Friday, May 29, 2020

Shyrone Kemp

Jahmaal Wilson

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#SHYRONE Kemp and Jahmaal Wilson were named NCAA Division II All-Americans by the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for their standout indoor seasons prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

#Due to the cancellation of the NCAA DII Indoor Track & Field Championships, the Executive Committee amended criteria for All-American selections. For Individual events, all student-athletes listed on the startlist for the anticipated event were selected.

#Both Kemp (Minnesota State University Moorehead Dragons) and Wilson (West Texas A and M Buffaloes) were expected to compete at the Division II Championships in Birmingham, Alabama, last March.

#Wilson made an immediate impact as a true freshman for West Texas in the 60m hurdles.

#His first year with the programme included a No.16 ranking in NCAA DII in the 60mH. He also finished sixth in the event at the Lone Star Conference Championships running 8.26 seconds in the final.

#He also ran a personal best time of 8.02 to finish fifth at the New Mexico Team Open. He also earned USTFCCCA All-Region honours for his series of performances as one of the top five individuals in each event in the region.

#Wilson won the 60m this season at The Power in a seasonal best time of 6.95.

#Kemp was honoured once again for his breakout season in the field which has garnered several accolades.

#He earned the All-American honour in the triple jump.

#Kemp was also previously named the NCAA Division II, Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference’s Newcomer of the Year when the league announced the awards for its indoor season.

#After declaring as a redshirt last indoor season, Kemp made his debut this year and was one of the top performers in the conference. He won the triple jump at the NSIC Indoor Championships with a leap of 49 feet, 2 ¼ inches.

#He also earned an additional trio of all-conference honours.

#In addition to the triple jump win, he was third in the high jump at 6 feet 10 ¼ inches and third in the long jump at 23 feet 5 ½ inches. He totalled 22 points at the meet.

#His indoor season also included a new school record in the triple jump at a leap of 49 feet 9 ¼ inches, to surpass a 43-year-old record. He now ranks in the Dragons top 10 in the high, triple and long jumps.

#The sophomore rising star was named the Dragons’ Men’s Field Athlete of the Year for a standout indoor season.

Friday, May 29, 2020

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#AS the uncertainty around Major League Baseball and its minor league affiliates continues, several MLB clubs have made their decision on whether to halt or continue payments to players in their farm systems.

#The minor league baseball season was officially suspended in April but the MLB pledged to offer players financial support through May 31 as the COVID-19 pandemic continued. Beyond May, clubs were given the individual decision on how or if they would financially support their rosters.

#A total of 17 Bahamians are currently contracted to minor league deals. Prior to the suspension of all baseball activity, many of those players had yet to receive their assignments for the upcoming season.

#According to Baseball America, several teams with Bahamian players in their farm systems have already made announcements on their plans moving forward.

#On Tuesday, the Oakland A’s announced that their payments will not continue beyond the aforementioned May timeline.

#Davonn Mackey spent last season with the club’s team in the Arizona League.

#The Tampa Bay Rays, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Mets and Texas Rangers are among teams that will continue payments to their players through June.

#Lucius Fox was named to the Rays’ 40-man roster in the offseason and was assigned to the Rays Triple-A affiliate, Durham Bulls for the upcoming season. Kristian Robinson, the Diamondbacks’ No.1 prospect and No.43 in the MLB Top 100, concluded last season at the Short A-Advanced level with the Kane County Cougars.

#Warren Saunders spent last season with the Mets’ Rookie club in the Gulf Coast League.

#Keithronn Moss and Zion Bannister both concluded last season with the Rangers’ in the Arizona League.

#The Miami Marlins were one of the teams that extended their financial support through the end of August.

#Jazz Chisholm and Ian Lewis are currently in the club’s farm system.

#Chisholm, the Marlins’ No. 3 ranked prospect was assigned to Triple-A ball with the Wichita Wind Surge of the Pacific Coast League. Lewis has yet to receive his first assignment.

#Other teams are expected to announce their intentions in the coming days. Individual clubs will create their own compensation plan to assist players assigned to the Dominican Summer League.

#James Rolle spent last season in for the Orioles in the Dominican Summer League while Dax Stubbs has yet to receive his first assignment.

#According to USA Today, “The average minor leaguer is paid based on the level of competition. In 2020, Class A players were scheduled to make $290/week, Class AA $350/week and Class AAA $502/week. That comes out to roughly $4,800 for three-month short-season leagues to around $14,000 for five months at Class AAA. Why are they paid so little? Minor leaguers aren’t considered employees of their parent clubs, but “seasonal apprentices” under the provisions of the “Save America’s Pastime Act,” included in the massive 2018 federal tax cut bill.”

#Minor League Baseball is also expected to reduce the group of affiliate teams by 40.

#MiLB currently fields 160 teams across its various leagues, but that number could be reduced to as much as 120 and the remaining teams could face realignment.

#The decision on whether the minor league season will continue appears dependent on whether the major league season continues. MLB and it’s Players’ Association are currently negotiating player compensation and a pathway to the 2020 season.

CHARISMA TAYLOR, in action above in the triple jump, is looking to become one of the next Bahamian Olympians.

Friday, May 29, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#She’s looking to become one of the next Bahamian Olympians, but the multi-talented Charisma Taylor will have to decide whether she will do it in the triple jump, the high hurdles or in both events.

