The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

HE didn’t have sufficient time, but former sprinter turned coach Andrew Tynes said he was glad to once again offer a starting blocks session for athletes trying out for this year’s CARIFTA track team.

With the final trials being held from Saturday to Monday during the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ joint three-day meet with the Ministries of Education and Youth, Sports and Culture, Tynes staged the workout session on Wednesday at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.

“As usual, every year we have this starting block session just before CARIFTA,” said Tynes, who now coaches the Swift Athletics Track Club. “The kids were excited because it gave them a chance to get the jitters out because they got a chance to work out with some of their competitors during the Nationals and the final trials.”

More than 70 competitors participated in the session that was designed for the New Providence-based athletes.

Bahamas Association of Certified Officials starter Sonia Black fired the starting gun during the session for the athletes.

Tynes and the other countries involved in the session, including former national team sprinter Fabian Whymns, were expected to stage another session for the athletes coming in from the Family Islands. “I think the sprinters at this year’s camp looked much better than they did in the past, so I’m expecting that they will do very well, not just at the Nationals and the trials, but in representing us at CARIFTA,” Tynes said. “We just have to wait and see what happens.”

With more than 25 countries expected in town to participate in the region’s biggest junior track and field competition over the Easter holiday weekend, April 8-10, Tynes said he won’t reveal the findings he saw from the participants in the camp but will share with the athletes and their coaches.

“When I gave the invitation, I told the coaches and the athletes, if it fit their schedule, we would like for them to participate,” Tynes said.

“I think we had a good response, although there were some athletes who didn’t because their coaches had them working on certain aspects of their training.

“I was pleased with the response we got. I think the athletes who participated got a chance to work on their start, so that was important going into the trials. “We wished we had more time, but we utilised the same window that we had to work with them.”

Tynes, whose club is loaded with some of the top sprinters in the country, said he feels like the sprinters will definitely make their presence felt at the games this year.