The Tribune

By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

The Blue Chip Athletics Club, powered by Norwegian Cruise Line, has produced some of the premier field event athletes in the country.

Junior throwers Taysha Stubbs, Dior-Rae Scott and Annae Mackey are among some of the best throwers the club has developed over the last few years, with all three ladies claiming medals at the 2024 CARIFTA Games in St George’s, Grenada.

The throws trio has once again made the CARIFTA cut for Team Bahamas and are expecting to haul away medals in their respective events.

Stubbs won gold in the under-20 girls’ javelin throw event one season ago. It was her first appearance at the junior regional meet and she erupted for a massive personal best of 50.94 metres.

The 17-year-old Queen’s College student has surpassed the CARIFTA-qualifying mark of 39.75m at every meet she has competed in this season and hopes to hit the medal podium at the 2025 CARIFTA Games in Trinidad & Tobago.

“It feels really good. I know I am not close to where I want to be for the season and I know God still has a lot in store for me so I am just gonna continue trusting him and continue putting in the work to break records and standards,” she said.

She recently came first at the 2025 Splice and Connect/ Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) CARIFTA Trials with a season’s best heave of 47.76m.

It was the closest she has gotten to last year’s personal best mark.

The CARIFTA gold medallist said she still has some work to do ahead of the Easter weekend competition but remains optimistic going into the meet.

Her plan is to shatter the U20 girls’ javelin CARIFTA record of 51.13m set by Grenada’s Candesha Scott in 2016.

“My goal is definitely to shatter the record. I know I still have a lot in store for me so I definitely just wanna exceed my expectations, my coaches and the people who believe in me,” she said.

Scott, 17, has moved up to the under-20 division after dominating the javelin throw event at the under-17 level. She got off to a slow start at the beginning of the season but saved her best performance to date for the CARIFTA Trials.

The St Augustine’s College (SAC) student erupted for a new personal best of 47.09m.

The under-17 girls’ javelin CARIFTA record holder talked about how it felt to make the team once again and outlined her expectations going forward. “It feels amazing.  I just want to thank God for giving me this opportunity. This whole season hasn’t been going too well for me but to be able to just keep pushing and remaining faithful and be able to do it is just surreal. I just want to do a massive personal best— throw over 50m and medal,” she said.

She is also looking forward to battling in the age group alongside her clubmate Taysha Stubbs.

“It is gonna be a great competition. We plan to go back and forth and not let anybody else get in our competition just one and two,” she said.

Mackey, 18, will have two chances at medalling at the upcoming CARIFTA Games. She qualified in the under-20 girls’ shot put and discus events.

Last season, she won silver in the under-20 girls’ shot put event with a throwing distance of 13.58m. She has elevated that mark to a personal best throw of 14.27m this season. 

The QC senior student was just one spot shy of medalling in the under-20 girls’ discus event.

She was grateful to make the CARIFTA cut once again and shared her goals for the competition.

“My goal is just to execute my techniques. My techniques have been getting better but I just want to see the results of my hard work and just see what all I got,” she said.

“It’s a good feeling to know that I will be able to compete in my last year and do my best. I am stronger and better technique wise. I am just waiting for the peak to see what my results will be.” 

The BAAA selected a 78-member team to represent The Bahamas at the 2025 CARIFTA Games scheduled for April 19-21 in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago.

The Bahamas placed second last year with 33 medals at the 2024 CARIFTA Games in St George’s, Grenada.