The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net IN THEIR initial outing on the 2012 athletics season, the College of the Bahamas' programme began with several medal-winning performances at the Embry Riddle Track Classic in Daytona Beach, Florida, this weekend. The College of the Bahamas' team won gold when sophomore javelin thrower Lorenzo Rolle took first place in the event with a throw of 54.79m - a new personal best. Freshman Terran Roker placed fourth with a throw of 44.85m, also a personal best for him. In the shot put, Julianna Duncanson earned a second place finish when she threw 11.72m for the silver. This was the second medal for the 10-member COB team. Sophomore Kendera Bethel threw 10.01m for a 6th place finish and freshman Ashley Oembler threw 9.19m for 7th place. Seventeen colleges participated in the highly competitive Embry-Riddle Classic. Also today, there were nine COB competitors in the field on Saturday. These athletes were also scheduled to compete in the discus competition later in the day. Coaches Bradley Cooper and Mark Humes are also travelling with the team. The College of The Bahamas Athletic Department congratulated the athletes on their achievements. According to a statement issued by the department in a press release, "competing at an intercollegiate level against rival college and university teams in Florida gives COB athletes the opportunity to test their skills and evaluate their performance on a level playing field." Athletes competing in the Embry Riddle Classic included Julianna Duncanson - shot put/discus, Kendra Bethell - shot put/discus, Ashley Oembler - shot put/discus, Frederick Laing - shot put/discus, Terrane Roker - long jump, Lorenzo Rolle - javelin, Traz Nixon - 100 metres, Leonardo Romer - javelin, Roddeno Davis - 200 metres , Giovanni Culmer - 200 metres & 400 metres Kimberley Rolle, director of athletics at COB, said these inter-collegiate competitions are particularly important as they provide an important opportunity to evaluate team performance and capacity against universities in the NAIA Sun Conference. Example It is also an example of how COB can continue to provide options for student-athletes seeking to compete at a higher level in varsity sports. "We are a viable option for both students' academic and athletic career. COB provides a sound academic environment and it provides an opportunity for students to pursue a very aggressive and successful athletic career." Rolle said that while it is good for student- athletes to aim towards lofty goals, coaches and parents should help them to explore all options. "Not all of our athletes will be at the Division I or Division II level but there is keen competition at the NAIA level. We want parents, coaches and student athletes in particular to know that the COB athletic programme is growing, it's thriving and it's a viable option," she said.