July 27, 2022July 27, 2022

Bahamas water polo team qualifies for CAC Games

As of Tuesday, July 26, 2022

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#Bahamas Water Polo achieved another milestone and earned a berth to one of the most advanced levels of play in the region.

#They defeated Guatemala 8-6 yesterday as play continued in the open men’s category of the Central American and Caribbean (CCCAN) Water Polo Championships, being hosted in Wildey, Barbados.

#The win placed Team Bahamas in the 5th-6th reclassification game for the tournament.

#However, irrespective of the final result, the team has qualified for the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games to be held in El Salvador.

#This marks a first for Bahamian water polo following years of success at the junior level through CARIFTA, CCAN and Junior Pan Ams. The Bahamas opened the CCAN competition earlier this week with a 27-2 loss to Puerto Rico in their opening match in Barbados.

#The 24th Central American and Caribbean Games are scheduled to take place in 2023. They were planned to take place in Panama City, Panama, until the government announced on July 24, 2020 that it had decided to withdraw as the hosts as a result of the COVID- 19 pandemic in Panama.

#In May, 2021, San Salvador, El Salvador was chosen to replace Panama City as host. The event will feature a total of 37 disciplines.

#The last time Bahamas Water Polo competed in El Salvador, they delivered a silver medal finish at the 2018 CCCAN tournament and qualified for the UANA PanAm Championships. This is the fourth time Bahamas Water Polo has participated at the CCCAN level following the 2016, 2018 and 2019 editions.

#The tournament is expected to host 50 matches over the eight days from July 19-26. The event will feature 20 women’s and 30 men’s games. In preparation for CCCAN, the team travelled to St Louis, Missouri to participate in a training camp with Club SLAP.

#They also participated in the Wally Lundt Senior Open where they finished with a 4-1 record.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jul/26/bahamas-water-polo-team-qualifies-cac-games/?news

July 27, 2022July 27, 2022

Lashann Higgs signs with basketball club in Spain

As of Tuesday, July 26, 2022

LASHANN Higgs will remain in Spain this upcoming season but will sign with Hozono Global Jairis for the 2022-2023 campaign of the country’s second division of women’s basketball.

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#LASHANN Higgs will remain in Spain this upcoming season but will sign with a new club in the LF Challenge league.

#Higgs signed with Hozono Global Jairis for the 2022-2023 campaign of the country’s second division of women’s basketball.

#Jairis head coach Lucas Fernández said he has lofty expectations for the impact Higgs will have on the basketball club.

#“Lashann Higgs is a player who, within her humility and effort, has a great capacity to generate advantages from her one on one skills, with the ability to finish, to assist, and with great physical abilities in defence,” he said.

#“She is a player who from the beginning has shown us great enthusiasm for joining our team and who I am sure will work hard to offer us her best version.”

#Jairis finished last season 24-6, second in the standings.

#“From the club, we welcome Lashann to Alcantarilla and we hope that her adaptation will be the best possible,” Fernández said. “We have no doubt that she will bring all of her quality, effectiveness, and experience to this exciting season ahead.”

#A release from the club describes the 26-year-old guard as: “A very physical and explosive player, extraordinary in the open court and on the run and with a good shot from the perimeter. She is also very versatile and, being able to occupy the positions of both guard positions.”

#Higgs spent her rookie season of pro basketball with Bembibre PDM in the Liga Femenina Endesa – the top division.

#Higgs, the team’s most valuable player, earned several Player of the Week honours and finished as the third leading scorer in the league at 15.8 points per game on 54 percent shooting from the field. She also shot 33 percent from three-point range, 76 percent from the free throw line and was third on the team at 4.2 rebounds per game.

#The Harbour Island native made the move to Germany the following season. She played just two games with Rutronik Stars Keltern Damen-Basketball-Bundesliga (DBBL), the premier women’s basketball league in Germany.

