The Tribune

CONDOLENCES

BOC REMEMBERS

THOMPSON

Bahamas Olympic Committee president Rommel Knowles expressed their gratitude to the family of the late Barbara Thompson on her passing on Wednesday.

“I was surprised (to hear) that she was battling cancer,” Knowles said, “because if you knew Barbara, you would never thought that she had an illness.

“She always wore a smile on her face, she was always jovial and she was always passionate about the sport of gymnastics.”

Knowles recalled that whenever the federation had to travel, Thompson would invest her own funding and she made a lot of things happen here at home.

“Those persons are rare in sports now. Nobody puts themselves on the line like Barbara did,” he said. “So we are saddened that the spirit and the humility of a Barbara Thompson, someone who meant well for people because she had a genuine love for people, is gone.”

Knowles expressed condolences to her family and the sport of gymnastics.

SWIMMING

EVANS STARTS NCAA

CHAMPIONSHIPS

University of Texas’ junior Joanna Evans began competition at the 2018 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships yesterday by participating in the preliminaries of the 500 metres.

The Grand Bahamian native was 35th overall as she clocked four minutes and 42.98 seconds. She had splits of 25.40, 53.06 (27.66), 1:20.79 (27.73), 1:48.95 (28.16), 2:17.09 (28.14), 2:45.51 (28.42), 3:14.51 (29.00), 3:43.76 (29.25), 4:13.63 (29.87) and 4:42.98 (29.35).

However, the time was not enough to enable her to advance to the semi-final where the 16th and final qualifying time was 4:38.87 by University of Georgia’s freshman Courtney Harnis. Katie Ledecky, a sophomore at Stanford, had the fastest qualifying time of 4:29.73.

Evans will be back in acton today in the preliminaries of the 200m free. Then on Saturday, she will contest the preliminaries of the 1,650 yard free.

Following the nationals, Evans will headline the Bahamas Swimming Federation’s four-member team that will be a part of the 31 athletes named by the Bahamas Olympic Committee on Thursday to represent the country at the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Australia, April 4-15.

BASKETBALL

MINGOES WIN NPBA

PLAYOFF GAME

In the lone game played in the New Providence Basketball Association’s postseason play on Wednesday night at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium, the University of the Bahamas Mingoes knocked off JD’s Seafood Shockers 84-72 to snatch a 1-0 lead in their playoffs.

Justin Smith shared game high honours with 24 points, seven rebounds and two steals for the University of the Bahamas. Kemsy Sylvestre had 18 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two block shots and Romero Cornish came off the bench and contributed 14 points with five rebounds.

William Rigby came off the bench and ignited JD’s attack with 24 points, nine rebounds and three steals.

Shakewon Lewis had 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists and as many steals, Floyd Armbrister had nine points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals and Reuben Goodman added seven points.

The NPBA postseason play will continue with games tonight and Saturday, starting at 7pm each night.

RUGBY

BRU

ACTION

For the first time in the history of the Bahamas Rugby Union, a Bahamas Women’s 7-a-side rugby tournament will take place.

The event is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday with teams from the United States of America, Jamaica and the Bahamas participating.

The team registration will take place at 1pm and the games will start immediately afterwards. For more information, persons can contact ely@rugbybahamas.com or telephone 432-5029.