Mingoes on track with strong season opener

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University of The Bahamas (UB) runner Lhevinne Joseph competes in the open men’s 400m at the T-Bird Flyers Track and Field Classic at Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium over the weekend. Joseph won the event in 50.38 seconds. UB ATHLETICS

University of The Bahamas (UB) athlete Jaidyn Brown competes in the open men’s long jump at the T-Bird Flyers Track and Field Classic, at Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium over the weekend. Brown took third place in the open men’s high jump, with a best jump of 1.80m (5’ 10-3/4”) and also placed fifth in the open men’s long jump with a leap of 5.73m (18’ 9-3/4”).

University of The Bahamas (UB) thrower Rashad Evans competes in the open men’s javelin at the T-Bird Flyers Track and Field Classic, at Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium over the weekend. Evans finished fourth with a best throw of 38.57m (126’ 6”). PHOTOS: UB ATHLETICS

The University of The Bahamas (UB) Mingoes track and field season for 2024 started with strong performance, including a couple of wins, at The T-Bird Flyers Track and Field Classic over the weekend.

Lhevinne Joseph won the open men’s 400 meters (m) and Candace Murphy won the open women’s 100m hurdles in a personal best and UB record.

UB athlete Dion Major finished in seventh in the men’s 400m in 51.21 seconds and his teammate Donya Roberts finished ninth in 51.79 seconds.

Murphy, a walk-on athlete at UB, won the 100m hurdles in 14.91 seconds and set a UB record.

Another walk-on, George Minnis, finished third in the 100m in a personal best time of 11.13 seconds.

“Both athletes are walk-on athletes from last season and are now coming into their own, proving that the sprints and hurdles program is working,” said UB Head Coach Ednal Rolle.

Minnis ran 11.15 in his heat and then came back strong in the final to get the personal best time.

“I was really just trying to get a good start and a good reaction,” he said. “The main focus was executing each phase of the race to the best of my ability — the start, the drive phase, and the top speed phase.”

Kaiya Cambridge took second place in the 100m hurdles in 15.46 seconds for the Mingoes.

In the women’s 1500m event, Lakeicia Lewis finished in second place in 5:58.39.

Jaidyn Brown took third place in the open men’s high jump with a best jump of 1.80m (5’ 10-3/4”) and also placed fifth in the open men’s long jump with a leap of 5.73m (18’ 9-3/4”). Brown said he felt good about his performance, particularly in the high jump.

“It could’ve been better,” he said. “I know I had some things to sharpen up on, but I have nothing but high hopes for the rest of the season. I feel like my biggest challenge was not trusting my technique and also managing my leg in between the two events.”

Melvinique Gibson finished third in the 400m in 1:01.31 to open her season.

In the men’s javelin, Rashad Evans took the fourth spot with a best throw of 38.57m (126’ 6”).

Lovevinski Tergenus took fourth place in the 1500m in 4:39.44 and Jackson Ozias finished fifth in 4:42.76.

Fridline Augustine took 13th in the women’s 400m in 1:06.33.

Tevin Wright finished the 100m in 11.87 seconds and finished 10th in the long jump with a leap of 5.13m (16’ 10”).

Sheldon Longley

Sheldon Longley

Mullings sets indoor pole vault national record

ken mullings -Pole Vault.jpg

Pole vault is not a popular discipline here in The Bahamas, but that did not stop multi-event athlete Ken Mullings from aspiring for greatness in that event and breaking a 36-year-old indoor pole vault national record.

He leapt 5.20 meters (m) (16’ 6”) to win that event at the Illini Open on the campus of the University of Illinois Armory in Champaign, Illinois, on Saturday.

“I have jumped that height many times in practice,” Mullings said about his winning jump. “I just needed to produce the big jumps in meets.”

Illinois’ Aiden Ouimet was second with a height of 4.88m (16’). Finishing third was the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Evan Bartelsen with a clearance of 4.58m (15” 0-1/4”).

Just last year, Vanderpool’s outdoor national record of 4.89m (16’ 0-1/2”) in the pole vault, that was standing since 1987, was broken by his son Brenden Vanderpool. The younger Vanderpool erased the old record it at the CARIFTA Games in The Bahamas last year with a clearance of 5.06m (16’ 7-1/4”).

