The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

TEAM Bahamas’ road to the 2017 CARIFTA Games over the Easter holiday weekend in Curacao will begin this weekend when the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations hosts its final trials.

The two-day event is slated to get underway 5pm Friday at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium and wrap up after Saturday’s session, which is scheduled to begin at 1pm. The BAAA will select and ratify the team on Sunday.

BAAA public relations officer Philip Gray said they are expecting an exciting showdown that they have dubbed - Survival of the Fittest. “We already have some 34 pre-qualifiers and we have several categories where we have more than two athletes already qualified,” said Gray of the performances turned in from meets held so far this year.

“At Carifta, you can only carry two persons per event. What that is going to mean is that if we have more than two qualifiers, for example in the boys’ under-18 high jump, we have three qualifiers, so they will have to battle for the two spots on the team.”

Already surpassing the qualifying standard of 1.90 metres in that event are Benjamin Clarke with 2.00m and both Christopher Johnson and Shaun Miller, who have evened the standard.

Two competitors have also surpassed the standard of 2.05m in the under-20 boys’ high jump with Kyle Alcine doing 2.15m and Jyles Etienne clearing 2.10m.

Other events on the boys’ side where there are two or more qualifiers so far are the under-18 boys’ 100m with Adrian Curry (10.47), Max Azor (10.57) and Godfrey Arthur (10.86) under the standard of 10.90 as well as the 200m where Denvaughn Whymns leads the way with a time of 21.45, followed by Curry (21.47), Azor (21.77) and Arthur (21.66). The standard is 21.80. Whymns is a triple qualifier, having ran 13.81 and is joined by Oscar Smith in 13.87 as they both surpassed the 110m hurdles time of 14.00. Whymns has also matched the long jump standard of 6.90m.

Two competitors have gone over the javelin mark of 57.00m as Sean Rolle from Preston Albury has a best of 59.60m and Michale Angelo Bullard equalled the standard.

And in the under-20 boys’ division, Grand Bahamian Javan Martin has ran 10.50 and is joined by Tavonte Mott, who also qualified in the 200m with 21.06. The standard is 21.45.

Five competitors have ran faster than the under-18 girls 100m time of 12.05. Devine Parker leads with 11.51, followed by Kennedy Culmer (11.78), Tanae Miller (11.86), Kendesha Ingraham (12.01) and Megan Moss (12.02).

Parker is also head of the class in the 200m where the standard is 24.60. She has clocked 24.08 and is followed by Moss (24.25) and Wendira Moss (24.54).

Doneisha Anderson has ran 55.36 to lead the two Moss competitors – Wendira (55.41) and Megan (55.55) – as they all dipped under the 400m time of 56.00.

Anderson (1.73m) and Daejha Moss (1.70m) have both surpassed the high jump standard of 1.65m.

The under-20 girls’ division seems to be the weakest at this point as only Laquell Harris has qualified so far, tossing the discus 41.31m to surpass the standard of 41.00m.

However, Gray said Charisma Taylor is back home from high school in the United States and she’s expected to qualify in multiple events as she did last year.

There are a number of other qualifiers, including Anthaya Charlton and Jada Knowles, but Gray said they would all have to perform this weekend in order to claim their spots on the team.

Competitors are expected to compete from St Anne’s, St Augustine’s College, Queen’s College, St John’s, Bishop Michael Eldon and Tabernacle Baptist, who have multiple qualifiers.

“It’s going to be the survival of the fittest and the best athletes will win,” said Gray, who noted that they have over 350 athletes that registered just before the deadline yesterday.

“That’s quite a huge contingent of athletes competing for the 60 or more spots that we probably will select for the team, based on the numbers that we selected last year.”

Gray said the trials would bring out the true passion and heart of the athletes when the trials are held. He also anticipates that the Bahamas will end up having an even stronger team than they had last year in Grenada.

The Bahamas finished second with 34 medals, inclusive of six gold, 15 silver and 13 bronze behind Jamaica with a total of 86 medals – 42 gold, 28 silver and 16 bronze.