The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

SPRINTER Anthonique Strachan and quarter-miler Demetrius Pinder are all geared up to come home to represent the Bahamas at the inaugural IAAF World Relays Bahamas at the new Thomas A Robinson National Stadium this weekend.

Grabbing the headlines for the women and men representing the Bahamas at various international meets over the weekend, Strachan picked up a second place finish in her specialty in the women’s 200 metres in Asia, while Pinder came through in the United States in his men’s signature 400m.

A number of other Bahamians, including long and triple jumpers Raymond Higgs and Collie-Minns twin brothers, produced some outstanding performances at various collegiate meets throughout the USA.

STRACHAN SETTLES

FOR SECOND

As one of two competitors to represent the Bahamas at the Shanghai Diamond League in Shanghai, China, Strachan raced to a season’s best of 22.50 seconds, but she had to settle for second behind Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare, who clocked 22.36 to erase the meet record of 22.37 that was previously held by American Allyson Felix.

Strachan accumulated two points, compared to the four by Okagbare as they take the top two spots after the second event in the Diamond League series that compriseS of 32 individual event disciplines with a points scoring ‘Diamond Race’ which runs throughout the 14-meeting series.

Winners of each Diamond Race will get a Diamond Trophy, a cash prize, a wild card for the IAAF World Championships (certain conditions apply) but more importantly, will have shown season long consistency to earn the unchallenged honour of being the World No.1.

Each of the disciplines is staged seven times with the top three athletes being awarded the same amount of points at each meeting with the exception of the final where the points are doubled. The athlete with the highest number of points in each discipline at the end of the IAAF Diamond League season wins “The Diamond Race”.

In case of equality on points, the number of victories decides, if there still is a tie, the better result at the final.

For an athlete to win a Diamond race and its associated prize, he/she must compete in a bona fide way in the final (Zurich or Brussels) of their event discipline.

The other Bahamian Jeffery Gibson was fifth in the men’s 400m hurdles in 49.45. American Michael Tinsley won in 48.77 - a new meet record, replacing the previous mark of 48.98 by fellow countryman Angelo Taylor in 2012.

PINDER IN WINNING FORM

At the American Track League at the Greater Atlanta Christian School in Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday, Grand Bahamian Pinder posted a time of 45.72 seconds to snatch the victory in the men’s 400m, just ahead of Great Britain’s duo of Michael Bingham (45.76) and Martyn Rooney (45.91) for second and third place.

Also on the track, Warren Fraser had to settle for third place in the men’s 100m final in 10.30 seconds. Americans Mark Jelks won in 10.17 and Harry Adams got second in 10.28. Fraser went into the race with the fastest qualifying time of 10.24.

And Sheniqua ‘Q’ Ferguson got fifth in the ladies’ century in 11.63.

The United States got a 1-2 punch from Lakeshia Lawson (11.29) and Tawanna Meadows (11.45) respectively. Trinidad & Tobago’s Kai Selvon (11.48) was third. Ferguson qualified with the fifth fastest time of 11.64.

On the field at the one-day meet, Leevan ‘Superman’ Sands continued his comeback after undergoing surgery on his knee by taking sixth place in the men’s long jump over his compatriot Nyles Stuart. On his fifth attempt, Sands cleared 7.16m for his best performance. His series of jumps were 6.85m, 6.92m, 7.10m, foul, 7.16m, 7.10m.

Stuart, on the other hand, followed with 7.04m on his only legal jump on his second attempt.

Jamaican Damar Forbes and American Jeremy Hicks finished tied for first place with 7.73m on their fifth and fourth attempts respectively.

At the end of the meet, the Bahamas was fifth overall with 25 points. The United States dominated with 224 points. Their nearest rivals were the War Eagles with 33 points.

COLLIE-MINNS JR NATIONAL CHAMPION

At the National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Track & Field Championships at the Riggs Stadium, Mesa Community College in Mesa, Arizona, twin brothers Latario and Lathone Collie-Minns were joined by Andre Colebrook and Blake Bartlett.

In the men’s triple jump, Latario Collie-Minns led the way for Iowa Western with his national title with his leap of 16.30m or 53-feet, 5 3/4-inches on his first attempt over his brother, Lathone Collie-Minns, who did 16.22m (53-2 3/4), also on his first attempt. Shawn Johnson, a sophomore at South Plains, was third with 15.77m (51-9).