For Mullings, he said he was pleased with his performance. He also did the men’s 60m hurdles and the shot put at the Illini Open.

In the hurdles, Mullings clocked a personal best of 7.83 seconds to win that event. Butler University’s Jack Elder was second with a time of 8.03 seconds and Ouimet was third in 8.14 seconds. The Bahamian was sixth in the shot put event as he threw a personal best of 15.25m (50 0-1/2”). He had that heave on his final attempt. He said he enjoyed the meet.

“I am seeing a lot of all-around improvement in training so my offseason was successful,” Mullings said.

This is a big year for athletes worldwide as the Paris Olympic Games is set for this summer. There is no doubt that Mullings has his eyes on that event.

“I’m trying to approach this year differently. I’m going to go practice to practice, and competition to competition. We’ll see where that takes me,” he said.

This is a promising start to Mullings’ season. He will be back in action on January 27, competing in the Illini Challenge at the same location.

Bahamian tennis players pick up wins

Tennis
Bahamian tennis players were able to pick up wins at the 10K Battle In The Bahamas, presented by MTEG, at the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s (BLTA) National Tennis Centre.

Bahamian tennis players were in action over the Christmas holidays, taking part in the 10K Battle In The Bahamas, presented by MTEG, at the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s (BLTA) National Tennis Centre, at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre.

Sydney Clarke, Rodney Carey and Rasheed Carey picked up huge wins for The Bahamas as matches were able to be completed despite inclement weather.

The BLTA congratulates the Bahamians on their participation, particularly Sydney Clarke, Rodney Carey and Rasheed Carey on their respective victories.

Bahamian tennis players were able to pick up wins at the 10K Battle In The Bahamas, presented by MTEG, at the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s (BLTA) National Tennis Centre.

Mullings soars to new record

Decathlete Ken Mullings. (File photo)

Decathlete Ken Mullings. (File photo)

As of Monday, January 8, 2024

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#AFTER spending the past year working on his technique in a new location, former national decathlon record holder Ken Mullings decided to go back to Urbana, Illinois, to continue his training in his attempt to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in July in Paris, France.

#Mullings, whose national record was relinquished to his former training partner and close friend, but arch rival, Kenderick Thompson last year, got in his first meet for the year at the Illini Open over the weekend.

#At the meet, Munnings vaulted to a national indoor record-breaking performance in the individual men’s pole vault, a victory added to the 60-meter hurdles and a seventh-place finish in the shot put.

#The 26-year-old Mullings had a clean sheet in the pole vault with first clearances of 14-feet, 06 ¼-inches or 4.43 meters, followed by 15-00 ¼ (4.58m), 15-06 ¼ (4.73m), 15-00 (4,88m) and finally his winning height of 16-06 (5.03). But he failed at his three attempts at 17-00 ¾ (5.20m).

#“It felt really good. I felt that all the work that I’ve been doing after Chile is paying off,” said Mullings, about his final meet in October when he competed at the Pan American Games in Santiago where he failed to post a mark. He suffered an injury on the last day of competition and was unable to complete the grueling ten events.

#“Now I just have to build on and get more points so that I can compete in multiple events (decathlon). It went really well. It also helped that it was the first event so I went into it more energised. I feel there’s more energy in the tank. I just have to try some bigger poles and get the job done.”

#It wasn’t until Mullings got the confirmation from national hammer record holder Delron Innis during their competition after the meet that he discovered that he had erased Brent Vanderpool’s national pole vault record of 4.95m that he established on February 15, 1988 at the Naval Academy at the Halsey Field House in Annapolis, Maryland.

#“That was crazy,” said Mullings, who admitted that the way he performed on Saturday, there’s no reason why he can’t mount up to 5.15 or 5.20m.

#While he was thrilled to get the record, Mullings said it helped him tremendously as he competed in the other two individual events in the competition.

#In the shot put, Mullings had to settle for sixth place with his heave of 50-0 ½ (15.25m). Five competitors, all from Illinois, had throws better than Mullings, led by senior champion Tyler Sudduth with 61-07 (18.77m).

#“I was really pleased with that performance,” Mullings stated. “Everything just went for me in that event.”