#Taylor, a former Queen’s College Comets superstar, just completed her sophomore year at Washington State by winning the triple jump title at the MPSF Indoor Track and Field Championships over the weekend of February 28-29.

#She posted a lifetime best of 13.29 metres or 43-feet, 7 1/4-inches and she got fourth in the 60m hurdles in 8.29 seconds.

#Although she didn’t get to compete in the 2020 NCAA Indoor Championships in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Taylor was named a 2020 NCAA Indoor All-American on Tuesday as a result of her performance in the triple jump.

#Now home for the rest of the school year after all sporting events around the world, including the NCAA Outdoor season, were either postponed or cancelled as a result of the spread of the virus, Taylor said she has got the chance to stay fit by working out with coach James Rolle at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium.

#“It’s going very well,” said Taylor, who took advantage of Prime Minister Hubert Minnis’ announcement a few weeks ago that professional athletes could train during the curfew and weekend lockdowns in the country.

#“At first it was hard because I wasn’t in the best shape when I went out with coach James since I came home from school. But we’re working on preparing for the BAAAs Nationals, if they have it. I will be using that meet to get me started on my season as I get ready to go back to school.”

#Although her outdoor season was cut out of Washington State’s agenda this year, Taylor had an impressive indoor season as she posted her lifetime best of 13.48m (44-2 3/4) at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational.

#Taylor, who has also produced lifetime bests of 6.03m (19-9 1/2) in the long jump; 7.65 in the 60m; 25.34 in the 200m and 13.79 in the 200m, said she’s eager to see where her future takes her in the sport.

#“I think I had a really good season, the best season in my life, honestly,” Taylor said. “My coach, Wayne Phipps, came up with this plan to reduce and prevent injuries. The plan was to work me harder in the offseason so my body could be prepared for the long indoor and outdoor season.

#“When the indoor season started, my goal was to PR in every meet and break my previous records and that’s what I did. I did my PR in just about every meet in the hurdles and the triple jump, so I was really happy with that.”

#On the course that Phipps charted for her, Taylor said she had anticipated going to the NCAA Indoor Nationals and producing another personal best. But she said they got the bad news that the meet was cancelled in March because of the coronavirus.

#“For me, I was disappointed because I was ready,” she reflected. “I was definitely going to place. Just thinking about it, I know if I had jumped in the Nationals, I would have done some great things.

#“But I know that God has everything worked out for a reason. I’m not going to dwell on that too much. I just have to get ready for the Nationals, both indoors and outdoors, in 2021 and then the Olympics in 2021 as well.”

#As she plays back the experience when she got the news that the Nationals was called off, Taylor said she felt that it was a good thing for her because she was hoping to take a slight break after the indoor season to get ready for outdoors and the Olympics, which was originally scheduled for July in Tokyo, Japan, but now rescheduled for July, 2021.

#“My body needed a break. I believe all of this was for the better,” said Taylor about the break from her hectic collegiate season. “If the Olympics was still on this year, I know I would have made it, but with this extra bit of training, I know I can do better next year than what I would have done this year if it was still on. So all and all, this break in competition is for the better. I’m sure a lot of athletes feel the same way.”

#While here at home, Taylor continues to train under the guidance of Rolle with the vie of getting ready for whenever the season resumes. But of course, her main goal is to qualify for the Olympics.

#She know there’s some obstacles in her way, but she’s looking forward to the challenge that will come from athletes such as Tamara Myers in the triple and national record holder Pedrya Seymour and Devynne Charlton in the 100m hurdles.

#“I feel like it’s good to have some competition, but Tamara and I are now training partners, which is good because she pushes me in a way that I am not pushed at school,” Taylor said. “So I feel like that’s a good thing and when the time come that we will compete against each other, she will be in her zone and I will be on my own.

#“Luckily, Tamara is my my only good competition in the triple jump and the Bahamas can take two competitors so it should work out for us both. But for the hurdles, Devynne and Pedrya are exceptional hurdlers. I haven’t gotten the opportunity to train with them. When we do get on the line, we will all be the same and anything could happen. We will see when that time comes.”

#Now that she have two events that she can concentrate on, Taylor said she doesn’t favor one over the other. However, she has some priorities that could make a difference in which one she would end up concentrating more on.

#“I don’t really enjoy one more than the other, but I feel I have a better chance to make the Olympics in the triple jump because I’ve been performing better in that event and I’m closer to the Olympic mark than I am in the hurdles,” she pointed out.

#“But I do want to try and qualify for both of events. If I qualify for both events, I will go to the Olympics and compete in the two events. But if the two events clash, which they normally do, then I would do the triple jump over the hurdles.”

#Since coming home, Taylor said she’s been in constant contact with coach Phipps and Rolle has ensured that does her daily routine to ensure that she is prepared for the future ahead of her.

#“I’ve been doing workouts in my yard, but when the track finally opened up, coach Rolle said we have practice on Monday so I need to come out and start training again,” she pointed out.

#“We progressed where we are at a certain point and I also got a chance to spend time with my family and friends. I also got to see my grandmother. And I have a job here where I am doing food delivery for a shop to make some money in my spare time. I am also doing summer classes, so my day is hectic.”

#The 20-year-old Hospitality Management major is the daughter of Patrice and Dewey Taylor. She said when the safety measures in the country is lifted, she’s looking forward to returning to college to start her junior year and to be reunited with her friends.

