The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WITH the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National Championships set for the end of the month, Wendell Miller, Wanya McCoy, Shimar Bain and Paige Archer got big moral victories on Saturday.

The quartet shined during the second event in the Blue Marlin Track and Field Series that also featured international competitors Emmanuel Calendar from Trinidad & Tobago and Srabani Nanda from India.

Miller, a Swift Athletics’ 400m specialist, dropped all the way down to the men’s 100m where he stopped the clock in 10.54 seconds over a field that included runner-up Yurick Dean (10.67) and Swift Athletics’ rising young star Carlos Brown Jr was third in 10.74. “It was good. I think I did very well because I don’t normally run the 100m, ” Miller said. “I went out there and I did my best. I think I will do very well in the Nationals because I’ve been performing very well this year.”

Having already qualified for both the NACAC Under-18 and Under-23 Championships in San Juan, Costa Rica, July 9-11 and the World Under-20 Championships in Nairo, Kenya, August 17-22, Miller said he’s looking forward to the Nationals when he gets to compete against national record holder Steven Gardiner and to get a chance to qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, July 23 to August 6.

Emmanuel, one of the top male sprinters out of Trinidad & Tobago, had to settle for fourth in the straightaway race in 10.85, not what the Olympics Games and World Championship relay member anticipated.

He also was hoping that the meet was held in the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

“My performance wasn’t the best, but at the end of the day, I give God thanks,” he said. “I’m a bit jet-lagged coming in from the connecting flights.

“It’s not an excuse, but I just have to put this race behind me and keep on moving. This is the build up to the Bahamas Nationals. I will be competing and hopefully I will perform better.”

Nanda, coming off her 13th place finish overall in the women’s 100m in 11.36 last weekend at the NACAC New Life Invitational in Miramar, Florida, said she was just delighted to be in the Bahamas.

Preparing to qualify for the Olympics as well, she won the women’s 100m in a wind-aided 12.26 over Quick Step’s Ivanique Charlton (13.74); Roadrunners’ Rayeah Taylor (13.76) and Unique Athletics’ Payton Knowles (14.44).

“I love this place. It’s really nice. I enjoyed everything about it,” Nanbi said. “I’m not so fast, but I’m hoping for the best. That is one of the reason why I want to compete in the Nationals to get me some competition to push me in qualifying”

Shimar Bain, an 11th grader at St Augustine’s College, got his biggest victory this year when he surged across the finish line in 53.37 in the men’s 400m hurdles, holding of Brandon Hanna (53.48) and his veteran BM Management team-mate Andretti Bain (54.26).

Brandon Hutchinson, a Red-Line Athletics team-mate of Bain, was fourth in 57.18.

“All of my hard work paid off,” said Bain, a 17-year-old. “I knew I had the ability to beat them. They are older, so I had to work a lot harder. So it was good to win the race.”

Fast Forward’s Wanya McCoy, who has also qualified for the junior international meets, took the men’s 200m in 47.40. Gregory Seymour did 48.69 for second. Auston Clarke, unattached, was third in 49.46.

Roadrunners’ Malcolm Williams, a sprinter who was tenth in the 200m in 22.68, moved up to the 800m where he came from behind to surge to victory in 2:01.30. Creswell Farrington got second in 2:04.02 and Paulindo Boyer was third in 2:04.50.

“God gave me the power to finish strong,” said Williams, a 16-year-old student of St Anne’s School. “So I came first, so I thank God. My coach told me to run it for my conditioning. But I don’t think I will continue to do it.”

In the women’s 200m, Fast Forward’s Paige Archer sped to victory in 24.62, nipping Printessia Johnson. who in her return to the track scene, did 24.63. Fast Forward’s Javonya Valcourt was third in 25.27.

“I just went out there, not worrying about the time, but rather executing my technique. I think I executed very well,” Archer said. “I didn’t know I won. It was a great competition. I’m glad I had some push.”

Archer, who has qualified for both the NACAC Under-18 and World’s Under-20 Championships, said she’s looking forward to competing in the nationals with the seniors so that she can improve on her times.

Walcourt easily won the women’s 400m in 55.65. Her Fast Forward team-mate Tiana Culmer was second in 56.70 and Alexis Roberts, unattached, was third in 1:01.13.

Red-Line Athletics’ Teshon Adderley won the women’s 800m in 2:20.39 over Roadrunners’ Lakecia Lewis (2:49.94). Lewis ran the 1,500m by herself, clocking 6:02.00.

Andrew Hepburn, running unattached, also went solo in the 12 1/2 laps in the men’s 5,000m stopping the clock in 19:53.33.

On the field, the Collie-Minns’ twin brothers Lathone cleared 46-feet, 1 1/4-inches (14.05m) and Latario (scratched) competed against each other in the men’s triple jump; Power Athletics’ Ken Mullings won the long jump with 22-8 1/2 (6.92m) and Roadrunners’ Avery Adderley took the high jump with 5-8 3/4 (1.75m).

Bahamas Speed Dynamics’ Shaunece Miller won the women’s long jump with 16-5 3/4 (5.02m) over Roadrunners’ Sabria Farquharson did 14-10 1/2(4.53m). Farquharson was the lone competitor in the triple jump, soaring 37-2 1/2 (11.39m).

Meet director Demaris Cash said this was the second in three series of meets designed to provide the senior athletes with an opportunity to improve on their times heading into the Nationals and the Olympics.

“It was a good one for the athletes to see where they are and so it was good to have the international athletes, Emmanuel Calendar and Srabani Nanda, compete as well,” Cash said.

“I think the word is getting out since we did the first series. We just want to continue to provide an avenue for them to continue to stay sharp. That was the biggest positive thing today.”

The last in the series will be staged on Monday, June 28, following the weekend trials by the BAAA. Cash said the idea is to provide the final chance for those athletes who are on the borderline to compete in a Last Chance Meet before the deadline to qualify on Tuesday, June 29.

Sponsors for the meet, Seagrape, Makeup Frenzi, Global Sun, Network Security Consultant Group and Runnahs helped Cash and his team to provide prizes to the top three finishers in each event.