CALEA MEETS CARIFTA STANDARD

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Monday, Jan 16, 2023

The upcoming 50th Carifta games will be held in Nassau, Bahamas from April 7-10, 2023. Among the early prequalifiers is 17-year-old Calea Jackson, who qualified at the 2022 Odd Distance Track & Field Meet which was held at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium on December 17.
Jackson began her track and field journey at Queen’s College. She participated in the shot put in physical education class; through those classes, she met her track coach Corrington Maycock. Jackson then began training to compete in the primary nationals as the team was in need of a female shot put thrower. After training with Coach Maycock for two months, leading to a win at the primary nationals, Jackson joined the Blue Chips Athletic Club.
Jackson was not immediately in love with track and field, and in fact, the sport really had to grow on her. She was the youngest member of the team when she started, but through the energy of the team and Coach Maycock, she began enjoying practice and competition. What started as a laborious chore and something just to do, practice became enjoyable to the point of loving to be around the team and coach.
At the age of 12, Jackson attended her first CARIFTA Games at home as a spectator; after watching the athletes perform, Jackson was extremely inspired and couldn't wait to compete.
Jackson talked about her training to continue getting better; she was quick to mention however, the toughness of Coach Maycock. Jackson also talked about the grueling practices that started as early as 8 AM, seven days a week, in every weather condition imaginable. No matter how tough her training was, Jackson knew for sure that it was definitely worth it.
Case in point; at the beginning of Covid, Jackson qualified for NACAC, which was her first international meet she was able to travel to. After finishing third, that inspired Jackson to do even more, which she did in qualifying for Carfita the following year. Although she finished 4th in the discus, Jackson didn’t feel disappointed, she just knew where she stacked up against the best of the best and where she needed to improve.
Jackson and Maycock have built a strong relationship over the years; Jackson admitting that Coach Maycock was like a father figure. Not only will he push her to get the most of her on the field, but he is there for her and glows when talking about her potential.
Maycock, a former CARIFTA thrower who is now one of the top coaches in the Bahamas, said Jackson has progressed significantly since first qualifying as a 7th grader. Now attending Rabun Gap-Nacooche School in Georgia, Maycock has been coaching her online since there is no throwing program at her school.
During her 10th and 11th grade years, Jackson has performed exceptionally well, placing first in discus and shot put, winning the state championship in both events. In total, she has four state championships and a two-time all-state athlete. Jackson is ranked 24th in the United States and is looking for two more state titles in 12th grade. Mayock is expecting big things from Jackson as she heads to the University of Miami.
It didn’t take long for Jackson to qualify for CARIFTA; she qualified at the Odd Distance meet. Although she scratched on two of her three throws, the other was solid enough to qualify. She is looking forward to the 2023 CARIFTA Games and will compete in the under-20 girl’s division. She feels she has a lot to prove and wants to perform well in front of the home crowd.
As he looks into his crystal ball, Maycock sees Jackson having an excellent collegiate career competing in the discus and hammer throw, with the hammer throw ultimately being her best event. Jackson has already discussed with Maycock and the University of Miami coaching staff, agreeing that she should abandon the shot put and focus on the discus and hammer throw.
Jackson always wanted to do the hammer throw, but it wasn’t offered in high school. She admits she isn’t as good in the shot put as in the hammer throw. Her personal bests are 45.19 meters in the discus and 11.45 meters in the shot put.
Her decision to attend Miami was an easy one, not only from an athletic perspective but also in terms of academics. Jackson wants to become a doctor someday and the University of Miami has an outstanding medical program. The balance between athletics and academics makes Miami a perfect fit.
For many, the transition from high school to university can be difficult. Jackson feels that will not be the case with her since she’s already in a boarding school so she does not expect anything much to change. The biggest difference is having a coach on site to train her.
Excited to begin the next journey in her life at the University of Miami, Jackson has some words of advice for young female athletes who are beginning their journey. First, stick with the program even when times are bad. Maintain discipline instead of feeling like giving up; let down times motivate you to do better. Let it light a fire under you to prove what you can do, not only to yourself, but to others around you.
In the meantime, the name Calea Jackson will likely make numerous headlines in track and field over the next four years at the University of Miami. Jackson and The Bahamas cannot wait to see what she accomplishes.