#And on the track, taking the title in the 60m hurdles in 7.83 seconds, well ahead of his nearest rival, Jack Elder, a senior at Butler, who ran 8.03 for second. Mullings got out of the preliminaries with the fastest qualifying time of 7.92 with Elder trailing with the second fastest in 8.26.

#“That was a really good run. I could still clean it up a bit because my trail foot hit the hurdles, so I know there’s more in the tank for the hurdles as well,” Mullings said.

#In Urbana, Mullings is back under the supervision of coach Petros Kyprisnou, whom he worked with for the first time last year.

#“After the improvement I made with him last year, I decided to go back this year,” Mullings said. “I came up here a little earlier to get in the training and so I’m glad that I made that decision because it’s already starting to pay off.”

#Before he focuses on the Olympics, Mullings said he wants to take a crack at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland from March 1-3, so he will start his campaign to qualify by competing in his first heptathlon on January 27-28. The heptathlon for men is seven events indoors, compared to the ten events for the decathlon outdoors.

#“I don’t know how many points I need to score. I just need to get a top six position and hopefully no other Bahamian will get past that,” Mullings said. “If the way things happened today went, I’m highly confident.

#“Today went beautifully and it wasn’t no fluke that I got over these bars or ran the times and threw these distances. I just need to clean up some things and get sharper when I compete again. The goal right now is to qualify for World Indoors.”

#Once he’s done indoors, if he qualifies, Mullings said he’s willing to step up his training for the outdoors and his quest to qualify for the Paris Olympics in July.

Next stop Europe on the road to the Olympics

As of Monday, January 8, 2024

photo

Andrew Munnings

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#IN his bid to attempt to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, judoka Andrew Munnings is planning on taking his training base to Europe over the next four months.

#Munnings, who trained in a few countries last year, plans to take off to Europe at the end of the month where he admits that it’s cheaper for him to compete in a number of competitions where he’s there.

#“There’s a training site that I went to last year who has extended an open arm for me to come back,” said Munnings, of the proposed training base in Valencia, Spain. “I will be there while traveling to compete in the different Grand Slams and Grand Prix that are happening.”

#Munnings, who turned 26 on January 1, is looking to compete in his first event for the year on February 1 as he got his adrenaline flowing for what he expects to be a banner year. He will continue to represent the Bahamas Judo Federation at the July 26-August 11 Olympics, hopefully following in the footsteps of his father, Timothy Munnings, a track and field Olympian and former Director of Sports at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture.

#“I feel confident. I feel very strong,” he said. “My last few training sessions when I was away were very good, so starting in Paris with the competition there, will be a good starting point because Paris has one of the biggest competitions year-round and is normally sold out. So I am getting fired up and hope to continue the momentum through the rest of the competition.”

#With the meet being a prelude to the Olympics, Munnings said he just wants to put his best foot forward. He’s currently 263 in the world in the under-73 kilograms and is 52nd in the Pan American region.

#“Going into this year, Lord’s willing, I should be able to do more competition and really gather a lot more points to improve on my rankings,” Munnings said. “To qualify for the Olympics, I would need to be in the top 18 in the world or 11th in the region.

#“And so to be top 18 in the world could be so difficult, especially if you don’t start off very strong. You could be in trouble because the ones who win, they continue to keep winning and they secure the points by the time the Olympics roll around.”

#Not counting his chances out, Munnings said he will probably get the other way to qualify, which is to get through from the Pan American region, which better suits the smaller nations like The Bahamas because the points difference isn’t as great.

photo

Andrew Munnings has relocated to Europe ahead of training for the Olympics.

#“If I could win at least two fights in a big competition like the Grand Prix or the Grand Slam, it would put myself up in the qualifying round for the Pan American region.”

#Munnings would have female judoka Cynthia Rahming to partner with and rely on for her assistance internationally, but after she announced her retirement from competing last year, Munnings said he won’t let it get to him because he has some to do.

#“It’s not that much difference because we are in two different genders and we compete in two different weight classes, we couldn’t always go to the same training sessions together,” he pointed out. “Some were together and others were not.

#“But honestly, I do miss her on the mat because to be able to go back and forth with her, we could communicate on what we did or didn’t do. I still communicate with her. She says I’m crazy for it, but I miss having her around to help keep me going.”

