The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

RYAN Ingraham provided a taste of what is to come later this year as he led a group of Leap of Faith jumpers to some spectacular performances at the Star Trackers 12th Star Performers Track Classic on Saturday.

The one-day meet at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium had a lot of national and international flavour as the St Jago High out of Jamaica left their impression with outstanding performances as well.

Meet director David Charlton said they were pleased with the way everything turned out.

“The events went right on time, one after the other, so we have to thank the BACO (Bahamas Association of Certified Officials) and the technical crew for keeping the meet going,” said Charlton, who also serves as the head coach for the Star Trackers.

For the fifth consecutive year, Charlton said they were able to bring in St Jago to add to the excitement of the meet, which also featured teams from Andros, Eleuthera, Exuma, Abaco and Grand Bahama. He thanked JR McDonald, their title sponsor and the parents and volunteers for the role they all played.

Highlighting the performance on the field was 21-year-old Ingraham, who soared 2.20 metres or 7-feet, 21/2-nches for the victory in the men’s high jump open division, as he begins his campaign towards the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China, in August.

“It was alright. I haven’t been jumping like that, so it was just good to see that I still have it,” said Ingraham, who is preparing to hit the road for a series of international meets through his sponsor Puma.

“My approach as alright, but my technique going over the bar was a little off. I’m not really trusting in it yet. But I’m going to surprise myself this year. Anything over 2.35m (7-81/2 held by Troy Kemp), I know I can go for the national record. Until I break that, it will forever be my goal.”

Ingraham’s coach James Rolle said the sky is the limit, not just for him, but all of the other jumpers in their club, including University of Arkansas bound LaQuan Nairn.

“The performances were great today. We had a lot of PBs (personal bests) and a lot of people qualified for CARIFTA. We already have five qualifiers,” said Rolle of the standards for the Carifta Games, scheduled for the Easter holiday weekend in St Kitts and Nevis.

As for Ingraham, Rolle said competing in the breeze he couldn’t ask for a better performance. He noted that it just showed that Ingraham is on course for another big year this summer.

Nairn, who did the qualifying marks in both the high (2.10m/6-10 3/4) and long (7.69m (25-23/4) jumps to go along with the triple jump, which he did in his previous meets, said he’s looking forward to being a triple threat at Carifta.

The 18-year-old St John’s College senior said after he suffered an injury that sidelined him, he had a change of attitude towards competing.

“I just want to thank God for today because this meet was what I was looking for,”he said. “At the beginning of the season, I wasn’t feeling it in the long jump but me and my coach sat down and talked about it and he went home and came up with the plan to get me to where I am today with my approach.

“I’m looking forward to breaking three records in the BAISS and the Nationals and winning three gold medals at Carifta in the long, triple jump and the high jump. I’m very pleased with the way I’m performing, especially coming off the broken ankle on my jump leg.”

And as he prepares to enrol in Arkansas in August, Nairn said he’s looking forward to taking that same enthusiasm with him because he doesn’t believe that there is anybody out there who “wants to compete and win as much as I do.”

At age 15 and just in the ninth grade at Queen’s College, Taylor has been turning heads in the 100m hurdles and triple jump. She has qualified for Carifta and is eager to travel to St Kitts and Nevis.

“I felt my 100m hurdles was a little shaky at the beginning, but I just kept my ground and pulled though. I give God thanks and praise for the effort. In the triple jump, I knew I would qualify and I did.”

Last year, Taylor was fifth in the 100m hurdles and seventh in the triple jump in the under-18 division at Carifta and she’s hoping that with the improvement she’s making under coach Rolle, she will be right in the medal hunt.

On the track, there was a lot of excitement between the Bahamas and Jamaica in the girls’ division with Nataliah Whyte of St Jago High taking the sprint double in the under-20 girls division.

Whyte, one of five members from Jamaica, sped to 11.58 seconds in the century ahead of Kieanna Albury of Club Monica, who did 11.72. Whyte also came back in the deuce and ran 24.04 to hold off Jenae Ambrose (24.20) of Club Monica and Albury (24.43).

“The climate is not like this in Jamaica. It’s very cold here, so I had to get it right from the start,” said Whyte, 17. “I knew I had a lot of competition from Janae and Kieanna, but I was better prepared today. I got it right from the start.”

Ambrose, third in the 400m (1:01.55) behind Shaquania Dorsett (57.72) of the Grand Bahama Power and Doneisha Anderson (59.41) of Tonique Williams Athletics, said she was pleased with her performance in the half-lap race behind Whyte.

“It was a good race,” said Ambrose, a 17-year-old 12th grader at Queen’s College. “I came off the curve and tried to maintain it, but she just came through at the end. I knew I was going to get pushed to run a faster time, so I was very pleased.”

Another member of St Jago, Andrenette Knight, won the under-20 girls 100m hurdles in 13.93 and the 400m hurdles in 1:03.21.

Rickera Moxey of Rickey Moxey Track Club out of Exuma, won the open women’s 100m in 12.04. V’Alonee Robinson of Cub Monica won the open women’s 200m in 24.44.

“It was a good race for an opener. It was kind of windy, but I just did my best and God brought me through,”said Robinson, who along with teammates Ivanique Kemp and Crystal Bodie are training here at home. “It feels like high school all over again.”

Vano Stubbs of the Silver Lightning took the men’s straight away race in 10.48. College of the Bahamas’ freshman Yurick Dean took the open men’s 200m in 21.40 ahead of his teammate Dennis Williamson, who did 21.92.

“It was my first 200m for the season, so I just went out there to do my best and have fun,” said Dean, a graduate of CV Bethel. “I thank God for a new PR that I ran. The competition was good, but I think if there was more competition, I could have ran faster.”