#Higgs averaged just 10.5 minutes per game in the two contests and scored 3.5 points per game for a Rutronik team that claimed the 2020-21 title with a 21-3 regular season record and an undefeated 7-0 run in the playoffs.

#She spent last season with Lointek Gernika Bizkaia of Liga Femenina Endesa. In 25 games she averaged 9.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.

#Higgs, the former Texas Longhorn, signed with Sports International Group (SiG) following an accolade-filled collegiate career.

#She played in 137 games as a Texas Longhorn with 52 as a starter. She ranked as the seventh all-time in the Longhorns’ history for games played and 28th in career points scored with a total of 1,288.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jul/26/lashann-higgs-signs-basketball-club-spain/?news

July 27, 2022July 27, 2022

Bahamas wins Billie Jean King Cup opener

Player captain Simone Pratt, Sydney Clarke, Sierra Rodgers and Elana Mackey pose from left to right.

As of Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Sydney Clarke shows her victory display.

Elana Mackey after her opening victory.

Doubles winners Simone Pratt and Sydney Clarke.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#The Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association ladies team made a spectacular showing on day one of the prestigious Billie Jean King (BJK) Cup Americas Group II in the Dominican Republic.

#The Bahamas, sponsored by Fidelity Bank and Trust Bahamas Limited, took advantage of their top seed ranking in their impressive 3-0 win over El Salvador yesterday at the Centro Nacional de Tenis Parque del Este.

#Playing in her first singles match as the team’s No.2 seed, Elana Mackey made it look so easy, disposing of Daniela Aguilar of El Salvador in straight sets 6-2, 6-0 in a match that lasted just one hour and eight minutes.

#National champion Sydney Clarke, playing as the team’s top-seeded player, needed one minute more than Mackey in following with her 6-3, 6-1 decision over Michelle Irigoyen in one hour and nine minutes.

#And with the tie secured, Clarke teamed up with player/captain Simone Pratt of Grand Bahama and used one hour and five minutes to put the icing on the cake with their 6-0, 6-3 win over Irigoyen and Santos Marmol in the doubles match for a clean sweep.

#When contacted in the Dominican Republic, the team noted that they were extremely pleased with the way they played on day one. “In the beginning of the match, I had a slow start and me and my opponent were alternating games until the score was 3-2,” Mackey said. “Then after that, I was warmed up and I started to play looser.”

#After a rain delay, Clarke said she was able to get the job done. “I think that helped me because I was able to clear my mind,” Pratt said.

#“The first three games was pretty rough for me. I really had to relax, calm down and find myself. When I did, my performance got better as the match went on.

#“Overall, it was what I expected. I just got off to a slow start. Once I got into it, things were looking up.

#“In doubles, we met the expectations. We played pretty well. The chemistry was great and I’m just looking forward to what is in store for us going forward.”

#Mackey, a tennis player and cross country runner at Mars Hill University, said she expected the team to pull off the win and she was just elated that she was able to contribute to the teams’ success.

#“I’m hoping that we are able to beat the rest of the teams in our pool,” Mackey said.

#“I’m looking to build on my performance and playing better each match.”

#Clarke, one of the top players at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said after getting off to such a good start, she expects them to get better. “I just hope that we all push ourselves and just get through those tough moments, whether mentally or physically and just be able to defy the obstacles and challenges and don’t give up on things when they are not going our way.”

#The 20-year-old Clarke said their performances yesterday was a clear indication of how they can overcome any obstacle and that is what they need to be successful for the rest of the tournament.

#Also on the team is rookie Sierra Rodgers who, at age 16, is the youngest player to play for the Bahamas.

#Hopefully before they are done, Rodgers will get a chance to get on the court.