#Munnings said he remembered a fellow judoka from the country Georgia, who watched him compete and he asked him what keeps him going because he’s been doing it for so long? Munnings said his answer to him was that it was simply because he could be “the world champion.

#“I love the sport. When you spend so much time in the sport, it’s really hard to just give up on it, or on anything. But I really believe I could be the world champion. This past year, I tested my ability and although I didn’t put myself in any box, I went out there and did whatever I was told to do. Overtime, I felt really good because I competed against some of the best competitors in the world.”

#On this trip to Europe, Munnings will remain overseas until May, training and competing as a full-time judoka. He admits that he doesn’t have a full bank account, but at the same time, he’s not only to allow his insufficiencies to keep him away from attaining his goals.

#He concluded that he’s putting his faith and trust in God to deliver from him just as he did in the past when he didn’t know how he would make ends meet. He said that God showed up and provided for his needs just in the nick of time.

#“When I left at the beginning of the year, I started in Israel and as a lot of things were going on over there as it was around the world, but God was with me every step of the way,” Munnings said. “I met a lot of friends, but when I didn’t know what my next step would be, he brought someone to help me out.”

#He remembered going to Kazakhstan and he didn’t have a visa to get in. He had to submit an application, get it signed and send it back to him in order for him to enter the4 country. As s last minute decision to travel, Munnings said he needed the process to be completed in 24 hours and before the time expired, to his “surprise,” he got his documents, signed, sealed and delivered.

#In another incident when he went to Georgia, Munnings said he was very low on funds, but there was a coach who assisted in providing him with food at a restaurant where a number of other visiting athletes got food provided for them on a daily basis.

#He had another big thrill, but preferred to hold off the details until after he qualified. However, Munnings said he continue his journey with an open mind that “if I put my trust in God, he will provide. He’s done it for me in the past and I will continue to rely on him to open doors that have been closed in front of me.”

#As he reflected on his latest birthday celebrations with his family, Munnings said he’s now eager and enthused to see what unfolds as he ventures into the next few months in preparation for his attempt at qualifying for his first rodeo as an Olympian in Paris in July.

Buddy on the move?

Indiana Pacers guard Buddy Hield in action as the Boston Celtics played the Indiana Pacers an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, on Saturday. Photo: AJ Mast/AP

Indiana Pacers guard Buddy Hield in action as the Boston Celtics played the Indiana Pacers an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, on Saturday. Photo: AJ Mast/AP

As of Monday, January 8, 2024

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#Grand Bahama native Chavano “Buddy” Hield could find himself on a new team roster before the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) trade deadline in early February. The current Indiana Pacers shooting guard has bounced between the starting lineup and bench unit since the start of the 2023-24 NBA season and is now actively involved in trade rumors once again as the February 8 deadline looms.

#According to Senior NBA reporter Jake Fischer via the X platform the Bahamian three-point marksman could be potentially traded after contract negotiations between the Pacers organisation and the 31-year-old stalled last fall.

#“I do know that Buddy Hield is on the block after he turned down extension numbers from Indiana in the fall,” Fischer said.

#The three-point specialist currently has one year remaining on his four-year $94m contract but it seems unlikely that he will be with the Pacers organisation late into the season.

#Last September, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported that the team was in search of a trade partner after Hield did not feel “desired” by the Pacers’ contract offer to him.

#As for his on court play, Hield is averaging his second lowest scoring output since his rookie season with the New Orleans Pelicans. For the season he has put up 12.7 points per game, 3.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists while shooting 43.4 per cent from the field and 37.8 per cent from behind the arc.

#In the Pacers’ most recent loss to the league leading Boston Celtics, the senior men’s national team player was once again slotted back into the team’s starting lineup to replace forward Bruce Brown who was sidelined with a knee injury. Hield managed to drop 15 points to pair with two rebounds and three assists. However, he struggled with shooting, knocking down just 6-of-16 field goals and canning 3-of-10 three pointers on the night.

#Despite the lack of agreement between Hield and the Pacers, the team currently sports a 20-15 (win/loss record) good for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Additionally, they have won seven of their last ten games played.

#Nonetheless, both parties will look to resolve the situation sooner than later.

#The Pacers will try to rebound against the Celtics in the home game tonight at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Eastern Conference showdown begins at 7pm.