#To the Bahamian public as she look forward to the measures being lifted in time for her to return to school in August, Taylor encouraged everybody to stay safe.

#“Stay inside, stay safe and hopefully we will get pass this sooner than later,” Taylor summed up.

Tuesday, June 2, 2020

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#AT least one Bahamian player was among the hundreds of roster cuts throughout minor league baseball last week amid the uncertainty of the 2020 season and respective franchise’s decisions on continuing payments to players.

#Orveo Saint was among 30 players released by the Milwaukee Brewers on May 28 as minor league baseball players continue to experience an unprecedented amount of cuts league wide.

#The 20-year-old middle infielder signed with the Brewers in 2017 and spent two seasons in the Arizona Rookie League.

#In 59 games, he hit .152 with 47 hits, a .604 OPS, three home runs, 21 RBI and nine stolen bases.

#As per the Brewers media guide, he underwent left wrist surgery last October.

#Also this offseason, Todd Isaacs Jr was released from the Colorado Rockies organisation on April 7. He spent the bulk of last season in Grand Junction at the Rookie Level but also received the highest call-up of his career when he was called up to the Albuquerque Isotopes of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League.

#The minor league baseball season was officially suspended in April but the MLB pledged to offer players financial support through May 31 as the COVID-19 pandemic continued. Beyond May, clubs were given the individual decision on how or if they would financially support their rosters.

#A total of 16 Bahamians are currently contracted to minor league deals. Prior to the suspension of all baseball activity, just two of those players received their assignments for the upcoming season.

#Over 200 players were cut Friday and more than 400 have been released over the past month, according to transactions posted at MiLB.com.

#According to Yahoo Sports, lower-level players were hit hardest by cuts, with at least 172 players released from the rookie-level Gulf Coast, Arizona and Dominican Summer Leagues.

Tuesday, June 2, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#As expected, there will be some major changes for the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture in the 2020 budget that was outlined by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest in the House of Assembly last week.

#While the recurrent expenditure is estimated to be around $18,938,187, about $5,143,194 less than what was expended in last year’s budget of $24,081,380, there are some line figures that will be reduced significantly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

#Subventions to elite athletes will be dropped from $1,346,150 to $1,076,920, but it’s not known how many athletes will be affected going into the preparation for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, which has been postponed until 2021.

#In addition, aid to student athletes will be reduced from $142,500 last year to about $110,000, although there is no indication as to who and how many athletes fall into this category.

#Additionally, there is provisions for $76,000 to be allocated to the World Relays, although the Bahamas has given up the rights to hold the event after the first three editions in 2014, 2015 and 2017 before they were moved to Yokohama, Japan, in 2019.

#There was no allocation, however, for the Bahamas Amateur Athletic Associations, but the Bahamas Olympic Committee is pegged at $40,000 – $10,000 less than the $50,000 they received last year.

#The only other individual sporting bodies listed are the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association with an allocation of $8,000 – $2,000 less than the $10,000 last year and the Bahamas Football Association, which is being allocated $32,000, down from $40,000 from last year.

#There is a contribution of $152,000 for international games, reduced by $32,000 from the $190,000 from last year and there is provisions for contributions to sports, civic and youth organisations to the tone of $240,000, which was reduced from $300,000 in the previous budget.

#Further to the list, there is a National Endowment for Sports, pegged at $795,000, reduced from $1,632,000 last year and $150,000 for ceremonial events, down from $372,400 from last year.

#No doubt, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Lanisha Rolle will outline the details of her ministry when the budget is debated in the House of Assembly this month.

#Efforts to contact Rolle and the Director of Sports, Timothy Munnings, for comments over the holiday weekend were unsuccessful.

Peter ‘JP’ Rutherford Jr

Tuesday, June 2, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#THE COVID-19 pandemic prevented Peter and Chavez Rutherford from travelling to Arkansas with other family members over the weekend to watch their son, Peter ‘JP’ Rutherford Jr, graduate from Providence Academy. What they didn’t regret was the decision they made four years ago to allow their eldest son to leave St Augustine’s College to further his high school education.

#On Friday night as a result of the United States and the Bahamas borders closed due to the spread of the coronavirus, the Rutherfords got to watch the graduation ceremony online as JP not only received the cum laude award, but he was also honoured as a servant leader and recognised as an international student.

#While he would have liked to have seen his family present, JP said it wasn’t their fault as COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on graduation ceremonies which, in most cases, has to be done virtually. Fortunate for him, Providence Academy actually had a ceremony with only the parents of each graduate in attendance because of the social distancing rule.

#Sharing the moment with JP were his Arkansas home parents, Gay and Barry Gasaway, whom Rutherford Sr said his family are eternally grateful for the love and affection that they are showing their son.

#The Gasaways took JP in their home from Bahamian-American Simeon Hinsey, the director of student-athlete development at the University of Arkansas, who originally arranged for PJ to stay in Arkansas with him and his family when he first arrived.

#As he reflected on the momentous occasion, JP said there was one important thing missing at the ceremony, which turned out to be an event that he will cherish with pride for the rest of his life because of his achievement.

#“It was disappointing not having my parents and family over here, but it was none of their fault,” JP said. “They watched it online, so at least they could have seen it. “I was surprised that I graduated cum laude. I didn’t believed that I did that well. The servant leader award, I was shocked that I got that too. But I was glad that as an international student, I was able to make my parents and the Bahamian people very proud.”