#The Bahamas is expected to play against Bermuda today. They will wrap up on round robin play against the Dominican Republic on Wednesday.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jul/26/bahamas-wins-billie-jean-king-cup-opener/?news

July 27, 2022July 27, 2022

GOLD FOR SHAUNAE: Miller-Uibo wins 400m final at World Athletics Championships

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

As of Monday, July 25, 2022

Photo Gallery

Shaunae Miller-Uibo wins gold

Scenes from Shaunae Miller-Uibo’s gold medal-winning race in the women’s 400m at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon. (AP photos)

Shaunae Miller-Uibo wins the final of the women’s 400 metres at the World Athletics Championships on Friday, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Gold medalist Shaunae Miller-Uibo after her win in the final of the women’s 400 meters at the World Athletics Championships on Friday in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#As she tacked on the final piece missing from her glaring crown, Shaunae Miller-Uibo completed what she called her final global 400 metres by finally adding the World Championships title to her illustrious career that now has her pegged as one of the greatest ever.

#On Friday in Eugene, Oregon, the 28-year-old Miller-Uibo used her imposing 6-foot, one-inch frame to circle around the Hayward Field in a blaze of glory for the gold medal in a world-leading time of 49.11 seconds.

#She led a Caribbean sweep, with Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic taking the silver in 49.60 and Sada Williams of Barbados snatching the bronze with a national record of 49.75.

#“It has been a long time coming and the main thing for us this season was the world championships and a gold medal,” said Miller- Uibo, who began the trek this year by earning her first world indoor title in Belgrade, Serbia.

#“That’s one thing we were missing, so I ran a very tactical race. To go out with the gold, I am very proud.”

#The historic journey for Miller-Uibo began in 2010 when she crossed the finish line as the world under-18 champion, world under-20 champion, two-time world championship silver medallist and a fourth place as well as twice the Olympic champion.

#But in saving her best for the last as she powered from lane three to take control of the race on the back stretch, Miller-Uibo was all business as she came off the curve with a substantial lead that she maintained down the home stretch.

#It was poetry in motion and as the celebrations began, Miller-Uibo was greeted with a hug from her husband, Maicel Uibo of Estonia, who was competing in the decathlon and her mother, May Miller, who draped her with the Bahamian flag.

#Don’t expect to see any further attempt to go after another title at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, August 19-27 or the Olympics in 2024 in Paris, France, July 21 to August 11.

#Making it emphatically clear that she’s done with the one-lap race, Miller- Uibo said the focus will shift back to the 200m where she will attempt to put her stamp of approval on her quest to also establish herself as one of the greatest 200/400 champions on the planet. “That’s it for me running the 400m,” stressed Miller-Uibo, who got to avenge her only loss this season to Paulino and Jamaica’s Stephanie Ann McPherson on May 13 at the Ooredoo Doha Meeting.

#“The plans for me are the 200m, which has always been my first love, and get back into that.”

#It was the first medal for the Bahamas at this year’s championships – the island nation got to continue its streak of earning at least one in every championships since 2012.

#Miller-Uibo was also listed to run if the women’s 4 x 400 relay team had advanced out of the heats on Saturday.

#But according to assistant head coach Shaun Miller Jr, some members of the team got ill and while they wanted to gut it out, it was determined by the team doctor at the last minute that they were “too ill” to run, so the team was scratched. There was also unconfirmed reports that head coach Rupert Gardiner also took ill and had to be treated at a local hospital for an undisclosed condition.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jul/25/gold-shaunae/

July 25, 2022February 5, 2024

GOLD FOR SHAUNAE: Miller-Uibo wins 400m final at World Athletics Championships

Gold medallist Shaunae Miller-Uibo after winning the final of the women’s 400 metres at the World Athletics Championships on Friday in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

As of Saturday, July 23, 2022

Photo Gallery

Shaunae Miller-Uibo wins gold

Scenes from Shaunae Miller-Uibo’s gold medal-winning race in the women’s 400m at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon. (AP photos)

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#Bahamian sensation Shaunae Miller-Uibo added the 2022 World Athletics Championships 400 metre title to her glittering collection of global medals on Friday night in Eugene, Oregon.

#Running out of lane three, 28-year-old Miller-Uibo ran the perfect race with a world leading time of 49.11 seconds.

