As of Friday, August 12, 2022

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MELEEK Pierre

BRYAN Rolle

DON Stuart Jr

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#SEVERAL International Basketball Academy (IBA) Bahamas players are preparing to take their academic and athletic careers to the next level this fall.

#The organisation recently announced that Bryan Rolle, Don Stuart Jr and Meleek Pierre each recently committed to new programmes.

#Rolle will join the Northeast Community College Hawks, an Iowa Community College Athletic Conference in NJCAA Division I.

#The 6’5” swingman will join the contingent of Bahamians on the Hawks’ roster last season that led the team to a 5-23 record.

#The 2021-22 Hawks roster included Saheed Sanusi, Emaniel Alexandre, Jaden Strachan, Collin Storr and Charles Joseph. They led the team to the ICCAC Region XI Division II Men’s Basketball Tournament play-in game.

#Head coach Dan Anderson leads a Hawks programme that has already announced four signees for his 2022-23 incoming class.

#In addition to his leading role as one of IBA Bahamas’ top prospects, Rolle was recently selected to Buddy Hield’s “Buddy Buckets” AAU team.

#Hield hosted scores of aspiring basketball players between the ages of 15-18 this summer at the AF Adderley Gymnasium and Rolle was one of the top performers.

#Stuart and Pierre will head to Western Canada and join Panther Hoops International Basketball Academy in British Columbia, Canada.

#“Panther Hoops is excited to announce the addition of 6’4” 2023 guard Don Stuart Jr. Don at 194 pounds, a tremendous wingspan, matched with outstanding athleticism is going to be trouble! Beware, the Bahamians are back!” the organisation said in a release to announce the additions.

#“Another great addition to our 2022-2023 Roster. Meleek Pierre is a 5’10” point guard with a tremendous sense for the game and the speed and athleticism to make things happen. “We are looking forward to the exciting brand of basketball that this guard has in store for the Panthers this season.”

#The Panthers have produced a number of Bahamian alumni in recent years including Akron Zips forward Sammy Hunter, Kansas City Community College guards Bradley Lightbourne and Joshua Dames, Ranger College forward Denardo Adderley, Peninsula Pirates guard D’Ante Dean, Okanagan Coyotes forward Kendrick Russell and pro player Detarrio Thompson.

#The BC Panthers’ International Prep programme includes elite players around North, Central and South America and around the globe.

#According to the organisation, “Panther Hoops International Basketball Academy’s mission is to impact players, families and communities, both on and off the basketball court, through faith-based programming, events and coaching. We strive to provide elite level programming and training for athletes both locally and globally.

#“Whether the player is grassroots or elite international prep, all players will experience an elite basketball experience through positive coaching and an encouraging team environment while they learn to play hard, play together and play for Him.”

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/aug/12/iba-bahamas-players-earn-scholarships/?news

BLOWOUT: The Appalachian State University Mountaineers men’s basketball team last night routed the Bahamas Select Team 111-65 in at Summer of Thunder basketball tournament in the Imperial Ballroom of the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island. Photo: Moise Amisial/Tribune Staff

As of Friday, August 12, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#Head coach Dustin Kerns likes what he saw from his Appalachian State University Mountaineers men’s basketball team in their 46-point rout over the Bahamas Select Team yesterday at the Summer of Thunder in the Imperial Ballroom of the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island.

#The Mountaineers, with a balanced scoring attack with five players scoring in double figures, took advantage of the Bahamas Select Team 111-65 in one of two games played.

#The other game saw the Fordham University knock off the House of Hoops 92-58.

#“We played well. It’s an honour to be down here in the Bahamas and to have our players experience this great culture,” Kerns said. “It’s been a great experience.”

#Kerns, however, admitted that the outcome of the games was not what he anticipated.

#“We expected them to play a lot harder, but we realised that they were short-handed” he said. “We played well. We did a lot of good things, so we have a lot of good things to build on.”

#After a close encounter in the first quarter in which the Mountaineers came from a slow 6-0 start, they took a 19-10 margin at the end of the break. They slowly pulled away, cruising to a 44-30 advantage at the half. But coming out of the locker room, the Mountaineers managed to go on a scoring spree in the third quarter as they mixed it up with their inside and outside game to surge ahead 80-45 at the end of the final break.

#From there, Appalachian State continued to apply the pressure as they dominated in the paint, controlling both the offensive and defensive rebounds, to maintain their sizeable lead over the local team.

#Zocko Littleton Jr, a 6-foot, 3-inch guard, canned a side high 14 points with four steals, two rebounds and two assists, while both Michael Eas Jr, a 6-4 guard, and Terance Harcum, another 6-3 guard, had 11 points each. Tamell Pearson, a 6-10 forward and Donovan Gregory, a 6-5 forward, added 10 points apiece.

