The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

 HAVING just completed his fifth season as the head coach at Clayton State University, Golden Knight Chris 'Fireman' Brown said he could not be prouder of the achievement of his Laker’s track and field team.

 Brown, who joined the Laker Nation in September 2018 as an assistant, said they are still a work in progress, but their work ethic is yielding some fantastic results.

 "We had some outstanding performances, a few records broken and a few events that I was really impressed with," said Brown, who watched recently as his 25-year-old Bahamian men's national 800 metre record was shattered by Joel Forbes.

 "We are still a work in progress because we still have a long way to go. Our men's team finished third for the first time (in the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) and our women finished fourth. We are doing very well, so I'm proud of all of the athletes who came out who were healthy and contributed and to those who were injured and are recovering."

 As he continues the journey next year, Brown said he's looking forward to his coaching staff getting to work with the athletes as soon as they come back to school in August to continue where they left off.

"We're looking for several individuals to qualify for the National Championships and just looking to continue our success until we get that W (win)," Brown said. "Nothing has changed.

 "I'm just excited because we have a good crop of kids coming in to match what we had there and so it's going to be a good ride here."

 Brown, however, will be without the services of the lone Bahamian on the team as middle distance runner Sasha Knowles from St Augustine's College graduated last month.

 Knowles, who also competed for the first time in the 4500m hurdles, emerged as the one of three Lakers' team members named to the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) track and field team of Academic Distinction.

 Knowles had a very decorated career for the Lakers. In her four-year cross-country career, she gathered three PBC Team of Academic Distinction honours and was a two-time D2ADA Academic Achievement selection.

 On the track side, Knowles is a two-time D2CCA Academic Achievement and PBC Presidential Honour Roll selection. She also earned all-conference honours in the 4x400 metre relay in the 2021 Outdoor Championships.

 In her career, Knowles ran the middle-distance races and competed in her first ever Heptathlon in the 2023 Outdoor Championships earning fourth place.

 Earlier this season, Knowles was awarded the Dotty M. Bumbalough & Pat Keene Female Academic Athlete of the Year, which is an award given to a senior student-athlete that earned the highest GPA in the department.

 "It was good. It's always good to know that you have someone from your hometown out there. We are both from the same place and just hearing another Bahamian out there in practice brings a smile on your face," Brown said.

"I'm going to miss her. She was an honour student. I'm so proud of her and her parents and I hope what she gained here will help to propel her as she moves forward in life."

 In her departure, Brown said he has a few Bahamians in the pipeline, but he declined to reveal any names until they have all of the necessary paperwork sorted out.

 "I'm looking forward to getting some more Bahamians here so that they can continue their success and help to represent the Bahamas on the international scene," Brown summed up.

 Brown, a native of Eleuthera, is a veteran quarter-miler, having participated in five Olympic Games, earning a gold medal (2012), a silver (2008) and two bronzes (2000 and 2016) in the men's 4x 400m relay. He also won numerous individual medals in the World Indoor Championships as well as the Commonwealth, Pan American CAC and Carifta Games.