The Tribune

By BRENT STUBSS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

GRAND BAHAMA -- Without any push from her three international rivals from Botswana, Shaunae Miller-Uibo ran away with the women's 400 metres to highlight day one of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations Senior National Track and Field Championships.

The Bahamian national 200 and 400m record holder, who is on her way to defend her title at the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar, in September, remained undefeated on local soil as she once again delighted the crowd at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex from the crack of the gun as she breezed to an impressive time of 49.59 seconds.

The women's marquee race saw Galefele Moroko trail Miller-Uibo for second in 53.33 with her fellow Botswanan competitors Oratile Nowe taking third in 56.67 and 2011 world champion Amatle Montsho had to settle for fourth in 57.21. Miriam Byfield, a Grand Bahamian native, was the next Bahamian to cross the finish line, taking fifth place in 57.30.

"I'm just happy with it. I give God all thanks and praise for allowing me to come back here in Freeport and compete. It's a great feeling, so I'm just happy with the performance," said Miller-Uibo, who sported an aquamarine hairstyle for the people of Grand Bahama.

In her constant style on the track, Miller-Uibo added some flair as she wore an aquamarine hairstyle for the fans.

"My main goal was to come out here and compete well and put on a show for the crowd," said Miller-Uibo, who noted that she always loves to compete for the people here. "It's all about coming home and competing and putting on a great show for the people."

Speed Double Champion

In the women's 100m, Pan American team-mates Anthonique Strachan and Tynia Gaither went head-to-head in a showdown of the top two sprinters in the country.

Gaither, the defending champion, led from the start but Strachan was able to battle back in the final 30 metres to snatch the victory in a season's best of 11.45.

Gaither followed in 11.49 with Alexis Gray, the only other competitor, who was third in 11.96.

"It was really nice. The crowd was really positive with everything going on," Strachan said. "I'm really surprised that they were able to draw this much people on such a short notice. But the race was good, even though it was just three of us, the competition was really good."

"Tynia ran faster than me throughout the year, so to have her here and Alexis Gray, who was doing very well in college, it was really nice to help me get a season's best."

Under the limited tail wind conditions they had to deal with, Strachan said her focus was just to execute the race plan that her coach Paul Francis from Jamaica prescribed for her.

"My training has been going very well. I've been slowly progressing and improving," Strachan said. "I've had so many injuries over my career, I just want to stay injury free so that I can have a bigger impact on my career going forward."

Gaither, a native of Grand Bahama, admitted that the race wasn't any indication of the type of season that she had so far, but she will accept the outcome.

"I took about two weeks off just to get my feet back under me," she noted. "I love coming home. I love that it's here. Just having my family out there and to be able to race in front of them is a great feeling always."

At the start of the race, Gaither felt she did what she had to do to get out, but she faltered down the stretch and that was a result of the break she took coming back from Switzerland where she last competed.

"I'm just running myself back in shape for the Pan Am and World Championships," she insisted.

Strachan, competing against Gray, came back on day two and captured the 200m in 23.23. Gray was second in 24.15.

"The strategy going into the race was just to relax, considering the fact that we didn't have a full final. It was more a time trial and also just to show the crowd that I am here to perform because they haven't seen me perform in a while at home."

As the double national champion, Strachan said she's contended with her weekend showing.

"I really wished we had more people in the 200m so it could have been a lot more competitive and really feel like a race," Strachan stressed. "But Alexis did a very good job and I'm really happy for her."

Hurdles showdown

The Bahamian top two female 100m hurdlers met for the first time in two years with Pedrya Seymour completing the ten flights of hurdles in 12.84, followed by Devynne Charlton in 13.16. They both stormed back to hold off Jamaica's Shermaine Williams, who bolted out of the blocks, but faded down the retch for third in 13.17.

"It was a pretty good race. I didn't get a good start. I just got in this morning, so I had to get my legs moving," Seymour stated. "I was a bit worried since I just got in this morning, but it was a good race."

So far, Seymour said her goal is focus on the World Championships and so she want to increase her speed volume and these types of races, including the Pan Am, are designed for that.

For Charlton, she will take the season's best, although she would have preferred the victory.

"I'm pretty happy with that. I'm right where I want to be this time of the year," she pointed out. "It's been a rough year. I haven't been looking or feeling myself, but this shows that I'm starting to get back where I want to be."

No doubt the three will clash again as they head to the Pan Am Games next week.

Lone competitor

The only other event contested for the women was the triple jump. National record holder Tamara Myers competed with the two male competitors - champion Kaiwan Culmer and Lathone Collie-Minns. She won with 13.40 metres or 43-feet, 11 3/4-inches.

From the nationals, the BAAA intent to completed its team for the World Championships in September in Doha, as the Bahamas Olympic Committee had already selected, ratified and announced the team heading to the Pan Am Games this week in Lima, Peru.