Rhema Otabor optimistic for 2024 season

RHEMA Otabor getting ready to throw the javelin.

RHEMA Otabor getting ready to throw the javelin.

As of Monday, January 8, 2024

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#With 2023 now in the rearview mirror, expectations are high for not only federations but also top athletes in the 2024 calendar year. Top javelin thrower Rhema Otabor turned in an outstanding 2023 season across the board and although many adopt a “new year, new me” mindset as the calendar flips, The Tribune’s 2023 Senior Female Athlete of the Year wants to build on last year’s tremendous progress this season.

#The 2024 calendar year is a major one in athletics due to the Olympic Games being scheduled for July 26-August 11 in Paris, France. With the marquee event a mere 200 days away, the 21-year-old is determined to make a push to qualify and make her debut at the event this summer.

#“For 2024 as we all know is gonna be the Olympic year and that is the big goal. I want to make it there and I want to go there and perform really well. I hope that leading up to the Olympics I have really good meets where I feel like I could build confidence on what I have been working on and practicing so that when I get to that actual meet I am able to compete with them and give it my best. It won’t be a repeat of what happened at the World Champs last year but it will be ten times better,” the women’s senior national javelin champion said.

#In her debut at the 19th World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Otabor was unable to turn in her best efforts. Team Bahamas’ youngest member ended her stint at the event 15th in Group B of the qualifying round with a throw of 53.62m and was unable to advance to the finals at the global event.

#Despite a disappointing performance by her standards, the University of Nebraska student was grateful for the learning experience and will use it as fuel to motivate her on her quest to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

#“It wasn’t a really good performance. One thing I will say that I took away from it was the experience. Going into it, I was really nervous because I was actually with the big dogs and it was my first time being on a stage that large. Now that I have that experience and exposure under my belt I feel that I am more equipped. I feel like I belong and could definitely hang with them,” she said.

#Otabor had countless remarkable accomplishments in 2023 to cement herself as a notable performer in the women’s javelin at the senior level. She became the second Bahamian, since Laverne Eve in 1987, to win the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division One javelin title at the Outdoor Championships in Austin, Texas with a throwing distance of 59.49m. The NCAA D1 javelin title holder surpassed that mark with a toss of 59.75m at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) 2023 National Track and Field Championships to become the women’s senior national champion last July. Throughout the season she expressed the desire to clear 60m which she eventually did at the Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile where she notched 60.54m to earn her first international medal. She not only claimed silver in the women’s javelin throw finals but became only the second Bahamian to go over the 60m mark in the field event.

#Otabor has gotten dangerously close to Eve’s national record of 63.73m which she established at the Nashville Commodore Classic in Nashville, Tennessee in 2000.

#“My last meet was over 60m which I feel like I should have already hit from earlier in the season but everything in its time. My practice has been going pretty well. I wouldn’t say it is too tedious or too much emphasis placed on heavy lifting but more on technique, maintaining strength and getting stronger in certain aspects of my throw. It is coming together and I feel pretty good about where I am at right now,” she said.

#In her downtime at home, Otabor was grateful to spend time with her family, experience Junkanoo and other aspects of Bahamian culture and enjoy much warmer weather which is the opposite of her experience in Nebraska.

#“I missed that a lot when I was up there in Nebraska it ain’t nothing like home. I have not been getting a lot of down time because I have been working but it feels a bit more relaxing being here,” she said.

#The senior athlete will head back to the University of Nebraska on January 17 to take on the 2024 season.

T-Bird Flyers Classics sees more CARIFTA qualifiers

As of Monday, January 8, 2024

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#The 32nd T-Bird Flyers Track and Field Classic was a success not only for event organisers but also athletes vying to compete at the 2024 CARIFTA Games scheduled to take place in St George’s, Grenada. Three athletes unofficially qualified for the regional competition at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) Odd Distance Meet held late last year while more were added to the count over the weekend at the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium.

#After being unable to join last year’s historic 80-member CARIFTA team due to her age, Bishop Michael Eldon’s Keyezra Thomas made sure to check all boxes this time around. The now 14-year-old athlete, who recently celebrated her birthday on Friday, got a sweet birthday treat when she unofficially qualified in stunning fashion for the under 17 girls high jump.

