The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WHILE the national junior golf champions have already been decided, it will come down to the final day of competition to determine who will be crowned the champions in the high school divisions.

Unlike the primary division where there were both a private and public school winner before they combined to determine who won the overall crown, there is only one division for the junior and senior high teams.

Both divisions played on Thursday and will be back today at the Bahamas Golf Federation’s Driving Range as the nationals wrap up with the high school champions crowned.

Leading the way in the junior girls’ division are the Bahamas Global Academy with +28, followed by Queen’s College with +46, Home Schooling with +72 and St Augustine’s College with +101. 

Individually, Maddison Carroll and Haley Hall, both from Bahamas Global Academy, are tied for the lead with 28 with Anissa Robinson of Achiever’s Christian Academy in third with 29. 

Mila Zelsman of Windsor Academy is fourth with 30 and Kayleigh Rolle of King’s College School rounds out the top five with 35.

Achievers Christian Academy are out front in the junior boys’ division with eight. Windsor Academy is next with +16, Home Schooling in third with +41, Lyford Cay International School fifth with +48, Queen’s College sixth with +70, St Augustine’s College seventh with +76 and Aquinas College eighth with +98.

There is a two-way tie for first place in the individual category for the junior boys with Zachary Joseph of Achiever’s Christian Academy and Lance Valdez of King’s College School with 29 apiece. 

Windsor Academy’s Archie Mitchelmore and Hugo Johnson are tied for third with 32, while there are four others - Deandrey Poitier (TG Glover Primary), William West (Windsor Academy), Rashawn Hanna (Achiever’s Christian Academy) and Juan Wilson (St Andrew’s) tied for fifth with 33.

Windor Academy leads the senior boys with +10, Queen’s College has +36, St Andrew’s +62 and St Augustine’s College +108.

Aiden Gorospe of Home Schooling leads the pack individually in the senior boys’ division with 28, while there is a two-way tie for second at 29 with Luke Grimes of Queen’s College and Christopher Callendar of Windsor Academy. Maximillian Landry and Camdyn Forbes of Windsor Academy are in fourth and fifth respectively with 30 and 32.

And in the senior girls, Windsor Academy tops the field with +2, Queen’s College has +14, Kingsway Academy +47 and St Augustine’s College +115.

Amelie Zalsman of Windsor Academy is out front in the senior girls’ division with her team-mates Grace Crawford and Roisin Scanlon tied for second with 29. 

In fact, Windsor Academy occupies the top four spots with Lilly Bisterzo trailing with 30. 

There is a two-way tie for fifth place with Chemari Pratt of Queen’s College and Seannae Norville-Smith of The Heuristic Academy with 36 apiece.

Although they will have to wait for today’s final round to be completed, some of the schools are still pleased with the performances of their golfers after the first day of competition.

Kingsway Academy’s coach said they only have a handful of students who are interested in golf and so they were only able to bring two girls to participate this year.

“I am looking for great things from Taylor Sands. She has been playing golf for a long time,” said coach Juliet Sands. 

“She got fifth last year, but I’m looking for her to step up to at least third place or better.”

And St Augustine’s College coach Daria Adderley said after getting their feet wet in the competition last year, the Big Red Machine are out to make their presence felt.

“We have some lower scores than last year, which means that the kids are learning something,” Adderley stated. “They are also enjoying. When you come out and you enjoy what you are doing, everything just flows.”

Adderley said SAC will be back today to move up the standings. 

Windsor Academy, who won all four high school divisions last year, has not entered a team in the junior girls’ division, but has one player participating and she’s in the top five, so hopefully she can get on the podium.

“Our junior boys are right in the mix. It’s very competitive this year, but we should be in the top three again this year. Our senior boys and senior girls are right where we want them to be, so hopefully we can pull it off again this year.”

Roach said the level of competition has been extremely high in both the junior boys and senior boys, but both the girls’ divisions have grown this year, “so it’s going to be a tough battle all round for us if we are to defend our titles.”

Tournament organiser Georgette Rolle-Harris said the competition will be extremely tough, considering the way the golfers performed yesterday. 

She anticipates that the winners will be decided by close margins.