#For the Bahamas Select Team, coached by John Nutt, Joshua Dames exploded for a game high 24 points with three rebounds, two assists and a steal. Keno Burrows was the only other player in double figures with 20 points, five rebounds and three assists.

#Kadeem Coleby chipped in with eight points and six rebounds and Demari Thompson finished with seven points and three rebounds. Jacob Jackson had just four points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal.

#Burrows, who came to coach the team as he did with his Raw Talent Elite, who won the first game of the tournament by one point over the University of South Alabama, said when he realised how short-handed the team was, he decided to play.

#“It was a good one today because we had to use some 25 and 16-year-old players, who got some good exposure against a high level division one team,” he said. “So I feel great coming out here and just showing some leadership and encouraging the young fellows at this level.”

#In stressing to the players to always put their best foot forward, Burrows said you never know who is in the gym because it could be the next scholarship or coaching job, so they should always be prepared to play their best.

#Nutt, a member of the Bahamas national team management staff, said the whole idea was to get the players some playing time – win, lose or draw. He said once they realised that they didn’t have all of the firepower needed, they knew it would have been a difficult task against the Mountaineers.

#“It’s pretty tough when you don’t have all of your players show up,” he said. “It’s difficult to get people to come out at 4pm to prepare for a game at 5pm because they are working. But we still tried to put in a good showing with what we had.”

#Nutt, however, said the Bahamas Basketball Federation is using the games played so far to determine who will be the best 12 players to assemble to play against the University of Kentucky Wildcats in the finale at Baha Mar at noon Sunday on ESPN. “I believe that with the group of players that we have, we have seen enough to pick the best 12 that we can to play against Kentucky on Sunday,” he said. “Hopefully we will be able to put in a very good showing in that game.”

#The Wildcats, coached by John Calipari, played against the Mexican Pro Team last night after they opened up against the Dominican Republic men’s national team on Wednesday. They are scheduled to play Carleton University at 6pm on Saturday before they close out their trip here against the Bahamas Select Team on Sunday.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/aug/12/mountaineers-rout-bahamas-team-46/?news

 Home|Sports|Back to the 400m, Shaunae wins in MonacoSports

Bahamian two-time Olympic Champion cruises to victory; Thomas competes in the high jump

Sheldon LongleySend an emailAugust 11, 2022 291 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Bahamian two-time Olympic Champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo was back at the event she has run most of her career on Wednesday, and back to her winning ways, at the Stade Louis II in Fontvieille, Monaco.

Competing in the women’s 400 meters (m) at the 2022 edition of the Herculis EBS Meeting, the 10th stop on the Diamond League circuit, Miller-Uibo was graceful as ever, winning comfortably in 49.28 seconds. The time was just off her season’s best time of 49.11 seconds and strengthens her position as the number one female quarter-miler in the world. No other athlete has run under 49.49 seconds in the one-lap event this year.

In the absence of the Olympic and World Championships silver medalist Marileidy Paulino, of the Dominican Republic, Jamaican Candice McLeod rose to the occasion, taking the silver medal in a season’s best time of 49.87 seconds. Commonwealth Games Champion Sada Williams, of Barbados, finished third in 50.10 seconds.

For Miller-Uibo, she has indicated an intention to move away from the women’s 400m to focus on the shorter 200m race, and possibly do a heptathlon or two in the not too distant future, but she is in contention for the Diamond League title in the 400m and is certainly taking advantage of that.

In the Silesia Diamond League press conference over the weekend, Miller-Uibo said now that the world championships is over and she has finally won a world title, the goal for the rest of the season is just to let loose and have fun.

She certainly seemed as she was going after a fast time at the start of the race yesterday as she exploded out of the blocks and quickly caught up to the lanes ahead of her. By the midway point of the race, Miller-Uibo was already strides ahead of the rest of the field. She came into the homestretch about seven to eight meters ahead of the nearest competitor and cruised into the tape. Miller-Uibo appeared top ease up about 20-30 meters from the finish line and coasted to the sub 50-seconds clocking.

It might not have been the jaw-dropping time that Miller-Uibo was looking for, but there is still time for her break new barriers in the women’s 400m. It appears she will certainly go after the Diamond League title in that event and there is also the 4th North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Track and Field Championships, set for next weekend at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex in Freeport, Grand Bahama.

Miller-Uibo has been named to the 30-member team for The Bahamas and is listed for the 200 and 400m in that event.

The Wanda Diamond League Final is set for September 7-8 in Zurich, Switzerland.

