The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine won by the slimmest of margins to regain the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools’ Track and Field Championship title from the Queen’s College Comets.

In a stunning 8.5 point victory, St Augustine’s College, coached by Jason Edwards, scored 1,287, followed closely by Queen’s College, coached by Everette Fraser, with 1,278.50 points to snatch the 31st championships on Friday at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.

The St. John’s Giants re-emerged as a challenger to the top two contenders with an impressive third place finish with 656, while St Anne’s Bluewaves clinched fourth place with 417.83, followed by the Temple Christian Suns in fifth place with 359.33.

Rounding out the rest of the 12 participating schools during the three days of intense competition were the Nassau Christian Schools Crusaders in sixth with 245.50; Kingsway Academy Saints in seventh with 208.83; Jordan Prince Williams Falcons in eighth with 133; Charles W. Saunders Cougars in ninth with 56; Aquinas College Aces in tenth with 44; St. Andrew’s Hurricanes, 11th with 37 and Lyford Cay International School, 12th with 20.

“Surely this was the most hard fought victory that we ever got in this BAISS history,” Edwards said. “Our coaches put together the right gamed plan and our kids believed in it. We still have some work to do. With such a close margin, we have to go back and prepare our team for the loopholes for the nationals.”

The Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture’s National Track and Field Championships is next on the agenda. It’s scheduled for Thursday to Saturday at the TAR Stadium and will feature the BAISS and Government Secondary Schools Sports Associations and the Small Schools Association in New Providence as well as the schools from around the Family Islands.

Edwards anticipate that the Big Red Machine’s team will be slightly smaller than the one they took to the BAISS championships,, but they will be as fierce as they compete against their counterparts.

As for the Comets, Fraser said they knew exactly where they lost the meet.

“On the last day, we fought extremely well and we took it to SAC right to the very end,” he said. “But we dropped behind on the first day, which we shouldn’t have. We basically gave them all the points. On the second day, we came back and performed But on the last day, we had some hiccups and even though we performed, we let them get away from day one.”

Fraser said his Comets will have to go back to the drawing board and prepare a little better for the vigorous three days of competition.

In the meantime, St John’s head coach Valentine Thomas said they proved to the rest of the teams that the Giants are a formidable force once again.

“I feel like we delivered,” he said. “Over the last few years, we have put in the work and it has paid off. We are on our upwards trend and we are looking forward to capturing the title very soon. We are working hard and our principal, faculty staff and students are all working to make this dream a reality.”

Thomas admit that the Big Red Machine and the Comets are riding high, but he anticipate that the Giants will be a force to reckon with in the future because they gave them both a run or their money this year. Success, he said, is inevitable.

Normally with the relays accumulating double points, neither SAC nor QC were able to team were able to dominate the final events on the programme with St. Anne’s and St. John’s acting as spoilers in some of the events that helped to shape the final outcome

The Comets, however, captured all four girls titles in the under-13, under-15, under-17 and under-20 divisions, while the Big Red Machine carted off all four boys titles.

SAC didn’t have the services of Jaida Knowles, who got injured in practice and Anthaya Charlton, who moved to St. Anne’s. That lessened their chances in the under-20 girls division where they trailed QC 192-176.

The meet produced several championship records. Jordan Prince Williams’ D’Vontae Mackey led the way when she threw the under-13 girls’ shot put with a heave of 7.65 metres to erase the old mark of 7.18m that was set by Cailyn Johnson in 2019.

Aquinas College’s Matthew Miller (12.16m), Temple Christian’s Calvin Armbrister (9.52m) and Queen’s College’s Seth Gibson (9.00m) all went under the under-13 boys’ shot put old mark of 8.66m set by Tristan King in 2019.

And Charles W Saunders’ Joshua Wilson cleared 5.37m in the under-13 boys’ long jump to surpass the previous mark of 5.18m that was set by SAC’s Craig Fraser in 2000.

In the under-13 girls’ 4 x 100m relay, QC’s team of Zoe Adderley, Jamiah Nabbie, K’Leigh Davis and Kel-Mahri Hanna clocked 52.64 for a new record and SAC’s under-17 boys’ 4 x 1 team of Brandon Hutchinson, Alejandro Rolle, Shimar Bain and Otto Laing got the other mark in 42.22.

