The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WITH the completion of the IAAF Diamond League grand finale over the weekend in Brussels, Belgium, the track and field season ending rankings have been released with some Bahamians sitting in pretty good positions.

Heading the list is IAAF World Championship silver medallist Shaunae Miller, who ended up in that same position in the standings with a personal best of 49.67 seconds to trail American world champion Allyson Felix, who posted the world’s fastest time of 49.26. Miller has also recorded times of 49.92, 50.12 and 50.17, all ranked in the top 10.

Christine Amertil, the veteran quarter-miler who ran extremely well on the women’s 4 x 400 metre relay this year, had the next best showing by a Bahamian with 52.32 that she ran in San Jose, Croatia, on August 7 to place just outside the top 100 at 108.

In her double duties, Miller also posted a seventh placing in the women’s 200m in 22.14 for a national record in Kingston, Jamaica on May 9. She also did 22.50 in Clermont, Florida, on April 18.

Anthonique Strachan, before she got a season ending injury, was 32nd in 22.69 in Doha, Qatar, on May 15.

The highest ranked male is IAAF World Championship bronze medallist Jeffery Gibson, who was fifth overall after he lowered his national record to 48.17 in the men’s 400m hurdles in Beijing.

Gibson, by the way, lowered his national record four times this year with times of 48.37, 48.51 and 48.72.

The only other Bahamian to make the top 100 on the list was Patrick Bodie with a time of 49.63 that was done on April 3 in Gainesville, Florida.

The men’s 400m had the most activity with Stephen Gardiner leading the parade in eighth place in his new national record of 44.27 that was set at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National Open Track and Field Championships at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium on July 26

While Gardiner also ran 44.30, immediate past national record holder Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown took the 16th spot in 44.54 that came on May 30 in Eugene, Oregon. The duo split the other times posted ahead of the third best showing by a Bahamian with Michael Mathieu running 45.00 for 35th spot, also at the nationals.

On the field, Donald Thomas soared 2.34 metres for the best mark in the men’s high jump on July 7 for seventh place overall. The sixth place finisher at the IAAF World Championships also had marks of 2.33m and 2.32m, well ahead of Trevor Barry, who had the next best showing in 30th spot with 2.29 when he placed 10th in Beijing.

Despite the fact that he had a drastic decline in his performance, Latario Collie-Minns ended up in 12th place in the men’s triple jump after he did 17.18m in Starkville, Missouri on May 16. However, in the come-back story of the year, Leevan ‘Superman’ Sands cleared 16.99m for the bronze medal at the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada, on July 24 to occupy the 23rd spot.

A national record breaking performance by Devynne Charlton of 13.00 seconds on June 13 in Eugene, Oregon, put her in 56th spot in the women’s 100m hurdles before Adanaca Brown tied it at the BAAA Nationals at the TAR Stadium on June 26.

It wasn’t the type of year that the sprinters anticipated.

Sheniqua Ferguson had the best showing on the ladies’ side with 11.21 in Auburn, Albama, on July 25 for 63rd place. Ferguson was also 84th in the 200m in 23.03 that she ran in Toronto, Canada, on July 23.

Tynia Gaither followed Ferguson in a five-way tie for 80th place in Los Angeles, California on May 17 after she ran 11.27. She also did a season’s best of 22.97 on May 17 in Los Angeles, California.

On the men’s side, Shavez Hart clocked 10.10 on April 18 in Waco, Texas when he ended up in a tie with 12 others for 61st place. Hart was also tied with five others for 36th in the 200m after he ran 20.23 in Starkville, Missouri, on May 16.

The next Bahamian to follow Hart was Trevorvano Mackey in 10.26 on April 30 in Lubbock, Texas, for a tie at 169 in the 100m, while Teray Smith was tied with 18 others in the 200m in 20.34 in Eugene, Oregon on June 10.

As for the relays, the Bahamas men’s 4 x 400m team ended up fifth after running 2:58.91 at the IAAF World Relays on May 3 at the TAR Stadium and the men’s 4 x 100m team in Beijing ran 38.96 to move into a tie for 36th place.

And the women’s 4 x 400m team got 14th overall from their time of 3:28.46 in Beijing, but the 4 x 100m team was 54th with their time of 44.11 at the IAAF World Relays at the TAR Stadium on May 3.