Miller-Uibo said she is just trying to enjoy the rest of the season and will likely look to finish strong in what could be her last year running the 400m competitively. She has already stated that she will not attempt to be the first woman to go after a third straight Olympic title in the women’s 400m as her focus has shifted toward the 200m and possibly doing the multi events.

It remains to be seen how the transitional period will go.

Meanwhile, also in action in Monaco on Wednesday was Donald Thomas in the men’s high jump.

The former World Champion failed to clear a height, knocking down the bar all three times at his opening height of 2.20m (7′ 2-1/2″). Just two days earlier, Thomas finished tied for sixth in the men’s high jump at the Gyulai István Memorial Hungarian Grand Prix Meet, in Székesfehérvár, Hungary, clearing 2.14m (7’ 0-1/4”).

Thomas has also been named to the NACAC team for Team Bahamas and is expected to come home to compete

https://thenassauguardian.com/back-to-the-400m-shaunae-wins-in-monaco/

 Home|Sports|Large number of children took part in tennis summer campsSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailAugust 12, 2022 50 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

A number of successful tennis programs were held this summer.

There were a number of tennis camps staged at the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s (BLTA) National Tennis Centre (NTC), and around the country, that allowed children to learn tennis in a fun-filled environment. The participants included first-timers and active players.

Forehands, backhands, serves, volleys and overhands were just a few of the skillsets taught. The kids were also taught to work together in teams and to exhibit good sportsmanship.

During camp, there were opportunities to teach life lessons that the campers can carry with them.

“We thank all those who assisted with the NTC camps – Nolan Johnson, Paula Whitfield, Esther Newton, Mateo Smith, Elana Mackey, Donte Armbrister, Anthony Burrows, Marva Conyers and President Newton,” said a representative from the NTC.

Also, Coach Steve Taylor held a tennis summer camp at the NTC. Coach Taylor is consistently impacting the lives of children through tennis.

In addition, Coach Cory Francis held summer sessions at the NTC. Coach Francis’ positive contribution to the sport continues to be felt.

Also, the Abaco Tennis Association (ATA) and Coach Artie Johnson held very successful summer camps in Abaco and Eleuthera, respectively. The ATA welcomed youngsters from ages 7-17 to the courts in Forrest Heights, Abaco, while Coach Johnson organized his camp under the theme ‘Grip and Rip’ at the Knowles Court, in Palmetto Point, Eleuthera.

At the end of the camps in New Providence, and on the islands, there were improvements in the skills of the children. The camps were exciting and will spark the tennis journey of many.

The BLTA congratulates all the organizers, coaches and assistants on a job well done.

https://thenassauguardian.com/large-number-of-children-took-part-in-tennis-summer-camps/

 Home|Sports|Wildcats, Jackrabbits, Puerto Rico win at ‘Summer of Thunder’Sports

Simba FrenchSend an emailAugust 12, 2022 40 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The University of Kentucky Wildcats, the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits and Team Puerto Rico all secured victories as the Bahamas Basketball Federation’s (BBF) ‘Summer of Thunder’ continued inside the Baha Mar Convention Center and the Atlantis Imperial Ballroom on Wednesday.

In the only game at Baha Mar, the Wildcats easily took care of the Dominican Republic national select team, 108-56. Daimon Collins and Cason Wallace had 15 points apiece to lead the Wildcats’ balanced scoring attack. Six players scored in double figures.

The Dominican Republic’s Justin Minaya led his team with 11 points.

It was a hot shooting game for the Wildcats as they connected on 56.8 percent of their shots from the field, including going 11-for-26 from deep to shoot 42.3 percent from long distance. They missed just one shot from the charity stripe where they went 13-for-14. Defensively, the Wildcats came away with 13 steals and 10 blocks and the Dominican Republic had 18 turnovers. Kentucky scored 23 points off those turnovers.

The game had two lead changes with the Dominican Republic leading for just 24 seconds in the first half of the game. At the end of the first half, the Wildcats led 43-25. They turned up their offense in the second half as they scored 65 points and held the Dominican Republic to 35 points.

It was the first game for the Wildcats in their ‘Big Blue Bahamas’ tour that wraps up on Sunday against a Bahamian select team.

At Atlantis, the Jackrabbits finished their final game in the Summer of Thunder showcase on a strong note, taking down House of Hoops, 105-57. All 13 Jackrabbits players got on the scoreboard. Matthew Mors led all scorers with 18 points on 6-for-7 shooting from the field.

Rolante Knowles led the House of Hoops team with 14 points and was the only one who scored in double digits.

