Published On:Wednesday, March 10, 2010

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IT'S going to be an historic weekend for Bahamian track and field athletes.

While the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations hosts its annual Scotiabank National High School Track and Field Championships, senior athletes will be competing at major meets in the United States and Doha, Qatar.

A number of athletes will be competing at the NCAA Division One Indoor Championships at Randal Tyson Track Complex at the University of Arkansas from Friday to Sunday.

Leading the way is Auburn Tigers' junior sprinter Sheniqua 'Q' Ferguson. She is actually listed in the number three spot in both the women's 60 and 200 metres.

In the 60, Ferguson has clocked a season's best of 7.22 seconds. The fastest qualifying time in the straight away race is 7.18 by Blessing Okagbare, a senior at UTEP.

And Ferguson has done 23.14 in the 200 for her third place. The one-lap race on the 200 metre track is topped by Shavon Greaves, a junior at Penn State.

Grand Bahamian Nivea Smith, another member of the Auburn connection, is sixth on the list at 23.32.

Two other members from Auburn University fell short of qualifying. They are sprinter Cache Armbrister and hurdler Krystal Bodie. Auburn's 4 x 400 relay also didn't make the qualifying cut.

On the men's side, Demetrius Pinder, a junior at Texas A&M, will compete in the 400. He has ran the sixth fastest qualifying time of 46.01. The fastest qualifying time is 45.03, done by Torrin Lawrence, a sophomore from the University of Georgia.

Pinder is also scheduled to run on Aggie's 4 x 400 relay team that has the fastest qualifying time of 3:04.86.

Two other Bahamians, senior Jamaal Butler and junior LaToy Williams, are expected to suit up for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, who have the seventh best time of 3:07.27.

And on the field, Rudon Bastian, a senior at the University of Louisville, is expected to suit up in his Cardinals uniform in the triple jump where his season's best of 7.87 metres has him ranked at No.8.

The top ranked competitor is Alain Bailey, a senior at Arkansas with 8.17m.

Gerard Brown of Auburn University didn't make the cut.

Meanwhile at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships at the Adams State College in Albuquerque, a couple more Bahamians are slated to compete.

Tia Rolle, a freshman at Lincoln University, secured the 13th and final spot in the women's 60 in 7.60. The fastest qualifying time is 7.18 by Barbara Pierre, a senior at St Augustine's College.

Rolle has double duties, having also qualified with the 12th best time of 24.74 in the 200. Once again, Pierre has the fastest time of 23.88.

And Michelle Cumberbatch, another freshman at Lincoln, has the 10th best qualifying time of 56.16 in the 400. The best mark is 54.79 by Kristi Buerkle, a junior at Bemidji State.

Cumberbatch is also on the Lions' 4 x 400 relay team that has the fastest qualifying time of 3:43.36.

Over in Doha, a 13-member team is set to represent the Bahamas at the 12th IAAF Worlds Indoor Championships that will also get underway on Friday.

The Bahamas will be represented by the following athletes:

Women - Chandra Sturrup (60) and Christine Amertil (400).

Men - Rodney Greene (60); Chris Brown and Michael Mathieu (400); Shamar Sands (60 hurdles); Donald Thomas and Trevor Barry (high jump) and Andretti Bain, La'Sean Pickstock and Juan Lewis are scheduled to join Brown and Mathieu on the 4 x 4 relay team.

The IAAF is offering cash incentives of $40,000 for first place, $20,000 for second, $10,00 for third, $9,000 for fourth, $6,000 for fifth and $4,000 for sixth.

Here at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium, the majority of the top athletes are slated to compete in the Scotiabank High School Nationals starting Thursday.

Grand Bahama schools won't be taking part as they are hosting their island championships at the same time.