The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

KEYSHAWN Strachan wanted to go out in style as he competed in his final Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) Track and Field Championships. He did so by carrying the banner for the St John’s College Giants with a Bahamas national record breaking performance in the senior boys’ javelin.

Strachan, also establishing himself as the number one ranked thrower in his age group, was joined by St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine’s Dior- Rae Scott with the only other record-breaking performance in the two-day meet being held without some of the top schools participating.

Notably absent was the Queen’s College Comets, whom many felt would have provided the stiffest challenge to St Augustine’s College. With all of the schools not competing in the meet, there wasn’t an overall winner.

With a massive heave of 257-feet, 11-inches or 78.63 metres on his first attempt in the under-20 boys javelin, Strachan shattered his own national record of 236-7 (72.13m) that he established in San Jose, Costa Rica last year and the BAISS meet record of 210-7 (64.20m) that was set by Denzel Pratt in 2014.

“I was pretty pleased with the performance. My coach (Corrington Maycock of the Blue Chips Athletics) and I were expecting it,” said Strachan, who scratched his fourth and final throw after skipping the second and third attempts.

The 6-foot, 5-inch 18-year-old Strachan didn’t have any serious push as his nearest rival was Roberto Lamour of the Nassau Christian Academy Crusaders with 146-0 (44.52m).

But Strachan said as a graduating 12th grader, he just wanted to make St John’s proud again before he heads off to Auburn University in August. “I had to give it my all to put on a show for the crowd,” Strachan said. “I wanted to leave some memories out there. I saved the best for my last meet.”

Strachan’s performance has propelled him from number three to the top ranked spot in the world in the under-20 boys’ division.

It would have also surpassed the CARIFTA record, but Strachan said he will wait until he goes to Kingston, Jamaica, over the Easter holiday weekend to officially achieve that feat.

Scott, in posting a winning toss of 38.19m in the under-15 girls discus to erase the previous mark of 116-7 (35.54m) that was set by Taylor Walters in 2015, beat out Strachan’s younger sister and her SAC teammate Kamera Strachan, who was second with 115-9 (35.28m). Both competitors have already qualified for CARIFTA.

“I felt really good. I felt I could have thrown better, but knowing that I broke the record, it’s a good feeling,” said Scott, a 14-year-old ninth grader. “I came in with the goal of throwing 40m. I didn’t throw it, but I wasn’t worrying about the competition.”

Scott also threw 70-9 (21.56m) to win the discus over Strachan 68-8 (20.94m).

Although he was short of the CARIFTA automatic standard of 49.05, St Anne’s Blue Waves’ Philip Gray ran 49.69 to win the under-17 boys 400 metres to dip under the B standard of 50.03. If by the end of the final trials no athlete attains the automatic time, Gray would be considered for selection to the team for that event.

Andrew Brown of SAC trailed Gray for second place in 50.72 with Berkley Mullings of St Anne’s third in 50.90. Gray also won the 200m in 22.57 with SAC got second and third from Tamani Skinner (22.65) and Andrew Brown (22.76).

SAC’s Amari Pratt, who took the under-20 girls 200m on Thursday, came back for the sprint double on Friday in the 200m in 25.38 with teammate Nya Wright second in 25.50.

SAC’s Olympic selectee Lacarthea Cooper didn’t participate because of an injury she sustained last week at the Road Runners Time Trials.

SAC came 1-2 in the 800m as well Ezthia Maycock (2:29.69) taking the title over an injured Breyanna (2:47.76) and the 400m hurdles with Reshae Dean (1:06.78) and Shanai Smith (1:07.85) as the only two competitors entered.

The Big Red Machine also got a double dose of victory from Sabriya Farquharson, who came back after taking the under-20 girls long jump on Thursday to snatch the triple jump with her leap of 36-7 1/2 (11.16m) over teammate Apryl Adderley 33-11 1/2 (10.35m).

SAC also got a 1-2 sweep of the under-20 boys 200m with Shimar Bain crossing the finish line first in 21.69, followed by Joshua Miller in 22.79. Temple Christian Academy’s Sean Marshall was third in 22.94.

Bain also triumphed in the 400m hurdles in 55.25, well ahead of teammate Leonardo Johnson in 1:04.68 and St John’s Andre Campbell in 1:08.15, while St John’s Kenzie Knowles took the 800m in 2:06.16 over Nassau Christian Academy’s Kamran Rolle (2:15.17) and SAC’s tennis player Dentry Mortimer (2:!6.95).

