The Tribune

IN celebration of winning their eighth New Providence Public Primary Schools Sports Association title, the Cleveland Eneas Primary School hosted an awards ceremony on Wednesday for their Eagles track and field team.

In attendance was Myles LaRoda, the Member of Parliament for Pinewood Gardens, along with “Golden Girl” Pauline Davis, who delivered the keynote address. 

Also present was Lanaisha Lubin, the bronze medallist in the girls’ long jump at the 2024 CARIFTA Games that was held in April at the Kirani James Stadium in St George’s, Grenada.

Lubin not only displayed the medal she won, but she also participated in the awards ceremony, helping LaRoda as members of the Eagles track team were called up one by one by head coach Mariska Stubbs to receive their medals from the meet held in May at the original Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

Davis, who indicated that as a barefoot girl who rose from Bain Town to winning the Olympic gold medal in the women’s 200m in Sydney, Australia in 2000, saying if she could do it, there could be others coming from Cleveland Eneas who could aspire to become the next celebrated Bahamian.

Having added this year’s title to the NPPPSSA titles won in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 were no small feats, according to Davis, who noted that she was in the presence of “royalty” because of the performances of the team.

She praised Thompson and the rest of the coaching staff and support group, along with principal Avinel Newball-Smith and the administration of the school for assembling what she considered to be an excellent team of athletes.

LaRoda said he remembers telling Wayne Munroe, the Member of Parliament for Freetown, in the House of Assembly that Uriah McPhee only borrowed the title when they won the meet last year.

He noted that he was so pleased to come back and share in the celebrations as Cleveland Eneas brought the title home to the Eagles’ nest where it belonged. 

He said he hopes to continue to return year after year, as long as he is the MP, to celebrate the Eagles’ success.

Thompson, in her address, said that the road was a difficult one to travel and, at one point, she considered giving up. But she indicated that when she thought about her “young darlings” on the team, she had to press on.

Thompson said the team was a very solid one and all of the athletes went out and gave it their best and that was one of the reasons why they were so successful.

Thompson, a former 400/800 metre runner, also lauded the school’s administration and staff as well as the parents for standing behind her and giving the athletes all of the support that they needed to achieve their goal.

Cleveland Eneas, according to Thompson, also dominated at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture’s National Primary School Track and Field Meet, held in honour of Frank “Pancho” Rahming. 

But she noted that while the meet didn’t give out any awards for the top school, when she and principal Newball-Smith added up the figures, the Eagles soared again.