The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

We may be on the brink of crowning a new BAISS Track and Field champion as the Queen’s College Comets are in prime position to halt the St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine’s 26 straight wins in the meet since its inception.

Heading into the final day of competition at the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium, the Comets have totalled 809 points, well ahead of the Big Red Machine in second with 724.50 points.

QC held a 62-point lead after day one and increased that advantage to 84.50 yesterday afternoon. The top of the standings remained unchanged but there were several shifts in the middle of the pack in a heated race for third place.

The St John’s College Giants moved up from fifth to third place with a total of 190 points, followed closely by sister school St Anne’s Blue Waves, fourth with 188 points.

After a quick start to day one in third place, the Nassau Christian Academy Crusaders fell to fifth on day two with 161 points.

The remainder of the field includes the St Andrew’s School Hurricanes with 132 points, Temple Christian Suns (93 points), Jordan Prince William Falcons (73.50 points), Kingsway Academy Saints (54 points), Aquinas College Aces (37 points), Bahamas Academy Stars (12 points) and the Charles W Saunders Cougars (nine points).

Five athletes reached the CARIFTA qualifying standards in four events, following up the four qualifications achieved on day one. And three new BAISS meet records were set.

The Comets’ Charisma Taylor continued to impress as she achieved the CARIFTA standard in the intermediate girls’ triple jump (11.40m), just a day after qualifying in the 100m hurdles. Her first  place leap of 11.72m also set a new meet record, surpassing the mark of 11.04 set by Antonique Butler in 2010.

Fellow Comet Daejha Moss was second at 10.61m and Michelle Moss of SAC was third at 9.26m.

In the intermediate boys, the Comets’ Edward Kemp followed up day one’s record-breaking performance with a CARIFTA qualification in the discus (14.10m). He threw 14.66m to finish ahead of teammate Jevaughn Ferguson at 13.96m and Michael Adderley of SAC at 13.11m.

Kemp added to his new record in the discus with a throw of 40.50m, besting the 39.25m set last year by Adrian Grant.

CARIFTA medallist Denzel Pratt of SAC again qualified in the senior boys’ discus with a  throw of 61.87m.

His teammate was second in 50.88m and Jeremy King of St Anne’s was third with 45.68m.

Pratt originally reached the standard of 55.80m in just the second meet of the year at the T-Bird Flyers Classic in January.

The Big Red Machine’s Serena Brown carried over her throwing dominance to the senior girls’ division and took first place in the shot put with a throw of 13.30m. The Comets’ Laquell Harris finished second with a throw of 12.86m. Both athletes surpassed the CARIFTA-qualifying standard of 12.30m.

In the junior girls’ javelin, Taylor Walters of the Big Red Machine set a new meet record with a throw of 35.54m ahead of St Andrew’s teammates Kacey Kemp at 28.02m and Brennan Hood at 24.72m.

The 100m also highlighted competition on day two and several athletes successfully defended their titles as the fastest in their respective divisions.

Kaze Poitier, of the Comets, repeated as intermediate boys’ champion in 11.41s and added to his 400m title won on day one.

Godfrey Arthur, of St Anne’s, was second in 11.52s and QC’s Brentan Edwards was third in 11.78s.

In the intermediate girls, Blayre Catalyn took the 100m title once again in 12.52s. Kendesha Ingraham of St John’s was second in 12.71s and Amelia Peterson of QC was third in 12.89s.

After a second place finish last year, the Comets’ Jenae Ambrose took first in the century in 12.27s, followed by SAC’s Taj Dorsett in 12.79s and Alexis Gray of St John’s in 12.84s.

SAC’s Xavier Coakley added to his hurdles title when he took the 100m in 11.29s, followed by triple jumper Laquan Nairn of St John’s in 11.37s and Samson Colebrook of QC in 11.38s.

Paige Stuart of QC took the bantam girls’ event in 13.69, Davon Johnson of St Anne’s won the bantam boys in 13.07s, Lakelle Kintech of SAC took junior girls in 13.06s and Adrian Curry of SAC took junior boys in 11.90s.

Stuart also took the long jump with a leap of 3.75m, just ahead of teammate Dejaique Turnquest (3.71m) who took the 400m on day one.

The Big Red Machine’s Tiffany Hanna made it a double in the throws in the intermediate girls’ division as she added the discus to her shot put title won on the first day. She finished first with a throw of 31.82m, followed by teammate Dachye Stubbs with a throw of 28.16m.

The Comets took both senior 3,000m races as Afrika Smith took the girls’ event in 12:58.94s and Mookie Rolle took the boys in 11:24.91s.