#As a 6-foot, 3-inch forward on the Patriots basketball team, JP averaged about eight points, seven rebounds, four steals and two blocked shots. Two years ago as a sprinter on their track team, JP ran his lifetime achievement of 11.00 seconds in the 100 metres and 23.1 in the 200m.

#He suffered a grade-A right hamstring injury in December and had worked his way back into form and was preparing to compete outdoors this year, but all sporting activities was shut down because of COVID-19 and he wasn’t able to display his true potential as he winded down his campaign for the Patriots.

#The injury and the cancellation of sports hampered JP’s ability to land an athletic scholarship to a prestigious college or university. But more importantly, JP was given an academy scholarship to attend Harding University, a division II school in Arkansas where he intent to pursue a degree in criminal justice, starting in August.

#“After I didn’t get any favorable answers from all the other schools that I applied too, within two weeks of applying to Harding University, they accepted with the scholarship,” JP said,

#“It’s a small Christian school, which is only about three hours from my high school. I also heard from the track coach, who is interested in me running track, although he couldn’t offer me a scholarship right now because they have some seniors, who are returning for their final outdoor season. That was why I chose Harding University.”

#Looking back at his tenure at Providence Academy, JP said he was pleased that he made the decision to leave SAC to complete his high school education because he was able to grow spiritually, physically and mentally.

#“I made a lot of friendships that I intent to keep for the rest of my life,” he pointed out. “I’ve also been a part of some many teams and different associations that have given me a lot of life experiences that I hope to use in college.”

#While the 18-year-old said he was disappointed when he heard that sports was going to be stopped, but it gave him the opportunity to focus on his education and it paid off in the long run as he completed his tenure with a 3.78 grade point average.

#“Our state (Arkansas) didn’t have as many cases of Covid-19 as some of the other states,” JP noted. “We had the lockdown, but it wasn’t duper crazy. I know they took down all of the rims and closed all of the gyms, so you couldn’t do anything.”

#JP, however, said he’s glad that they have eased up a lot of the regulations and while they still have to practice the social distancing, he miss being at home in the Bahamas.

#“One of the first thing I would like to do when everything is done and we can travel, I would like to see my grandmothers, Minister Esmeralda Rutherford and Deloris Darling. I haven’t seen them in a while,” JP said.

#“I would also like to see some of the people who were there for me from the time I left the Bahamas. I’m just grateful to everyone in the Bahamas who was praying for me. I hope I did them all proud.”

#Rutherford Sr said when they made the decision to send JP off, there were some naysayers who tried to discourage them.

#“I’m glad we made the decision. We trusted God,” he said. “To see him go over there and become a government leader in his school was quite an accomplishment. He was able to develop his leadership both on and off the court and the track.”

#Rutherford Sr, a graduate of Nassau Christian Academy, who went on to attend St Augustine’s College in Raleigh, North Carolina with his brother Patrick on soccer scholarships, said while they didn’t get to witness JP’s high school graduation, they are looking forward to do it at the end of his collegiate career.

#“Covid-19 has taught us so much. We have a lot to be thankful for at the end of the day,” said Rutherford Sr, a Bs major in accounting and a CPA, who faced his own personal challenge on his job on his birthday last month.

#“He was able to do exactly what he went over there for. We were not there to physically watch it, but he made us proud. Our family, his grandparents and some other members of our family were looking forward to going there for the graduation.”

#On December 28 when JP pulled his hamstring in Alabama, Rutherford Sr was there to watch him compete in a track meet. After he got the necessary treatment and therapy from the University of Arkansas, JP suffered the flu as he competed in his first track meet. The next scheduled, the season was shut down in March because of Covid-19.

#“The times he ran in grade 10, he was looking to improve on them this year,” Rutherford Sr said. “So it will be interesting when he get to Harding University whether they want him to run track, play basketball or even football.

#“He’s never played football obviously, but we’re just watching to see what they will do. Harding is a small Christian school where he could get a good quality education. I’m so proud to see how he’s done both academically and athletically coming out of Fox Hill.”

#Rutherford Sr said despite the racial tension that has resurfaced in the United States after the death of George Floyd in Minnesota and the unrest that he brewed round the country, he’s proud that his son was connected with a loving and caring white family in the Gasaways.

#“Gay and Barry Gasaway have been nothing short of amazing. I think they spooled JP more than they did their own children,” Rutherford Sr said.

#“They sacrificed so much for him on their ranch. I think God has selected JP for the right time and place with that family. Never once did me and my have a concern about his wellbeing or care taking. Even when he got injured, they made sure he had the best medical attention.”

#JP couldn’t agree more.

#“I really didn’t have to worry about anything. They made me felt right at home,” he said. “I couldn’t ask for a better family to get through this experience. I appreciate them so much for all that they did for me and my family.”

#As he now prepare for his tertiary education at Harding University, Rutherford Sr said JP will be in good company as he continue his athletic pursuits. He noted that the head track coach, Don Hood, is one of his fraternity brothers, who has wowed to ensure that he gets the best opportunity to succeed.

#“God has a reason for everything,” Rutherford Sr said. “That’s why he didn’t get in any of the bigger schools because he didn’t have any times this year.

