The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

As one of the elder statesman, versatile Sasha Wells said she likes the make-up of the 40-member team that will represent the Bahamas at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Track and Field Championships.

Yesterday in the foyer of the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium, Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ president Drumeco Archer, head coach John Ingraham, team manager Kim Hanna and her assistant Nikkita Thompson, announced the makeup of the team that will travel to Costa Rica on Wednesday for the competition that is scheduled to run from July 9-11.

“I’m excited. It’s interesting to be the oldest female on the team,” said Wells, 22. “I remember being young like most of my team-mates. So I’m excited to go down to Costa Rica and I think we will compete and do very well there.”

Wells, who is expected to carry the Bahamas banner in the under-23 100 metres and 100m hurdles, encouraged her teammates to just trust their training because they have proven that they deserve to go because they have qualified for the championships.

“I feel pretty good about the team,” said Wells, who just recently graduated from Oral Roberts University, but will be heading to the University of Florida in August to complete her final year of NCAA eligibility.

“The United States, Mexico and Canada are not coming, so that just increased our chances of coming back with more medals.”

Archer, announcing the team list, predicted that the Bahamas should win the championships.

Named to the team are the following athletes:

Males - Shaun Miller, Kyle Alcine, Gabriel Curtis, Wanya McCoy, Antoine Andrews, Alton Roker, Dion Desamour, Keyshawn Strachan, Terrance Jones, Zachary Evans, Brandon Hutchinson, Shamar Smith, Shimar Bain, Stephan Farquharson, Mateo Smith, Otto Laing, Adam Musgrove, Kaden Cartwright, Nathaniel Zervous, Tarajh Hudson, Lavado Deveaux, Lamont Moss, Demetrius Rolle and Jamaal Flowers.

Females - Charisma Taylor, Sasha Wells, Gabrielle Gibson, Denisha Cartwright, Camille Rutherford, Jasmine Knowles, Rhema Otabor, Lacarthea Cooper, Paige Archer, Kasha Neilly, Javonya Walcourt, Shavantae Roberts, Annie Marie Oriaki, Calea Jackson, Carnitre Mackey and Acacia Astwood. “It feels great to be a part of this team. They are all ambitious,” said Miller, a 19-year-old now attending Ohio State. “I’m looking forward to doing my best and coming back with a PB (personal best, which is currently 2.16m).

“The expectations for these guys is that they will do very well. For some of them, this is their first time on the Bahamas team, so I think the jitters will catch up to them.”

Archer, one of the female sprinters on the team, said it’s amazing to represent the country and with the Bahamas on her back, she intend to do her best,.

“I feel we have a strong team. We can come back with the victory and many medals,” said the 16-year-old, who will be entering grade 12 at Queen’s College in September..

“I know what I have been training for and I know that God have me and my team-mates covered, so we will do very well.”

In addition to Hanna, Thompson and Ingraham, the other members of the team management are Corrington Maycock, Vandyke Pratt and Keno Demeritte as assistant coaches.

Johnathan Higgs will be the physiotherapist, while Dr Alvardo Knowles will be the medical personnel.

The championships is geared mainly towards competition in the under-18 and under-23 divisions, but because the Carifta Games were canceled this year, NACAC decided to invite the under-20 athletes to compete in the championships.

“I think this year was an exciting year for our junior programme, despite the challenges, those challenges were clearly the disruption of our much anticipated Carifta Games,” Archer said.

“In the absence of the Carifta Games, I think this was a wonderful replacement.”

Archer also congratulated all of the coaches in the clubs for the role they played in keeping their athletes fit to compete during the season and he’s confident that this will be the best performances every produced by a national team.

Ingraham, who now coaches in Grand Bahama, said he’s worked with a lot of the athletes, especially on the Carifta team, and so he too feel that they will perform very well.

“I’m very excited about this team,” Ingraham said. “This is a 40-member team and we have quality athletes. I’ve worked with a few of these athletes in the past and I know what they’re capable off. So I think this team will take it to new heights, new levels.

“Our strengths is in our sprints like usual, but we have some throwers, especially javelin throwers on this team and some good jumpers, so I think our strength is going to make up fore our weaknesses. Our distance programme is down, but our sprints will make up for that.”

In these difficult times due to Covid-19, Hanna thanked corporate Bahamas for coming to the BAAA’s assistance in sponsoring the team. She mentioned JS Johnson as a platinum sponsor; Original Patties and Equity Trust as silver sponsors;