There were also a few athletes who attained the standards for the Carifta Games, scheduled for the Easter holiday weekend in Bermuda.

Among the list were St John’s Carlos Brown,, who clocked 11.19 seconds in the under-17 boys’ 100 metres to dip under the standard of 11.24. Zachery Evans of Queen’s College came second in 11.33, followed by SAC’s Alejandro Rolle in 11.59. Brown, however, wanted to get the standard of 21.84 in the 200m, but fell short in winning the double sprint event in 22.09.

“The race was okay, but in the 4 x 100m, I had a little hamstring problem and I went in the bathroom and I prayed to God that I wont feel it when I run again,” said Brown, a 14-yearold ninth grader. “I just want to thank God that I got through it. I wanted to qualify for the 200, but my hamstring was acting up.”

SAC’s Chima Johnson soared 14.95m to surpass the under-20 boys’ triple jump standard of 14.89m. St John’s Antoine Andrews was second with 14.06m and SAC’s Cameron Tooth got third with 13.44m.

“It was easy. On my first jump, I just excited to get out there and do it,” said Johnson, who achieved the feat on his first attempt. “It’s relieving. I’m just happy with the qualifying mark. I just have to continue keep training and hopefully I can go to Carifta and win it.”

Johnson, a 17-yeaar-old 11th grader, was a silver medalist in the under-17 boys division two years ago. He didn’t make the team in his first year under-20 last year, but he hope to make up for it if he’s selected for the team this year.

Among the other Carifta qualifiers were SAC’s Shimar Bain and Clinton Laguerre in the under-17 boys’ 400m hurdles; Queen’s College’s Nathaniel Zeros in the under-17 boys’ javelin; QC’s Zachary Evans and SAC’s Stephan Farquharson in the under-17 boys’ long jump; Farquharson and Hutchinson in the under-17 boys’ triple jump; QC’s Angel Pratt in the under-20 girls’ 400m hurdles; St Anne’s Anthaya Charlton in the under-20 girls’ long jump and St John’s Keyshawn Strachan in the under-20 boys’ javelin.

Although they didn’t qualify for Carifta, some other athletes made their presence felt during the final day of competition.

Wanya McCoy of QC powered on the home stretch to snatch the under-20 boys’ title in the 200m in a personal best of 21.52 over NCA’s Lamont Moss (21.57) and SAC’s Joshua Miller (21.73). It was an improvement for McCoy, who got sixth in the 100m that was won by Dominic Archer of St Anne’s in 11.12.

“It was good coming out of the first 100m. Coming on the home stretch, NCA was pretty close, so I had to pull away with it,” said McCoy, a 16-year-old 11th grader. “I feel good.”

In her double dose of victory, St John’s 12th grader Wendira Moss fell short of qualifying for another Carifta team. She won the 400m in 56.13, just off the standard of 55.85 and she came back and put the icing on the cake with his triumph in the 200m in 24.79, a bit off the mark of 23.95.

“I knew I had some competition in the race, so I went out fast and I tried to catch the stagger and when I came off the bend, I went for it,” said the 18-year0ld Moss, who held off QC’s Paige Stuart (25.97) and Laila Cleare (26.13). “I’m expecting to qualify.”

Paige Archer, who just missed the standard (5.56m) in the under-17 girls’ long jump with her victory in 5.50m, claimed the 200m victory for the Comets in 24.79, well ahead of SAC’s Lacarthea Cooper (24.84) and Amari Pratt (25.43). She had to settle for second in the 100m in 12.40 behind her teammate Shavantae Roberts, who won in 12.35.

“I just want to thank the man above, who made it all possible,” said Archer, a 15-year-old 10th grader. “Shout out to my coaches and teammates I knew I had to bring it home for my school. They needed me to do it. It as amazing, I came off the curve and just executed my race to the very end. In due time, I will qualify for Carifta.”

SAC’s Tumani Skinner breezed through the under-15 boys; 200m in 23.69 to add to his triumph in the 100m in 11.71. Once again, he held off QC’s Tristen King, who got second in both races in 24.19 in the half-lap and 12.37 in the straightaway race. Str. Anne’s Philip Gray was third in the 200m in 24.52.

