The Tribune

By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE St Augustine’s College (SAC) Big Red Machine hauled away five of eight division titles on the final day of the National High School Track and Field Championships at the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium.

SAC took control in the under-15 female division for a total of 143 points. The Queen’s College Comets were locked into the second spot with 124 points. Sunland Baptist Academy fell to third in the division with 79.50 points.

The Big Red Machine had a leading total of 191 points in the under-20 female division. The Comets were second in the division with 177 points. Third place went to the Tabernacle Baptist Academy Falcons at 83.50 points.

It was all SAC in the under-15 male division with 133 points. The CH Reeves Raptors trailed for second in the division with 100 points. QC wrapped up third in the division with 67 points.

SAC also emerged victorious in the under-17 division with 139 points. The Comets were on their heels with 137 points. Noble Preparatory Academy rounded out the top three with 53 points.

SAC also prevailed in the under-20 male division with 146.67 points. QC fell to second with 124 points overall and the Temple Christian Suns dropped to third with 72 points.

The Comets took the under-13 female division with 114 points. The second spot went to the Tabernacle Baptist Academy Falcons with 95 points. Bishop Michael Eldon School came third with 47 points.

QC was also successful in the under-17 female division with 199.50 points. The Big Red Machine had to settle for the second position with 150.50 points. The Suns came third in the division with 72.50 points.Sister Mary Patricia Russell Jr High School won the under-13 male division with 83 points. Sunland Baptist Academy finished second in the division with 79 points. The AF Adderley Tigers closed out the division in the third spot with 59.67 points.

SAC head coach Jason Edwards spoke about how it felt to haul away five division titles.

“I was very pleased with their performances. It speaks to how resilient they are as people not just on the track but off the track as well. Kids are resilient and we always talk about adults and we have stars and people we look up to but kids are the most resilient people in the world. What they did was resilient in bouncing back and not letting the hangover from BAISS affect them,” he said.

Coach Edwards said the next step is to prepare the athletes for CARIFTA Trials which are two weeks away.

“The name of the game is to try and keep these kids healthy. Even though we had nationals we tried to make sure that the kids were not overworked and to not do too many events because in two weeks it is their version of the ‘big dance’ which is CARIFTA Trials. These kids want to win but they also have dreams of representing their country at that level. That is their first step to international competition for track and field so we want to make sure that they are ready and they have every opportunity to go and represent their country,” he said.

More athletes joined the CARIFTA qualifiers count and smashed national high school records on day three of competition.

Field Events

Jazae Johnson, of St John’s College, continues to turn heads at just 14-years-old. 

The versatile performer came first in the under-15 girls’ long jump event with a final distance of 5.85m. Her mark surpassed the under-17 girls’ CARIFTA qualifying standard of 5.45m and also set a new meet record.

SAC’s Taree Forbes and Symiah Strachan got the next two spots with jumps of 5.75m and 4.94m respectively.

Carlin Archer, of SAC, secured a first place finish in the under-20 boys’  triple jump event. He soared to 14.74m which was above the CARIFTA qualifying mark of 14.29m.

His schoolmate Demian Brice came second at 14.24m and Kingsway’s Nicholas Knowles claimed the third podium spot with a jump of 14.23m.

CV Bethel had two CARIFTA qualifiers in the under-17 boys’ discus throw event.

David Doulgas capped off the event with a toss of 42.78m to go over the CARIFTA qualifying mark of 41.64m.

His teammate Kaiden Kemp fell to second place with a toss of 41.72m.

Third place went to Kingsway’s Kendal Turner at 39.73m.

His schoolmate Jade Ferguson was sensational in the under-20 girls’ pole vault event. She landed at 2.90m to surpass her old meet record of 2.40m and the CARIFTA qualifying mark of 2.60m.

Neveah Moncur, representing SAC, was the second best finisher at 2.15m.

Jace Ferguson got the victory for the Big Red Machine in the under-20 boys’ shot put event. 

He posted a throw of 14.45m. Second place went to Lynwood Brown, of Kingsway, with his throw of 12.52m. 

