The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AFTER watching more than 50 qualifying performances turned in during the final trials over the weekend, the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations has selected a 76-member team to compete at the 51st CARIFTA Games.

The BAAA selected the team on Sunday night at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium following the three-day trials over the weekend.

The team will leave town on a Bahamasair chartered flight on March 27 to represent the Bahamas in Georgetown, Grenada from March 29 to April 1.

Named to the team are 15 under-17 girls, 19 under-17 boys, 20 under-20 girls and 22 under-20 boys. They are as follows:

Under-17 girls - Keyezra Thomas, Alexis Roberts, Darvinique Dean, Jasmine Thompson, Alexandria Komolafie, Terell McCoy, Dior-Rae Scott, Kamera Strachan, Madison Moss, Shilcah Rolle, Khylee Wallace, Kianna Henchell, Rizpah Thompson, Jade Knowles and Zoe Adderley.

Under-17 boys - Ishmael Rolle, Everette Frazer, Eagan Neely, Jachario Wilson, Yieano Ferguson, Josuha Williams, Claudius Burrows, Devon Davis, Carlin Archer, Terrin Beckles, Julien Stuart, Wyatt Cartwright, Keon Burrows, Shevano Nixon, Branden Mackey, Lemorn Moxey, Jayden Moss, Ethan North and Perry McPhee.

Under-20 girls - Shatalya Dorsett, Nya Wright, Nia Richards, Erin Barr, Acari Roberts, Annae Mackey, Cailyn Johnson, Bayhli Major, Lanisha Lubin, Koi Adderley, Tasha Stubbs, Vanessa Sawyer, Jassmine Mackey, Anniah Rolle, Jade Ferguson, Tamia Taylor, Aliah Evans, Shannia Adderley and Kaielle Gray.

Under-20 boys - Carlos Brown, Jermiah Adderley, Zion Shepherd, Zion Miller, Shamar Davis, Bernard Kemp, Robert Deal III, Tahj Brown, Robert Stuart, Kaden Cartwright, Brenden Vanderpool, Tyler Cash, Morgan Moss, Berkley Munnings, Kenny Moxey Jr, Marco Carey, William McKinney, Rollie Hanna, Jonathan Harris, Javano Bridgewater, Najee McBridge and Aiden Kelly.

The team will be managed by Sophia Higgs, assisted by Oche Smith. The head coach will be Claudell McNabb, James Rolle, Laquell Harris, Alexis Roberts and Kenny Moxey Sr. The chaperones are Mikhilo Sytrachan, Lisa Armbrister and Jacqueline Rolle-Daivs. Dr Kent Bazard is the team doctor, the physiotherapist is Ashlee Dorsett and the massage therapist is Atonya Knowles.

Sunday’s 23 qualifiers

Track qualifiers

Richards, competing for Star Elite Athletics, surpassed the standard for the girls’ under-20 100m hurdles in 14.22. She came back in the finals and did it again, although in a slower time of 14.37. The standard was 14.68.

“I felt great. I surprised myself, especially after qualifying in the hurdles earlier today,” said Richards, a 16-year-old student at the University of the Bahamas.

“It feels great, especially after being injured for the past two years in 2022 and 2023 with hamstring injuries. I’m just glad to come back and have a healthy season. I hope to go to CARIFTA and do my personal bests and bring back home a medal, hopefully the gold.”

Red-Line Athletics’ Darvinique Dean powered through to another qualifier in the under-17 girls 100m hurdles in a time of 14.09 to surpass the standard of 14.65. She did it in the preliminaries as well in 14.33.

Kennedy Hanns, also of Red-Line, fell short in 14.66 for second. Pre-Qualifier Madison Moss, also of Red-Line, was third in 15.04.

Bahamas Speed Dynamics’ Jahcario Wilson took the under-17 boys 110m hurdles in 14.18 to surpass the qualifying standard of 14.87.

