The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

KEEP an eye out for names like Carlyia Miller-Johnson, Nathan Moss, Paige Stuart, Antonio Bethel, Karis Taylor, Samuel Davis, Danielle Heastie and Winton Gordon.

The eight athletes emerged as the most outstanding athletes in their respective age groups at the end of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture’s Frank ‘Pancho’ Rahming Track and Field Classic.

Unlike in the past, the meet was cramped into two days as opposed to three on Wednesday and Thursday at the original Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

While some 60-plus schools from throughout the archipelago of the Bahamas, as in the case from the genesis of the biggest primary schools track and field meet in the country, there was no overall champions decided.

Like they did in the Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic for senior boys in February, Acklins came to town to compete for the first time in the championship. Head coach Lacrica Swain said she was quite impressed with the performances produced by their 19-member team.

“This is our first time, so I told the kids to just go out there and have fun,” Swain said. “Since we don’t have a track in Acklins, this trip was all about exposing them and making them aware of what is out there.”

Based on their performances, Swain said it was obvious that their athletes have to concentrate a little more on their endurance.

“We had some pretty good performances in the girls long jump and the girls 4 x 100, but the last girl was tired from competing in the long jump, so we definitely have to work on our endurance,” she said.

“But I was glad that we had this opportunity to compete here because in Acklins we don’t have any competition, so we run by ourselves. Now we have seen the competition, we know what we have to go back and improve on.”

While this wasn’t their first trip here, with a combined team of 33 athletes, the Abaco district made their presence felt. Jeffery Victor, one of the coaches, said the competition was exactly what they needed.

“The performance wasn’t what we really expected, but the kids that we expected to do very well, did well,” Victor said. “We expected some other kids to do better. We had a lot of kids competing for the first time and I think that kind of made the difference.”

Victor, however, said the competition continues to improve and without the proper facility to train or compete on in Murphy Town, their athletes are still coming here and leaving their impression.

As usual, the focus of attention was placed on the athletes during the meet.

Miller-Johnson and Moss, both members of Temple Christian, were crowned the most outstanding female and male in the A group category. Paige of Cleveland Eneas and Bethel of Queen’s College were the B winners, while Taylor of Kingsway Academy and Davis of Water Parker carted off the C divisional title and Heastie St Andrew’s and Gordon of Walter Parker came out on top of the D category.

On the final day of competition, Miller-Johnson won the A girls 400 metres in one minute and 6.92 seconds. The title of the fastest girl went to St John’s Dominique Taylor, who won in 14.00.

Moss had a double dose of victory in the A boys division, clocking 12.65 to out-distance the field for the top honours in the straight-away race. He also clinched the one-lap race in 57.86.

In the B category, Stuart added the century title in 13.83 to the half-lap race she won in the 200m on Wednesday in 27.70. The 400m winner was Denah LaFleur from Walter Parker.

On the boys’ side, Bethel produced a winning time of 1:04.64 in the 400m, but Thelma Gibson’s Meleek Pierre captured the 100m in 13.37.

The C division saw Taylor avenge her loss in the 200m to Queen’s College’s Sarah Hepburn by winning the 100m in 14.61. Smith finished second in 14.70. The 400m was won by Lanique Thompson of Queen’s College in 1:14.09.

Eric Fishbacher of Hugh Campbell from Grand Bahama took the boys’ 100m title in 14.31 over Michael Cartwright, who got second in 14.36. The 400m was won by North Andros’ Christian Mortimer in 1:14.66.

And in the D category, Danielle Heastie pulled off the shortened straight away race for girls in 12.56 with St. Francis/Joseph’s Rajae Saunders not too far behind in 12.65. Alvintino Charles of Palmdale Primary was the boys’ winner in 11.55. John Rolle of Temple Christian was second in 11.75.

The four relays for open categories were split up.

In the girls’ 4 x 100, Hugh Campbell took the title to Grand Bahama in 57.58 and Temple Christian kept the boys’ title here in New Providence in 53.69. The girls’ 4 x 400 title also stayed in New Providence, Queen’s College with their victory in 4:41.92, while the boys title went to Eleuthera in 4:21.44.

The meet has been renamed in honour of Frank Rahming who for more than two decades has organised the meet to provide an opportunity for the young aspiring athletes to display their skills.

Now retired from the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, Rahming said he is pleased to see the way the meet has developed. It’s now under the leadership of Ken Wilson.

“It’s important to have a meet like this continue because it’s what the young kids need,” Rahming said. “They need something like this to participate in. We have a lot of schools this year, including Acklins and Inagua All-Age. The more teams we get the better it is.”

Rahming, however, said he would like to see more money pumped into the meet so that the organisers can accommodate the Family Islands at the various hotels, provide the ground transportation and assist them with the daily meals.

“The Family Islands need it,” Rahming said.