The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

FREEPORT, Grand Bahama — The Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations saw four athletes attain the qualifying standards for the 2017 IAAF World Championships on a jammed pack final day of the Aliv Open National Track and Field Championships.

As the two-day meet came to a close on Saturday night at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex, Steven Gardiner retained his men’s title in the 400 metres as he solidified his trip to London, England, in August.

The national record holder was joined by the return of Devynne Charlton in the women’s 100m hurdles and two sizzling performances from national record holder Shaunae Miller-Uibo and TyNia Gaither in the women’s 200m.

There was a little bit of drama on the field as Jamal Wilson and Donald Thomas went to a jump off at the end of the men’s high jump.

Wilson cleared 2.30 metres or 7-feet, 6 ½-inches that matched the qualifying height for Worlds. But he was listed officially at clearing 2.25m (7-4 ½), the same height as Thomas, who got second. College bound Kyle Alcine was third with 7-0 ½.

“It was good. It took a little while to get started, but it’s something that we have to get used to,” Wilson said. “You just have to keep focused and prepare for these moments.”

Thomas said he was pleased with coming home and performing before the crowd. But he admitted that it’s just a taste of what to expect from him at Worlds.

Gardiner, pulling away from a field of mixture of youth and experience on the home stretch, posted his winning time of 44.66 seconds to dip under the Worlds qualifying time of 45.50.

“It was a pretty good race with a lot of good guys out there in the field,” Gardiner said. “I just wanted to go out there and execute my race the best way that I know how and I did that.”

Michael Mathieu got second in 45.93 ahead of Ramon Miller, who is working his way back into form after a series of injuries, for third in 46.13. Kendrick Thompson got fourth in 46.22 and Ojay Ferguson was fifth in 46.49.

Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown, winding down his long and illustrious career this year, faded into a distant sixth in 47.01 and will probably have to rely on a spot on the men’s 4 x 400m relay for his final World Championship appearance.

“I was able to compete and compete healthy with these young gentleman,” Brown said. “This was just my first two races (including preliminaries), so I wasn’t race sharp yet, but with one or two more races, I will be fine toned.”

After producing an exceptional comeback year at Purdue University, Charlton said she wanted to make sure that she redeem herself for her absence at last year’s Olympic Games because of an injury when she go to the World’s.

She made it look so easy as she cleared all of the hurdles in winning the women’s 100m race in 12.87 to go under the qualifying standard of 12.98. Adanaca Brown, back in running form, was second in 13.49 and former national record holder Ivanique Kemp got third in 13.76.

“It was a good race. This was definitely one of my better races,” Charlton stressed. “We had a bit of head wind, which played a factor, but it was good enough for me.”

Miller-Uibo, who is preparing to attempt the sprint double in London, opted not to run the 400m and she concentrated on the 200m, winning the half lap in 22.21 with Gaither second in 23.02 as they went under the qualifying time of 23.10.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Miller-Uibo on getting ready for the challenge at the World’s. “I love the competition and I think things will work out very well.”

Anthonique Strachan, also rebounding from an injury prone year last year, raced to a third place finish in 23.23.

“I think I performed very well here. The competition was awesome,” Strachan said. “I’m really happy for it.”

In the century earlier in the day, Gaither picked up the victory in 11.47 ahead of Strachan’s 11.50. Collegians Carmeisha Cox (11.62), Keianna Albjury (11.68), Brianne Bethel (11.72) and Janae Ambrose (11.81) followed in that order.

Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie missed out on a place in the final after a glitch in the timing system in the preliminaries the night before incorrectly placed her ninth instead of eighth.

“It was wonderful. It’s always good to be back home,” said Gaither, who is on her first full season as a professional athlete. “The whole idea is to put on a shoe, but I still feel I have a lot more work to do so I’m just looking forward to the future.”

Warren Fraser, another athlete rebounding from injury, out edged Auburn University’s Teray Smith to win the men’s 100m in 10.31. Smith did 10.35, while Shavez Hart slipped to third in 10.36 with Adrian Griffith fourth in 10.43.

“It was alright. It was a pretty decent race,” Fraser stressed. “I didn’t get out in my first 30 metres like I normally do, but I just stayed relaxed and stayed confident.”

After relinquishing his century title, Hart bounced back to retain his crown in the half-lap race as he won in 20.58 to hold of Michael Mathieu (20.67) and Smith (21.02).

“I think I performed pretty good at the end of the 100m. I just carried that momentum over,” Hart said. “I just wanted to perform before the home crowd before I go to the World Championships.”

Also on the field, Leevan ‘Superman’ Sands soared 52-11 ½, which was of the qualifying mark of 55-11/2. Kaiwan Culmer was second with 51-11 ¼.

Tamara Myers, competing with the men as the lone female competitor, had a best of 45-21/4, which was just short of the World standard of 46-3 ¼.

But there was also some concern in the event after Jamieson Pratt suffered a knee injury on his phrase jump and had to be rushed to the Rand Hospital for treatment.

Just before the triple jump, Bianca Stuart retained her women’s long jump title with a distance of 20-1, well of the World’s standard of 22-13/4. V’Alonee Robinson was second with 19-5 ½.

The meet came to a close with Ken Mullings claiming the men’s decathlon title with 6,500 points over his University of the Bahamas’ team-mate Dennis Williamson, who had 5,130.