#“He didn’t have any indoor season, he suffered the hamstring and then Covid-19 shut down everything. But he’s still got an academic scholarship and will still get an opportunity to compete in sports at the collegiate level.”

#With two younger sons still at home, Rutherford Sr said he doesn’t envision any of them following JP in leaving the Bahamas for high school.

#He said Perez Rutherford, 14, is heading into the ninth grade at St Augustine’s College and he’s plying flag football and is a member of the Barracuda’s Swim Club, while Paidin, aa 11-year-old preparing or grade five at Kingsway Academy, is participating in soccer and will be joining the Barracuda’s this year.

#“I believe they both will be taller than JP, but it will be seen whether or not they will surpass what JP is doing,” Rutherford Sr said. “I’m not pushing any of them in sports, but whatever they decide to do, I will be there to support them just as I did with JP.”

WHITTINGTON BROWN, of the Class of 1988, presents the boxes of hurdles to Ainsworth Beckford, athletic director, as physical education teacher Jameison Pratt and acting principal Lisa Miller look on. WHITTINGTON BROWN, of the Class of 1988, presents the boxes of hurdles to Ainsworth Beckford, athletic director, as physical education teacher Jameison Pratt and acting principal Lisa Miller look on. As of Wednesday, June 3, 2020 Sign in to favorite thisDiscuss Comment, Blog about Share this Email, Facebook, Twitter #By BRENT STUBBS #Senior Sports Reporter #bstubbs@tribunemedia.net #AS they deal with the uncertainty of COVID-19, Nassau Christian Academy will start rebuilding its Crusaders’ track and field team for the new school year with a generous donation of hurdles from the graduating class of 1988. #As a part of their 30th anniversary, the alumni class purchased the 10 hurdles through the Sports Centre before the lockdown of the country because of the coronavirus. But they were not presented to the school’s athletic director, Ainsworth Beckford, until last week. #“We contacted Mr Beckford and asked what they needed. He said that several of their runners did very well, but that they needed some hurdles,” said Whittington Brown, who spoke on behalf of Ancenette Wallace-McCartney, the vice president of the class. “This is not the first opportunity that we made any contributions to the school. We provided some computers during our 25th anniversary and we hope that we can continue to make contributions wherever it is necessary, especially when we celebrate milestones.” #Brown, who will celebrate his 50th birthday on Monday, said through their gesture, they are hoping that they can inspire other alumni classes to come forth and do their part to assist in the development of their alma mater. #“The school can’t do everything. They need a strong alumni association to help out,” he said. “The school is producing quality athletes as well. They had one who had qualified for CARIFTA and so this should help to boost the Athletic Department.” #Beckford thanked God for the gift they received from the alumni class, which he assured them will help in the development of their athletic programme at NCA. #“It will definitely help us because we have discovered now that the BAISS (Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools) has become so competitive that we could use all of the help we can get,” Beckford said. #“One of the areas that we realise that we really need help in is in the hurdles. We have students who are talented enough to do the events, but we didn’t have the equipment to prepare them.” #With this donation, Beckford said they feel as if the purchase of the hurdles will help them to secure the necessary points needed when they compete again against the powerhouses like St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine, Queen’s College Comets, St Anne’s Blue Waves and St John’s Giants. #“We just hope that things could return to normalcy because we had athletes who have become comfortable with our coaching staff, who have been knowledgeable in helping us to improve our programme,” Beckford said. #“We were right at the start of the National High School Track and Field Championships when sports was halted because of the coronavirus. We felt that we did pretty good at the BAISS meet this year and would have made a good showing at the nationals.” #Beckford credited the addition of Jamieson Pratt, the son of legendary long/triple jump coach Peter Pratt and Clinton Smikle, who also coaches the Quick Step Track Club. They join the rest of the Physical Education staff that includes Michelle Miller and Donna Brown. #“Hopefully when we readjust ourselves to the new norm of COVID-19 as we get back to normalcy, our track programme can continue to flourish, as the other disciplines that we compete in during the BAISS season.” #Beckford thanked the alumni association for coming forward and assisting their alma mater and that the relationship will continue to grow as they build on their athletic programme at NCA. Kudos for a job well done.

LAQUAN NAIRN, right, with his big brother Lourawls ‘Tum Tum’ Nairn.

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#Laquan Nairn, graduating as a Razorback track star at the University of Arkansas, joined big brother Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn – a former basketball player with the Michigan Stated Spartans – in forming a rare Bahamian siblings to finish their tertiary education in the United States in two different sports.

#For Laquan, who grew up playing basketball before he made the switch to athletics, COVID-19 denied him the opportunity to enjoy the formal graduation “Tum Tum” experienced in 2018. Instead, Laquan is waiting for his degree in criminal justice to be mailed to his residence in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

#Like “Tum Tum” did last year in returning to Michigan State as a graduate assistant for the Spartans’ basketball team, the younger Nairn will be back with the Razorbacks this year to complete his senior outdoor track and field season that was cut short by the spread of the coronavirus.

#He’s taking advantage of the NCAA’s decision to allow senior athletes to return to school to complete the outdoor season that they were deprived of because of the coronavirus that halted all sports in March and forced the shutdown of schools throughout the United States.

#“I just feel like it would be in my best interest to go back and complete my senior season because it will provide me with the best opportunity to get ready for the Olympic Games and the World Championship,” he said. “It just makes sense for me to do my final year of eligibility for the outdoor season.”