#Thomas placed first in the event soaring to a height of 1.70m. Not only did she surpass the under 17 girls qualifying standard of 1.63m but she also cleared the 1.65m distance established for the under 20 girls. Additionally, she took home first place finishes in the 200m and 400m events in the same age group.

#Thomas, who is new to the high jump event, was grateful to qualify early.

#“I feel good, last year I could not go but I watched and felt like when I do go in I would do extremely well so I am proud that I can go in it this time. I just want to thank God for giving me the strength and allowing me to have an injury free competition. I thank my coach for teaching me what I did and for starting high jumps last year. I will do well at CARIFTA,” she said.

#The rising performer’s expectations for her season is to drop her times so that she is able to medal in all events she plans to compete in at the 51st CARIFTA Games.

#Joining Thomas in unofficially qualifying for the under 17 girls high jump was Alexandria Komolafe of Bahamas Speed Dynamics. She landed exactly on the qualifying mark with 1.63m for second place and a new personal best in the event. Paris Rolle, representing Leap of Faith, placed third with 1.55m. For the under 17 girls 200m finals Komolafe trailed for second in 26.66 seconds. The top three athletes smashed the previous meet record of 1.50m set by Koi Adderley in 2021.

#Komolafe was impressed with her efforts at the two-day meet.

#“I was very happy that I was able to qualify this early. I have been working really hard towards this for a couple months in the offseason trusting my coach, trusting the approach and trusting God so I am really happy I was able to qualify at the first meet,” the 14-year-old said.

#Her expectation for the season is to continue to work towards getting better ahead of the CARIFTA Games.

#Koi Adderley jumped past the CARIFTA qualifying standard of 1.65m in the under 20 girls high jump. Adderley notched 1.70m in the event to collect a victory and new personal best. She along with Tylah Pratt, of Andros Heats, bested Sheronika Simeon’s previous meet record of 1.40m. Pratt finished with a distance of 1.60m.

#The newest CARIFTA qualifier shared how it felt to get the job done.

#“It was a huge relief so that I can just focus on my other events and also my technique. After I cleared 1.65m I was relieved because that’s my qualifying standard but I really started to get excited when I jumped 1.70m because that’s a personal best for me. I got a little disappointed after I didn’t clear 1.75m because I was so close but that just means I have to work on my form a little bit with more practice but I will get it,” she said.

#In the boys event, Jelani Morrison landed on the qualifying distance of 2.00m. Anthony Sweeting, of X-Treme Athletics, earned second and Jaidyn Brown, of the University of The Bahamas, fell to third. The top two finishers in this event said goodbye to William Hart’s meet record of 1.85m.

#Annae Mackey and Cailyn Johnson both unofficially qualified in the under 20 girls discus throw. Finishing third in the event was Garette McIntosh of Quick Step Athletics.

#Mackey blew past the standard of 40.36m after she earned 44.46m for first place. Johnson, who came second, pulled off a throwing distance of 43.80m to join the other CARIFTA qualifiers. Both competitors downed Shelby Knowles’ former meet record of 28.11m.

#Mackey, of Blue Chip Athletics, is yet another athlete to meet the criteria from this respective club.

#“I am grateful, just gotta trust the process in God’s timing. I followed through with what my coach said by executing and being aggressive and was surprised with my results,” she said.

#Although she was successful in unofficially qualifying in the discus throw event, her focus will now shift to the shot put event where she hopes to earn a personal best over 50m.

#Johnson was happy with her performance but felt she still has a lot left in the tank for the season.

#“It definitely feels great to qualify but I also feel like I left a lot out there and next time I will come back with a better PB,”

#“I got aggressive because I wanted to qualify and feel like I had the ability to do so I just went out there and did what I wanted to do. I have a lot of building left to do this season,” she said.

#Jaylen Stuart, also from Blue Chip Athletics, not only unofficially qualified for CARIFTA with his throwing distance of 14.40m but also set a new meet record. He cleared the standard of 14.03m in the under 17 boys shot put and also Zyon Evans’ meet record of 10.05m. Kashawn Russell, of Andros Heats, came second with 11.63m which also cleared the previous meet record.

#Stuart fell behind Lynwood Brown Jr, who set a new meet record, in the under 17 boys discus throw. The former notched a 29.98m distance in the event.