It was a great shooting game for the Jackrabbits as they shot the ball at a 55 percent clip from the field and made 14 three-pointers. They finished at 43 percent shooting from three-point range.

House of Hoops scored first, going up 2-0 at the 9.28 mark of the first quarter. The Jackrabbits used a 12-3 scoring run to surge in front for good.

In rebounding, the Jackrabbits had a huge advantage with 48 rebounds compared to the House of Hoops’ 26 rebounds.

The Jackrabbits scored 29 points from 22 House of Hoops turnovers.

In the battle of the nations, Puerto Rico got the better of Egypt with a 76-62 victory.

It was a very close game in the first quarter as the Egyptian side was able to come out with a slim 22-21 lead. However, they lost focus in the second and third quarters as Puerto Rico outscored them 38-28 during that span to take a 59-50 lead going into the fourth. A 17-12 advantage in the fourth quarter by Puerto Rico gave them enough to win the game.

Summer of Thunder action continued last night at Atlantis and Baha Mar. Tomorrow night’s game will feature the Wildcats going up against Carleton University at Baha Mar. That game gets underway at 6 p.m.

https://thenassauguardian.com/wildcats-jackrabbits-puerto-rico-win-at-summer-of-thunder/

 Home|Sports|Medals for Eastwood Judo ClubSports

Team returned with three gold medals and a bronze

Simba FrenchSend an emailAugust 12, 2022 165 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Eastwood Judo Club was in action at the 33rd Annual U.S. Open Judo Championships and Golden Score competition that was held at the Fort Lauderdale Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida from July 29-31. The team members returned with three gold medals and a bronze medal.

Keilesha Saunders and twins Alexander and Daniel Strachan were in action on the tatami and came away with medals.

In the competition, countries from the Caribbean, Central America and South America competed, along with a host team from the United States of America (USA). Over 1,500 judo athletes took part in the competition.

Saunders had a tough battle against Reema Alreyani in the girls intermediate medium category. In the end, Saunders came away with a gold medal, winning the best-of-three series against Alreyani. She also secured the gold medal in the girls intermediate category (52 kilogram class) as she went against Dayla Lima and Isabel Roman and prevailed. Saunders came away with the most points in that category.

Alexander Strachan won gold in the International Judo Federation’s (IJF) Juniors 100 kilogram (kg) category. He went up against Rodrigo Jimenez Moya, and won a best-of-three series.

Daniel Strachan had to settle for the bronze medal. He lost to Pablo Arias in the IJF Juniors 90 kg class. Strachan lost in the first round and came out with a third place finish.

Also participating from the Eastwood Judo Club were Noah Sweeting, Terrell Barrett, Keith Saunders, Kevinique Sterling, Kevin Sterling and Kemuel Sterling.

Eastwood Judo Club’s Sensei Mickey Munnings said he was proud of the athletes’ accomplishments. He expressed thanks to the sponsors and supporters inclusive of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, the Bahamas Judo Federation (BJF), Mitre Court Group of Companies, Apex Pavers, Summit Insurance, and the parents.

Eastwood Judo Club produced its first judo championships on June 26. At this event, a host of athletes, whose ages ranged from five to 20 years old, competed in weight categories that tipped the scales from under 23 kg/under 50 lbs to under 100 kg/under 220 lbs. They exhibited skills and techniques that they learnt in training.

The club will participate in the 55th Annual Dallas Judo Championships to be held at the Irving Convention Centre in Irving, Texas, on November 20. It will conclude the 2022 judo competition season for the club.

https://thenassauguardian.com/medals-for-eastwood-judo-club/

MEDAL GLORY: Devynne Charlton, left, and LaQuan Nairn show off their silver (100 metre hurdles) and gold (long jump) medals respectively won at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. After 11 days of intense competition in seven disciplines, Team Bahamas will return from the Commonwealth Games with the two medals and tied in the 23rd spot on the medal chart with Grenada. Members of the team, including executives and athletes, left the games with varied experiences to cherish.

As of Tuesday, August 9, 2022

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HEAD coach Bernard Rolle, Oria Wood, Denisha Cartwright, coach Ravanno Ferguson and Kendrick Thompson.

BOXING team manager Vincent Strachan.

CYCLIST Lorin Sawyer and his wife Diane.

TRACK athletes, from left to right, Shaun Miller Jr, Jahmaal Wilson and Denisha Cartwright.

COACH Peter Pratt and triple jumper Kaiwan Culmer, right.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#BIRMINGHAM, England — After 11 days of intense competition in seven disciplines, Team Bahamas will return from the 2022 Commonwealth Games with a gold and silver medal and tied for the 23rd spot on the medal chart with Grenada.