#Laquan Nairn is still in Fayetteville where he has been able to continue to train and stay fit, despite the spread of the coronavirus. But with the death of American George Floyd in Minnesota, which has sparked nation-wide protests and looting in the USA, Nairn said he has to realise that he’s a Bahamian in a foreign country and has been very cautious.

#“It’s nothing that I can say or do, even though I am a black person. I can’t speak on what the African Americans are going through right now,” he said. “I am a Bahamian first. I can’t really put myself in their shoe because I can’t relate to what they are going through. I haven’t experienced anything like that in the Bahamas, so I can’t say because I am black, I can go through it with them.”

#As a Christian believer, Laquan Nairn said he believes that God made everybody and he hasn’t read in the Bible where it states that black people are better than white or vice versa.

#“I can’t really speak on that. I’m good,” he said. “I am a Bahamian. Sometimes you have to move with wisdom. I know that as a whole, the world is going through a spiritual warfare, but I can’t go on social media and express my interest in what they are doing.”

#Laquan said he’s aware that the people want justice for George’s life, but because he hasn’t experienced anything like that at home in the Bahamas, he has decided to stay at his residence in Fayetteville and not participate in any of the protests. “My passport says something different. I am a Bahamian citizen and not an American citizen,” he stated. “If they touch me, my Bahamian government will have to help me out. I am black, but I haven’t experienced what they are going through. So I’m not going to touch it.”

#As the older brother, “Tum Tum” said he has tried to offer the best advice to his younger brother during their daily conversation to help him to deal with the “touchy” situation and not let it overwhelm them as Bahamians in a foreign land. “Being a black man in America, I know all about the history and what that means, but I just feel like people have a right to protest if they want, people have a right to feel angry and people have a right to feel frustrated because of things that were happening for years upon years,” Tum Tum stated. “But I think you have to move with wisdom when you are dealing with things like this.

#“I don’t have a problem with protesting, but I myself won’t be going out there and protesting because I understand in myself that it is so much more that we can physically see that is going on. I just want to be support for others because I am a black man and I have been in the United States since I was 13, but I just walk in wisdom and be a help in a positive way.”

#While people have a mind of their own, Tum Tum said he has decided that he won’t be participating in any protest, but rather he will rely on God to work things out in his own time.

#With his faith in God, Laquan Nairn said he was able to go to the United States and achieve the goal he set out to accomplish when he first enrolled in college at South Plains in 2016. Despite suffering an injury, he transferred to the University of Arkansas where he was able to flourish as a long and triple jumper.

#“This season was great. I give God all praise and glory for it. The whole time I was competing, it wasn’t me jumping. I am totally honest, it was only God,” Nairn stressed. “He allowed the things to happen to give me a platform to glorify his name.”

#From an injured freshman season at South Plains to graduating as one of the top ranked competitors at the University of Arkansas, Laquan Nairn said he have so much to thankful to God for.

#“My brother (Tum Tum) allows tell me that your talent will take you only where your character will keep you,” he said. “So it’s all glory to God for the talent that he possessed me with.

#“I was at the NCAA Indoor Championships when the season was cancelled. I look at it as an opportunity to put my trust in God and not to lean unto my own understanding. I knew that God would work it out.”

#Before his season was disrupted this year because of Covid-19, Laquan Nairn emerged as the runner-up in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Indoor Championships with a lifetime best of 8.02 meters or 26-feet, 3 3/4-inches, which ranked him at number two on Arkansas’ all-time list and No.2 on the Bahamian all-time list.

#Additionally, he placed fourth in the triple jump with a leap of 15.92m (52-2 3/4), enabling him to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships, which was called off in March as the coronavirus took shape around the world. While he didn’t get the chance to compete in the Nationals, Laquan Nairn earned All-American honors in both events.

#Laquan Nairn also posted a personal best of 16.11m (52-10 1/4) in the triple jump at the Tyson Invitational after he opened the season with a mark of 15.83m (51-11 1/4) at the Arkansas Invitational. In the long jump, he did 7.69m (25-2 at the Red Raider Invitational and recorded his previous best at the Razorback Invitational with a distance of 7.94m (26-0 3/4).

#“My whole journey through college and my success is not to show people in the Bahamas that I am better than any of them,” he said. “I was in the same situation that they are in and they can achieve anything that they want if they put their trust in God.

#“The grace of God is what has kept me. From a little kid playing basketball, I didn’t know what college was all about. I didn’t know about Arkansas until I start running track. It wasn’t until then that I wanted to go to college and get a degree. I came out of a bad environment, but I made the best of my situation.”

#If it wasn’t those words of encouragement from Tum Tum that helped to inspire him and the mentorship that he got from national triple jump record holder Leevan ‘Superman’ Sands, Laquan Nairn said he doesn’t believe that he would have been able to accomplish what he did.

#“Manners and respect will take you through this world. That is what has sustained me,” he emphasized. “You would be surprised at how many people love me over here. And it’s not because I run track because a lot of them think that I play basketball. But it’s because I have manners and respect.

#“The medals and accolades that I achieved at Arkansas haven’t changed me. They don’t mean anything. I’m not like some of the other people who allow their success to change them. It didn’t. I’m the same person. I want people to appreciate me for the struggles and the hardships that I went through to accomplish what I did as a Bahamian.”

