The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

FIVE Bahamians are among the best athletes in the NCAA division one track and field as the season heads for its indoor showpiece. Sprinter Tynia Gaither and jumper Tamara Myers have qualified to represent their schools in two events for the Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas, next week while Devynne Charlton, Shavez Hart and Latario Collie-Minns have also won places.

The Men’s and Women’s Track and Field and Cross Country Committee, announced the participants yesterday for the championships on March 13 and 14 at the Randal Tyson Track Complex at the University of Arkansas.

Senior sprinter Gaither has qualified in both the 60m and 200m for the University of Southern California Trojans. She comes into the event ranked seventh in the 200m at 23.26 seconds and eighth in the 60m at 7.23 seconds.

After transferring from the University of Georgia, Gaither established herself as one of the top sprinters in the region and nationally. She placed sixth in the 200m with a time of 23.05 seconds (+2.2 wind) and eighth in the 100m with a time of 11.73 seconds (-3.4 wind) at the NCAA Championships

The other double qualifier is University of Arkansas Razorbacks senior jumper, Myers, one of 15 qualifiers for the top-ranked Razorbacks. She received invitations in the long jump and triple jump. In the triple jump, she comes in with the third best mark at 13.40m, a personal best. Keturah Orji, of Florida, leads the field with a leap of 13.98m.

In the long jump, she is ranked no.14 in the field with 6.30m.

The Androsian has delivered numerous impressive indoor performances for the Razorbacks during her tenure. During the 2013 indoor season she was named All-America First Team, SEC Field Athlete of the Week, and posted the second-longest jump in Razorbacks history in the triple jump at the NCAA Championships, when she finished fourth.

Sprint hurdler Charlton, a sophomore at Purdue University, is the third Bahamian female to qualify and participate at the meet. Charlton is ranked tenth in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.17 seconds.

It has been a record breaking season for Charlton thus far with the Boilermakers.In the 60m, Charlton owns the school record at 7.38 seconds and her 60m hurdles time of 8.17 seconds is also a school record in her signature event.

Both Bahamian men qualifiers in the meet represent the Texas A and M University Aggies.

Senior sprinter Hart comes in as the no.1 ranked runner in the 200m.

His time of  20.57s is the fastest time in the world this season and the second fastest in Texas A and M school history.

Earlier in the season, Hart was awarded for his then world-leading performance at the Aggies’ Invitational.

Hart raced to a time of 20.76s in the 200m to take first place and SEC Men’s “Runner of the Week” at the Texas A and M Invitational.

It was the first of his two world leading times for the season. Hart also ran to a second place finish at the Southeastern conference meet in 20.90 seconds. The Abaco sprinter is the second fastest Bahamianof all time over 100m with his 10.16 seconds.

In the field, Collie-Minns will contest the triple jump as the No.3 ranked competitor in the event with a leap of 16.69m.

Collie-Minns, who won the NJCAA Indoor title in 2014, is ranked third in the nation with the mark that placed him second at the Tyson Invitational.

He placed second at the SEC meet with a 16.56m leap.

The Bahamian pair have helped the Aggies to fourth in the national rankings.

ESPN3 will stream the meet live starting at 7 pm local time. A taped delay of the championship will air on March 23 starting at 7 pm local time on ESPNU.