tournament since it moved to Albany in 2015. Rahm did it in 2018.

Last year’s tournament was very competitive, and returned from a one-year hiatus in 2020 due to the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a different leader at the end of each of the four rounds last year.

At last year’s tournament, Woods made his first public appearance since the car accident in February 2021 that severely injured him. The last time he played in the tournament was in 2019.

Proceeds from the 2022 Hero World Challenge will benefit the TGR Foundation, the Tavistock Foundation and the Bahamas Youth Foundation.

https://thenassauguardian.com/majority-of-field-revealed-for-hero-world-challenge/

Sports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailOctober 5, 2022 165 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Striker Marlon Barnes might have started the action off for the University of The Bahamas (UB) Mingoes in the Bahamas Football Association’s (BFA) season opener against the Renegades FC, but it was Ronaldo Green who sealed the deal.

Greene scored a hat trick plus one to lead the Mingoes to a 5-3 season-opening win over the Renegades FC on Friday night at the Roscow A.L. Davies Field.

The Renegades struck first in the 30th minute of the game to go up 1-0 early. Barnes responded with a brilliant goal just under a minute later, tying the match 1-1.

The Renegades were able to connect in the 38th minute, taking the lead again at 2-1.

The Mingoes were not going to stop pressing, and two minutes later, Green struck again, evening the score at 2-2 heading into halftime.

Green came out strong in the second half, scoring in the 47th and 48th minutes to put the Mingoes up 4-2.

For security, Green scored again in the 60th minute of the game after a Renegades’ penalty kick in the 59th minute.

The Mingoes scored an emphatic win, 5-3, winning the first game of the regular season.

Green said the win makes a huge statement to the league. “I think everyone was doubting us at the start of the season during the preseason games and this game shows that we are here to play,” he said. “We are here to make a statement and win this season.”

Mingoes’ Assistant Head Coach Alex Thompson said this match was huge for the program, as it was a big win over a strong side. “The team that we played is a good team and one that you cannot take lightly as they are well coached and they are very good going forward,” he said.

The performance, he said, also solidifies Green as the best player in the league on the best up-and-coming team. “He had four goals today and could have had a few more and a few more assists,” he said. “The win also says that we have support around him and players who are slowly but surely learning their roles. As the season goes on and the guys mature more in the system, I think you will see a better team.”

The Mingoes play Cavalier FC at 9 p.m. on Wednesday at the Roscow A.L. Davies Field and then the Baha Juniors FC at 5 p.m. on Sunday at the same venue. 

https://thenassauguardian.com/mingoes-defeat-renegades-in-bfa-season-opener/

SYDNEY Clarke in action for the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers women’s tennis team.

As of Wednesday, September 7, 2022

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SYDNEY CLARKE

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#SYDNEY Clarke is eager to get her junior fall season started with the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers women’s tennis team.

#Clarke, who closed out her sophomore year in May by being named to the Conference USA All-Conference Singles Second Team, is set to begin playing for the Blazers September 16-18 in the Austin Peay Hidden Duals in Clarkesville, Tennessee.

#“Things are looking good, preparation wise,” said Clarke, a right-handed player. “Pre-season has been going very well. We have been getting in a lot of practices getting prepared and equipped for what is ahead of us.”

#After coming home this summer to play for the Bahamas in the prestigious Billie Jean King Cup, formerly the Fed Cup, Clarke said she’s hoping that the experience gained will help her as she continues her tenure for the Blazers.

#“I just want to continue doing better and get better,” stated Clarke, who won the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s December Invitational to win the top spot on the national team.

#“I’m really hoping for a very successful fall. My spring season has been pretty good. So I’m really going to push myself so that I can do better than I did in the spring.”

#Already, Clarke said the coaching staff, headed by Mark Tjia, assisted by Paula Baird, expect her to improve on her game and take more of a leading role as the number two player in singles and No.1 in doubles for the Blazers.

