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National Sports Awards winners

Photos: Eric Rose/BIS

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Shaunae Miller-Uibo moved one step closer to earning a hat trick in athletics when she was named the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture’s Prime Minister Female Athlete of the Year on Saturday night at the gala national awards ceremony at SuperClubs Breezes.

It comes just after she was named the North American and Central American and Caribbean’s Female Athlete of the Year on November 5 and just before she heads to Monaco for Tuesday’s selection of the International Amateur Athletic Federation’s Female Athlete of the Year at the Grimaldi Forum at 8pm.

If she wins the latter over four other finalists, Miller-Uibo would complete an undefeated season with a tri-factor as the national, regional and international outstanding female Athlete of the Year for 2018.

The awards night featured an array of sporting personalities as they were entertained by former boxer Matthew Rolle and the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

Heading the list of dignitaries present were Minister of Sports Lanisha Rolle, Acting Permanent Secretary Rhoda Jackson and Director of Sports Timothy Munnings, whose department organised the event.

Held under the theme: “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now,” the event follows on the heels of the induction of 12 persons in the Class of 2018 in the National Hall of Fame that took place last Friday at Government House. For Miller-Uibo, who was joined by quarter-miler Steven Gardiner as the Male Athlete of the Year, the honour comes in the week of her parents - May and Shaun Miller’s 27th wedding anniversary and May’s 50th birthday, giving the 24-year-old double 200/400 metre national record some added celebrations.

“It’s an amazing feeling. To be at home and to win an award like this is a great massive improvement and I’m just happy to be able to collect the award alongside Steven Gardiner. “It’s been a tremendous season and I just give God all praise and thanks for it all. To be able to receive this award is a big thing,” she said.

Among her accomplishments this year were:

• Unbeaten across five events in 15 races (13 finals and 2 preliminaries), including a 200m/4x100m double at the IAAF Continental Cup.

• World lead and three wins at 400m with the world’s fastest time since 2009 with a new Bahamian national record of 48.97 in Herculis, Monaco on July 20 that eclipsed the previous mark of 49.07 that was set by Tonique Williams back in Berlin, Germany on September 12, 2004.

• Commonwealth Games and IAAF Diamond League champion at 200m.

• World bests at indoor 300m and 150m straight.

For all of her feats, Miller-Uibo credited to her team behind her, including her managers, agents, parents and supporters.

And as she heads to Monaco, Miller-Uibo said she will carry the expectations of the entire country on her shoulders at the IAAF Gala Awards night.

“I’ve already gotten two awards so far, so the third one is going to be a charm, if that’s the case,” Miller-Uibo said. “I’m going up against a lot of amazing girls, so we just have to see how it turns out.”

• National Secondary Athletic School of the Year: Tabernacle Baptist Academy snapped the three-year reign by St Augustine’s College to take the coveted title to Grand Bahama.

“This award is like a dream come true. It’s a culmination of hard work as the whole country says thank you to us for a job well done,” said Edward Johnson, principal of Tabernacle Baptist Academy. “We have put in the hard work over the last 20-25 years and we are trying hard not just to build teams, but programmes. “As you could see, we were recognized as the best high school in the country, not just in Grand Bahama, in every discipline you can think about, basketball, soccer, softball, volleyball, track and field. We have really been growing in all of those areas and on campus, everyone is passionate about sports and we are always trying to improve ourselves.”

Johnson, who was accompanied by Ozzie ‘the Insider” Simmons, one of the Falcons’ coaches and biggest support, said their aim is to come back and duplicate the feat next year.

• Federation of the Year: Bahamas Basketball Federation, with their participation in the , won the award over the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association, Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations, Bahamas Judo Federation and the Bahamas Volleyball Federation.

“It’s indicative of the work we have pout in to make sure that we take basketball to the next level inside this country, whether its from the administration, coaching or the from the development of the players,” said Mario Bowleg, the federation’s first vice president. “We have just gotten started. We have a lot of things planned for 2019, so to get this honor shows that somebody is watching.”

After playing so far in the first two of three windows of the first round of the FIBA World Cup Americas Qualifier this year, Bowleg said the federation is looking to host the FIBA Pre-Americas Qualifier in February as they press towards a shot at qualifying for participation in the Olympic Games in 2024.