#Members of the team, including executives and athletes, left the games with varied experiences to cherish, including experiencing the jammed-packed stadiums in both the morning and evening sessions every day.

#While the triathlete and swimmers left last week, the wrestling, boxing, cycling and track and field teams departed yesterday with gold medallist LaQuan Nairn in the men’s long jump, silver medallist Devynne Charlton in the women’s 100 metre hurdles, joining high jumper Donald Thomas and boxers Carl Hield and Rashield Williams, who all headed to the United States.

#The other team members headed to the Bahamas, while sprinter Tynia Gaither stayed in Europe to continue to compete on the circuit. The judo team and the remaining officials are due back in town today.

#Boxing team manager Vincent Strachan, who is also the president of the Bahamas Amateur Boxing Federation, said both Hield and Williams performed as best as they could, despite getting knocked out in the first and long on points in the third round respectively.

#Williams, the 32-year-old professional boxer who was allowed to compete with the amateurs, actually competed in a lower class and had to shed some 11 pounds in three days to make the weight limit.

#“I think the team’s performance was as best as it could. There were challenges and as a result of those challenges, it might have mitigated the degree of performances from the boxers,” Strachan said. “Again, we go back to the fact that the boxers are not being able to compete on a regular basis.

#“You can train for three to six months, but if you don’t have competition in that time, you won’t be sharp and ready as you should be. But I congratulate the boxers on what they did. They represented the Bahamas to the best of their abilities.”

#Strachan, however, said the federation needs funding to be able to assist the boxers so that they can be able to go to events like this and be able to compete on par with their peers whenever the opportunities arise.

#Kendrick Thompson, who had to withdraw from the men’s decathlon with a left ankle injury he sustained during the pole vault competition on the final of the two days of the gruelling 10-event competition, said he’s now committed to getting ready for the next major event next year.

#“It was a great experience competing against some of the best decathletes in the world,” said the 24-year-old University of the Bahamas standout. “The injury is coming along. I hope to get some therapy on it.

#“I will rest up and get ready for next year. I want to be in this same position to compete in any decathlon meet on the schedule as long as I’m healthy.”

#Petite rookie sprinter Denisha Cartwright, who was always in a jovial mood, said she had a wonderful time, although she didn’t advance in both the women’s 100 with her 32nd placing and 25th in the 200m.

#“My experience was wonderful this year. It just makes me want to work harder so I can compete next year,” said the 22-year-old Cartwright, who also had a sensational collegiate season for the Minnesota State Mavericks.

#Although he also performed very well making it to the NCAA Championships this year for Ohio State, 21-year-old Shaun Miller Jr said he was disappointed that he didn’t come to Birmingham and perform as well as expected for the Bahamas in his debut at the games.

#“It was a very good meet, but I felt I let the Bahamian people down, so I just have to go to the next meet at the Senior NACAC Championships and do better,” said Miller Jr, who was 10th in the field that saw national champion Donald Thomas fall short of getting a medal with fourth place.

#“I didn’t jump as well as I am capable of jumping so I think I let the country down. But I will redeem myself.”

#Also competing or the first time at a major international meet, 21-year-old Jahmaal Wilson chalked it up to a learning experience, especially considering the fact that he was disqualified from the heats of the men’s 110m hurdles.

#“For me personally, it was a learning curve,” said the West Texas A&M standout. “It was an introduction to the big leagues for me,” he said. “I just have to do more training and work on my clearances over the hurdles and I will be okay.”

#Ravanno Ferguson, one of the coaches for the track team, said they had a good mixture of youth and experience on the team, which bodes well for the future.

#“I think it was a great experience for our athletes,” said Ferguson, who also serves as the first vice president of the BAAA. “We had six finalists from 10 athletes, so we can’t ask for anything more than that.

#“Our finalists did a really good job with two of them winning medals. So to me, it’s been a very successful showing from such a small team. I think we have something to work on as we look ahead to the future.”

#Track and field head coach Bernard Rolle said the athletes lived up to their expectations.

#“We had some good performances from the athletes as they went though the rounds,” he said. “We got the two medals from LaQuan Nairn and Devynne Charlton, but I think all of the athletes should be commended for how well they performed.

#“This was a very good young and experienced team to work with. I think they all have a bright future ahead of them. They just need to stick with it. We are looking for more performances like we have from our medallists in the next international event.”

#And veteran coach Peter Pratt, who worked directly with Nairn in the long jump and Kaiwan Culmer in the men’s triple jump, said he was glad that he got the opportunity to make the trip here to another games.

#“The experience here was tremendous,” he stated.

