The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

There were no qualifying performances and only a handful of Bahamians who participated in the Blue Marlins' Last Chance Meet on Saturday at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

The best shot of any of the Bahamians attempting to qualify for the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar, before the September 6 deadline was national record holder Jeffery Gibson in the men's 400-metre hurdles.

Gibson, however, was well off the standard of 49.30 as he came in second to American CJ Allen, the winner in 50.14.

"In the warm-up, I felt sluggish," said Gibson, who was caught by Allen on the third of the 10 flights of hurdles. "I was really out of it. I don't know what to say. After looking at a time like that, it's hard to wonder what happened.

"I was looking good in practice all week. I just have to get back to my coach and try to figure out some things. There are no more meets for me to qualify, but I'm hoping that the IAAF will grant me the invitation when they fill their quota of the top 40 to invite me. So there's still some hope."

Allen, who was disqualified during the USA trials that would have afforded him an opportunity to qualify for Doha, said he was just delighted to be here to try and push Gibson along.

"I just moved to Georgia and I haven't competed since the trials, so running 50.1 wasn't that bad," Allen said. "Me and Jeffery have been ducking it out. I think this is our fourth time and we're now tied at 2-2 after I won the last two meets. The rivalry continues."

Gibson, a native from Grand Bahama, said he wished he could have hosted Allen and the rest of the visiting athletes a little more. But with Hurricane Dorian approaching, he was just glad that they could be here to compete and enjoy a little bit of the Bahamas.

Another race that featured some Bahamian interest was the men's 200m that was won by Trinidad & Tobago's Kyle Greaux in 20.98. Great Bahamian Teray Smith was second in 21.04 and Ramon Miller got third in 21.53.

"This is my third time competing in the Bahamas. I enjoy being here," Greaux said. "It was a small meet, but it was a very good meet. I have already qualified for Worlds, so this was good for me to get ready for Doha. Hopefully, I can do a lot better."

Although he didn't do the World Championship qualifying standard, Smith said he was just glad that he came out of the meet healthy.

"There was a lot of wind coming off the curve," he said. "I just have to prepare for next year. I knew my season, I had a lot of ups and downs, so I just have to work on next year."

Miller expressed his gratitude to the visiting athletes for coming and competing in the meet. However, he said he was disappointed that they didn't get to compete in the relay. "I support Cash and the Blue Marlins for the fourth straight year. Whenever he needs me. I am willing to come out and compete," he said. "We expected to run a relay here, but due to the weather, some of the guys couldn't make it.

"It's not what we expected because now we probably won't have a relay team in Doha. It's not in God's plans, so we just have to regroup and get ready for the Olympics next year."

Trinidad & Tobago's Kamaria Durant took the women's race in 23.69 well ahead of team-mate Reyara Thomas, who did 24.20. Semoy Hackett didn't complete the three-woman field.

"I already ran the qualifying standard at our champs, so I just wanted to run faster as I prepare for Doha," said Durant, who fell short of the qualifying standard of 23.02 in her win here.

"I expected some more competition, but we had our team-mates here from Trinidad & Tobago, but I still pushed myself with my team-mates. We pushed each other along, so that was good, considering that I didn't run since our trials in July."

The men's 400m was expected to be a keenly contested event as well. But it turned out that the heat during the day was more of a factor as Jamaica's Javon Francis surged to the line in 45.01 ahead of Grenada's Bralon Taplin, who did 46.01.

"The race was good, but it was too hot. I could hardly breathe," said Francis, who indicated that he was a little disappointed that he didn't make the standard of 45.30.

Trinidad & Tobago's Asa Guevara was third in 46.03 and St Vincent & the Grenadines' Brandon Parris was fourth in 47.56. Three Bahamians trailed in order with Dennis Williamson fifth in 47.96; Kinard Rolle sixth in 48.22 and Joel Forbes seventh in 52.87.

Only five visitors lined up for the women's 100m that saw Jamaica's Natasha Morrison take the tape in 11.33. Trinidad & Tobago had three competitors behind her with Kamaria Durant second in 11.48; Reyare Thomas, third in 11.59 and Semoy Hackett, fourth in 11.79. American Kendell Williams was fifth in 12.06.

"I was really hoping for some competition to really push me. I didn't get the push, but I came out here and I did my best," said Morrison, who has already done the qualifying standard of 11.24 before she came here to compete.

The men's century was won by Trinidad & Tobago's Jonathan Farinha on 10.33. He missed the World Championship qualifying standard of 10.10, but was happy to get in another race to try and lower his previous season's best of 10.23 at their recent trials.

"I was a bit rusty, but I'm in a good position race-wide," Farinha said. "I hope I can get in another race before the World Championships. "It's far away from 10.10, but I hope I can get in another race to try and qualify."

Joel Johnson, the 18-year-old Bahamian junior national record holder, was hoping to run the qualifying standard for Doha. He actually led the race for the first 80m before he suffered a slight left hamstring pull and eased through in 10.55 for second place.

"I didn't want to push it too much in the event that I injured it too much," said Johnson, now attending the University of the Bahamas after graduating from St Augustine's College. "I just wanted to finish the race.

"I'm disappointed that I didn't qualify. I wanted to go to Doha and really test myself against the best in the world. That won't happen, so I now have to prepare for next year and the Olympic Games."

St Kitts' Hakeem Haggins was third in 10.62 and Brandon Jones of Belize was fourth in 10.76.

Twin brother Lathone Collie-Minns was the lone competitor in the men's triple. He cleared 15.84m, well off the World Championship qualifying standard of 16.95m. However, he has already qualified with a 16.99m performance to join his brother, Latario, who watched on the sidelines with an injury.

"Today, I went from a shorter approach and today it went pretty good," Collie-Minns said. "I still have some time before the World Championships, so I just want to slowly build my momentum so that I can be ready in September for my first World Championships."

He said this was the first time that his brother didn't compete with him, but he hopes to go to Doha and represent the two of them.

Demaris Cash, the meet organizer, said he appreciate all the athletes who showed up and competed, especially those from Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, the United States, Belize, Grenada, St Vincent & the Grenadines and St Kitts.

"We had our challenges with the storm, which forced us at the last minute to move the meet up from a 5 pm start to noon," said Cash, a former 400m runner from St Augustine's College.

"We just need to continue providing the support for the athletes with the last chance meet because with the World Championships being so late in the year, I think it discouraged a lot of the athletes, but hopefully we can get more athletes and spectators to come out next year."