The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WITH the tennis competition completed, the focus for Team Bahamas at the XVIII Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, switches to athletics, swimming and judo this week.

Both the 19-member track and field team, the 10-member swim team and the two judokas will begin competition today as the third and final week of competition swings into high gear.

The games will wrap up on Sunday.

At the swim complex in the National Sports Village - Videna, Laura Morley will be the first Bahamian to make her splash as she competes in the women's 100 metre breaststroke heats at 11am.

William Tyler Russell will be entered in the men's 100m breaststroke.

Also on tap will be the 4 x 100m freestyle relays where the Bahamas will be competing in both the women's and men's events.

In the ladies' event, the selection will come from the combination of Morley, veteran Ariel Weech and sisters Lilly and Margaret Albury Higgs.

The men will come from all six competitors of the team, inclusive of Russell, DaVante Carey, N'Nhyn Fernander, Jared Fitzgerald, Gershwin Greene and Luke Kennedy Thompson.

During the course of the week, the swimmers will be in action in their individual events as well as the mixed 4 x 100m free relay; 4 x 100m medley for men and women and mixed relays.

Individually, Morley is also competing in the women's 200m breaststroke and 200m individual medley; Margaret Albury Higgs will be in the women's 200m breaststroke; Lilly Higgs is in the women's 100 and 200m free and Ariel Weech will be in the women's 50m free.

On the men's side, William Tyler Russell is also competing in the 200m breaststroke; Davante Carey is in the 100m backstroke; N'Nhyn Fernander is in the 100m butterfly; Jared Fitzgerald is in the 200m freestyle; Gershwin Greene in 50m freestyle and Luke Kennedy Thompson will be in the 1,500m freestyle and 200m individual medley.

Their team is being coached by Andy Loveitt, assisted by Jorge Rodriquez. The team manager is Rochelle Bastian.

Over at the Athletic Stadium in the National Sports Village - Videna, national record holder Ken Munnings will perform in the first five of his 10 events over the next two days in the men's decathlon, starting at 2pm.

He will contest the 100 metres, long jump, shot put, high jump and 400m. On Wednesday, his final events will be 110m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500m.

Also today, Grand Bahamians Brianna Bethel and Ty'Nia Gaither will carry the Bahamian flag in the women's 100m semi-finals, while Warren Fraser is entered in the men's event.

It will be a busy day for the track team as Katrina Seymour will contest the women's 400m hurdles semi-finals and national record and defending champion Jeffery Gibson will be joined by Andre Colebrooke in the men's 400m hurdles.

Individually, Gaither and Anthonique Strachan will double up in the 200m; Doneisha Anderson will be the lone representative in the 400m and national record holder Pedrya Seymour and Devynne Charlton will battle it out in the 100m hurdles.

Bethel, Gaither, Strachan, Charlton and the two Seymours are also listed in the pool for the women's 4 x 100m relay. They are hoping to get a chance to run one of the top 16 times to get a chance to compete at the IAAF World Championships next month in Doha, Qatar.

As for the men, Cliff Resias is in the 200m; Grand Bahamian Alonzo Russell, who booked his ticket to Qatar at the BAAA Nationals in Grand Bahama a week ago, will be in the 400m; Donald Thomas and Jamal Wilson are both in the high jump and twin brothers Latario and Lathone Collie-Minns are scheduled to compete in the triple jump.

The Bahamas will also have a lane in the 4 x 400m with the pool comprising of Cliff Resias, Alonzo Russell, Andre Colebrooke, Jeffery Gibson, Michael Mathieu and Ojay Ferguson.

Rudolph Ferguson is the head coach for the team. He will be assisted by Tyrone Burrows, James Rolle and Kennord Mackey. Dawn Woodside-Johnson is the manager.

The two judokas - Sasha Ingraham and Cynthia Rahming - will compete in their judo competition, starting on Thursday. They will be coached by Onesi Portorreal-Pons.

In tennis, the team of Justin Roberts and Baker Newman competed in the men's team. They both made it to the second round in singles, but lost as a pair in doubles in the first round. They were coached by Derron Donaldson. The chef de mission for the Bahamian delegation is D'Arcy Rahming.