#She surged ahead on the back stretch and was in control of the race coming through the first 200m as she made up the stagger on Dominican Republic’s 21-year-old Fiordaliza Cofil in lane four.

#Her only threat left was Dominican Republic’s world leader Marileidy Paulino in lane six, but by the time Miller-Uibo maneuvered off the final curve, she was in complete control, and she switched into another gear on the home stretch to separate herself from the rest of the field.

#Paulino, who handed Miller-Uibo her only defeat this season at the Ooredoo Doha Meeting on May 13, exerted some of the energy that had her listed as the world No 1 contender. She stormed back down the home stretch for second in 49.60, while Sada Williams of Barbados clocked a national record of 49.75 for the bronze.

#But the night belonged to Miller-Uibo, who was greeted by her husband Maicel Uibo of Estonia and her mother May Miller, who got to drape her with the Bahamian flag, as the nation continued its streak of winning at least one medal at every championship since 2012.

Shaunae Miller-Uibo wins the final of the women’s 400 metres at the World Athletics Championships on Friday, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

#Miller-Uibo, coming off her World Indoor title in Belgrade, Serbia on March 13, has now won every global medal in the 400m, adding to her back-to-back Olympic crowns in 2021 in Tokyo, Japan and 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the world junior championship title in Moncton, Canada on July 22, 2010 and the world youth championship title in 51.84 in Lille, France on July 8, 2011.

#Miller-Uibo has indicated that this was going to be her final 400m at a major international meet as she intends to try to achieve some more historic performances in the 200m.

#Paulino, 24, beat Miller-Uibo on May 13 when she won in 51.20, with Miller-Uibo in third place in 51.48 at the Ooredoo Doha Meeting. Stephanie Ann McPherson of Jamaica was second in 51.69.

#But at the delayed Olympics last year, Miller-Uibo won with 46.36 – Paulino once again playing second fiddle with the silver in 49.20.

Gold medalist Shaunae Miller-Uibo after her win in the final of the women’s 400 meters at the World Athletics Championships on Friday in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

#On Saturday, Devynne Charlton, coming off her first global medal with a silver at the World Indoors, qualified from the 100 metres hurdles heats.

#The Bahamian national record holder finished second in heat two to qualify for Sunday’s semifinal with a time of 0:12.69 – the seventh fastest in the heats.

#Also competing on Saturday is Ken Mullings as he makes history as the first Bahamian entered in the men’s multiple 10-event decathlon. The event will conclude on Sunday.

#The women’s 4 x 400m team was scheduled to run in the second of two heats on Saturday, but the team withdrew.

#In addition to Miller-Uibo getting on the podium for her medal presentation at the end of Friday night’s competition, World Athletics’ Council Member Mike Sands, the NACAC president, presented the medals after the men’s 400m to American gold medallist Michael Normal (44.29), Grenada’s silver medallist Kirani James (44.48) and Great Britain’s bronze medallist Michael Hudson-Smith (44.66).

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jul/23/gold-shaunae/?news

July 25, 2022July 25, 2022

Shaunae Miller-Uibo wins gold

Scenes from Shaunae Miller-Uibo’s gold medal-winning race in the women’s 400m at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon. (AP photos)

http://www.tribune242.com/photos/galleries/2022/jul/22/shaunae-miller-uibo-wins-gold/

July 24, 2022July 24, 2022

Water polo team off to slow start

As of Friday, July 22, 2022

#TEAM Bahamas got off to a slow start at the Central American and Caribbean Championship (CCCAN) water polo competition.

#The team suffered a 27-2 loss to Puerto Rico in their opening match of the open men’s category yesterday in Wildey, Barbados.

#This is the third time Bahamas Water Polo has participated at the CCCAN level following the 2016 and 2019 editions.

#The event all serves as a qualifier for the Central American and Caribbean Games.

#The tournament is expected to host 50 matches over the eight days from July 19-26.

