The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The Temple Christian Academy Suns were the most dominant primary school in basketball this year. They carried that momentum over to track and field where they out-classed their rivals in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture’s Frank “Pancho” Rahming National Primary School Track and Field Championships.

The Suns, coached by Sherry Francis and Nekeno Demeritte, accumulated a total of 272½ points to pull off the win in the three-day meet that attracted more than 30 schools from around the country.

Their nearest rivals were from Grand Bahama as Martin Town Primary came in second with 183 and Walter Parker Primary got third with 158. Closely behind in fourth were Central Abaco Primary with 153 and CW Sawyer rounded out the top five with 130.

“Our team’s performance was outstanding,” Francis told The Tribune. “Our kids dominated the meet and it was quite obvious that Temple Christian kids were well prepared in advance. “Our developmental programme spoke for itself from the under-7 division to the under-14. We won three out of the five divisions. We had one or two athletes in all of the finals, which was exceptional.”

Temple won the combined B division with 55 points, the C division with 54 and the D division with 48½. They lost the A division that went to Central Abaco with 72. Martin Town were the winners of the E division with 64.

Francis said her Suns would be looking to shine again at next year’s championships as “our pool is very deep with athletes who are eager to compete.” She said it was evident in the fact that only two athletes per team were allowed to compete, so they had to leave a lot of athletes off the team this year.

She noted that the meet was an awesome one and well-organised, especially for the athletes as they got to interact with the lifesize cartoon characters which were on hand during the competition.

The meet saw three events contested on the field to close out the final day of competition on Friday, while the majority of the action was on the track.

In the boys’ long jump, Shamar Smith of Martin Town Primary took the title home to Grand Bahama with his leap of 5.07m. Loceinski Tergenus of Central Abaco Primary followed with 4.62m. Kevin Barr, Kevin of Uriah McPhee came in third with 4.61m.

In the girls other ball throw under 12, Jewel Arnette of North Andros won with 36.21m.  Keianna Moss of St. Anne’s was second with 32.35m and Syazha Kelly of Sunland Baptist got 30.82m.

And in the girls’ long jump under 10, Tyla Pratt of North Andros pulled of the win with 3.77m. Phoebe Thompson of Freeport Primary was second with 3.55m and Tiana Nixon of St. Anne’s School was third with 3.37m.

The track events got started with the 800m and in the girls under 14, Gershan Russell of Central Abaco Primary ran away from the field to take the tape in two minutes and 36.80 seconds. Grand Bahama’s Indiya Albury of Walter Parker Primary was a distant second in 2:45.43 and Kendera Turnquest of Long Island was third in 2:47.74.  

And in the boys’ under-14 800m, Sedian Pierre of the Eleuthera All Star held on for the win in 2:30.33. Louiderson Louis of Central Abaco got second in 2:31.70 and Takai Roker of Walter Parker came in third in 2:32.65.

The 200m followed with Grand Stephanique Dean of Hugh Campbell taking the under-12 girls race in 27.54. Paige Archer of C W Sawyer was second in 27.71 and Karis Taylor of Kingsway Academy got third in 27.99.

The under-12 boys’ 200m was won by Daniele Ermulus of TG Glover in 26.73. Rojade Tate of Sweeting Cay was second in 27.08 and Van Forbes of Walter Parker came in third in 27.18.

In the girls 200m under 10, Phoebe Thompson of Freeport Primary showed her versatility by winning her race in 31.04. Shanyann Demeritte of Charles W. Saunders got second in 31.51 and Darvinique Dean of Temple Christian came in 31.69. 

The boys’ 200m under 10 was won by Tyrone Conliffe Martin Town Primary in 29.21. Quinton Gordon of Walter Parker Primary was second in 30.07. John Rolle of Temple Christian came in third in 30.26.

In the girls’ 75m under 8, Sarsha Wright of Temple Christian won the race in 12.84. Nataya Watson of Temple Christian got second in 12.96 and Trinity George of St. Anne’s was third in 12.98.

There was a boys’ 75m for under 8 competitors with Johnathan Higgs of C W Sawyer taking the tape in 12.02. Ramon Murphy of the Exuma Scorpions was second in 12.24 and third place went to Chancey Baptiste of Central Abaco in 12.45.  

Competitors then contested the 400m with the girls under 14 getting the one-lap series underway with Javonya Valcourt of Centerville Primary leading the way with her victory in 1:02.96. Leniqua Black of Martin Town Primary was second in 1:03.10. Kasha Neilly of Temple Christian got third in 1:04.92.

The boys’ 400m under 14 was won by Shamar Smith of Martin Town Primary in 1:00.46. Loceinski Tergenus of Central Abaco Primary came in second in 1:01.19 and Kevin Barr of Uriah McPhee was third in 1:01.51. 

In the girls under 12 400m, Alexandra Smith of Tabernacle Baptist took the win in 1:04.46. Paige Archer of C W Sawyer School was second in 1:04.88 and Breyanna Kemp of Charles W. Saunders got third in 1:05.99. 

The boys’ 400m under 12 was won by Kyle Bain of Faith Way Christian Academy in 1:06.00. Garvin McKenzie of Cleveland Eneas was second in 1:06.02 and Sheran Roker of Claridge Primary came in third in 1:06.75.  

In the girls 400m under 10, Greer Levarity of Faith Way Christian Academy won in 1:13.83. Chinara Grant of St. Anne’s School was second in 1:15.19 and Danielle Heastie of St. Andrews was third in 1:15.23.

The boys’ 400m under 10 was won by Bryson Rolle of Claridge Primary in 1:09.23. Thereno Evans of North Andros was second in 1:10.91 and Anthony Sweeting of Temple Christian came in third in 1:12.08.

The final individual events came in the straightaway races in the 100m.

In the girls 100m under 14, Grand Bahama’s Leniqua Black of Martin Town Primary was in a class of her own as she prevailed in 13.29. Teana Woodside of C W Sawyer School was second in 14.01 and Halicia Russell of North Andros came in 14.03.  

The boys’ 100m under 14 was won by Richard Nelson of Central Abaco Primary in 12.48. Zion Campbell of Martin Town Primary had to settle for second in 12.66. His teammate Shamar Smith got third in 12.70.

In the girls 100m under 12, Grand Bahama’s Stephanique Dean of Hugh Campbell Primary crossed the line first in 13.46. Karis Taylor of Kingsway Academy in 13.67 and Ariella of Alcime of Martin Town Primary got third in 13.71. 

The boys’ 100m under 12 was won by Rojade Tate of Sweeting Cay in 13.26. Daniele Ermulus of TG Glover Primary came in second in 13.34 and Van Forbes of Walter Parker Primary got third in 13.82.

In the girls 100m under 10, Grand Bahama’s Phoebe Thompson of Freeport Primary turned in another spectacular performance winning in 14.96. Shanyann Demeritte of Charles W. Saunders was second in 15.44 and Greer Levarity of Faith Way Christian was third in 15.63.

And in the boys’ 100m under 10, William Heastie of St. Andrews captured the title in 14.17. Ayden Kelly of Walter Parker Primary was second in 14.39 and

Danajh Williams of Hugh Campbell Primary got third in 14.50.