The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

As the action heat up for Team Bahamas yesterday at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Sal Salvador, El Salvador, Shaun Miller Jr picked up a bronze in the men’s high jump and Ken Mullings pushed himself in contention for another medal in the men’s decathlon.

Miller Jr, one of two Bahamians competing in the high jump, got his first knockdown at 7-feet, 1 1/2-inches or 2.17 metres, but came back and cleared it on his second attempt.

He went up to 7-3 1/4 (2.22m) where he cleared his first attempt to move into silver.

But after he failed his three attempts at 7-4 1/2 (2.25m), the 21-year-old Miller Jr dropped to bronze, pushing the Bahamas total to three medals so far at the games, adding to the gold and bronze won by Lamar Taylor last week in swimming.

Puerto Rico’s Luis Castro took the men’s high jump gold with 7-4 ½ (2.25m), while the silver went to Cuba’s Luis Zayas, who matched the height, but lost on more knockdowns.

The other Bahamian in the competition, Kyle Alcine, who celebrated his 24th birthday on June 29, bowed out at 6-11 ½ (2.12m).

In the men’s decathlon yesterday, Mullings moved into second place after the first day of competition, while national record holder Kendrick Thompson didn’t start the 400m and had to withdraw from the final five events on tap today.

Mullings, the former national record holder, ended up with 4,307 points after the first five events yesterday. He trails frontrunner Ayden Owens from Puerto Rico, who surged ahead with 4,436.

Mullings, 24, got third in the 100m in 10.69 to accumulate 931 points; was ninth in the long jump with 23-2 (7.06m) for 828 points; got second in the shot put with 48-4 ½ (14.74m) for 747 points and won the high jump with 6-11 ¾ (2.13m) for 925 points before he ended up fifth in the 400m in 49.26.

Thompson, on the other hand, was fourth in the 100m in 10.72 for 924 points; seventh in the long hump with 23-3 ¼ (7.09m) for 835 points; third in the shot put with 47-5 ¾ (14.47m) for 757 points; fourth in the high jump with 6-6 (1.98m) for 785 points before he skipped the 400m and was eliminated from further competition.

Today, Mullings will go alone as he completes the competition in the 110m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500m.

Also yesterday, Anthaya Charlton, the only female competitor on the track, got fourth in her heat of the 200m where she clocked 11,68 seconds and 20th overall as she just missed making the final by two spots.

Julien Alfred from St Lucia had the fastest qualifying time of 11.28. The eighth and final spot was picked up by Akilah Lewis of Trinidad & Tobago in 11.57. Retired golden girl Chandra Sturrup still holds the meet record of 11.17 that she established on August 16, 1998 in Venezuela.

Also in action today will be NCAA champion Rhema Otabor in the final of the women’s javelin. She will be the seventh of eight competitors in the competition with her lifetime best of 195-2 (59.49m).

In water polo, Team Bahamas suffered its second straight loss yesterday after opening up its initial appearance in the games with a victory.

In their latest game yesterday against Trinidad & Tobago, Team Bahamas lost a hard fought 11-7 decision as Nicholas Whitfield-Wallace and Joshua Green both scored a pair of goals and Khari Marshall, Aidan Johnson and Matthew Thompson added a goal each.

Team Bahamas, led by coach Laszlo Borbely, gave it a gallant effort, but trailed 3-2 at the end of the first quarter and 6-4 at the half. Team Bahamas out-scored Trinidad & Tobago 3-2 in the third to cut the deficit to 8-6 going into the fourth. In the period, Trinadad & Tobago went on a 3-1 scoring rampage to hold off any further comeback by Team Bahamas.

Team Bahamas, who won their first game with a 10-9 nipping of Centro Caribe Sports in their opener on Saturday before they fell 27-2 to Mexico on Sunday, will be off today, but will face Puerto Rico in their quarter-final match on Wednesday.