The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WITH a little help from ‘Golden Knight’ Demetrius Pinder on Saturday at the Fritz Grant Invitational, Ashley Riley surged to victory in the open men’s 800 metres, joining a list of qualifiers for the Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships.

The qualifiers comprised of a versatile group of sprinters, middle distance runners, hurdlers, throwers and jumpers, inclusive of Brianne Bethel, Janae Ambrose, Keanu Pennerman, , Keianna Albury, Cliff Resias,Tyler Bowe, Scharann Cash, Andre Wells, Shane Jones, Trevon Greene, Henri Delauze, Kinard Rolle, Samson Colebrooke, Devynne Charlton, Tavonte Mott, Aaron Ross, Xavier Coakley, Mesha Newbold, Talia Thompson, Andira Ferguson, Trae Carey, Laquan Nairn, Ken Mullings, Blayre Fernander, Serena Brown, Brashae Wood, Tiffany Hanna, Khyle Higgs, Ashley Oembler, Travis Ferguson, Bredia Ferguson, Denzel Pray, Danielle Gibson who surpassed the qualifying standards for the championships, scheduled for July 4-6 in Morelia, Mexico.

Home a week ahead of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National Open Track and Field Championships, Pinder went out with a blazing start as a rabbit for the first 500m before CR Walker alumni Riley took over the field of three competitors on the back stretch of the last of the two laps.

The Colby College standout coached by Bahamian Bernard Rolle maintained his position and he brought it home in one minute and 52.99 seconds for his CAC Jr qualifying time ahead of Trevino Thompson (1:54.43) and Grand Bahamian Claudius Russell (1:54.53).

“It was good. My last race was CARIFTA, so I just wanted to see where my body is at right now,” said Riley, who was fifth in the 800m in 1:53.41 at the games, held in Martinique over the Easter holiday weekend. “So it was a good race. I felt good about the performance.”

Riley, who is preparing to enroll at Southeastern Louisiana in August, said he appreciates the support he got from Pinder, who was opted not to run in the open 200 or 400, but instead run as a rabbit to help the half-milers.

“Not everybody gets to say they run with Demetrius Pinder, so it feels good and it was a great help to us too,” said Riley, who was just shy of his personal best of 1:52.30. “I feel good about it because I qualified.”?

The open men’s 200m saw Stephen ‘Dirty’ Newbold run 20.95 to hold off Andretti Bain (21.23), Wesley Neymour (21.23), Grand Bahamian Blake Bartlett (21.38) and Jamaal Moss (21.80). For Newbold, it was just a prelude to the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National Championships next weekend.?

“It was a nice race. I just used it as a blowout for next week in the big dance,” Newbold said. “I expect a good field. I know it won’t be easy. I have to come out there and run my best. I stumbled about three or four steps out of the blocks, but it was still good.”?

One of the outstanding performances from Henri Delauze in the under-18 boys 400m where he pulled off the victory, stopping the clock in 47.06 ahead of Kinard Rolle (47.67) and Samson Colebrooke (48.19) as all three qualified for CAC in the fast race.?

“It was a good race. Coming into the race, I knew I had to go out there and execute,” said Delauze, who just celebrated his 17th birthday. “I had to stay calm, get out of the blocks and I knew I would have a good race.”?

Mikhail Bethell also was impressive in winning the boys under-18 400m hurdles in 56.23. He was challenged by Johnathan Thompson (57.24) and Branson Rolle (57.56).?

“It was a good race. It’s been a while since I competed at the World Relays, so I think I could have attack the hurdles better. I heard my coach screaming at me to attack, attack,” said Bethel of coach David Charlton. “Hopefully, next time I will do a better job.”?

While he didn’t qualify, D’Mitry Charlton ran 56.07 to clinch the open men’s 400m hurdles in his high school match-up against Xavier Coakley, who ran 57.42. Coakley qualified the night before in the 110m hurdles in 14.12. ?

“It was a good race. I knew I was going to have a tough race with the guys behind me,” Charlton said. “So I just wanted to run my race and save enough energy to come home. The back stretch could have been faster, but I will take it. I just have to improve on it at nationals.”?

Another anticipated showdown took place in the men’s high jump with Jamal Wilson taking the title with a leap of 2.24 metres or 7-feet, 41/4-inches over Ryan Ingraham, who was nursing an injury, with his mark of 2.20m (7-21/2).?

“It was good. It was fun especially watching the juniors do what they had to do,” Wilson said. “It was a good day. The weather was good, the crowd seemed to be very attentive, so it was a good atmosphere.?

“I hope whatever Ryan is going through, he will be get over it and come out next week and perform at his best because if he performs at his best, that will push me. I just have to stay focused and keep doing what I’m doing and hopefully I can come out with some good jumps.”?

Ingraham admitted that he suffered a groin injury that hampered his performance, but he’s looking forward to getting ready for the nationals.?

“I’m not affected by my approach. It’s just that when I plant my feet and I over stride, I feel it,” Ingraham said. “But I hope to be ready for the nationals.”?

Keianna Albury also had a big meet, taking the open women’s sprint double in a pair of CAC Jr qualifiers. She started with the 100m in 11.76 ahead of collegians Devynne Charlton (11.90) and  Carmiesha (Cox) 11.96. Then she came back in the 200m in 23.94 with Cox trailing in 24.69 and Loushanya Neymour, third in 24.85. ?

Also on the field, among the CAC Jr qualifiers were Andira Ferguson in the girls under-18 long jump (5.66m/18-7); Danielle Gibson in the under-20 girls triple jump (12.80m/42-0); Travis Ferguson, under-18 boys javelin (54.78m/179-8); Brendia Ferguson, under-20 girls javelin (38.86m/127-6); Denzel Pratt, under-20 boys javelin (65.14m/213-8); both Ken Mullings (2.00m/6-63/4) and Blayre Fernander (1.95m/6-43/4) in the under-18 boys high jump and Trae Carey (7.25m/23-91/2) and Laquan Nairn (7.22m/23-81/4) in the under-20 boys long jump; Serena Brown (14.05m/46-11/4) and Brashae Wood (13.78m/45-21/2) in the under-18 girls shot put as well as the discus with Brown taking another first (39.20m/128-7) and Wood second (37.46m/122-10) and Khyle Higgs (51.99m/170-7) in the under-20 boys discus?.