And as the curtain came down on the meet, Bain ran an excellent anchor leg to lead the Big Red Machine’s team of Clinton Laguerre, Johnathan Fowler and Brandon Ingraham to victory in the under-20 boys 4 x 400m relay in 3”20.81 over St John’s quartet of Kenzie Knowles, Paulindo Boyer, Ian Dawkins and Caleb Major, who had to settle for second in 3:22.00.

SAC also dominated in most of the younger age groups with Jayla Smith winning the under-13 girls 200m in 28.62 and Breyteisha Kemp adding to her win in the 400m with another in the 800m in 2:32.83.

Terrin Beckles, the winner of the under-13 boys 100m, added the 200m title for SAC in 26.10, but it was St John’s Anthony Saunders taking the 800m in 2:36.25 after he trailed his teammate Aiden Musgrove in the 400m.

SAC got a 1-2 punch from Khylee Wallace (26.61) and Darvinique Dean (26.77) in the under-15 girls 200m, but Charles W Saunders Cougars’ Yulianis posted a sweep of the middle distance events adding the 800m title in 2:30.03 to her collection of the 1,500m as well.

And in the under-15 boys division, Eagan Neely came back a day after winning the 400m to take the 200m in 24.15 over Temple Christian’s Abraham Forbes (26.44).

Quincy Rolle picked up another win for SAC in the 800m in 2:24.89 over his teammate Justiz Butler (2:28.53).

SAC’s head coach Jason Edwards said the Big Red Machine, with about 100 athletes participating, was just simply rolling along.

“It didn’t make a difference, but having that head-to-head competition, it would have made it a little more exciting,” said Edwards about the absence of some of the schools, including the Comets. “We had a great meet and the kids performed exceptionally well. The talent pool is very deep.”

As for the meet itself, Edwards said they’re just appreciative of the fact that they got to compete in their first BAISS meet since 2020.

He noted that it was good to see the athletes and the student population having a great time again.

Following the final CARIFTA trials over the weekend of April 1-2, Edwards said the Big Red Machine will head off to Philadelphia to compete in the Penn Relays at the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Fields from April 28-30.

Without Queen’s College, SAC’s biggest challenge came from St John’s.

Head coach Rochelle Henfield said after the two-year hiatus, they needed the meet to get their feet wet.

“This meet gave our students the opportunity to showcase their talents on the track as well as the field,” she said.

“It also gave us as coaches the opportunity to see what our students have to offer.”

With their smallest ever team assembled with just 52 athletes, she said the Giants made their presence felt in just about every division.

Henfield mentioned under-13 competitors Aiden Musgrove in the 200 and 400m, Anthony Saunders in the 400 and 800m, J’Mari Moss in the 100 and 200m and Caitlyn Smith in the 100 and 200m - some of the athletes they will be looking forward to in the future to carry the load for the Giants.

Others of note came in the under-15 division with Khyro McPhee in the 100m, Isaiah Knowles in the 200m and Makhri Williams in the 100 and 200m as well as their under-17 division with Kenndi Knowles in the 400m, Payton Knowles in the 200m, Ta’Mia Taylor in the 400m and both Ishmael Knowles and Maxwell McNeil.

But if there was any grouping of athletes that Henfield was extremely proud of, it was the under- 20s, who wanted to go out with a bang in what was the final year of competition for the majority of them.

The list included Shernique Sears in the 100 and 200m, Antoine Andrews in the 100m, Caleb Major in the 400m, Ian Dawkins and Paulindo Boyer in the 1,500m, Earle Johnson in the 100 and 200m and Kaealen Knowles in the 1,500 and 5.000m.

Henfield, however, said they were extremely pleased with the record breaking performance turned in by Keyshawn Strachan in the javelin, which now puts him as the number one ranked thrower in his age group division in the world.

“We the Giants are truly proud of him and the entire track team for an awesome performance these past two days. I am thankful for their dedication and hard work,” she said. “My coaching team did an amazing job in preparing the team and we look forward to next year.”

Henfield said the Giants can also boast of having three athletes who have already attained the CARIFTA standard in Strachan, Antonie Andrews and Ishmael Rolle.