The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

GRAND BAHAMA -- The visiting Botswana men's and women's 4 x 400 metre relay teams came all the way from Africa and dominated the relay challenge against the Bahamas at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations Senior National Track and Field Championships.

The BAAA had used the relay challenge as a means to try and get their teams to secure one of the fastest 16 times in the world to be eligible for selection by the IAAF for the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, in September.

The BAAA needed at least three countries to make it official, but only Botswana showed up and after the two-day national championships schedule was reduced, the challenged was moved up from Sunday to Saturday night at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex.

While the Bahamas outclassed their rivals in the individual events, Botswana stole the show in the relays.

In the ladies' 4 x 400m relay, Botswana's team of Oaralie Babolayi, Galefele Monoko, Oratile Nowe and Amantle Montsho ran away from the Bahamas' youthful team of Miriam Byfield, Lacarthea Cooper, Breanna Pratt and Anthonique Strachan.

The visitors broke the race open on the first exchange and completed the final leg by more than 100 metres in a time of three minutes, 38.79 seconds. The Bahamas could only muster a time of 3:55.84.

The visitors kept the rally going in the men's race as their team of Boitumelo Masilo, Scotch Leungo, Onkabetfe Nkobolo and Zibane Ngozi left the Bahamas' A and B teams fighting for second and third place. The Botswana team captured the title in 3:03.33 as they once again took command of the race on the first exchange and they were never challenged the rest of the way.

With the combination of Ramon Miller, Jeffery Gibson, Steven Gardiner and Alonzo Russell, the A team switched leads with the B team, comprising of Kinard Rolle, Teray Smith, Maverick Bowleg and Anthony Adderley.

It wasn't until the second exchange that the Bahamas got into second place and finished that way in 3:05.84, holding off the B team that ran 3:09.44. Neither team was able to stay with Botswana, even though Russell gave it a gallant effort to try to reel in Ngozi on the anchor down the home stretch.

Without the three countries participating, the BAAA will have to wait on the IAAF's final selection next month to know whether or not any of the relay teams will qualify for Doha.

The men's 4 x 400m relay team is hoping that their time of 3:01.92, produced at the Commonwealth Games last year in the Gold Coast, Australia, will be sufficient for qualification.