The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WHILE the focus here was on the junior athletes in the final CARIFTA trials at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium, a number of senior athletes were competing in meets in Florida and Jamaica.

At the Hurricane Invitational in Coral Gables, Florida, Lavardo Smith, Andretti Bain, Alfredo Smith and Lanece Clarke led the charge.

Smith, competing unattached, stopped the clock in 10.63 seconds to pull off the victory in the men’s 100 metres, holding off Deneko Brown, who ran 10.65 for second. Also in the race was Grand Bahamian Andre Wells who got fifth in the same heat in 10.77 for eighth place overall.

Smith also contested the 200m where he was eighth in 21.76 after he placed placed fifth in his heat. Cameron Williams of Boston University won the event in 20.94.

In his debut, Andretti Bain clocked 46.90 for third place in the men’s 400m. The two fastest times came from Jamal Walton in 46.80 with Talvn Washington of Nova Southeastern taking second in 46.89.

On the field, Alfredo Smith cleared 7.28 metres or 23-feet, 10 3/4-inchs for second place in the men’s long jump. The winning jump was 7.67m (25-02) by John-Patrick Friday, a junior at Miami.

On the women’s side, Lanece Clarke, running for On Track Management (OTM), teamed up with Jamaican sprint sensation Veronica Campbell-Brown and Americans Porscha Lucas and Tahesia Harrigan-Scott to win the women’s 4 x 100 metre relay in 43.62. A team from Maimi took second in 45.93.

The quartet also took the tape in the 4 x 400m relay in 3:38.01. Miami’s team again had to settle for second in 3:42.20.

IWI Invitational

In Jamaica at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Track and Field Invitational meet at the UWI Usain Bolt Track, the College of the Bahamas made its presence felt with a five-member team.

Freshman sprinter Dennis Williamson turned in a personal best of 47.89 seconds for a fourth place finish in the collegiate division of the men’s 400m that featured 31 competitors.  Williamson also ran the 200m in 22.27 for a 12th place finish in a field of 40 persons.  

Also running in the 200m were freshmen Cresy Dussard, who finished 14th in a time of 22.57 and Coty Willis, who finished 24th in 23.19.

On the female side, junior throwers Knastachia Cooper and Ashley Oembler participate in the shot putt and discus in the collegiate division.

In a field of 18, Oembler finished 11th with a throw of 10.22m, while Knastacia finished 13th with a throw of 10.54m. In the discus, Cooper threw 35.79 for an 11th place finish in a field of 16, but Oembler fouled her throws in this event and didn’t get a final position. 

The COB Athletic Department, headed by Kimberley Rolle, congratulated freshman high jumper Vinisa Beneby, who was named to the CARIFTA Games team in the under-20 girls’ division following the final trials at the TAR stadium.