The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

HE’S uncertain over whether or not he will suit up to compete in the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) World Indoor Championships. But if he does decide to go to Birmingham, England, in March, Steven Gardiner has shown that he’s ready for the challenge.

Fresh off his breakout year in 2017 in London, England, when he claimed the IAAF World Championships’ silver medal while lowering his men’s national 400 metre record in the semi-finals, Gardiner was one of three Bahamians in action at the UAB Blazer Invite.

On Friday night at the Birmingham Crossplex Arena in Birmingham, Alabama, Gardiner coasted to an easy victory in the second of eight heats in the men’s 300m in 32.51, surpassing his meet record of 33.45 that he ran last year.

His heat also featured his new Bahamian training partner Teray Smith, who was second in 34.06 for third place overall.

Steven Gayle, competing in heat one, has the second fastest time overall in 32.51 to split the Bahamian duo. “It felt good. It was my first race for the year. In the past few years, I’ve done one indoor race to see where I’m at, so I felt pretty good,” Gardiner told The Tribune. “My coach gave me a plan, but he didn’t know that I was going to run that fast, but it just happened. It felt really good.”

Gardiner, the 6-foot-2 native from Abaco, said he was delighted to have Smith - who now trains with him in Clermont, Florida under coach Gary Evans - in the race. “We just went out there to have some fun,” Gardiner said of Smith. “Teray is not known for running the 300, so he just wanted to do it. We went out there to see where we are in practice and to have some fun.” Smith, a 100/200m specialist who has abandoned his plans to go to Jamaica to train after the World Championships and his graduation from Auburn University, was not available for comments. But Gardiner said they are having a great time as a Bahamian connection in Florida.

“We push each other and motivate each other to do better,” Gardiner said. “Where his strong points are, he uses that to help me with my weak points and I do the same for him. He just sticks with me in the long run and I stick with him in the shorter runs. So it’s pretty good to have him there.”

While he await the decision on his management team from On Track Management to decide on whether or not he will compete at the World Indoors from March 2-4, Gardiner said his goal this year is to get ready for his quest for the 200/400m double.

“This year I started off very well, but I’m working on a number of stuff,” Gardiner proclaimed. “I’m leaning more towards running more 200s this year because I want to do the 2/4 double. But I will wait and see what happens.”

Gardiner, 22, will be out to attempt the feat that both Bahamian Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo and South African world record holder Wayde van Niekerk failed to achieve at the World Championships in London last year.

Miller-Uibo, who is also managed by OTM, slipped from first to fourth in a bizarre finish in the 400m, but she came back for the bronze in the 200m, while Niekerk successfully defended his men’s 400m title ahead of Gardiner, but he had to settle for the silver in the 200m.

As for his progress so far, Gardiner said he’s heading in the right direction.

“I feel good. I feel the same as last year, but everything is going very well,” he said. “This year, my main goal is to break the 20-second barrier in the 200m and be the first Bahamian to run 19 seconds this year.”

Gardiner, who lowered his national outdoor record during the semifinal at the World Championships when he became the first Bahamian to crack the 44-second barrier, will be pursing Michael Mathieu’s national men’s 200m record of 20.19 that he set in Brazil in 2012.

Also at the meet, Henry DeLauze, the quarter-miler from the University of Miami, was entered in the second of six heats of the men’s 400m. However, DeLauze failed to finish the race that saw Will Allen of Alabama take the tape in 1:03.20 for fifth place overall. Alex Amankwah, the winner of the first heat, had the fastest time overall in 1:02.28.

Wells led Bahamian connection at Oral Roberts University

Meanwhile at the Arkansas Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas over the weekend, freshman Sasha Wells led another Bahamian connection that is competing for ORU.

Wells was fourth overall in her specialty in the women’s 60m hurdles in 8.94. The race was won by Payton Chadwick of Arkansas in 8.18. Wells’ time was off the 8.78 that she ran on December 2 at the Bob Timmon’s Challenge in Arkansas where she was second.

Wells also contested the 60m where she 15th overall in 7.88. Jada Baylark of Arkansas had the fastest time of 7.37.

Kishel Stubbs, a senior at ORU, was 24th in the field in 8.06, while Kayvon Stubbs, a freshman, was 28th in 8.14. Kayvon Stubbs also ran in the 200m where she was 15th overall in 25.81.

And Wells’ brother, Sethren, now in his sophomore year, was 14th in the men’s 60m hurdles in 8.67 after his fourth place in his heat.