The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

QUARTER-miler Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown, triple jumper Leevan ‘Superman’ Sands and sprinter Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie were all impressed with the level of support they saw for the Oaktree Medical Center’s 50th CARIFTA Games.

The trio of superstars, now coaching at the collegiate level in the United States, were among a list of elite active and retired athletes on hand over the weekend to view the games at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

Brown, who served as one of the colour commentators for the international broadcasting team, said it was good to be able to give back in a much-needed way.

“Watching the next generation perform out here showed that we are on the right track and so it’s going to be an environment. There’s nothing like being back at home,” Brown said. “It’s so good to see the new generation of competitors, who I just saw a couple years ago growing up as babies, are now taking stage and performing at this high level. It speaks volumes to where we are heading as a country.”

Having staged the inaugural Chris Brown Invitational in 2015, Brown said he got to see and feel what happened over the weekend with the stadium jammed-packed.

“It’s always good to see the stadium packed, especially coming out of COVID,” he said. “We’ve been blessed and so we can’t forget the victims of Hurricane Dorian and what we went through with the pandemic.

“It just speaks a lot of volume for what we are now doing as a people as we break bread together and walk and talk without wearing the masks and everything else. It’s good to see the athletes competing at such a high level again.” At 44, Brown said he remembered when he laced up his spikes and represented the Bahamas at CARIFTA, winning bronze in both the 400 and 800m in 1997 in Bridgetown, Barbados. But after earning several world indoor medals in the 400m and running on numerous 4 x 400m relay teams at the Olympics and World Championships, Brown said he’s not completely retired yet.

“I’m actually hoping to come home and see what happens at the Bahamas Games,” he pointed out. “I’m excited that the games is coming back. Even if I decide to just put on a nice fun run, I might just do something for the home crowd and call it a day.”

In his capacity as the head coach at Clayton State, Brown said they had about 19 male and 13 female athletes qualified for the Peach Belt Conference, scheduled for Embry-Riddle University in Daytona Beach, Florida from April 20-21.

“We have a good group of athletes doing very well and everybody is excited about the success that they are having right now,” Brown stressed. “We just want to keep them focused so that they can continue to do very well.”

Hopefully, they will have some athletes go on to compete in the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships, scheduled for May 25-27 in Pueblo, Colorado.

As one of the six Bahamians to win the Austin Sealy Award as the most outstanding athlete, Ferguson-McKenzie this would go down in her memory as the “one of the best” CARIFTAS she’s ever witnessed.

“This is amazing. 2023 and Come GOLD with me, the Bahamas and the athletes, we really went gold on this one,” Ferguson-McKenzie said. “They did great.

“Just being here and being in this atmosphere, as a former athlete, seeing the way how the athletes on this year’s team performed, was just fantastic.”

It was in 1995 in the Cayman Islands that Ferguson-McKenzie earned the Austin Sealy award after she secured the gold in the under-20 girls 100 and 200m and running on the winning 4 x 100m relay team.

But being in the stadium and watching Team Bahamas perform, Ferguson-McKenzie said it brought back a lot of memories of her days as a competitor.

“Always great memories, especially seeing so many of the former athletes from the Bahamas like Chris (Brown), (Dame) Pauline (Davis), Tamar (Cherubim) and Eldece (Clarke), just to name a few,” Ferguson-McKenzie said.

“It was good memories, but the athletes today are making memories for themselves. So I’m just soi happy to see that.”

Now retired after a career that spun with her winning a medal at just about every international level from the youth, junior, senior and elite at the Goodwill Games, Commonwealth Games, Pan American Games, World Championships and Olympics, Ferguson-McKenzie is currently on staff as an assistant coach at the University of Kentucky with Bahamian head coach Rolando ‘Lonnie;’ Greene, who was also in town for the games.

“As coaches, you are always improving yourself,” she pointed out. “Coach Lonnie Greene and his staff are doing an amazing job at the University of Kentucky and I’m just happy to be a part of it,” she lamented.

“We’re getting better. We’re trying to move up to the number one spot and so we’re keep trying to get better and we are pushing ourselves.”

During the meet, Ferguson-McKenzie said they were able to view some of the athletes from around the region in both the under-17 and under-20 divisions with the view of getting them signed for the Wildcats’ athletic programme. But she could go into any specific details.

“People don’t realize it, but I actually got sprinter Lacarthea Cooper at New Mexico Junior College,” Ferguson-McKenzie said. “I’m happy to see her now performing. I’m very proud of her. I’m hoping that we will be abler to get her in Kentucky very soon.”

Sands said his only regret is that CARIFTA was not held at home when he competed.

“I think if they had it, I probably would have broken the world record because everybody know I love the crowd and the support I saw out here, it’s just amazing,” said the Bahamian male national triple jump record holder.

“I am really pleased to see how the Bahamian people came out and supported this event. I’ve never seen this since the first World Relays (in 2014). This is amazing. I am here recruiting for Florida State and I get the chance to enjoy myself at home at the same time.”

As for the performances, Sands said there were quite a few that caught his attention.

“We have a lot of young ones coming up and we have some under-0 athletes who are also doing very good,” he said. “I don’t want to say too much, but we have some interest in some of them. We will see how it work out.”

Although he acknowledged that he never announced his retirement from the sport, Sands said he went into a spell after the passing of his father Leevan Sands Sr, who was his biggest motivator.

“I felt a little off from my training, but I knew I wasn’t done,” he said. “Now I am coaching and I am feeling good. But if I get a chance to jump into a meet, I feel like I can do it. I did a meet a couple weeks ago and jumped 15.25m.

“So imagine if I could a lot of effort into training, I know I would be able to at least compete at the Commonwealth Games level. But I haven’t decided whether or not I will retire as yet. I will see how it goes with my coaching.”

On the staff of Florida State, Sands said he’s looking to see if there is any talent for the Seminoles where they are coming off some great performances during the indoor season.

“One of my long jumpers was third at NCAA this year. This was his first time going to nationals and he turned in a huge PB of about eight metres,” Sands said. “I’m proud of them,. They put in the work, so I’m looking forward to some great things from them.”

Sands said he’s also looking at the possibility of getting some more Bahamian athletes recruited to join him at Florida State.