#Having set the pace as the role model for his younger brother, Tum Tum said it was a blessing to watch Laquan follow in his footsteps as a college graduate.

#“Growing up back home, college was never in our minds. We never really talked about what college we wanted to go too,” Tum Tum reflected. “I feel he had a chance to go pro when he was coming out of school, but I didn’t want him to be like me because track and basketball is two different sports.

#“It was my mom’s idea for him to go to college. As he went through college and I as I understood how getting a college degree could open up certain doors for you because it’s not an easy thing, I became more eager for him to graduate. When he graduated, I was super proud of him because I knew his journey wasn’t easy and graduating from college wasn’t an easy thing to do.”

#Laquan Nairn, who stands at 6-feet, 1-inch, said when he tore his ACL during his freshman season at South Plains in the 2016/17 season, it was Sands who reached out to him and got him through the process to recover from his injury. Today, Nairn said Sands remains his mentor.

#At age 23, Laquan Nairn also credits 25-year-old Tum Tum for being there as a big brother, especially as they talk on a daily basis about life, being Bahamians and allowing God to help them both to be the best that they can be.

#“I thank God for Tum Tum because he went to college before me and he was able to share with me some of the things that he had to go through to survive,” said Nairn, of their relationship that was developed out of the parentage of Lourawls Sr and Monalisa Nairn.

#“At the end of the day, I am proud of him because it’s not normal to see two brother dominant in two different sports. Being my brother, he has helped me a lot.”

#Tum Tum attended Michigan State and helped the Spartans to make the NCAA Final Four in 2015. After graduating in 2018, he wasn’t drafted in the National Basketball Association (NBAA), but went on to be named to the Phoenix Suns’ front office with a role in Player Development.

#While he was going through his transition from college, Tum Tum also played a pivotal role on the Bahamas men’s national basketball team at the 2019 FIBA World Cup Qualifier. Now back at Michigan State where he is a Graduate Assistant.

#Before he achieved all of that, Tum Tum left HO Nashat the age of 13 to attend high school in Florida. He returned to the Bahamas at the age of 16 and spent five months at CR Walker before he went to Wichita, Kansas to attend Sunrise Christian Academy.

#The 5-10 former middle distance runner turned basketball point guard said he’s enjoyed a transition that he will cherish for the rest of his life.

#“I think it’s a blessing. I believe the Lord has really blessed us honestly. We just capitalized on that opportunity,” Tum Tum quipped. “To be from the Bahamas and to be brothers, who participated in the same sport before we made the switch to what we are doing now, just to be able to have some success, to be from the same family with the same parents, is a blessing.

#“I always pray that we are an encouragement to the people back home because you can do and be whatever you want to be. It doesn’t have to be sports. It can be whatever you want to succeed in. It’s a blessing for us. I know my parents are proud of us, but we couldn’t do it without God. We did it playing in two different sports after we switched from one sport to the other.”

#In returning to his alma mater at Michigan State, Tum Tum said he’s contemplating his future in sports, while at the same time completing his masters degree in kinesiology with a focus on sports administration. He completed his tenure as a student-athlete with a degree in communication.

#Having played basketball as his first love when he attended school in the Bahamas, Laquan Nairn said he still hoop it up every opportunity he can, once he get the approval from his coaches at Arkansas. His priority has changed to track and field and he’s enjoying every moment of it.

#“Sometimes I wished I never stop hooping it up,” Nairn said. “But I believe if I had continued, I might not have been the person that I am today. So I thank God for what he did in my life through track and field.”

#As brothers, now college graduates, Laquan and Lourawls are making the best of their opportunities in the sports of track and field and basketball at the University of Arkansas and Michigan State respectively.

Thursday, June 4, 2020

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#HEADING into his senior season with the University of Charleston Golden Eagles football programme, Mike Strachan looks to continue to rewrite the record books and boost his stock for the 2021 NFL Draft.

#Strachan was featured by NFL Draft Blitz and the standout wide receiver detailed his offseason struggles as he continues.

#“I have my brother here with me. We know some quarterbacks in the area. We work out together at a local field. We are working on the fundamentals. I am focusing on my hands and route running,” he said. “I am doing conditioning on my own.”

#In his junior season, he was named an NCAA Division II Second Team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association. Following his breakout season, Strachan shared the all-time Charleston touchdown record of 27 with Joey Augustin.

#The Grand Bahama native finished with 78 receptions for 1,319 yards and 19 touchdowns. He set new school records, led the Mountain East Conference in each category and was second in all of DII in both receiving yards and touchdowns.

#His breakout season achieved Division II Top-10 marks for the 2019 season in receiving touchdowns (second), receiving yards (sixth), receptions (ninth), and receiving yards per game (fifth).

#Strachan was also named All-Mountain East Conference First Team when the conference announced its annual awards and all-conference teams.

#At 6’5” 225 pounds, Strachan has reportedly run a best time of 4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash but continues to work toward his development for the upcoming season and beyond. “At the next level, you have to have two things. Route running and creating separation. If you can run routes very smoothly, you can be successful at the next level. I have been working on it this offseason,” he said. Currently a two-sport star for the Golden Eagles, Strachan also competes in the 400m and 200m.

#The COVID-19 pandemic brought a premature end to the NCAA Indoor season. He had plans of representing the country one day on the track at the Olympics.

