BAHAMAS Associations of Athletic Association president Drumeco Archer called this year's National Championships held over the weekend at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, one of the best ever staged.
The Nationals, sponsored by Fidelity Bank & Trust International Limited Group and the Oaktree Medical, were held on Friday and Saturday and featured the majority of the top elite and collegiate athletes.

Heading the list of top-notch performers was Devynne Charlton, who lowered her Bahamas national record in the women's 100 meters hurdles to 12.60 seconds in her victory to erase the previous mark of 12.61 she set on May 9, 2021.

American-born Haitian Mulern Jean, one of the few visiting international athletes to compete in the meet, got second in 12.99 and returning home from college, Denisha Cartwright was third in 13.24 and Sasha Wells got fourth in 13.26.

After the performance, Charlton said, "I don’t get to compete in front of the home crowd very often so coming home for the trials is always something special for me and to beat the national record in front of the home crowd was just cherry on the top of the performance.”

Another impressive performance came from Antoine Andrews in the 110m hurdles he shattered one of the longest records still on the books in running 13.46 to erase Shamar Sands’ previous mark of 13.67 that he set on July 20, 2002, at the World Junior Championships in Kingston, Jamaica.

Andrews, who is preparing for the World Junior Championships in Cali, Colombia in August, won over Otto Laing, who was second in 14.29, and Jon-Mark Smikle, third in 15.84.

Looking back at his performance, Andrews said “I think it was the best I executed all season. I think it was more mind over matter as I went out there and performed my best.”

Everybody came to watch two of the world's brightest stars and they were not disappointed in the performances of reigning Olympic 400m champions Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Steven Gardiner, although it wasn't as fast as they both anticipated.
Gardiner only competed in the men;'s 400, but he was untouchable as he sped to victory in 45.32. Grand Bahamian Alonzo Russell was second in 46.41 and Bradley Dormeus was third in 46.70.

Gardiner said he's now gearing up for the World Championships where he hopes to "go there and compete and do my best and hopefully bring home a medal for our country.”

Miller-Uibo took the women’s 400m in 52.62 with the era to her crown Megan Moss home from school took second in 53.28 and Jayonya Wilcourt was third in 55.24.

Miller-Uibo also took the 200m in 22.32 with Strachan getting second in 22.59 and Gaither getting third place in 23.19.
Miller-Uibo said it was a pretty good performance, although the wait before the start of the races was too long and so she didn’t get to execute the way she wanted to, but "I feel good competing here at home.”

There was one hiccup and it came in the women's 100m. The clock malfunctioned and so there was no official time for Tynia Gaither as she won over Anthonique Strachan. Officials tried to rectify the problem by staging an invitational race for those athletes who needed an official time. Gaither opted not to compete as Strachan won in 11.39 with Camille Rutherford taking second in 11.77 and Printassia Johnson was third in 11.74.

Winning the men's 100m was Grand Bahamian Terrence Jones Jr, who had a great freshman season at Texas Tech. Jones Jr won the race in 10.21 with Joanue Guiove of Clemson second in 12.03 and Ian Kerr third in 10.39. Wanya McCoy, a teammate of Guiove, was fourth in 10.42.

Kerr came back and won the men's 200m in 20.84 with McCoy second in 20.96 and Haiti’s Bervensky Pierre was third in 21.41.
Zachary Evans got the junior boys national title in the 100m when he won the under-20 race in 100m in 10.41 with Carlos Brown Jr coming second in 10.45 and Keano Ferguson got third in 10.65.

Caitlyn Bobb, representing the Bermuda Pace, clinched the victory in the under-20 girls 200m in a personal best of 11.70. Grand Bahamian Shatalya Dorsett, who moved up from the under-17 division, was second in 11.71 and Asya Stanislaus got third in 12.23.
Paige Archer won the under-20 girls 200m, but no official time was available.

On the field, the highlight performance came from veteran Donald Thomas in the men's high jump with his winning leap of 7 feet, 4 ½-inches. Collegians Shaun Miller Jr was second with 7-0 ½ and Kyle Alcine bowed out at 6-8 ¾.

LaQuan Nairn, representing Puma, won the open men’s long jump with 25-8 ¼; Jah-n Perinchief of Bermuda Pace won the men’s triple jump with 54-08 over Kaiwan Culmer, who 52-10/16.10m.

Kurt Felix of Elite Performance won the men’s shot put (46-02 3) and Tarajh Hudson won the discus (165-06).
Rhema Otabor, a fourth-place finisher at the NCAA Championships, won the open women’s javelin (192-02); Tahj'Nee Thurston won the women's hammer (189-04); Tiara Derosa of the Bermuda Pace won the discus (156-01); Tamara Myers of Leap of Faith won the open women’s triple jump (43-01 ½) and long jump (20-02 1/4) and Sakari Famous of Bermuda Pace won the high jump with 5-10 ¾).

Nathan Duncan won under-20 boys 5,000m in 17:24.63 with Christopher Saintus second in 17:30.49 and Denzel Sawyer won the 1,500m in 4:17.64 over Saintus, who did 4:17.65.

Grand Bahamian Erin Barr won the under-17 girls’ 1,500m in 5:16.77 with Taylor Adderley second in 6:10.61 and Stacyann Humes was third in 6:37.94.
The age group athletes also got some spotlight, Tanaz Davis, winning the under-9 girls 100m (14.99) and 400m (1:21.06); Symone Martin in the under-11 girls 100m (13.95); Rocellis Moxey in the under-13 girls 100m (13.01) and Keyezra Thomas in the 400m (1:01.18); Jasmine Thompson in the under-15 girls 400m (1:01.77); Shayan Demeritte won the under-17 girls 100m in 12.46 and Koi Adderley won the 400m in 58.56.

George Brown won the under-9 100m in 15.25 and 200m (32.59) and Aiden Knowles won the 400m in 1:18.33; Samson Wells won the under-11 boys 100m in 14.10; Travian Humes won the 200m in 29.98 and Patreco Sherman won the 400m in 1:098.58; Lavario Ferguson won the under-13 boys 100m in 12.56 and Zion Branford won both the 200m (25.46) and the 400m (58.70); Roliny Labranche won the under-15 boys’ 100m (11.36) and the 200m (23.12); Eagan Neely won the 400m in 52.37; Ishmael Rolle won the under-17 boys 100m (10.95) and 200m (22.31) and Zion Miller won the 400m (49.09).