The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

MANAGER Dionne Britton likes the make up of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ team heading to the Pan American Junior Championships next month.

The under-20 team, selected following the BAAA Nationals, will travel to Puerto Rico to compete in the championships from August 2-7.

The team is made up of the following players:

Female athletes - Lacarthea Cooper, Shatalya Dorsett, Erin Barr, Lanisha Lubin, Anaiah Rolle, Calae Jackson, Vanessa Sawyer and Shaunece Miller.

Male athletes - Carlos Brown, Adam Musgrove, Zion Campbell, Jeremiah Adderley (relay pool), Otto Laing, Tayshaun Robinson, Shimar Bain (pending fitness), Justin Alan Hanna, Stephan Farquharson, Mateo Smith, LaQuan Ellis, Jonathan Rodgers, Brenden Vanderpool, Tyler Cash and Kaden Cartwright (pending fitness).

Britton, out of Grand Bahama, will head the management squad that includes assistant manager Emmit Higgins, head coach Daron Lightbourne and assistant coaches Myriam Stapleton and Jamieson Pratt. Dr Kent Bazard is the physician and Lisa Armbrister is the chaperone.

“From what I see with this team selection, this will be a very strong team under the coaching of head coach Daron Lightbourne,” Britton said. “A number of the qualifiers have been very consistent with their performances.”

As they prepare to travel, Britton said they have very high expectations. “My expectations for the team is to go there and perform like fearless champions in this new horizon,’ Britton said. “These athletes are talented like any other country and capable of achieving sand accomplishing great things.

‘I want every athlete to continue training, fine tuning, anything that can get them at the top, mentally prepared to compete with the best and to remain healthy leading up to the championships.”

as this is the last junior team to represent the country this year, Britton said she want every athlete to leave it all on the track or field as they go out and achieve their accomplishment.

“The strength of this team is that if not all, the majority of the team have won a medal at the CARIFTA Games,” Britton said. “They know what it takes to rise to the occasion when it matters and none of them will back dow3n from the challenge.

“We are taking this team straight into Puerto Rico and having the mindset like Pauline Davis-Thompson said to ‘cut a movie.’ The female side is slightly weaker due to some athletes are returning back to college and preparing for their first time as a student-athlete.

“Some athletes have prior obligations to another team traveling around the same time as Pan Am Juniors and recovering from minor setbacks.”

Despite all that is going on, Britton said she’s confident that the team will perform exceptionally well.