Latario Collie-Minns also contested the long jump where he was third with 7.50m (24-7 1/4) on his first attempt. Travonn White, a freshman at Central Arizona, won the title with 7.73m (5-41/2) on her second attempt. Will Williams, another freshman from Iowa Western, did 7.62m (25-0) for second place.

In the men’s 800m, Essex’s sophomore Andre Colebrook got sixth in 1:53.27. Dean Cronin, a freshman at Iowa Central, took the tape in 1:51.37. Colebrook had the seventh fastest qualifying time of 1:52.18.

In the men’s 200m, Grand Bahamian Blake Bartlett, a sophomore at Western Texas, was eighth in 20.97. Anthony Blakely, a sophomore from Arkansas Baptist, won the title in 21.18. Bartlett had the sixth fastest qualifying time of 20.97.

Bartlett also contested the century, finishing sixth in 10.48. The winning time was 10.14 by Odean Skeen, a freshman from South Plains. Bartlett qualified with the sixth fastest time of 10.45. Another Grand Bahamian, Geno Jones, a sophomore at Hutchinson, was 21st in 10.86 as he failed to advance.

Two Bahamians contested the men’s 400m, but neither advanced out of the preliminaries. Abaco’s Elroy McBride, a freshman at Southwest Christian, was 10th in 46.99 and O’Jay Ferguson, a sophomore at Essex, was 12th in 47.17.

On the field, Racquel Williams was third in the women’s shot put with a heave of 14.41m (47093 1/2) on her second attempt. Micah Dennis, a sophomore at Central Arizona, won with 15.10m (49-6 1/2) on her last throw.

Williams also got fourth in the women’s discus with a throw of 44.01m (144-5) on her second attempt. Her freshman team-mate Tayla Greene won with 52.47m (172-02) on her second toss as well.

Alexandria Marshall-Paul, a freshman at Coffeyville as well, was eighth in the women’s javelin with a toss of 37.68m (123-7) on her last attempt. Sharon Toako, a freshman at North Iowa Area, took the title with 42.33m (138-10) on her last throw also.

HIGGS SOARED TO VICTORY

At the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championships at the Kentucky Track and Field Complex, Raymond Higgs clocked out his senior year at Arkansas by winning the title with a leap of 7.94m (26-0 3/4) in the men’s long jump. His nearest rival and sophomore team-mate was Jarrion Lawson with 7.92m (26-0).

Higgs, however, didn’t fear as well in the triple jump. He was seventh with his best leap of 15.39m (50-6) on his fifth attempt. Marquis Dendy, a junior at Florida, won with a distance of 16.52m (54-2 ½) on his sixth and final attempt.

In the women’s long jump, Tamara Myers finished fourth with her best leap of 6.29m (20-7 3/4) on her first attempt for fourth place. The winning leap was 6.46m (21-2 12/2) by Rochelle Farquharson, a senior at Miss State.

Myers also got seventh in the triple jump with 12.93m (42-5 1/4). The winning jump was 13.91m (45-7 3/4) by Ciarra Brewer, a junior at Florida.

VÁlonee Robinson, in her senior year at Auburn, missed out on an appearance in the final of the women’s 100m after she ran 11.53 for 11th place in the preliminaries. But in the 4 x 100m relay, Robinson made up for her early exit as she popped off for Auburn as they got fifth in 44.29. Texas A&M won in 43.20.

Two Bahamians went head-to-head in both the men’s 100 and 200m.

In the straight away race, Texas A&M junior Shavez Hart clocked 10.35 for second and Auburn’s freshman Teray Smith was seventh in 10.56. Prezel Hardy Jr, a senior at Texas A&M, won the race in 10.31.

During the 100m preliminaries, Hart had the second fastest qualifying time of 10.23 with Smith taking the ninth spot in 10.41.

In the final of the half-lap race, Hardy Jr pulled off the double sweep in 20.16, leaving Hart in second in 20.35 and Smith fourth in 20.63.

Hart and Smith advanced out of the 200m prelims with the fourth and fifth best times of 20.91 and 20.92 respectively. The pair also collided in the 4 x 100m relay with Hart getting the baton from Hardy Jr on anchor to seal the win in 38.50. Smith ran the third leg for Auburn as they ended up fourth in 39.37.

RAHMING CONTRIBUTES ON RELAY

At the Georgia Tech Invitational in Atlanta, Georgia, Earl Rahming Jr ran the opening leg on Western Carolina men’s 4 x 400m relay team that got fourth in 3:13.29. The other members were Aaron Harris, Demari Boswell and Adrian Ortado.