#“The athletes all did what they had to do. We expected to get a few more medals, but we’re happy with what we got. I think the athletes performed very well and they should be commended.”

#This was the second time around for Rashji Mackey in wrestling. While he had another team-mate this year making his debut in 32-year-old Thorn Demeritte, Mackey, 36, said he was glad that they both got to make their presence felt even though they were both stopped 10-0 in points by their opponents.

#“The whole experience for free style wrestling was exciting,” Mackey said. “Although we both lost, I think we got some experiences that should help to prepare us for the next competition. I know for me it was a challenge fighting out my weight class, but I did my best in the 85 kilo class.”

#Oria Wood, one of the Bahamas Olympic Committee’s vice presidents who assisted chef de mission Roy Colebrooke and team manager Rudolph Ferguson in Birmingham, said if there was one regret, it was the fact that the team was split up in the three different Games Villages.

#“We didn’t get to bond as a team because we were separated and so we didn’t get to see each other,” she said.

#“Everything went well for us at the University of Birmingham, except for the selection of food sometimes. I don’t know about the other locations.

#“Other than that, we had two more athletes getting on the medal stand in LaQuan Nairn and Devynne Charlton. So instead of us just looking at Shaunae (Miller-Uibo) and Stevie (Gardiner), we have some other athletes to look at because I know they will medal again at the next competition.”

#Colebrooke, a vice president of the BOC who also serves as the president of the Bahamas Cycling Federation, said the team on a whole performed very well.

#“Anytime you can come out with a medal or two and have athletes in the finals, I think you had a very successful games,” Colebrooke said.

#“I wished the cyclists had performed better, but they had their share of challenges and were not allowed to continue to compete. They will learn from it.

#“But on the whole, I think all of the athletes performed very well. We were glad to see Devynne add to our medal count in the hurdles.

#“But LaQuan was just outstanding in the long jump. Their performances helped to make the trip so successful. I want to thank all of the athletes who represented Team Bahamas.”

#There were a few spouses and a number of parents who came along to support their children and Colebrooke said wherever possible, the BOC made every effort to accommodate them so that they could be in the stands at the various sporting venues cheering on Team Bahamas.

#While the other disciplines, except boxing and cycling, will shut down their season, the majority of the track athletes will be heading to Grand Bahama for the NACAC Championships, scheduled for August 18-21 at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex.

#Also during that weekend, Sawyer and Neely are expected to compete in a race in Grand Bahama August 20-21 before they head to Guyana for the Caribbean Cycling Championships in September and Williams will be preparing for his next pro show in Florida at the end of August.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/aug/09/bringing-home-gold-silver-team-bahamas-makes-natio/?news

As of Wednesday, August 10, 2022

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Gold medalist Shaunae Miller-Uibo during the World Athletics Championships medal ceremony. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Devynne Charlton, left, and LaQuan Nairn show off their silver (100 metre hurdles) and gold (long jump) medals respectively won at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#COMING on the heels of the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon three weeks ago and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, the focus now switches to the North American, Central American and Caribbean Championships in the Bahamas.

#The event, to be hosted here for the first time, will be staged from August 18-21 at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex in Grand Bahama and is expected to attract over 400 athletes from within the region.

#NACAC president Mike Sands said the event is gearing up to be one of the most competitive track and field meets ever to be held in the Bahamas, although all roads will lead into Grand Bahama.

#“We’re looking forward to the event in the next 10 days in Freeport, Grand Bahamas,” Sands said.

#“We have a preliminary list of about 420-450 athletes, but once the final submissions are in, we expect the numbers to remain pretty close to that.

#“We have some pretty interesting marquee names who will be attending, so we will do a full release on that in a short while. But we expect a very competitive event. Everyone is talking about it, the athletes, coaches and officials, who will be attending the event.”

#With so much anticipation for the event, Sands said there have also been some inquiries from persons attending, who just want to take a few days to relax and enjoy themselves in the Bahamas once the event is completed.

#“There are a couple of things that have sparked the interest of so many athletes,” according to Sands. “The winners in the vast majority of events and I say vast majority because there are several events like the marathon, distance running and the walk races, which does not apply, but the winners automatically qualify for the World Championships next year.”

#The 2023 World Championships is scheduled for Budapest, Hungary, and Sands said the winners in the majority of events contested in Grand Bahama would book their tickets as NACAC representatives and will only have to concentrate on their training.

#Additionally, NACAC will be offering a prize for all, including for the top three finishers. They will include $2,000 for first place, $1,000 for second and $500 for third.

#The relay teams, which will also get to qualify for the World Championships, will also collect prize money.