QC’s Treyvon Simms settled for third place in the event at 12.01m.

Track Events

The Comets’ Brion Ward had a brilliant run in the under-17 girls’ 200m finals. She clocked 24.39 seconds for first and shaved some time off the CARIFTA qualifying mark of 24.65 seconds.

Her schoolmate Zara Fraser was equally as impressive, finishing second in 24.94 seconds. The Falcons’ Rayhanna Saunders crossed the line third in 25.50 seconds.

The Big Red Machine’s Alexis Roberts continues to have a strong season on the track. She requalified in the under-20 girls’ 200m finals with a time of 24.25 seconds.

The CARIFTA standard is 24.35 seconds.

Finishing second was Tabernacle’s Tanaj Turnquest in 24.49 seconds.

CR Walker’s Brey’Elle Cooper finished third in 25.16 seconds.

SAC doubled up on the medals in the under-20 girls’ 100m hurdles. 

Bayli Major requalified with a run of 14.22 seconds, well under the CARIFTA qualifying mark of 14.68 seconds but her time was wind-aided. 

Madison Moss also ran a fast time of 14.40 seconds but her time was wind-aided as well. Jamaya Rolle crossed the line third in 15.32 seconds for QC.

Tabernacle’s Avonte Lotmore was well ahead of his competitors in the under-15 boys’ 200m finals. He stopped the clock at 22.90 seconds to replace the former meet record of 22.93 seconds.

Shia Pratt was a few steps behind for second place in 23.44 seconds. Justin Shepherd, of QC, was third overall with a time of 23.53 seconds.

SAC’s Jahcario Wilson bested his competitors in the under-17 boys’ 110m hurdles with a CARIFTA qualifying time of 13.49 seconds. He also replaced his former meet record of 13.99 seconds set just last year.

The CARIFTA standard for the event is 14.87 seconds.

The Comets’ Rohman Rolle was second overall in 14.25 seconds and Simon Sands, of Sands Home School, completed the top three in 14.96 seconds.

Wilson and Rolle had identical positions in the under-17 boys’ 200m finals but their times were wind-aided.

Wilson ran 21.52 seconds to prevail in the event. Rolle kept it close but finished with a time of 21.92 seconds. 

His schoolmate Kamron Henfield took the third position in 22.26 seconds.

SAC had another strong showing in the under-20 boys’ 110m hurdles. 

Jehiel Smikle ran a wind-aided time of 13.99 seconds for first place. He certainly dipped under the CARIFTA mark of 14.20 seconds but the race had a wind reading of 2.1 mps.

Kersch Mackey, representing SAC, secured second place in 15.31 seconds.

JC Academy’s Lashaun Colebrooke wrapped up the event third in 16.12 seconds.

SAC won the under-15 girls’ 4x100m relays, under-15 girls’ 4x400m relay, under-20 girls’ 4x100m relay, under-20 girls’ 4x400m relay, under-15 boys’ 4x100m relay and under-15 boys’ 4x400m relay.

The quartet of Khylee Wallace, Bayli Major, Alexis Roberts and Darvinique Dean ran a blistering time of 46.24 seconds in the under-20 girls’ 4x100m event to book a trip to the 2025 Penn Relays.

Dean and Roberts also teamed up with Syrmiah Crawley and Daveigh Farrington in the under-20 girls’ 4x400m event. The relay team clocked 3:48.57 to secure another Penn Relays spot.

The QC relay team of Everette Fraser, Ishmael Rolle, Zion Davis and Andrew Brown set a new meet record and qualified for the Penn Relays in the under-20 boys’ 4x100m relay. 

The team ran 41.20 seconds and lowered the former meet record of 41.36 seconds.

The final Penn Relays spot went to Jack Hayward High School. The relay team of Shawn Saunders, Lamorn Moxey, Tyrone Conliffe and Zion Shepherd came first in 3:15.28 in the under-20 boys’ 4x400m relay. 

Remaining meet results can be found at www.tekresults.net

Next up for local  track and field will be the 2025 Bahamas Association of Athletic Association (BAAA) CARIFTA Trials slated for April 4-6.