Two competitors dipped under the qualifying time of 14.20 in the under-20 boys 110m hurdles as Red-Line Athletics’ Tahj Brown won in 14.07 and Golden Eagles’ Robert Stuart did 14.13 for second.

Red-Line Athletics’ Alexis Roberts ran 24.35 and Speed Begins’ Keyeza Thomas followed in 24.46 as they both dipped under the under-17 girls 200m standard of 24.65.

Swift Athletics’ Ishmael Rolle was the lone qualfiier in the under-17 boys 200m, winning in 21.81 to surpass the standard of 22.08.

And Richards ran 24.09 to hold off Red-Line Athletics’ Nyu Wright, who did 24.15 as they both surpassed the under-20 girls 200m qualifying time of 24.35.

There were also two qualifiers in the under-20 girls 800m as Roadrunners’ A’Karee Roberts won in 2:14.66 with 3 PA Stallions’ Jasmine Mackey trailing in 2:!5.83.

The qualifying time was 2:!6.38.

Field qualifiers

The much anticipated showdown in the under-17 girls javelin saw Kamera Strachan, competing unattached, win with 44.67m over Blue Chips Athletics’ Dior-Rae Sott, who did 43.46m as they both surpassed the standard of 36.00m.

Three competitors qualified in the under-20 boys triple with Jumpers Inc’s Rollie Hanna winning with 14.96m, DTSP Wolf Pack’s William McCartney second with 14.57m and Golden Eagles’ Antone Smith third with 14.55m. The standard was 14.29m.

Six-feet, three-and-a-half-inch basketball player Terrell McCoy, competing unattached, qualified for her second event in the under-17 girls’ discus with her personal best heave of 35.48m. The standard was 34.85m.

“I’m very excited about competing in this year’s CARIFTA Games because not only will I be competing in the shot put, but I have the discus as well,” said the 15-year-old McCoy.

The 10th grader at Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida threw the under-17 girls shot put 14.48m to surpass the standard of 12.62m on Friday for her first qualifying event.

Four qualifiers emerged in the under-17 boys triple jump with T-Bird Flyers’ Devon Davis winning with 13.92, followed by BM Management’s Carlin Archer with 13.65m, One Track Mind’s Dishon Dean with 13.35m and Red-Line Athletics’ Landon Moxey with 13.30. The standard was 12.92m.

“I felt good because I was able to qualify again,” said 15-year-old Davis, a tenth grader at Queren’s College who will be making the team for the first time. “I’m excited sbout representing my country and I hope to bring back the gold medal.”

And in the under-20 girls pole vault, two competitors surpassed the standard of 2.60m as Anaiah Rolle, unattached, won with 2.75m with gymnast Jae Ferguson of Red-Line Athletics taking second with 2.70m.

Saturday’s 16 qualifiers

Track qualifiers

Red-Line Athletics’ Darvinique Dean led the way as she held off a strong field to win the under-17 girls 400m hurdles in 1:03.52. Roadrunners Jasmine Thompson got second in 1:03.66 and Fast Forward’s Kei-Mahri did 1.03.75 for third place.

“I knew I was running with some very fast females, so I knew I had to get out and once I got out, I had to stay in the front,” said Dean, last year’s silver medalist at the games here at home. “I saw them coming, but I had to fight to finish ahead of them.”

A pair of athletes qualified in the under-17 boys’ 400m hurdles with Hurry Murray’s Tieano Ferguson winning in 53.20 and Bahamas Speed Dynamics’ Jahcario Wilson coming second in 54.22 as they both surpassed the standard of 54.22.

“It wasn’t as planned. I didn’t know I was going to get lane two. I was hoping for four or five, but it was a good race at the end, although I was scared and nervous,” said Ferguson, a 16-year-old ninth grader at CC Sweeting Junior High. “I messed up a couple of hurdles, but this is my first time running the 400 hurdles this year. I felt I accomplished a lot.”