#The under 17 girls javelin throw was a must see at the original Thomas A Robinson stadium. Kamera Strachan, who is now unattached, along with Dior-Rae Scott and Valiyah Farquharson all went over the qualifying distance of 25.00m. Strachan ended in first with a distance of 43.70m while Scott qualified for the second straight meet with 43.32m. Both ladies obliterated G’Shan Brown’s previous meet record of 28.81m in the event. The third place Farquharson sealed the deal with 26.45m.

#Next up on the 2024 track and field schedule will be the DTSP WolfPack meet on January 20 at the original Thomas A Robinson stadium.

T-Bird Flyers Classics sees more CARIFTA qualifiers

As of Monday, January 8, 2024

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#The 32nd T-Bird Flyers Track and Field Classic was a success not only for event organisers but also athletes vying to compete at the 2024 CARIFTA Games scheduled to take place in St George’s, Grenada. Three athletes unofficially qualified for the regional competition at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) Odd Distance Meet held late last year while more were added to the count over the weekend at the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium.

#After being unable to join last year’s historic 80-member CARIFTA team due to her age, Bishop Michael Eldon’s Keyezra Thomas made sure to check all boxes this time around. The now 14-year-old athlete, who recently celebrated her birthday on Friday, got a sweet birthday treat when she unofficially qualified in stunning fashion for the under 17 girls high jump.

#Thomas placed first in the event soaring to a height of 1.70m. Not only did she surpass the under 17 girls qualifying standard of 1.63m but she also cleared the 1.65m distance established for the under 20 girls. Additionally, she took home first place finishes in the 200m and 400m events in the same age group.

#Thomas, who is new to the high jump event, was grateful to qualify early.

#“I feel good, last year I could not go but I watched and felt like when I do go in I would do extremely well so I am proud that I can go in it this time. I just want to thank God for giving me the strength and allowing me to have an injury free competition. I thank my coach for teaching me what I did and for starting high jumps last year. I will do well at CARIFTA,” she said.

#The rising performer’s expectations for her season is to drop her times so that she is able to medal in all events she plans to compete in at the 51st CARIFTA Games.

#Joining Thomas in unofficially qualifying for the under 17 girls high jump was Alexandria Komolafe of Bahamas Speed Dynamics. She landed exactly on the qualifying mark with 1.63m for second place and a new personal best in the event. Paris Rolle, representing Leap of Faith, placed third with 1.55m. For the under 17 girls 200m finals Komolafe trailed for second in 26.66 seconds. The top three athletes smashed the previous meet record of 1.50m set by Koi Adderley in 2021.

#Komolafe was impressed with her efforts at the two-day meet.

#“I was very happy that I was able to qualify this early. I have been working really hard towards this for a couple months in the offseason trusting my coach, trusting the approach and trusting God so I am really happy I was able to qualify at the first meet,” the 14-year-old said.

#Her expectation for the season is to continue to work towards getting better ahead of the CARIFTA Games.

#Koi Adderley jumped past the CARIFTA qualifying standard of 1.65m in the under 20 girls high jump. Adderley notched 1.70m in the event to collect a victory and new personal best. She along with Tylah Pratt, of Andros Heats, bested Sheronika Simeon’s previous meet record of 1.40m. Pratt finished with a distance of 1.60m.

#The newest CARIFTA qualifier shared how it felt to get the job done.

#“It was a huge relief so that I can just focus on my other events and also my technique. After I cleared 1.65m I was relieved because that’s my qualifying standard but I really started to get excited when I jumped 1.70m because that’s a personal best for me. I got a little disappointed after I didn’t clear 1.75m because I was so close but that just means I have to work on my form a little bit with more practice but I will get it,” she said.

#In the boys event, Jelani Morrison landed on the qualifying distance of 2.00m. Anthony Sweeting, of X-Treme Athletics, earned second and Jaidyn Brown, of the University of The Bahamas, fell to third. The top two finishers in this event said goodbye to William Hart’s meet record of 1.85m.

#Annae Mackey and Cailyn Johnson both unofficially qualified in the under 20 girls discus throw. Finishing third in the event was Garette McIntosh of Quick Step Athletics.