#“It is my other main sport besides football. I participated in the 200 and 400 metres,” he said. “When I lived in the Bahamas, I had aspirations to run track professionally. I had a goal to compete in outdoor track this spring before everything shut down. I placed first in indoor track this past year. I wanted to participate in the 2020 Olympics. That was the goal. I wanted to run for my country. I feel like I would have done it, but we didn’t have an outdoor track season.”

#Strachan caught touchdown passes in 10 of 11 games this season, including six multi touchdown games. He currently holds school records in receiving yards, breaking his own previous record of 1,007 set in 2018. His 19 receiving touchdowns broke the 70-year record of 13 held by Charlie Hubbard in 1950. His 78 receptions broke the record of 60 set by Terrance Spencer in 2006.

#“I bring energy. I am confident and I am a positive example for everybody. I am a team player. I am willing to do whatever for the team and the coaches. I am a playmaker. They can come to me in any situation. I have the ability to make plays,” Strachan said. “There is definitely a lot of pressure playing the game. I embrace the pressure. Football is the greatest sport. It is the ultimate team sport.”

#In addition to single-season records, Strachan broke the single-game records of: Receptions (13) – Set against Urbana on September 12 and also holds the second place spot of 12 receptions set a month later against Notre Dame College and receiving yards (207) also set on October 12 against Notre Dame College, breaking the previous record of 186 set in 2010 by Andre Higgins.

#“Different schools were looking at me for football and track… I went to a few camps for football. Eastern Kentucky and East Carolina were looking at me. I went to a Miami camp, and they were impressed by me. JMU stopped by at my high school. Delaware was interested,” Strachan said.

#“Coming from the Bahamas, the school system is different. I didn’t have the SAT or ACT. I took them pretty late in the process. I didn’t know much about it. There is a certain time period when you have to take those test scores between D-I and D-II. Charleston was patient with me. I took a visit and I liked it.”

#He was a redshirt in his true freshman season and saw the first playing time of his collegiate career as a redshirt freshman when he finished with just one reception.

#As a sophomore, he had a breakout season when he finished as the only player in the MEC to eclipse the 1,000-yard receiving mark.

#On the season, he totalled 48 receptions for 1,007 yards and eight touchdowns. He led the conference in receiving yards, was third in both average yards per catch at 21 and average yards per game at 91.5. His touchdown total finished fourth.

#Strachan has begun to generate buzz from the Division II level.

#“My dad, Jerome Strachan, he played football at Bethune-Cookman under head coach Larry Little. He was part of the Dolphins team that went undefeated in the 70s. My dad learned a lot from him. He also played wide receiver in college,” Strachan said. “He taught me how to be tough. The major thing is having the mental toughness.”

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Kai Jones

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#DESPITE a freshman season where he received inconsistent playing time from the Texas Longhorns coaching staff, Kai Jones has been listed as a highly coveted prospect for the 2021 NBA Draft by Sports Illustrated.

#The publication listed Jones, the 19-year-old, 6’11” 215 pound Longhorns forward, at No.30 among the top prospects for next year’s draft.

#“Admittedly, Jones is still pretty much a wild card, but NBA teams are well aware of what he brings to the table athletically, and he showed signs of figuring things out toward the end of this season. He should figure more prominently into the rotation as a sophomore, but will still have to compete for minutes with a host of other bigs,” SI’s Jeremy Woo said. “Jones has to add strength, but he’s wiry and explosive and has shown flashes of skill development from a face-up standpoint that hints at some future versatility. But he’s yet to take the next step and, until he does, he’ll remain more of an idea in the eyes of the NBA.”

#Jones concluded the season with a career high night in the regular season finale when he scored a career-high 20 points in Texas’ 81-59 loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

#Jones converted a career-best 8-12 field goals, including 2-5 on three-pointers. He also added seven rebounds (one shy of his career high) and two steals in 32 minutes.

#The Longhorns ended the season 19-12 (9-9 in the Big 12).

#At the Big 12 men’s basketball tournament in March, Jones and the Longhorns were going through pre-game warmups with the Texas Tech Red Raiders when news broke that the Power Five conferences all cancelled their basketball tournaments due to the threats of further spread of the coronavirus.

#For the season, Jones averaged 3.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.

#The season finale was his second career high outing against the Cowboys on the year after he posted a team-leading five blocked shots in just 16 minutes of the Longhorns’ 76-64 win in January.

#Earlier in the season, Texas head coach Shaka Smart lauded Jones’ effort following a win over the Central Michigan Chippewas.

#“One thing about Kai, he has the best work ethic of any 6’11 player I have ever coached. That really is going to serve him well moving forward. A lot of guys 6’0, 6’2” they get in the gym and work on their game, but he really works,” Smart said. “He works like a guard, most bigs don’t work great at that age. They’re still learning to work. All those guys that we’ve had at that position developed so much better work ethic during their time here and beyond. But Kai came in with a work ethic and drive to get better and he has big goals, so that says a lot about him.”

#Jones entered Texas as one of the top 50 Prep Basketball recruits in America. He was listed at No. 49 in the final ranking of the ESPN Top 100 for the Class of 2019 following his standout season at Brewster Prep Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.

#A consensus four-star recruit, Jones earned a scout grade of 88 overall and was ranked No.13 among all centres, No.12 in his region and No.1 in the state of New Hampshire.