And in the under-20 boys 400m hurdles, Red-Line Athletics’ Megan Moss clocked 54.20 with Fast Forwards Berkley Munnings trailing in 54.29 as they both surpassed the standard of 54.47,

“It was good. I ran my race and I was able to qualify for CARIFTA with a personal best,” said Moss, a 17-year-old 12th grader at SAC. “Thank God, I had Berkley in the race to pull me through.”

For Munnings, it was his outdoor season opener, so he will take the performance.

“I didn’t know what to expect. I was in college training, but I didn’t know what the competition looked like, so I just wanted to run my fastest,” said the 17-year-old Munnings, who attends the University of Mary in North Dakota.

Field qualifiers

Blue Chips Athletics’ Jaylen Stuart tossed the under-17 girls shot put 16.57m, well over the standard of 14.03m.

Blue Chips Athletics’ Taysha Stubbs and Noble Preparatory Academy’s Vanessa Sawyer both surpassed the under-20 girls javelin with their respective heaves of 46.00m and 42.55m.

Blue Chips Athletics’ Annae Mackey qualified for her second event in the under-20 girls shut put with 12.78m. The qualifying standard was 12.49m.

Speed Begins’ Joshua Williams also got his second qualifier, this time in the under-17 boys high jump as he soared 1.95m for the win. The standard was 1.87m.

“I could have done better in qualifying, but I think the competition was right there to push ,” said Williams, a 15-year-old tenth grader at Tabernacle Baptist Academy. “Last year, I got third, but this year I want to get the gold.”

And in the under-20 girls javelin, Wyatt Cartwright of St Augustine’s College did 47.08m and Fast Forward’s Ethan North did 45.56m as they both surpassed the mark of 44.95m.

Octathlon qualifier

Kenny Moxey Jr, competing for the Panthers Track Club, completed the eight-event ocathlon for under-20 boys with a total of 5,348 points in the 100m (11.19), long jump (6.18m), shot put (13.40m), 400m (50.28), 110m hurdles (16.01), high jump (1.90m), javelin (41.87m) and 1,500m (5:11.82).

Friday’s 19 qualifiers

Track qualifiers

Speed Begin’s Keyera Thomas sped to an impressive run of 55.06 in the under-17 girls 400m to surpass the standard of 55.35.

The only other qualifier in the 400m came in the under-20 boys race where Grand Bahama Heats Athletics’ Zion Sheperd took the tape in 47.19 to dip under the standard of 47.19.

Erin Barr, also of GB Heats Athletics, cracked the five-minute mark, running 4:55.81 as she, along with Road Runners’ A’Karee Roberts, who trailed in 5:02.40, went under the standard of 5:02.60.

Swift Athletics’ Ishmael Rolle (10.75) and Everette Fraser (10.80) both surpassed the under-17 boys 100m standard of 10.92, while Swift Athletics’ Shayann Demeritte was the only qualifier in the under-20 girls 100m qualifying time of 11.78 with her victory in 11.71.

Field events

Three competitors attained the standard of 6.51m the under-17 boys long jump. They were Speed Begins’ Jousha Williams with 6.86m; Quick Step Athletics’ Terrin Beckles with 6.59m and One Track’s Dishon Dean with 6.51m.

Blue Chips Athletics’ Annae Mackey won the under-20 girls discus with 44.60m and Triple Threat’s Cailyn Johnson did 43.81m as they both went over the qualifying standard of 40.36m.

Keyera Thomas showed her versatility as she also surpassed the under-12 girls high jump mark of 1.63m with her best of 1.66m. Bahamas Speed Dynamics’ Alexandria Komolafe tied the mark of 12.63m.

Golden Eagles’ Shamar Davis cleared 2.07m and Red-Line Athletics’ Bernard Kemp followed with 2.03m as they both surpassed the standard of 2.00m.

And Red-Line Athletics’ Bayli Major leapt 12.34m and Bahamas Speed Dynamics’ Lanaisha Lubin did 12.19m as they too surpassed the standard of 11.94m in the under-20 girls triple jump.

“I felt great. I think I did what I was supposed to do,” said Major, a 16-year-old 11th grader at St Augustine’s College.