ANTOINE HEADED TO TEXAS TECH

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Wednesday, Dec 14, 2022

Drumeco Archer, President of the Bahamas Track & Field Federation was pleased to be in attendance at an assembly of Saint John’s College during which time,19-year-old Antoine Andrews signed a letter of intent to attend Texas Tech University.

President Archer in his remarks before introducing Andrews said that the occasion was very special not only for the school but also for the world of sports in The Bahamas. “This is a day we should all be very proud of.” This day was for a giant, and the giant for this day was a junior gold medalist in the 110m hurdles with a national record of 13.23 seconds. Andrews was named to the 2022 Carifta Team where he earned a bronze medal.

In fact, his coach had no idea as to his potential when he took him on as he did not know him as an athlete but he believes Andrews will continue to improve and excel in college.

During his introduction, to inspire the crowd, President Archer asked what is a giant? Archer responded, “A giant makes incredible steps. A giant makes himself known not only here at St. John’s but known throughout the world.” Archer continued to put Andrews further on a pedestal, and for good reason, stating “Antoine Andrews is a giant, an academic giant, a scholarly giant, and an athletic giant. He is a Jolly Green Giant. We hope he inspires the community to produce more giants like Antoine Andrews.” In addition, Archer made it known that the goal is to produce not only great athletes in The Bahamas, but also great citizens.

Andrews, a very talented, yet humble young man, took the stage and gave thanks to God, and his family for pushing him to be the best and standing beside him during the highs and lows of his journey. Andrews noted the special bond with his coach, who he appreciates for being there for him. As is appropriately stated, “a good coach can change the game. A great coach can change a life.”

While Andrews has had significant success, he has not been without rough times, admitting to bumps in the road both mentally and physically. This is where his faith in God, his positive mindset, his principles and morals come into play. Andrews sees his journey like a relay race, passing the baton onto the new chapter of living with a defined end goal. It’s very clear that Andrews is far matured beyond his years.

Leg one was his introduction to athletics in grade nine where he began as a long and triple jumper. Andrews drifted to hurdles, where he instantly gravitated towards. Later that year, he joined “Jumpers Inc” coached by Peter Pratt. Quoting Biblical scriptures throughout his speech showed the great faith Andrews has.

Leg two was Andrews athletic journey the following year in grade 10. Attending C.R Walker Senior High School, he became increasingly serious in improving on the track, beginning to realize his God given gift. Acquiring more ability and confidence, Andrews went into meets with the mindset of winning. During his senior year, Andrews won four golds and one silver. In 2019, Andrews participated in the Carifta trials however he fell just short of qualifying by a mere .06 seconds. Although understandably discouraged and considering quitting, he drew back to his faith, quoting, “if we didn’t have obstacles and never faced impossible situations, we wouldn’t see the greatness of God’s power.”

Leg three, Andrews hard work and dedication awarded him a full scholarship to attend Saint John’s College. New challenges arose when covid hit with virtual learning, lockdowns, and curfews, but Andrews stayed focused on his goal. With so many races cancelled, including the World Juniors U20, the Olympics and the Penn Relays, the focus was onward to the 2020-2021 season.

During this time, Andrews came to the forefront in junior track and field qualifying for national and a senior team and also training with Olympic athletes. Andrews traveled to the NACAC U18 and U23 games in Costa Rica, earning two gold medals. In addition, Andrews traveled to Nairobi, Kenya for his first World Athletics, World U20 Championships. While falling short and missing the semifinals, Andrews learnt from the discouragement and came back stronger, holding on to his faith.

Heading to the anchor leg, Andrews has eyes set on the Olympic games and why not? He’s one of the Bahamas’ Top Junior Athletes, a World Ranking Athlete in several events, the U20 World Junior Lead, and a Junior National Record holder for The Bahamas.

Andrews intends to major in Kinesiology at Texas Tech, his dream school after visiting this past summer. He knows he must work hard to achieve his goals, which include a NCAA title and Olympic medal. Reading a quote he wrote on his behalf, Andrews stated, “As I jump from Hurdle to Hurdle, I remember that life has its ups & downs but if I continue to work hard & persevere, there is a success and a Gold Medal at the end.”