Skinner, a 14-year-old ninth grader, also won the long jump with a leap of 5.47m over4 St John’s Jason Woodside (5.43m) and SAC’s Cleve Southerland (5.39m). However, Skinner had to settle for third in the 400m in 55.33 behind Gray’s winning time of 53.74 and SAC’s Raymond Winder’s 53.83 for second.

“The race was good. I’m just a small example of what could happen when SAC steps on the track,” said Skinner. “I trained very hard and listened to my coaches instruction and follow the race plan and executed it.”

Nia Richards of QC also secured a double dose of victory as she took the under-15 girls’ 200m in 25.87 over SAC’s duo of Malynte Clarke (26.19) and Nya Wright (26.38). Richards added that crown to the one she claimed in the century in 13.10 again ahead of Clarke (13.15) and Wright (13.46).

“It was a good race,” said Richards, a 13-yeqr-old ninth grader. “I had to put on a shoe for my fellow Comets’ supporters. I just want to thank God for giving me the strength to do this and for allowing me to get a PR as well.”

St John’s seventh grader Ishmael Rolle emerged victorious in the under-13 boys’ sprints. After winning the 100m in 13.00 over Charles W Saunders’ Joshua Wilson (13.40) and Jordan Prince Williams’ Shanton Hamilton (13.52), Rolle clinched the 200m in 26.69, followed by Hamilton (27.03) and Wilson (27.53).

“It was not that hard. I slowed down with about 80m,” said the 11-year-old Rolle of his 200m victory.

K’Leigh Davis, 11, won the under-13 girls’ 200m for the Comets in 27.92, pulling her teammate Kel-Mahri Hanna behind her in second in 28.16 as they held off St. John’s Shania Major, who was third in 28.37. Davis, a seventh grader, also got third in the javelin with 15.49m. SAC’s Dior-Rae Scott won with 23.15, while QC’s Zoe Adderley was second with 15.86m.

“I was nervous at first, but I had to get the points for my team,” said Davis. “I had to run my hardest. I thank God, my coaches, my parents and the teammates for supporting me.”

Omar Kelly, improving on his second place finish in the under-20 boys’ 1,500m (4:35.53) behind QC’s Anton Pratt (4:21.35), won the 800m for St John’s in 1:59.89 to reverse the decision on Pratt (2:02.53) with QC’s Dre Hudson third in 2:04.03.

“I started off with a rocky start, but through God I made it out,” said Kelly, a 16-year0old 11th grader. “It was good. There was some good competition this year.”

SAC’s Samaa Moxey won the under-20 girls’ 800m in 2:27.20, but afterwards could only say “it was really good,” as she tried to catch her breath. She beat out St. John’s combo of Nicole Smith (2:14.69) and Lauryn Storr (2:35.96).

QC’s Ahmad Evans took the under-17 boys’ 800m in 2:04.97 ahead of St John’s twin bill of Adam Musgrove (2:06.92) and Paulindo Boyer (2:07.54). Evans also got third in the high jump with 1.75m behind SAC’s Stephan Farquharson (1.87m) and WC’s Dondre Saunders (1.79m) and third as well in the triple jump with 13.27m as Farquharson won with 14.80m and Brandon Hutchinson, also of SAC, was second with 14.16m.

“I knew the race was going to be a good race, so I just gad to take it out and stuck to my game plan,” said Evans, a 15-year-old tenth grader. “I feel good and I’m proud to have gotten the win for Queen’s College.”

After picking up third place in the under-15 girls’ 1,500m in 5:37.55 behind QC’s Devin Cuffy-Bethel (5:25.35) and Grace Farrington (5:30.95), Breyanna Bethel soared back to win the 800m for SAC in 2:31.35. QC’s Lilly Comarche was second in 2:36.83 and SAC’s Ezthia Maycock was third in 2:36.99.

“I had already set my mark as the top qualifier, so I had to come back and do it again in the final,” said Kemp. “My strategy was to just take it out in the first lap and tp bring it home in the second lap.”