The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Team Bahamas was hoping to add at least one more medal to its tally before the 23rd Central American and Caribbean Games came to a close in Barranquilla, Colombia.

But in the final of the men's 4 x 400 metre relay on Thursday night, the quartet of Alonzo Russell, Michael Mathieu, Stephen 'Dirty' Newbold and Kendrick Thompson - running out of lane four - could only muster a fifth place finish in a time of three minutes and 07.31 seconds.

Cuba, whose women were successful in winning the 4 x 400m gold, clinched another in the men's race in 3:03.87, the Dominican Republic got the silver in 3:03.92 and Colombia ended up with the bronze in 3:04.35.

Kaiwan Culmer, the last Bahamian to compete in an individual event, had to settle for sixth place in the final of the men's triple jump with a best leap of 16.24 metres or 53-feet, 3 1/2-inches on his fourth attempt. His other series of jumps were 15.84m (51.11 3/4), 16.01m (52-6 1/2), 15.94m (52-3 3/4), 16.10 (52-10) and 16.11m (52-10 1/4).

"The first round, which was the first three jumps, I was very shaky. I didn't do or execute the way I was supposed to," Culmer said. "But I managed to get into the final with the eighth spot and onto the final, I managed to past two people and got into sixth place, so I can't feel too bad about that."

Cuba got the gold and silver from Cristian Napoles (17.34m, 56-10 3/4) and Jordan Diaz (17.29m, 56-8 3/4), while Suriname's Miguel Van Assen (16.69m, 54-9 1/4) claimed the bronze.

The Bahamas was coming off their first track and field medal on Wednesday when Donald Thomas soared to gold in the men's high jump with a leap of 2.28 metres or 7-feet, 5 3/4-inches with Jamaal Wilson picking up fifth place with 2.24m (7-4 1/4).

Thomas' performance pushed the Bahamas' total of seven medals, inclusive of four gold, two silver and a bronze, to 10th place in the standings. The other six medals came from swimming where Grand Bahamian Joanna Evans captured three gold and two silver and Albury Higgs picked up the bronze.

The games will close out today, but the Bahamas was done today with action in the women's tennis for a spot at a bronze and the men's basketball for a final placing.

Women's Tennis

For the second time, the women's team fell short of getting on the podium with a medal at the games.

This time, the team of Danielle Thompson and Kerrie Cartwright lost their singles matches in the bronze medal game for the Nation's Cup competition to Guatemala. Thompson lost 3-6, 6-3, 6-0 to Maria Morales, Cartwright fell 6-0, 6-0 to Andrea Weedon.

As a result of the singles, the two nations didn't have to play the doubles.

Colombia won the Nation's Cup gold medal over Mexico.

On Sunday, Thompson and Simone Pratt made it to the bronze medal match of the mixed doubles, but they lost in two sets to Puerto Rico, while Mexico won the gold over Colombia.

The men's team didn't advance to the Nation Cup after they lost in the early rounds in singles and doubles.

Men's Basketball

After winning their first and only game in their final match in the round robin, Team Bahamas dropped a 90-76 decision to Mexico to end up in sixth place in the final placing.

The men's team, coached by Quintin 'Three Ounce' Hall, was coming off their 73-68 over over the US Virgin Islands. But against Mexico, they fell behind 26-22 at the end of the first quarter and 49-41 at the half. Mexico went on a 23-19 spurt in the third quarter to extend their lead to 72-60 and they never eased up with their 18-16 advantage in the fourth.

Grand Bahamian Kentwan Smith led two players in double figures for Team Bahamas with 21 points, shooting 7-for-13 from the field, 5-for-8 from the three-point line and 2-for-4 from the free throw line. He also had 11 rebounds and three assists. Michael Bain Jr was the only other player in double figures with 12 points, seven assists and five rebounds.

Team Bahamas, which played without Michael Carey Jr and Jackson Jacob, also got nine points and three rebounds from Samuel Hunter; eight points and as many rebounds from Shavanno Cooper; eight points and five rebounds from Mark St Fort and eight points and four rebounds from Tavario Miller. Daejour Adderley chipped in with six points and Eugene Bain had four.