#“They expect for me to be more professional on the court and to be more of a leader on the team,” she stated. “I expect to be more calm and composed and be able to fight right to the end in every match that I play. If I can do that, I have a chance to do very well for the team.”

#Clarke, a 20-year-old graduate of Windsor Academy after transferring from CR Walker Secondary High, said there’s a lot of pressure, but she’s confident that she can handle it.

#“Playing these matches in the fall should really help me in the spring next year,” Clarke said. “So I want to be able to take advantage of these opportunities to be able to improve my game.”

#Once the fall season starts next weekend, Clarke said they should be playing in a series of matches just about every weekend until the end of October.

#As for her classes at UAB, Clarke said she switched her major to mass communication with a minor in broadcasting with marketing on the side. She said her classes have already been intense since she returned to school, but she’s looking forward to the year ahead of her.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/sep/07/sydney-clarke-eager-get-her-junior-fall-season-und/?fbclid=IwAR0LiE5Zdwk7WXmo1ft4jc6mL1xlMklmBOyFmVqE5HJ_-0a_IfXdMcqKN1c

As of Tuesday, October 4, 2022

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Tour de Clifton Pier

SOME of the winners of the New Providence Cycling Association’s Tour de Clifton Pier. The first was the short road race and the other was the individual time trials with Felix Neely, Allan Adderley, Barron Musgrove Jr and Tomas Knowles emerging victorious.

#THE New Providence Cycling Association hosted its Tour de Clifton Pier on Sunday with two stage races held around the Clifton Pier area.

#The first was the short road race and the other was the individual time trials with Felix Neely, Allan Adderley, Barron Musgrove Jr and Tomas Knowles emerging as some of the winners.

#Neely took the title in the men’s short stage race with Kevin Daley second, Wess Albury third, Patrick Paul fourth, Jeff Tynes fifth, Giles Sawyer sixth, Jay Major seventh and Wayne Price eighth.

#Allan Adderley was the male masters winner ahead of Kenton Roker and Wayne Price, who was tied for second.

#In the junior boys 15-17 category, Barron Musgrove Jr captured the title, while Thomas Knowles got the junior boys’ 12-14 title over Nathaniel Adderley. Theddus Knowles won the junior boys 9-11 title with Anthony Knowles coming in second.

#In the time trial that covered one lap over a 5.83 mile course, Felix Neely took the tape in 14 minutes and 50 seconds.

#Kevin Daley was second in 15 mins.39 and Wess Albury was third in 15 mins.55 secs.

#The other finishers in order were Patrick Paul, fourth in 16 mins.02 secs; Giles Albury, fifth in 16 mins.33 secs; Jeff Tynes, sixth in 16 mins. 52 secs; Barron Musgrove, seventh in 16 mins.51 secs; Wayne Price, eighth in 17.04mins; Jay Major, eighth in 17 mins.24 secs and Allan Adderley, ninth in 23mins.

#The juniors competed in a 5.83 miles course with Thomas Knowles taking the 12-14 category in 21 mins.51 secs over Nathaniel Knowles, who did 25 mins. 20 secs for second.

#And in the 5.83 miles race for junior boys 9-11 years, Anthony Knowles got first place in 22 mins. 20 secs and Thaddeus Knowles had to settle for second place in 23 mins.50 secs.

#BCA’s president and race organiser said they were pleased with the turnout for the event, despite the fact that they had to deal with some delays in closing out a long season.

#“We had to reschedule and postpone some events because of the weather, COVID-19 protocols and the likes,” he said. “But we continue to build on our programmes here in New Providence. “We are looking at starting a BMX and mountain bike season during the month of January and February so that we can offer another aspect of cycling here in New Providence because we find that the space on the road is getting smaller and smaller so some traffic to contend with.”

#On behalf of the NPCA, Musgrove congratulated all of the cyclists for making the event a success. He noted that the association will reintroduce the mountain bike and BMX obstacle course race in about two weeks before they end the year with their road race.

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