The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Ryan Ingraham was happy to put his disappointing appearance at his first Commonwealth Games behind him. He went to the 2014 North American and Central and Caribbean (NACAC) Under-23 Championships over the weekend and more than made up for his trip to Glasgow, Scotland, two weeks ago.

The 20-year-old joined two other Bahamians competing at the Kamloops Track and Field Club in Kamloops, British Colombia, Canada, where he posted a winning leap of 2.28 metres or 7-feet, 5 3/4-inches to win one of the four medals that the Bahamas earned at the four-day meet.

In the process, Ingraham erased the joint record of 2.27m (7-5 1/4) that was held by Americans Keith Morratt in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in 2006 and Joe Kindred in 2008 in Toluca, Mexico. He is now just one of two Bahamians holding a record in the history of the meet. The other is Osbourne Moxey, who soared 8.19m (26-10 1/2) in the men’s long jump in 2002 in San Antonio, Texas.

“This was my first time competing, so to come out with the gold medal, I’m very happy,” said Ingraham, who added the latest hardware to the gold he accumulated at the Central American and Caribbean Championships a year ago in Morelia, Mexico, as he moved up from the junior ranks. “It was good for me because I went to Scotland and I didn’t jump as well as I had expected.”

It was a complete turnaround for the Bahamian national champion after he finished 15th at the World Indoor Championships in Sopot, Poland, with 2.21m (7-3) in March before he got 9th at the 20th Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with 2.21m (7-3) again in August.

“In Glasgow, the weather played a big factor for me,” said the former basketball player at CI Gibson, who turned to track and field and now is being coached by James Rolle. “The travelling also didn’t help, but other than that, it was great. After travelling to Glasgow, I was very tired. After I arrived I was out of it. I went straight to bed.”

While he was able to recuperate in time to post the victory over his nearest rival, American Dakarai Hightower, Ingraham said his goal was to at least produce a personal best. But after he got the new record, he said he just didn’t have anything left in Canada.

“I will now have to wait for my next meet to get my PR,” said Ingraham, who has a PR of 2.25m (7-4 1/2). “When I started jumping, everybody was already out. I just had to cope with that.”

Joining Ingraham as the Bahamas flag was hoisted during the medal presentations were Lathone Collie-Minns, winning the bronze in the men’s triple jump with 15.86m (52-0 1/4) and Trevorvano Mackey, who picked up a silver in the men’s 200m in 20.46 seconds and bronze in the 100m in 10.30.