Final Day of Competition – World Athletics/Eugene 2022

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Monday, Jul 25, 2022

The World Athletics Championships Oregon22 concluded Sunday with two Bahamian athletes in competition. Ken Mullings competed in the final five events in the decathlon, while Devynne Charlton ran the semifinals of the 100-meter hurdles in hopes to qualify and perform well in the finals.

In his first event of the day, Mullings finished first in heat 2 of the 110-meter hurdles with a personal best time of 14.02. He was the second fastest overall out of the blocks and fifth overall. Moving on to the discus, Mullings had a mark of 42.70 meters, good for 14^th overall. Although he finished 17^th in the pole value, Mullings had a season best 4.50 meters.  Next up with the javelin where Mullings had another season best of 56.92 meters, which was 9^th overall. In the final event, Mullings posted another season best, this time in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:52.85.  Overall, Mullings finished well off the pace for a medal, finishing 17^th. However, his 7866 points was a national record, so his performance definitely made the Bahamas proud.

After qualifying for the semifinals in the women’s 100-meters hurdles on Saturday, Devynne Charlton posted a time of 12.46 in the semifinals, which was 7^th overall and good enough to qualify for the finals. In the finals, her time was a bit slower at 12.53 and finished 7^th.  Although she failed to medal, Charlton set a national record with her time in the semifinal round, so it was a very strong performance by the 28-year-old native of Nassau.

Shaunae Miller Uibo Day 6

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Saturday, Jul 23, 2022

Wednesday Day 6 of the competition at the World Athletics  Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon was a shining light for The Bahamas. 

In the heats of the women’s 400 meters, two-time Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo got out of the blocks quickly and cruised through her heat. Shaunae won heat one with a time of 49.55 seconds, a full half-second ahead of Candice McLeod of Jamaica. 

Overall. Miller-Uibo was 0.43 seconds ahead of Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic. The 28-year-old Miller-Uibo indicated in an interview after the race that she wanted to get through the round as easy as possible in order to focus on the finals. Miller-Uibo clearly indicated that her ultimate goal was to bring home another gold medal. 

Eight athletes advanced to the final round which will take place on Friday evening at Hayward Field.

LaQuan Nairn WAC

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Saturday, Jul 23, 2022

LaQuan Nairn’s appearance at the 2022 World Athletic Championships is his first on a global stage in nearly seven years. The journey for Nairn is incredible considering he played basketball and did not start track until 2012 under the influence of coach James Rolle.  In less than a year, Nairn won a gold in the high jump and silver in the long jump at the 2013 CARIFTA games and 5^th at the World Championships.

Nairn realized the great potential he had by making The Bahamas national team in 2013 and it was a special time performing in front of family and friends. Nairn continued to make the national team for the CARIFTA games thereafter.

Transitioning to college was tough for Nairn who tore his knee ligaments during warm ups at his first meet while attending South Plains Junior College. After transferring to Arkansas, Nairn found his passion as a writer, majoring in Communications while working hard to become the best athlete he could be.

Disappointed not to hit the standard for the World Indoor Championships, Nairn worked hard and reached the standard and competed on July 15 at the World Athletic Championships in Eugene, Oregon. While his jump of 7.80 into a head wind was not enough to advance, Nairn was proud of his effort and is determined to become the first Bahamian to win a world long jump medal.

His advice to up-and-coming youngsters in the sport is to be a great listener, and apply what you learn; focus on what you need to do as an athlete and never be a follower, unless the person you are following is a leader.

2022 WAC Day 4

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Wednesday, Jul 20, 2022

During day four of the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, the Bahamas featured two athletes in competition. Coming off a day when their chances at the podium in the 100 meters ended, Anthonique Strachan and Tynia Gaither tried to qualify in their heats in the 200 meters.

Gaither was coming off a disappointing disqualification in the 100 meters due to a false start. She came out of the blocks in 0.209 and was in fourth coming off the curve to surge into third place with a time of 22.61. That was good enough to advance to the semi-final round with the 13^th best time overall.  She will be in the first of three heats, running again in lane eight.