#“World Athletics is now moving to a ranking system as a part of their major qualifying system, so they will receive Diamond League type points awarded to athletes, based on their placing here,” Sands said.

#“As this meet has all of the makings of a real success in terms of the competition, the meet director was in Grand Bahama making sure that all of the nuts and bolts are tight and he’s working with the operational people in Grand Bahama.

#“The organisational delegate, who is also the general secretary, will be landing on Grand Bahama tomorrow, so the guys are working in tandem to make sure that all of the events are in place.”

#Bahamasair, Sands revealed, will be the official airline carrier and will take extra flights out of Miami, Florida into Grand Bahama for persons coming in from the region, including the Cuban delegation.

#“This is a very busy period, but everything is in order,” Sands disclosed.

#Sands, however, said he would prefer not to release the names of the marque athletes coming in, especially from Jamaica, which has submitted a list of more than 20 athletes, but they haven’t crystalised it yet.

#A number of athletes, including two-time Olympic and current world champion Shaunae Miller- Uibo, world indoor and Commonwealth Games silver 100m hurdler Devynne Charlton, sprinters Tynia Gaither and Terrance Jones, quarter-miler Alonzo Russell, high jumper Donald Thomas, triple jumpers Kaiwan Culmer and Tamara Myers and Commonwealth Games’ long jump gold medallist LaQuan Nairn are all expected to represent the Bahamas.

#Sands said while a budget has been compiled in conjunction with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and the Ministry of Finance, he was not at liberty to disclose the full amount. He, however, thanked the Bahamas Government, through the two ministries, for their assistance in making the event happen.

#“We always talk about the expenses, but we also have to look at the economic impact,” Sands said. “The fact that we are talking about sports tourism or Sports in Paradise, this is an event where we hope to have at least 450 persons on the island of Grand Bahama.

#“So it was a deliberate decision to host this event on Grand Bahama and I want to thank the support given to help stimulate the economy in Grand Bahama.

#“We have rooms all over Grand Bahama and so that means that the monies will be spread around.”

#The technical officials are expected to stay at Club Fortuna, the senior officials, including the council members and dignitaries, will be at the Lighthouse Pointe and the Athletes’ Village will be at the Breakers Cay.

#“When you look at the economic impact, the transportation, the meals, the accommodation that the visitors will spend, we take into consideration the temporary employment that will be needed to pull this event off,” Sands said.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/aug/10/nacac-champs-grand-bahama-attract-over-400-athlete/

WORLD ATHLETICS CONTINENTAL TOUR

Tynia Gaither and Donald Thomas.

As of Thursday, August 11, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#Sprinter Tynia Gaither and high jumper Donald Thomas, competing on the World Athletics Continental Tour 2022, got fifth and sixth place in their respective events as they continued to compete in Europe on Monday.

#Competing at the 12th Gyulia Istvan Memorial in Székesfehérvár, Hungary, Gaither sped to a fifth place in the women’s 200 metres in 22.63 seconds as Jamaica’s world champion Shericka Jackson took the victory in 22.02.

#Mujinga Kambundji, of Switzerland, was the runner-up in 22.45, while Americans Kayla White was third in 22.46 and Tamara Clark was fourth in 22.56. It was Gaither’s second straight meet since she left the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, where she placed seventh in the final of the women’s 100m behind Jamaican gold medallist Elaine Thompson-Herah.

#Gaither, the 29-year-old national 100m champion, just competed in the Slesia Wanda Diamond League on Saturday when she ran 22.70 for fourth place in a race that saw two-time Olympic and current world 400m champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo place second in 22.35. Jackson won in 21.84.

#National champion Thomas, competing in his specialty in the men’s high jump at the meet in Hungary, was tied for sixth place with Péter Bakosi after they both cleared 7-feet, 0 1/4-inches or 2.14 metres.

#Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy won the event with 7-4 ¼ (2.24m), the same height of Tobias Potye of Germany. Ukraine’s Andriy Protsenko was third, Edgar Rivera of Mexico fourth and Péter Bakosi fifth, all with the same height of 7-1 ¾ (2.18m).

#It was Thomas’ first meet since Birmingham where he fell short of getting on the podium with fourth place in the men’s high jump at the Commonwealth Games.

#Today in the next meet in the Monaco Wanda Diamond League, Thomas and Miller-Uibo are expected to take to the track.

#Thomas, 38, is entered in the men’s high jump where he will be facing Qatar’s world champion Mutaz Essa Barshim, Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi and Americans JuVaughn Harrison and Shelby McEwen as well as Django Lovett of Canada. With some unfinished business in the 400m, 28-year-old Miller- Uibo will return to the 400m where she will contend with Barbados’ Sada Williams, who is coming off her Commonwealth Games record-setting performance in the women’s 400m in 49.90.

