The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The quartet of Kendrick Major, Max Azor, Shaun Miller and Matthew Thompson put an explanation mark on Queen’s College Comets’ triumph over the St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine with a record-breaking performance in the under-20 boys 4 x 400 metre relay.

The Comets’ time of three minutes and 19.49 seconds erased the previous record of 3:20.41 set by St Augustine’s College in 2014 as Queen’s College held off the Big Red Machine, who had to settle for second in 3:26.11.

That was how the final script was written as the curtains came down on the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools’ 2019 Track and Field Championships at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

As their celebrations began for the third time in five years after they won back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016, the Comets rushed onto the field, leaving the Big Red Machine and the other 11 schools wondering about their comeback for 2020. “This one feels good. We had two years off, but we came back and pulled it off again,” said Queen’s College head coach Everette Fraser. “We know the athletes have been working very hard, so I know this one was going to be special. All of the injuries that we went through, all of the adversities that we had, there was a lot of doubts about whether or not we could do it. We still fought through it and still pulled it off.”

Fraser credited the dedication of his coaching staff, the principal, administration, faculty, staff and the parents for a joint effort rallying behind their athletes to achieve their success and hoisting the trophy one more time.

From day one, Queen’s College took the lead and they never relinquished it on the final two days of competition on Thursday and Friday to finish with 1,374 points and the divisional titles in the senior boys (244 points), under-15 girls (196 points) and under-13 boys (131 points).

SAC, whose two-year sting of victories was snapped, just like it was after they dominated for 26 years before losing for the first time in 2015, had to settle for second with 1,317 points and divisional titles in the under-13 girls (128 points), under-17 girls (203 points), under-20 girls (221 points), under-15 boys (141 points) and under-17 boys (209). “I think it was a hard-fought track meet. The kids went out there and gave it their best. They left it on the line, but under the circumstances, they performed well,” said SAC’s head coach Jason Edwards. “Queen’s College won. They deserve it.”

Edwards, however, said the Big Red Machine has reflected on its losses and their coaching staff is already looking at how to regroup for next year, which includes improving their distance programme.

But he admitted that had it not been for a few injuries to athletes like Raymond Oriaka, Oscar Smith, Zachery Evans and Owen Bethel, which helped to turn the tide in favour of the Comets.

“It was rough,” Edwards said. “Things happen. You can’t control everything.”

The nearest school in the competition was St John’s College Giants with 473.83 for third, holding off the Temple Christian Suns in fourth with 406.50 and the St Anne’s Blue Waves, who rounded out the top five with 320.67.

As he joined his team-mates in celebrating, Shaun Miller Jr, 17, said he couldn’t ask for a better way to close out his campaign in high school as a 12th grader. “This was my best year and so I give God all thanks and praise,” said Miller, the brother of Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo, who left her mark in the BAISS with the Big Red Machine. “Everything was going great in the high jump. I just got into a groove and came out with the results.

Miller was referring to his personal best jump of 2.14m to win the under-20 boys’ high jump over arch-rival Benjamin Clarke of SAC, who did 2.01m for second. They both surpassed the CARIFTA qualifying mark of 1.97m. SAC’s Ashanti Johnson finished third at 1.87m.

On Friday, his 14-year-old sister Shaunece Miller joined him in qualifying for the CARIFTA that will be held in the Cayman Islands over the Easter holiday weekend as she won the under-17 girls high jump with a leap of 1.59m, just over the standard of 1.58m.

“It was a good experience. I went out there and put my trust in myself and took some of the advice from my coach and my parents and just gave it all I had,” she said.

She noted that she got a little more inspired when she saw her big brother produce his PR the day before. “I was trying to PR today also, but my coach told me to shut it down and save it for a little time,” said the younger Miller, who also ran the lead off leg for Queen’s College’s victory in the under-17 girls 4 x 400m team of Laila Cleare, De’Avae Adderley and Javonya Valcourt. She was also third in the 100m hurdles.

Despite losing their title as the overall champions, the Big Red Machine still celebrated as birthday girl Jaide Knowles and Adrian Curry were crowned the top sprinters in the BAISS.

Adding to her triumph on her 17th birthday on Friday in the under-20 girls’ 100m, Knowles came back and put the icing on her cake with her victory in the 200m in 24.19 after she anchored SAC’s 4 x 100m relay team of Lakelle Kinteh, Megan Moss and Vinajah Adderley to a record breaking run of 46.10 before she closed out her meet on the second leg of their 4 x 4 team (Sasha Knowles, Bailee Miller and Megan Moss) that finished second in 4:01.92 to QC’s (Craisha Johnson, Angel Pratt, Mia Mitchell and Sandra Mitchell) winning team in 3:58.23.

“It’s been a long meet very tiring. I know I had to get the points for my school, so that was what I set out to do,” Knowles said. “I enjoyed the 4 x 1 the most because it was a team effort and we broke the record. I always like relays.”

Curry added to his repeat 100m collection the 200m title in the under-20 boys division with his time of 21.52. However, his anchor leg on both the 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m relays could only yield second and third places respectively. “My meet was pretty good. I finished both gold in the 100 and 200 and held short in the relays. Everything happens for a reason,” he said. “I’m just happy that I finished strong.”

Curry, 17, is hoping to go to CARIFTA and bring home some hardware for the Bahamas in the sprints, just as he did for the Big Red Machine.

There were two other CARIFTA-qualifying performances on the final day as Omar Kelly of St John’s won the under-17 boys 800m in 2:07.09 to dip under the time of 2:07.25 and Vinajah Adderley of SAC soared 12.34m in the under-20 girls triple jump, well over the standard of 11.99m.

Additionally, a few other meet records were shattered.

On the field, Keyshawn Strachan of St John’s threw the under-17 boys javelin 61.27m to erase the previous mark of 56.33, set by Gerrio Rahming in 2011 and SAC’s Tarijh Hudson inked his name on the under-20 boys discus with a heave of 46.85. The old record was 44.20, held by Denzel Pratt from 2015.

And on the track, Raywind Winder of Charles W Saunders clocked 2:16.35 to replace the former record of 2:26.35 that was held by Kenneth Wallace-Whitfield.

They didn’t fare that well. In fact their names were hardly called until soccer player Oliver Townend utilised his endurance to pull off the victory in the under-20 boys’ 5,000m in 19:01.36 for Lyford Cay International School.

“I’m just naturally gifted, a lot of people told me, so I just came out here to represent my school,” said Townend, a 16-year-old 10th grader. “It was great hearing the support as they cheered me on. It was great.”

Although they are standing strong as this year’s champions, Fraser said he knows the other schools will be gunning to dethrone them next year, just as they did the Big Red Machine this year.