Things did not go nearly as well for Anthonique Strachan in heat 6. She came out of the blocks fast at 0.114 seconds in lane eight and was leading the heat, but pulled up with an injury at about the 50-meter mark from the finish line. She hobbled to a stop with a left leg injury and failed to advance to the semi-finals.

The next Bahamian athlete in competition will be Shaunae Miller-Uibo. The two-time Olympic Champion will compete in the 400 meters on Wednesday.

WAC Day 2 & Day 3

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Wednesday, Jul 20, 2022

After a hard-fought day of competition during Day 1 of the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, the athletes were back at it on July 16 for Day 2.

The Bahamas was represented in only one event during the second day of competition. Both Anthonique Strachan and Tynia Gaither competed in the 100 meters. The top three in each heat and the three fastest times after would advance to the semifinals. Strachan ran in heat one and got off the blocks in 0.147 seconds. She finished 3rd in the heat with a time of 11.08. Gaither ran in heat two and was quicker off the blocks at 0.119 and finished 4^th in the heat with a time of 11.16 seconds.  Strachan was 13^th overall and Gaither was 18^th overall, which was good enough for both to advance.

On the third day of competition on July 17, Shaunee Miller-Uibo took the track for the 400 meters. The top three in each heat and the six fastest thereafter would advance. Miller-Uibo left no doubt about her status, winning the first heat with a time of 51.10. She was 9^th overall out of 41 competitors.

The journey ended for both Strachan and Gaither in the 100 meters. Despite a personal best of 10.98 second, Strachan narrowly missed advancing by 0.02 second. She finished 10^th overall. Gaither’s hopes of becoming the first Bahamian to win the 100 meters ended after she was disqualified for a false start. 

Overall, it was a very respectable showing over days two and three for the Bahamian women athletes.

WAC Day 1 Recap

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Sunday, Jul 17, 2022

The World Athletics Championships featuring the highest level of senior international track and field athletes from across the world began on July 15 in Eugene, Oregon. 

Starting in 1976, the event in its limited form was held in 1980, with the first championships featuring all the events took place in 1983.  Initially, the championships were held every four years, same as the Olympic Games, until 1991. Since then, they have been held every two years.

This year’s event is held at Hayward field with a capacity of 30,000 persons. There are 1972 athletes from 192 nations competing in 49 events over the course of ten days.

On day one, the Bahamas featured athletes competing in the 4 x 4 mixed relay, the men’s 100 meters, and the long jump.

In the 4 x 4 mixed relay, the Bahamas lined up a team consisting of Bradley Dormeus, Megan Moss, Alonzo Russell, and Doneisha Anderson. Competing in heat two, the Bahamian team finished 7^th with a time of 3:19.73. The top eight teams from all the heats combined advanced with the lowest qualifying time of 3:14.59. Team Bahamas finished 15^th overall.

The next event featuring a member of team Bahamas was the men’s 100 meters. Going up against a very strong field, Samson Colebrook came out of the blocks in heat five in 0.125 seconds and finished with a time of 10.23. The three fastest times in each heat advanced along with the next three fastest times. The cutoff to advance, Colebrook missed advancing by 0.05 seconds and finished 38^th out of 57 competitors.

In the men’s high jump, Donald Thomas from Group B had a jump of 2.21 meters, finishing 12^th in his group and 23^rd out of 29 competitors overall.  A total of 12 athletes qualified for the next round with the cutoff jump of 2.25 meters.

The final competitor from the Bahamas with hopes of advancing to the next round was LaQuan Nairn, who competed in the long jump.  He had a jump of 7.80 meters out of group B and finished 10^th.  Nairn finished 10^th overall out of 16. The top 12 advanced with the cutoff jump of 7.93 meters.

Although team Bahamas failed to advance in any event on day one, just making it to the World Championships to compete against the best athletes in the world is an amazing accomplishment.  The Bahamas should be proud of the fine effort put forth by the incredible athletes representing the nation.

BAAA 2022 NATIONALS OVERVIEW

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Wednesday, Jun 29, 2022

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).