The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

DESPITE the coronavirus pandemic, which halted sporting activities for most of the year, the Red-Line Athletics Track Club still managed to recognise its student-athletes for their accomplishments.

The three-year-old club held a Stallion & Scholars awards presentation on Saturday at the New Vision Baptist Church on Carmichael Road with Shimar Bain named the Athlete of the Year, while Larcarthea Cooper earned the Coach’s Award and Dominic Archer was selected as the Most Improved Athlete.

Club president Tito Moss, along with his coaching staff and management team, were joined by Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ President Drumeco Archer in presenting awards to the divisional winners of the athletic awards, the scholars of the year, the parents of the year, the donor of the year and the dedicated service and support awards.

“We found it necessary, regardless of the pandemic, to recognise our kids for their hard work,” Moss said. “We also wanted to motivate the new kids coming in that if you work hard, there is a direct correlation with rewards.

“For the first time this year, we recognised our academic success kids and we recognised our success kids in all of our aged group divisions for their performances in the limited competition that we had this year before the pandemic shut down everything.”

Although he dubbed it a “costly venture,” Moss said the club will continue to make the ceremony an annual one and they will look at ways of adding additional categories to highlight the performances on the track and in the classroom, as well as the parents and the donors.

He thanked his coaching staff that included Michael Armbrister, Earl Rahming Jr, Rachante Colebrooke and Mekeva White.

Archer, who was a special guest, said he was happy to see Red-Line break some barriers, especially during the pandemic.

“Although things were badly disrupted, they still took the time to recognise the athletes for their excellence on the track and in the classroom,” he said. “They looked at the wholesome athlete. They did an excellent job. So congratulations to the entire Red-Line Athletics Track Club.”

Bain - Athlete of the Year

“I feel good about it. I worked hard to receive it. I tried my best and I continued to push throughout the season,” said Shimar Bain, the Athlete of the Year. “It was kind of hard, but the coaches and athletes really pushed me.”

As for next year, the 16-year-old 11th grader at St Augustine’s College said he hopes to improve on his times of 25.25 in the 200m, 50.16 in the 400 and 54.58 in the 400m hurdles to make the CARIFTA team.

Bain is also one of the top players on the Big Red Machine’s senior boys’ basketball team.

Cooper - Coach’s Award

“You have to work hard to get far and you have to be productive with your training,” was how Larcarthea Cooper summed up her performance in earning the Coach’s Award. “If you don’t train hard, you won’t make it far and achieve all of your goals. I knew I worked hard my last season to get this award.”

As she looks ahead to next year, the 16-year-old 11th grader at St Augustine’s College said her goal is to make the team that will represent the country at the CARIFTA Games in Bermuda, scheduled for the Easter holiday weekend.

“I want to break my personal best times in the 400 and 400m hurdles,” said Cooper, who has done 57.09 in the flat one-lap and 1:04.00 in the hurdles and 24.09 in the half-lap race. “If I do, I know I can make the CARIFTA team.”

Archer - Most Improved Award

It came as a surprise for Dominic Archer, but he said when he went to Kentucky to compete with the team he produced some times that enabled him to stand out. The 18-year-old St Anne’s graduate ran a 6.95 in his first 60m indoors and 22.2 in the 200m.

“The times could have been better, but it is what it is,” said Archer, who intends to prepare to secure an athletic scholarship for college next year. “I just have to get ready for next year when I hope to continue to improve.”

Archer was the senior boys’ 100m champion at the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools’ championships at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium in February.

Johnson - Scholar’s of the Year awardee

Davon Johnson, the 17-year-old valedictorian of the 2019 graduating class of St Anne’s School, returned home from his first semester as a freshman at St John’s University in Minnesota. He was one of three club’s Scholars of the Year. “It’s a wonderful feeling to be back here and being here with the club. I’m just glad to see all of the smiles on the faces of all of my team-mates,” Johnson said. “I was really ecstatic to receive the award because coach Moss always instilled in us that we need to be just as good on the track as we do in the classroom.

“So I just took that attitude towards my work. I worked to my ultimate goal and it all paid off. Next year, I hope to bring the same mentality on and off the court and hopefully I can do something big.”

The other two scholars of the year were Sara Williams, the lone female and Otto Laing, the other male.

Scholar Award winners - Otto Laing, Nya Wright, Madison Moss, Richann Roklle, Sara Williams, D’Arjha Davis, Leonardo Thompson, Cynae Hall, Ezthia Maycock, Davon Johnson, Arianna Gomez, Davonte Brown, Eagan Neely and Sanai Forbes.

AGE GROUP WINNERS

Under-13 girls - Madison Moss (winner).

Under-13 boys - Jadan Clarke (winner), Egan Neely (honorable mention).

Under-15 girls - Nya Wright (winner), Adrianna Gomez (honorable mention).

Under-15 boys - Tamani Skinner (winner), Morgan Moss (honorable mention).

Under-17 girls - Larcarthea Cooper (winner), Ezthia Maycock (honorable mention).

Under-17 boys - Shimar Bain (winner), Otto Laing (honorable mention).

Under-20 girls - Samaa Moxey (winner), Richann Rolle (honorable mention).

Under-20 boys - Dominic Archer (winner), Joshua Miller (honorable mention).

Parents of the Year - Yvette Ferguson, Thallisa Maycock and Lisa Ferguson.

Donor of the Year - Ricardo Miller.

Dedicated Service and Support - St Augustine’s College, Nekeva Moss and Rachante Colebrooke.