The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

There were several qualifiers over the weekend for this summer's International Amateur Athletic Federation World Under-18 Championships, the Commonwealth Youth Games and the Junior Pan American/NACAC Championships as the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations hosted its 2017 Aliv National Junior Championships.

The two-day meet, held on Friday and Saturday in the original Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium, comes before the BAAA heads to Grand Bahama this weekend to stage the 2017 Aliv National Open Championships at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex for athletes hoping to make the team that will travel in August to the IAAF World Championships in London, England.

The IAAF World U-18 Championships is set for July 12-16 in Nairobi, Kenya, followed by the Commonwealth Youth Games here July 16-21 and the Pan Am Jr Championships in Lima, Peru, July 21-23.

The BAAA is expected to hold its ratification meeting today to select the three national teams to represent the country at the above mentioned events.

Doneisha Anderson pulled away from three other rivals on the straight away to speed to victory in the under-18 girls' 200 metres in a time of 24.65 seconds to dip under the qualifying time of 25.15 on Saturday. She was joined by Destiny Huyler in 25.21 for second and Kayvon Stubbs in 25.26 as they all went under the Commonwealth Youth time of 25.40.

The night before, Anderson also ran away from the field in the 400m in 55.54 to surpass the World U-18 standard of 57.00. Wendira Moss, a distant second in 57.27 and Marissa White, third in 57.64, all did the Commonwealth Youth's time of 58.50.

"The race was good. I got out good, came off the curve good and I ran home solid," said Anderson, a 16-year-old from St Augustine's College. "I was very elated with my performances. I felt I improved my time a lot."

In other performances from the girls on the field for the Commonwealth Youth Games, Lakelle Kinteh soared 5.37 metres or 17-feet, 7 1/2-inches to win the under-18 girls' long jump to surpass the qualifying mark of 5.35m (17-6 3/4), while Dachye Stubbs tossed the shot put 12.00m (39-4 1/2) to go over the standard of 11.60m (38-0 3/4) and Latia Saunders threw the javelin 39.25m (128-9) to clear the standard of 38.20m (125-4).

"Today was okay. I was expecting to do better than I did, but I came out with a mind set to do my best and I did that," stressed Saunders, who had a group of parents on the sidelines cheering them on. "It was good to know that I had some support in the back of me. The competition was good."

The only female to qualify for the IAAF World's was national record holder Serena Brown, who came home from the NCAA Championships where she she failed to get in a mark for Texas A&M in her freshman year to throw the spear 53.52m (175-7) to go well beyond the standard of 46.72m (153-3).

On the boys' side, three athletes attained the World Jr's standard in the under-18 100 and 200m, a pair did it in the 400m and one came through in both the 100m and 400m hurdles, while there was also a qualifier for the Jr Pan Am in the under-20 high jump and the long jump.

Joel Johnson sped to victory in the under-18 boys century in 10.71 and he was followed in the straight away race by Adrian Curry and Max Azor in identical times of 10.73 as they all dipped under the World Jr's standard of 10.85. The race was so fast that Kristin Major (11.11), Shaquiel Higgs (11.13) and Nastario Wiliams (11.20) either surpassed or matched the Commonwealth Youth standard of 11.20.

There was some revenge for Azor as he turned the tables in the 200m, coming on strong before he ran out of real estate to snatch the title in 21.37 over Johnson, who had to settle for a close second in 21.38. Higgs ran 21.81 for third as they all went under the World Jr's standard of 22.05.

"I worked hard and as my coach told me, not to panic," said Azor, a 16-year-old from Queen's College. "I thank God that I got it and I got to qualify. I worked hard, but I didn't know what I would place. I got to PR, so it's a great feeling."

Johnson, on the other hand, said he really wanted the double, but felt he knew what happened.

"I felt a bit sluggish coming off the curve, but I found a way to vault myself back into the race," he said. "I could have done better, but all in all, I got as good race. I feel great to know that I qualified for both meets. Hard work is paying of and I'm looking forward to the upcoming meets. The competition here really pushed me."

