Simba FrenchSend an emailMay 17, 2022 377 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas Triathlon Association was able to put on its national championships despite inclement weather at Jaws Beach on Sunday. Armando Moss was the overall men’s winner and punched his ticket to Birmingham, England, for the 22nd Commonwealth Games this summer.

The national championships also served to provide junior athletes with an opportunity to qualify for CARIFTA. The team will be ratified later.

President of the BTA, Dorian Roach, said the championships was good as the weather held up.

“The weather cooperated with us after a rough day on Saturday so we are glad that it did not rain anymore. We had to change the bike course because of the flooding,” Roach said.

There was only one spot available for the Commonwealth Games that is slated for July 28 to August 8 in Birmingham. It went to Moss who powered his way to finish atop the men’s group in 1:06.54. He had the fastest times in all three portions of the race. He swam in 10:17 before biking in 30:28 and they culminated with a run in 24:30.

Finishing second behind him was Jorge Marcos who clocked 1:11.19. Sean Andrews was third with a time of 1:13.26.

The overall female winner was Carolyn Thompson. She posted a time of 1:19.35. Finishing second was Suzy Eneas who was a minute behind her in 1:20.35. Sylvia Bateman placed third after finishing in 1:21.37.

The top three finishers in each of the junior categories made the cut for CARIFTA.

Roach said he enjoyed the 13-15 boys age division as there was very close competition with Ayten Bain coming away with the victory in the end. Bain finished in a time of 37:53. He got out-worked by second place Launy Duncombe on the swim and the bike portions of the race but the run helped him to pass Duncombe. Bain clocked in 11:05 on the run while Duncombe was timed at 13:24.

Duncombe finished in 38:12 overall. Enea Gervasini was a close third after finishing in 39:53.

In the 13-15 girls, CARIFTA swimmer Erin Pritchard went up against Anjaleah Knowles. In the end, it was Pritchard who would win with a time of 44:16. Knowles was not able to keep up with Pritchard as she clocked 54:45.

In the boys 16-19 age group, two competitors, Barron Musgrove Jr. and Jason Cates, were in action. Musgrove won that division when he clocked 1:26.37. Cates did the race in 1:31.20.

Kami Roach was the winner in the 16-19 girls age category after completing the three-part race in 1:27.54. Sienna Culmer-Mackey finished behind Roach in 1:40.05.

The 11-12 boys age category was another competitive division as there were 10 competitors. In the end, 30 seconds separated the first and second place finishers. Lauchalan Menzies was able to win that category with a time of 27:14. Jayden Smith was close behind Menzies, clocking 27:44. Finishing third was Sibby Fynn Potter in 28:23.

Taylor Knowles came away with the 11-12 girls title after posting a time of 37:59. Coming in second to Knowles was Paityn Burrows who finished the course in 40:55.

The only competitor in the 20-21 age category, that was added to CARIFTA this year, was Ralph Wood II. He wasted no time as he won with a time of 1:13.58. The 20-year-old was able to win the 20-29 men’s age category with that time also. He won that comfortably as his closest competitor Justin Higgs posted 1:23.42 for second. Mikhail Yagudin placed third after posting a time of 2:03.30.

Roach and the other executives will look to ratify the CARIFTA team in two weeks. That CARIFTA meet is set for September 24-25 at Clearwater Beach, Saint Georgeʼs, Bermuda.