The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

After a lengthy selection process, the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations has announced a 51-member team, including eight non-qualifiers, who have been added to the relay pools for the 2015 CARIFTA Games.

The BAAA had indicated that only athletes selected for individual events, who attain the qualifying standards, would be making the trip to St Kitts & Nevis for the biggest junior regional meet over the Easter Holiday weekend, April 3-7.

However, there was much decision over the process used for the additional athletes for the relays.

“We feel that this team is a very strong team. We indicated earlier that we were going with individual qualifiers and we did just that, as it relates to our individual events,” said BAAA president Mike Sands. “Every athlete that has been named to this originally, as we stated now, are all those who would have qualified in their individual event.

“Consideration was given, after much debate by the selection committee and the management team and the membership at large. We ended up, as a result, identifying persons who have been assured to strengthen the relay teams. The Bahamas is known for its relay teams and with less than 40 days to go to the World Relays, we want to ensure that the future is bright for this country in showing our strength in the relays as we continue to grow.”

At last year’s CARIFTA Games in Martinique, the Bahamas’ only gold medal came from the under-18 4 x 100 metre relay team of Kinard Rolle, Tyler Bowe, Keanu Pennerman and Javan Martin to go along with the eight silver and 10 bronze for a total of 19 medals. That placed the Bahamas seventh on the medal chart that was topped once again by Jamaica with 89, inclusive of 42 gold, 34 silver and 13 bronze.

Trinidad & Tobago finished second with six gold, seven silver and 12 bronze for a total of 25 and Barbados rounded out the top three with 16 medals after they collected five gold, five silver and six bronze out of the field of 25 countries that participated in the three-day meet.

“Carifta is usually based on medal count. We’ve slipped a notch from last year and I think that has been a wake up call for us in all areas,” Sands said. “I think the coaches and the athletes all heeded the call in getting our athletes qualified.

“We may not have as many qualifiers in all of the events that we would like, but we are satisfied that what we have here is the best that we have to offer under the circumstances and we’re satisfied that this team will be very competitive as we go into Carifta.”

The team will be managed by Bahamas Association of Certified Official Doris Rolle-Ramsey and will have John Ingraham, a former Carifta athlete who now coaches in Andros, as the head coach.

“We are preparing for the future,” Sands said. “Mrs Doris Rolle-Ramsey’s organisational skills and the support that she will be getting, got her baptism by fire last year in Martinique, but as you would know, Carifta is one of the toughest teams to manage. At the end of the day, she has proved herself by working with the young people in the school system, so we felt that she was a natural fit to head this team as the team manager.”

Rolle-Ramsey will be assisted by Sharon Gardiner with Dionne Beriton and Cecile Campbell as chaperones.

Once the athletes have prepared themselves physically, Rolle-Ramsey said she will be working to get the athletes prepared emotionally ready to endure the rounds of competition and make it through to the final.

“We want them to represent the Bahamas, be good ambassadors, be focused and set goals and go out there to perform,” she said. “I’m going to be the best support that I can be, this being my first time managing a team at this level.

“I would like to publicly thank the BAAA for this opportunity and I pray that we will go with the covering our Lord and our athletes will perform well.”

As for Ingraham, Sands calls him an aggressive young coach who has proven himself when he had his team from North Andros High competing in every relay final, or the majority of the finals at the Nationals.

“He handles a large number of kids and while he has the support base in Andros, he will have the same base here,” Sands said. “So looking ahead to the future, we feel that he will also be a natural fit and there will be persons there to assist him.”

As a former athlete, Ingraham said he was able to grow and now he’s imparting his knowledge onto the athletes to help take them to the next level.

“I’m going to lead these kids with a lot of energy and determination and I want to help motivate them to bring back medals to the Bahamas,” he said. “I see a lot of potential athletes with the potential to win those medals.”

Ingraham will be assisted by Bernard Rolle, Dawn Johnson, Sandra Laing, Wendell Collie, Corrington Maycock and James Rolle. David Charlton has been added as a consultant to the coaching staff.

Looking at the make-up of the team, Sands said he’s very impressed with the level of coaching that the field coaches have done in getting their athletes qualified, which in the past was always the strength of the team.

Unfortunately, Sands said they have seen a reversal with the track now taking a back seat, but he said the future looks good because while there was no argument for athletes to be included in the field events, there were cases made for athletes for track, thus the additional people for the relay pools.

Sands said it’s now up to the coaches to re-evaluate their coaching strategies so that they can bring the track athletes back up to par with the field athletes, thus giving the Bahamas a well-rounded team once again in a bid to regain its prominence.

A team meeting is scheduled for 5:30pm today at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium where the management team will meet with the athletes and map out the way forward to St Kitts and Nevis.

Those persons wishing to travel with the team on the charter flight, Sands has advised them that they have until 3pm today to make their payment at the BAAA office or their seats will be given up to persons who are on the waiting list.

The airfare is $799 per person and the price for the airfare and accommodation (double occupancy) is $1,500.

TEAM BAHAMAS

Named to the team are the following:

Under-18 girls - Brianne Bethel, Doneisha Anderson, Chrisma Taylor, Sasha Wells, Daejha Moss, Andira Ferguson, Serena Brown, Tiffany Hanna, LaQuell Harris and Taj Dorsett

Relay pools - Bethel, Anderson, Taylor, Wells, Ferguson, Dorsett, Divine Parker, D’Nia Freeman and Britini Fountain

Under-18 boys - Javan Martin, Johnathan Smith, Bradley Dormeus, Ronald Kemp, Tavonte Mott, Branson Rolle, Benjamin Clarke, Holland Martin, Perry Adderley, Dondre Rutherford, Edward Kemp, Travis Ferguson and Tamar Green.

Relay pools - Martin, Smith, Mott, Rolle, Dormeus, Rolle, Donnovan Storr, Kaze Poitier, Byron Wilson and Dwayne Murray.

Under-20 girls - Kieanne Albury, Shaquania Dorsett, Kaylea Albury, Danielle Gibson and Brashae Wood.

Relay pools - Albury, Dorsett, Gibson, Janae Ambrose, Marissa White and Alexis Gray.

Under-20 boys - Deedro Clarke, Henri Delauze, Xavier Coakley, LaQuan Nairn, Darius Major, Derexel Maycock and Denzel Pratt.

Relay pools - Clarke, Coakley, Nairn, Delauza, Cliff Reasis, Stephen Green, Justin Pinder and Jordan Minnins.