The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The 28th National High School Track and Field Championships, which promises to be one filled with record-breaking performances, kicked off yesterday at Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson, who delivered the keynote address during the official opening ceremonies, said they already had a total of 700 athletes who came in from the Family Islands and, although they had some problems accommodating all of them on Tuesday night, they got it sorted out.

The championships, according to Johnson, is a collaboration with the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations, which will conclude the weekend with the Test Run on Saturday and Sunday for the third IAAF World Relays here in April.

Johnson also revealed that the ministry will be heading to Moore’s Island, Abaco at the end of the month for the launch of National Sports Academy and he announced that they will be resurfacing the Carl Oliver Track at North Andros with a mondo surface later this year.

The event is being held in honour of former BAAA president and public relations officer Alpheus ‘Hawk’ Finlayson who, in his remarks, reflecting on the history of the sport, uttered the following few words: “I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Also speaking during the ceremony were Timothy Munnings, the Director of Sports at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and Keith Saunders, the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

Antrinique Winston of North Andros gave the athletes’ oath while the coaches’ oath was done by Rev Anthony Williams from Moore’s Island. Doris Ramsey gave the officials’ oath.

The championships, which will continue 9am today and wrap up on Friday, is being split into two sessions each day.

The opening day saw a few national high school records broken and some of the athletes attaining the qualifying standards for the CARIFTA Games, scheduled for Curacao over the Easter holiday weekend.

On the field, Daeja Moss, of Queen’s College, had a double dose of victory. She took the under-20 girls’ high jump with a leap of 1.67 metres or 5-feet, 53/4-inches, edging out Doniesha Anderson of St Augustine’s College on fewer knockdowns. They both surpassed the national high school record of 1.63m that was set by Celine Thompson, also from Queen’s College, in 2015. Their performances, however, was just shy of the CARIFTA-qualifying mark of 1.70m. India Sweeting, also from Queen’s College, was third with 1.52m (4-113/4).

Moss also won the triple jump, but the official result was not available up to press time last night.

SAC got a 1-2 feat in the under-16 boys’ shot put as Joseph Daxon had the best toss of 12.87m (42-023/4), followed by team-mate Terajh Hudson with 12.58m (41-031/3). Iverson Beaucharde of TA Thompson was third with 12.12m (39-091/4).

St Anne’s got some spotlight as Acacia Astwood threw the under-18 girls’ discus 34.30m (112-06) for the win over SAC’s Dachye Stubbs, who did 31.45m (103-02) for second. Tianna Carey of Queen’s College was third with 27.78m (91-02).

Carnitra Mackey of Queen’s College emerged as the winner of the girls’ under-16 javelin with a toss of 31.85m (104-06). Rhema Otabor of Nassau Christian Academy was second with 29.85m (97-11) and SAC’s Miranda Tucker got third with 29.27m (96-00).

The boys’ under-18 triple jump was won by Ludendroff Delhomme of Abaco Central High with 13.49m (44-031/4). Devonte Smith of Tabernacle Baptist was second with 13.18m (43-03) and Tristen Hanna of Queen’s College came in third with 13.18m (43-03).

In the girls’ under-18 high jump, M’Kayla White of SAC won with 1.47m (4-093/4). Amina Forbes of St Andrews was second with 1.47m (4-093/4). Tylar Lightbourn of Queen’s College was third with the same height but lost out on more knockdowns.

SAC got another 1-2 finish in the girls’ under-20 discus as Tiffany Hanna won with 32.19m (105-07). Her team-mate Mechael Russell was next with 25.35m (83-02) and Latavia Braynen, of CI Gibson, came third with 23.21m (76-02).

CR Walker also got a 1-2 combo in the boys’ under-20 shot put as Johnie Jean-Jacques won with 14.36m (47-011/2) and team-mate Raynache Sands was second with 13.32m (43-081/2). Patrick Marshall of L.N.Coakley was third with 12.66m (41-061/2).

Back on the track, the 1,500m races were featured on opening day as well. In the boys’ under-16 1,500m, Tabernacle Baptist Academy’s Clayton Henfield held on for the win in 4:41.05 ahead of North Andros High’s Ryan Barr, who did 4:41.08. CH Reeves’ Anton Pratt was third in 4:42.08.

The girls’ under-16 1,500m saw a 1-2 sweep by Queen’s College as Sierra Sears crossed the line in 5:41.16, ahead of her team-mate Jodie Ritchie, who did 5:51.17 8. CH Reeves’ Nicola Smith, was third in 5:57.53.

Winning the girls’ under-18 1,500m was Allyson Taylor in 5:47.53. Arianna Prophet of RM Bailey was second in 5:59.68. Jasmine Turnquest of CC Sweeting got third in 6:02.00.

And in the boys’ under-18 1,500m, Grand Bahama’s Bryant Lowe took the lead on the second lap of the three and three quarter lap race and was able to secure the win in 4:28.76 for Sunland Baptist. In the process, Lowe shattered the National High School record of 4:33.31 that was set by Ronald Kemp of Galilee in 2015.

Ryan Bethel of St Augustine’s College had to settle for second after taking the early lead in 4:30.01. Another Grand Bahamian, Travis Joseph, representing Bishop Michael Eldon, was third in 4:32.25. The race saw Nathan Burrows of Queens College turn in a gutsy performance as he literally limped around the final two laps with an injury to finish 20th in 8:01.52.