#Gaither, Thomas and Miller-Uibo are then expected to return home to compete in the North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Championships.

#The latter event (see sidebar), is scheduled for August 18-21 at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex in Freeport, Grand Bahama.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/aug/10/gaither-5th-thomas-6th-hungary-meet/?news

FRANK RUTHERFORD, far left, is now in Harbour Island, Eleuthera, where he has conducted a number of basketball camps. He says he has found some raw talent in track and field that he hopes will not only be able to compete at CARIFTA, but become international stars in the future.

As of Thursday, August 11, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#WITH the hosting of the 50th anniversary of the CARIFTA Games during the 50th Independence celebrations of the Bahamas, legendary Frank Rutherford and a few athletes are giving their assistance in seeking out the talent in the Family Islands and will make some recommendations on how the country can be successful at home against Jamaica.

#Rutherford, the first Bahamian to win an Olympic Games track and field medal and now an assistant coach at the University of Houston, will be joined by Rolando Greene, head coach at the University of Kentucky, Norbert Elliott at Purdue University and Fritz Spence at Penn State, just to name a few, have been approached by former coach Neville Wisdom to assist in a talent search programme.

#Now in Harbour Island, Eleuthera, where he’s conducted a number of basketball camps and has been able to recruit both Lashan Higgs and Winslow Barry Jr in the past, Rutherford said he’s found some raw talent in track and field that he hopes will not only be able to compete at CARIFTA, but become international stars in the future.

#“We have been embarrassed and totally outclassed by the Jamaicans over the past years and we can’t allow them to come here and do the same thing to us again in our backyard,” Rutherford said. “We have countless, huge amount of athletes in these Family Islands.

#“So over the next 10 years of my life, I’m going to dedicate myself to building a foundation because I’ve talked to so many of these winter home owners in Eleuthera and Harbour Island, who want proper facilities for basketball, track and field, baseball and softball that they are used to seeing in the United States.”

#In forming his foundation, Rutherford said he was assured by the winter owners that they would gladly make their contributions to assist in the development of the facilities through his series of meetings with them over the past few days. He noted that they would also like to see the development of health facilities as well.

#“One of the things I’m going to dedicate myself with over the next 10 years is that we have at least five to 10 track and field facilities built on these Family Islands as well as the baseball fields and basketball facilities and medical facilities where people can go and have the proper medical care on these islands.

#“We have too many billionaires, persons who have the money, but want to see the facilities built on the islands. They need some leadership. So that is what I’m doing here, while I’m looking at the talent that is available on the island.”

#Rutherford said he’s seen a number of athletes on Eleuthera, whom he feels can make a valuable contribution to the success of the CARIFTA team, but they just need to have their skills harnessed and given the opportunity to display their skills.

#“We obviously need a national sports programme, but I’m one who is sick and tired of us just leaning on the government to do everything,” he said. “I am going along with others to try and put together a sports development and civic foundation where billionaires will donate to this fund over years to make these facilities possible.”

#Rutherford is also recommending that the government seek and find the coaches who are willing to be paid to go to the Family Islands and work with the talent there.

#“It’s not going to start this year, obviously. It can start next year where we can pay these coaches so that they can go to these Family Islands and work with the athletes,” he said. “We need to take this thing away from the government and have a self-sustained programme to get these athletes to the next level.”

#Unlike what he’s done with football and basketball, Rutherford said it’s a lot more difficult to get the track athletes off to the United States but, through the government, they can develop a sustainable programme to get the coaches into the Family Islands to enhance the work being done there by the physical education teachers in the schools.

#“We need at least 10 national track and field coaches to make this work,” Rutherford said. “We have to set them up on these islands and the communities will assist them because they want to see their athletes get to the next level in representing the country.”

#“The programme can be set up similar to what coach Anthony Williams is doing in Abaco where he was able to produce Stevie Gardiner. We just need to look at more of these potential athletes that we have on the islands. They want the betterment for their kids, but we need a driving force right away.”

#Before Gardiner, Rutherford said there have been a number of outstanding athletes who came from the Family Islands like Chris Brown, the late Vernetta Rolle, Sevatheda Fynes, Troy McIntosh and Carl Oliver, just to name a few.

#Rutherford said it’s obvious that the Bahamas could do better in their quest to compete against Jamaica at CARIFTA, but every effort must be made to add the talent that is available in the Family Islands to those that are typically looked at in New Providence and Grand Bahama.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/aug/11/frank-rutherford-finds-some-raw-talent/?news