#Mackey blew past the standard of 40.36m after she earned 44.46m for first place. Johnson, who came second, pulled off a throwing distance of 43.80m to join the other CARIFTA qualifiers. Both competitors downed Shelby Knowles’ former meet record of 28.11m.

#Mackey, of Blue Chip Athletics, is yet another athlete to meet the criteria from this respective club.

#“I am grateful, just gotta trust the process in God’s timing. I followed through with what my coach said by executing and being aggressive and was surprised with my results,” she said.

#Although she was successful in unofficially qualifying in the discus throw event, her focus will now shift to the shot put event where she hopes to earn a personal best over 50m.

#Johnson was happy with her performance but felt she still has a lot left in the tank for the season.

#“It definitely feels great to qualify but I also feel like I left a lot out there and next time I will come back with a better PB,”

#“I got aggressive because I wanted to qualify and feel like I had the ability to do so I just went out there and did what I wanted to do. I have a lot of building left to do this season,” she said.

#Jaylen Stuart, also from Blue Chip Athletics, not only unofficially qualified for CARIFTA with his throwing distance of 14.40m but also set a new meet record. He cleared the standard of 14.03m in the under 17 boys shot put and also Zyon Evans’ meet record of 10.05m. Kashawn Russell, of Andros Heats, came second with 11.63m which also cleared the previous meet record.

#Stuart fell behind Lynwood Brown Jr, who set a new meet record, in the under 17 boys discus throw. The former notched a 29.98m distance in the event.

#The under 17 girls javelin throw was a must see at the original Thomas A Robinson stadium. Kamera Strachan, who is now unattached, along with Dior-Rae Scott and Valiyah Farquharson all went over the qualifying distance of 25.00m. Strachan ended in first with a distance of 43.70m while Scott qualified for the second straight meet with 43.32m. Both ladies obliterated G’Shan Brown’s previous meet record of 28.81m in the event. The third place Farquharson sealed the deal with 26.45m.

#Next up on the 2024 track and field schedule will be the DTSP WolfPack meet on January 20 at the original Thomas A Robinson stadium.

Mullings sets indoor pole vault national record

ken mullings -Pole Vault.jpg

Pole vault is not a popular discipline here in The Bahamas, but that did not stop multi-event athlete Ken Mullings from aspiring for greatness in that event and breaking a 36-year-old indoor pole vault national record.

He leapt 5.20 meters (m) (16’ 6”) to win that event at the Illini Open on the campus of the University of Illinois Armory in Champaign, Illinois, on Saturday

“It always feels good to get your name in the record books,” Mullings said. He cleared the winning height on the first try and was attempting to clear 5.20m (17’ 0-3/4”) but was unsuccessful before bowing out. He got the competition started with a clearance of 4.43m (14’ 6-1/4”).

“I have jumped that height many times in practice,” Mullings said about his winning jump. “I just needed to produce the big jumps in meets.”

Illinois’ Aiden Ouimet was second with a height of 4.88m (16’). Finishing third was the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Evan Bartelsen with a clearance of 4.58m (15” 0-1/4”).

Just last year, Vanderpool’s outdoor national record of 4.89m (16’ 0-1/2”) in the pole vault, that was standing since 1987, was broken by his son Brenden Vanderpool. The younger Vanderpool erased the old record it at the CARIFTA Games in The Bahamas last year with a clearance of 5.06m (16’ 7-1/4”).

For Mullings, he said he was pleased with his performance. He also did the men’s 60m hurdles and the shot put at the Illini Open.

In the hurdles, Mullings clocked a personal best of 7.83 seconds to win that event. Butler University’s Jack Elder was second with a time of 8.03 seconds and Ouimet was third in 8.14 seconds. The Bahamian was sixth in the shot put event as he threw a personal best of 15.25m (50 0-1/2”). He had that heave on his final attempt. He said he enjoyed the meet.

“I am seeing a lot of all-around improvement in training so my offseason was successful,” Mullings said.

This is a big year for athletes worldwide as the Paris Olympic Games is set for this summer. There is no doubt that Mullings has his eyes on that event.

“I’m trying to approach this year differently. I’m going to go practice to practice, and competition to competition. We’ll see where that takes me,” he said.

This is a promising start to Mullings’ season. He will be back in action on January 27, competing in the Illini Challenge at the same location.