The Tribune

Jamiah Nabbie capped off a successful track season crowned as the Tribune’s 2023 Junior Female Athlete of the Year.

It was a long but exciting year across all the sporting disciplines with the 50th Oaktree CARIFTA Games being hosted at home, the Bahamas Games making a return and the CARIFTA Aquatics team pulling off a five-peat.

Nonetheless, the results of the top junior performers of 2023 are now officially in.

Champion - Jamiah Nabbie

Nabbie made her mark and etched her name in the minds of Bahamians after turning in a remarkable performance at the 50th CARIFTA Games at home.

The Queen’s College student secured the first gold medal for The Bahamas on the track in the under 17 girls’ 100 metre finals.

The 16-year-old clocked a personal best time of 11.67 seconds to get the home crowd rocking at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium. She collected another gold medal, this time in the 200m finals with a personal best of 23.67 seconds.

Her work at the track and field regional competition was not done as the relay team consisting of herself, Shayann Demeritte, Darvinique Dean and Bayli Major claimed the second podium spot in the under 17 girls’ 4x100m relays with a time of 46.43 seconds.

Nabbie’s run in 2023 was not done by any means. The CARIFTA double gold medallist came away with a gold medal at the Speed Capital International Championships in the 100m event, notching 11.85 seconds for the win.

Meanwhile, at the 2023 Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) National Track and Field Championships, Nabbie pulled off two second place finishes in the 100m and 200m events with times of 11.63 and 24.10 respectively.

She was not only named the Tribune’s 2023 Female Junior Athlete of the Year but also the Female Senior High School Student Athlete of the Year at the National Sports Awards.

The top CARIFTA performer played a pivotal role in helping The Bahamas to rack up 41 total medals, including nine gold medals, doubling last year’s total of 17 medals.

Runner-Up - Saleste Gibson

Saleste Gibson was equally as impressive for The Bahamas at the 2023 CARIFTA Aquatics Championships in Willemstad, Curaçao. She competed in a total of 13 races in the 11-12 age group.

In the nine individual events she swam in, Gibson hauled in seven gold medals and one silver medal.

The top junior claimed victories in the 50 and 100m butterfly, 50m, 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle. Additionally, she conquered the 200m individual medley and captured her lone silver medal in 200m fly.

She reeled in four gold medals in the relay events as well.

Gibson was a force to be reckoned with in the pool, scoring 75 points in the 11-12 girls’ category to take the high point award and help The Bahamas to five-peat at the 2023 CARIFTA Swimming Championships.

Third Place Finisher - Keyezra Thomas

Keyezra Thomas, who attends Bishop Michael Eldon, made it hard to ignore her strides in athletics in 2023.

She helped The Bahamas to yet another North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Under-13 and U-15 Age Group Championship in July. Thomas placed second in the U15 girls’ heptathlon with a total of 4,355 points for silver.

The 13-year-old also managed to qualify for the 50th CARIFTA Games, delivering outstanding first place performances in the 200m, 400m and long jump events at the CARIFTA Trials.

In the 400m event, she ran a swift time of 56.28 seconds to meet the CARIFTA standard but was unable to join the team due to her age.

At the Speed Capital International Championships, she earned her second fastest time of the season in the 200m 13-14 girls’ division with 24.66 seconds.

Although she was ineligible for the 2023 CARIFTA team, it would be wise to keep an eye out for Thomas on the track and field next year.