• National Team of the Year: With their promotion out of the America’s Zone III and back in zone II, the 2018 Davis Cup men’s tennis team emerged victorious over the Commonwealth Games team, the Carifta swim team and the Bahamas Water Polo team.

• Coach of the Year: Quite naturally as the head of the men’s Davis Cup and even the women’s Fed Cup team, player/coach Marvin Rolle was awarded the title over Rupert Gardiner from track and field, Laszlo Borbely from water polo and Sensi Oneysi Portorreal Pons from judo.

“It’s a true honor. I didn’t expect it at all,” said Rolle, one of the youngest national coaches at age 34. “I went up against some other great nominees, but it’s a true honor and I would like to thank the BLTA for selecting me as the Davis Cup coach and for the team that comprised of PJ Major, Baker Newman and Jodi Turnquest. We formed the team that was the national team of the year. So I’m proud to have led them.”

Rolle, however, said he hope the double honor for tennis will inspire all involved to get the sport re positioned as one of the top in the country as they continue to climb the ladder up international prominence in Davis Cup, especially with the trials coming up this month at the National Tennis Center.

• Community Sports Award: Clearly they made an impact at Holy Family and rightfully so, the Bahamas Judo Federation earned the title over Mario Ford Baseball, Fred ‘Papa Smith’ Baseball and the Street Legends Basketball Organization.

“It’s great because Arch Bishop Pinder called me in and asked me to start an outreach programme and so I’m glad to see that it has led to the national recognition that we have been doing weith the kids,” said D’Arcy Rahming Sr, president of the BJF. “So I am delighted in that.”

After watching the federation host the biggest international meet here with the International Judo Federation’s World Junior Championships in October at Atlantis, Rahming Sr said they will continue to push forward in providing more exposure for the sport next year.

• Most Improved Athlete of the Year: Jonquel Jones, coming off a banner performance in the Women’s National Basketball Association, was selected over NBA number one draft pick DeAndre Ayton and water polo player Gabriel Sastre. Bowleg accepted the award on behalf of Jones, who was not present.

• Olympic Committee Award: Joanna Evans, performing better than any other female swimmer at the Commonwealth Games, earned her the award over Miller-Uibo in track and field.

• Future Star Award: Already on his way to a promising career with the Phoenix Suns, DeAndre Ayton clinched the award over swimmer Izaak Bastian, pro baseball player Jasrado Chisolm, undefeated heavyweight boxer Amron Sands, female swimmer Albury Higgs and female judo competitor Jasmaine Russell.

• Leevan Sands Courage Award: In his comeback from an injury to get back on the international tennis scene, Justin Roberts was the lone nominee for the recognition of perhaps one of the country’s most courageous athletes ever, Leevan ‘Superman’ Sands. Roberts was not in attendance. His award was collected by the BLTA.

• Sportsmanship Award: He was has brought a lot of flair to the sport of bodybuilding so Jimmy Norius was honored for the award over Larry Russell from judo. Leonardo ‘Nardo’ Dean, BBF public relations officer, accepted the award for Norius, who was not present.

• Athlete of the Year with Disability: They are rarely ever recognized, but the Bahamas Special Olympics felt that Deron Forbes (male) and Charleasa Bain (female) stood out the most and they were awarded the joint titles.

• Volunteer of the Year: She has been a tower of strength in track and field, but Beverly Wallace-Whitfield has been behind the scene helping out in other sports and was she joined by Bahamas Football Association’s number one cheer leader Larry Minns in claiming the joint award.

• Collegiate Athlete of the Year: As she completed her tenure at Purdue University on a high note, high hurdler Devynne Charlton was awarded the title over Desmondo Bootle from judo and swimmers Joanna Evans and Albury Higgs. Charlton’s mother, Laura Charlton, accepted on her behalf as she was not in the country.

• Minister of Sports Award for Excellence: They have both since retired, but Olympic swimmer Allan Murray is still making a contribution as a coach and former professional baseball player Antoan Richardson in still in the background of the sport and were honored with the joint award.

While Murray was present, Richardson was missing, but his mother, Glendia Huyler, accepted on his behalf.