#The event will feature 20 women’s and 30 men’s games.

#In preparation for the CCCAN, the team travelled to St Louis, Missouri to participate in a training camp with Club SLAP.

#They also participated in the Wally Lundt Senior Open where they finished with a 4-1 record.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jul/22/water-polo-team-slow-start/?news

July 24, 2022February 5, 2024

Judokas primed and ready for Commonwealth Games

ANDREW MUNNINGS, left, and Cynthia Rahming.

As of Friday, July 22, 2022

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

While it has been a dream of his to represent the Bahamas at the international level, Andrew Munnings said he couldn’t ask for a better team-mate than two-time competitor Cynthia Rahming to travel with him to the Commonwealth Games.

The duo will be representing the Bahamas in the judo competition at the games, scheduled for July 27 to August 7 in Birmingham, England. They will be a part of a 27-member team from different sporting disciplines that will compete for the Bahamas.

Having qualified at the Pan American-Oceania Judo Championships held in April in Lima, Peru, Munnings said he’s not only grateful for the opportunity to compete, but he’s focused on making the Bahamian public very proud. “To qualify for these games many out of competition fights were fought behind the scenes and through the Lord’s strength and my persistence brought this opportunity,” he said.

“Since the Pan American Championships earlier this year my physicality and technicality has increased through many gym sessions, studying my competitors and working on my game strategy and accuracy.”

Although he’s qualified for the Commonwealth Games, Munnings said his ultimate goal is to get to the Olympic Games and this is just a step in that direction.

“The Olympic Games is a part of my vison in life and the Commonwealth Games is an introduction to this goal of mine, which many of these top competitors will be the same men I will have to fight if I qualify for the Paris Olympics in 2024,” Munnings said. “Throughout my circuit, I have tested myself against them and I am excited to face them again in the CWG.”

Munnings, 24, said he and Rahming have been travelling together for years training and competing over the past decade, but this is going to be a special trip next week when they head to Birmingham with coach Willard McKenzie.

Rahming, 28, will be going to her second games after making her debut as the lone judoka in 2014 in Glasglow, Scotland.

“The calibre of competition over the last eight years has significantly strengthened as the Commonwealth countries have invested in their judo athletes particularly over the past Olympic cycle,” said Rahming, the daughter of Bahamas Judo Association president Darcy Rahming.

“I’m looking forward to seeing my friends from the judo Olympic cycle. I’ve decided to revert to a style I did when I first started judo, which I’m hoping will surprise my competitors and bring me the advantage.”

In preparation for the games, Rahming said she’s been “focusing on her gym work, stamina and relearning the basics.” She noted that she’s counting on her long journey in the sport to propel her to success at the games.

“The competition is a small portion of what the CWG is about,” she said. “It is exciting and inspiring to see world-class athletes go at it, but I am going to the games for a bigger picture, which I will divulge at a later time.”

As a competitor of the sport since the age of 13, Rahming said her aim is to get a medal to add to the bronze she won at the Olympic qualifier and hopefully improve on her world ranking she previously held within the top 100 in 2018 and seventh in the Pan American region.

Munnings, on the other hand, has been competing since he was a cadet. He said his immediate goal is to surpass his previous world ranking of 216.

“Challenges like competition and training camp expenses makes the journey a difficult one to compete at these A level competitions, but CWG is a competition that can propel me further in my career and can pull some needed endorsements,” he said.

“I’ve been preparing my social media accounts and content creating for this exact opportunity.”

The judokas will compete at the games along with competitors from the Bahamas in track and field, swimming, boxing, cycling, karate and the triathlon.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jul/22/judokas-primed-and-ready-commonwealth-games/?news

July 24, 2022February 5, 2024

GOLD FOR SHAUNAE: Miller-Uibo wins 400m final at World Athletics Championships

Gold medallist Shaunae Miller-Uibo after winning the final of the women’s 400 metres at the World Athletics Championships on Friday in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

As of Saturday, July 23, 2022

Photo Gallery

Shaunae Miller-Uibo wins gold

Scenes from Shaunae Miller-Uibo’s gold medal-winning race in the women’s 400m at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon. (AP photos)

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#Bahamian sensation Shaunae Miller-Uibo added the 2022 World Athletics Championships 400 metre title to her glittering collection of global medals on Friday night in Eugene, Oregon.

