The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ON a night that was designed for hometown star Kirani James to shine, Steven Gardiner took some of the spotlight, delighting the crowd at the inaugural Grenada Invitational by opening his season with an impressive Bahamian record-breaking and world-leading performance.

Gardiner, one of four Bahamians invited to compete in Saturday’s meet by Athletes’ Liaison Officer Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown, ran away with the men’s B 400 metre final in a time of 44.26 seconds, just under his previous national record of 44.27 that he set at the Bahamas National Championships on June 27, 2015 at the Thomas A, Robinson National Stadium.

It also was well under the qualifying standard of 45.50 for the IAAF World Championships in London, England in August.

American Najee Glass was a distant second in 45.70 and Trinidad & Tobago’s Renny Quow got third in 46.01.

“It went very well. It was my opener, so I wasn’t sure what I was going to run,” said Gardiner, who is now training in Clermont, Florida where he’s coached by Gary Evans under management of On Track Management. “I know I was in great shape, so I was going to go out there and do very well.”

The 21-year-old 6-feet, 2-inches native of Abaco, got out on the pack and by the time he got onto the back stretch, he was in control. He opened the lead comnibg of the final curve and maintained his position thrtough the final line.

“I had a lot more to go,” Gardiner said. “I’m very satisfied with it. It was my first run for the season, I got a PR, another national record and a World lead, so I’m satisfied. The stadium was very hyped. They were cheering for everybody. So once the gun went of, the crowd went crazy.””

Gardiner, however, didn’t go head to head with James, who had the national stadium named after him at the end of the meet. James won the A final in 45.44 over Great Britain’s Rooney Martyn, who did 46.35. Jamaica’s Javon Francis was third in 46.45.

“I didn’t get to compete against him, but there’s always a next time. We will have to meet somewhere during the season, so I will just make up for it,” said Gardiner, sbout not facing James. “It’s a small country, so it was good to see that he got his accolades now. He have a new stadium named after him.”

Gardiner said he was quite impressed with what he saw in the organizing of the meet and he wished that he could see that sort of production here at home.

National record holder Jeffery Gibson also got his season started by posting a second place finish in the men’s 400m hurdles in 49.80. Grenada’s Quincy Downing won in 48.80.

TyNia Gaither, in her second meet as a professional, got another second in the women’s 200m in 22.71 as she dipped under the World Chmpionship qualifying time of 23.10. American Felicia Brown won in 22.60. Jamaica’s Jura Levy was third 22.88 and veteran superstar Veronica Campbell-Brown was third in 22.93.

And in the men’s long jump, national triple jump record holder Leevan ‘Superman’ Sands picked up a fourth place finish with a leap of 7.45 metres or 24-feet, 51/2-inches on his fifth attempt. Jamaica’s Damar Forbes was the winner with 7.92m (26-0).

The meet had some added Bahamian flavor as Dianne Woodside served as the co-meet director.

Charlton improved on her school record

In Barton Rouge, Louisiana, Charlton lowered her own school record  in the 100-meter hurdles as the junior won the event with a wind-legal (+0.8) time of 12.97 seconds. Her previous record was set at 13.00 at the 2015 NCAA Championships.

Charlton’s time ranks seventh in the NCAA this year and is No. 1 in the Big Ten andit also was under the World Championship standard of 12.98.

She wasn’t done as she ran a leg of the 4x100-meter relay, passing of too fellow Bahamian Carmiesha Cox on second leg as the connection helped Savannah Robertdon and Symone Black post a time of 44.55 seconds for second place.

The time was the third fastest time in school history and No. 2 time in the Big Ten this season.

Charlton also finished runner-up in the 100m dash with a wind-legal (+2.0) time of 11.47.

Cox, on the other hand, anchored the Boilermakers women’s 4 x 400m relay team of Samara Miller, Symore Black and Abbott to another second place in a time of 3:34.16.

Their time is Purdue’s best this season and ranks third in school history. The time is 13th in the country this year.

Kinard Rolle, one of two Bahamian men in the Bahamian connection at Purdue, had a PR in the 400m dash. He finished third with a time of 46.86 seconds.

The Boilermakers will be back in action next week at the Louisville Invitational.

Brown increased her national record

At the Sun Angel Classic in Tempe, Arizona, Serena Brown improved her Bahamas national record in the discus for the second time this season, reaching a distance of 179-4 (54.67) to place third in the premiere division of the event.

Brown, whose previous record was 53.13m set at the Roadrunner Invitational on March 25 in San Antonio, trailed trailed Tarasue Barnett, who won the competition at 195-9 (59.68) with Arizona State’s Maggie Ewen runner-up with a 186-7 (56.87).

Strachan, Ambrose and Smith in fine form

At the 2017 Auburn Tiger Track Classic in at the Hutsell-Rosen Track, Anthonique Strachan led the Bahamian charge by clocking 23.02 to win her season opener in the women’s 200m.

Strachan, in joining Gaither in surpassing the World Championships standard of 23.10, held off her Auburn Elite training partner Jamaican Kerron Stewart, who got second in 23.43.

Auburn University Tigers’ sophomore Jenae Ambrose was third in 23.57. Ambrose’s performance came after she won the 100m in 11.60 over Gemma Acheampong, who did 11.62.

Ambrose also popped of as the Tigers’ team of Jonielle Smith, Sashel Brown and Dominique Bullock ran 44.63 for the women’s 4 x 100m relay victory over Cincinnati (45.47) and Alabama State (45.78).

Another Bahamian sprinter Teray Smith was second in the men’s half-lap race in the 200m in 20.58. Khalil Henderson, Smith’s fellow Auburn senior team-mate, won in 20.47.

Smith also anchored the men’s 4 x100m relay team of Wellington Zara, Kahlil Henderson and Baheem Chambers that won in 39.56. Boston University was a distant second in 40.23 and Alabama State was third in 40.29.

And at the end of the meet, Smith ran the second leg for the Tigers’ team of Randall Ceneus, Nathan Allen and Akeem Bloomfield that won the 4 x 400m relay in 3:09.29. Alabama State was second in 3:11.25 and Western Carolina got third in 3:14.80.

Ferguson tenth

At the Spec Towns Invitational, Ojay Ferguson, running unattached, was tenth in the men’s 400m in 47.87. Maurice Freeman, a senior at Georgia, won the one-lap race in 46.03.