Again, three more competitors in Williams, fourth in 22.26; Major, fifth in 22.27 and Seth Bethell, sixth in 22.41, also did the Commonwealth Youth standard of 22.60.

Corey Sherrod, winner of the 400m in 48.90 and Tyrell Simms, second in 48.97 both surpassed the World Jr's qualifying time of 49.25 and they were followed by DeVonte Smith (49.63), Edward Gayle (49.94), Kendrick Major (49.96) and Edward Munroe (50.82) were all under the Commonwealth Youth's qualifying time of 51.20.

Denvaughn Whyms qualified in the under-18 boys' 100m hurdles for the World Jr's in 13.94 as he surpassed the standard of 14.15 and Oscar Smith, second in 14.26, added his name to Commonwealth Youth's qualifiers in going past the standard of 14.50. Whymns (7.20m/23-7 1/2), Michael Adderley (6.72m/22-0 3/4) and Georgio Pratt (6.52m/21-4 3/4) all went over the Commonwealth Youth's mark of 6.30m (20-8) in the long jump.

Matthew Thompson easily won 400m hurdles in 54.04 as he pulled away from Dexter Hall (56.79) going over the final two flights of ten hurdles to surpass the World Jr's standard of 54.75 and the Commonwealth Youth's time of 55.90.

Arch rivals Benjamin Clarke (2.00m/6-6 3/4) and Shawn Miller (1.90m/6-2 3/4) all did the Commonwealth Youth's standard of 1.90m (6-23/4) in the high jump with their first and second places respectively. But they both fell short of the World Youth's mark of 2.06m (6-9).

"It was really good competition. I went out there with a positive mind set just knowing that I could be physically and technically sound and that was what I did," Clarke said. "This season has been a struggle with a few injuries and some setbacks, but I just came out here to have some fun."

Jordan Lewis, in a double dose of victory, had a heave of 14.04m (46-0 3/4) to surpass the Commonwealth youth's mark of 13.60m (44-7 1/2) in the shot put and 45.87m (150-6) in the discus to go over the qualifying standard of 41.00m (134-6).

Kyle Alcine, in his preparation for his entry into North Dakota State University in August, won the under-20 boys' high jump with a leap of 2.15m (7-0 1/2) to surpass the Jr Pan Am standard of 2.10m (6-10 3/4).

"It was good. I want to thank God that I got through it without any injury," Alcine said. "I was out there by myself so there wasn't my competition to push me and the crowd wasn't as enthusiastic. Some people clapped (as he prepared to provide him with a rhythm as he jumped) and some just watched."

And Grand Bahamian Holland Martin made sure he was set in the long jump with his winning leap of 7.50m (24-7 1/4) that was well over the standard of 7.30m (23-111/2). Martin also clocked 21.86 to take the half-lap race but it wasn't enough for another Jr Pan Am qualifier with the standard set at 21.08.

"The race was pretty good. I got a good start, which was what I was basically working on," said Martin of his half-lap race. "I knew if I had a great start, they would not have been able to catch me, so the goal with my 400m background was to relax and take it through the last half of the race."

Despite a strong head wind when he competed n the long jump, Martin said he was delighted to have attained the Pan Am qualifying standard again.

Renee Brown was a double sprint champion in the girls' U-20 100m (12.33) and 200m (25.19), but neither were able to surpass the Jr Pan Am's qualifying times of 11.62 and 24.10 respectively.

"I was a little disappointed in the lane they gave me (in the 200m)," Brown said. "But my coach told me it doesn't matter what lane you get, but it;'s about your race, so just go out there and whatever I have to do to place and go for the qualifying times. It wasn't what I needed, but hopefully they will consider taking me."

Daejha Moss, another athlete who had to compete in front of her new college coach, also pulled of a double in the girls U-20 long jump with 5.32m (17-5 1/2) and the high jump with 1.65m (5-5), but she also missed each of the Jr Pan Am qualifying heights of 5.92m (19-5 1/4) and 1.70m (5-7).

"My performance wasn't that good today," stated Moss, the Queen's College graduate who is also heading to North Dakota State University in August. "It's been a long season, but a successful season, so I'm okay for my performances."