#Running out of lane three, 28-year-old Miller-Uibo ran the perfect race with a world leading time of 49.11 seconds.

#She surged ahead on the back stretch and was in control of the race coming through the first 200m as she made up the stagger on Dominican Republic’s 21-year-old Fiordaliza Cofil in lane four.

Shaunae Miller-Uibo wins the final of the women’s 400 metres at the World Athletics Championships on Friday, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

#Miller-Uibo has indicated that this was going to be her final 400m at a major international meet as she intends to try to achieve some more historic performances in the 200m.

#Paulino, 24, beat Miller-Uibo on May 13 when she won in 51.20, with Miller-Uibo in third place in 51.48 at the Ooredoo Doha Meeting. Stephanie Ann McPherson of Jamaica was second in 51.69.

#But at the delayed Olympics last year, Miller-Uibo won with 46.36 – Paulino once again playing second fiddle with the silver in 49.20.

Gold medalist Shaunae Miller-Uibo after her win in the final of the women’s 400 meters at the World Athletics Championships on Friday in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

#On Saturday, Devynne Charlton, coming off her first global medal with a silver at the World Indoors, qualified from the 100 metres hurdles heats.

#The Bahamian national record holder finished second in heat two to qualify for Sunday’s semifinal with a time of 0:12.69 – the seventh fastest in the heats.

#Also competing on Saturday is Ken Mullings as he makes history as the first Bahamian entered in the men’s multiple 10-event decathlon. The event will conclude on Sunday.

#The women’s 4 x 400m team was scheduled to run in the second of two heats on Saturday, but the team withdrew.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jul/23/gold-shaunae/?news

July 24, 2022July 24, 2022

Pratt goes off to school to further swimming career

Home|Sports|Pratt goes off to school to further swimming careerSports

The Nassau Guardian Send an emailJuly 22, 2022 267 1 minute readFacebook Twitter LinkedIn Share via Email

Young Bahamian swimmer Adreil Pratt is preparing to attend the Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida, to further her academics and her swimming career. JIMMY MACKEY

Adreil Pratt, 14, had a strong showing at the 2022 Bahamas Aquatics Federation’s 50th National Swimming Championships – her final swimming competition before she heads off to Jacksonville, Florida, to continue her education.

Pratt snagged four bronze medals, winning them in the 50, 100 and 200 meters (m) breaststroke events and the 200m mixed medley relay. She also placed fourth in the 100m backstroke, was fifth in the 200m backstroke and sixth in the 50m backstroke event. Pratt advanced to the finals in all of the races she competed in.

The young swimming star now prepares to attend the Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida, entering the 10th grade. The school is known for producing some of the greatest swimming athletes in the world, including Olympians. Bahamian swimming legend Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace is an alumnus of the school.

Pratt is a member of the Black Marlins Swim Club operated by Macfit 360 on West Bay Street. Her coaches are former Olympian Allan Murray and his wife Christine.

She is the daughter of Member of Parliament for Marathon and Minister of State for Social Services and Urban Development Lisa Rahming, who is her biggest supporter. Rahming was joined by members of Adriel’s fan club who came out to support her during the races. They included her little brother, her father and his fiancee, spiritual advisor Prophetess Sheena Moss and Chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Marathon Branch Trevor Seifert.

In addition to her athletic prowess, young Pratt is known for her poise and endearing personality. She is also skilled in the sport of cycling. Pratt looks forward to excelling in the sport of swimming and representing her country on the world stage.

https://thenassauguardian.com/pratt-goes-off-to-school-to-further-swimming-career/