The Tribune

By BRENTSTUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE outdoor track and field season officially got started over the weekend with a couple of Bahamians in action at the 2016 Pepsi Florida Relays and the Nike Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays.

In the Florida Relays at the University of Florida at the Percy Beard Track, Lanece Clarke was the lone female to compete. She participated in the 400 metres, finishing third in her heat for that same position overall in 52.73 seconds.

Clarke is being coached by George Cleare, who has returned home to relaunch his High Performance Management Team.

Clarke finished behind Ebony Eutsey, a senior at Train Gang, the winner in 52.08 with Desiree Henry, who competed unattached, taking second in 52.27.

At least three Bahamians contested the men’s 400m, which was won by Alonzo Russell in 46.03 after the Grand Bahamian native won his heat. Mike Berry, a senior at Train Gang, won his heat in the fastest time of 45.51 and was trailed by Hugo de Souza from the Brazilian Ol in 45.76.

Jeffery Gibson, the 400m hurdles specialist, took part in another heat in which he was second in 47.22 behind Brazilian Ol’s Lucus Carvalho, who did 46.98.

While Carvalho finished 12th overall, Gibson came two places behind in 14th as he used the event to help prepare him for the hurdles.

And Andretti Bain, another competitor trained by Cleare, came in 21st overall. Bain, competing in the same heat as Carvalho and Gibson, got fourth behind a Brazilian All Stars competitor, Alexander Russo, who was 18th overall and third in their heat in 47.56.

Stephen Newbold was listed to compete in the event, but he did not get to the starting line.

Meanwhile at the Texas Relays at the Mike Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas, Ian Kerr ran the men’s 100m for universities and colleges. The sophomore at Western Texas College came in ninth in 10.41.

The focus for the majority of the elite athletes will switch to the Bahamas when they come home to compete in the second Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational.

Under the theme: “Catch the Fire,” the one-day meet is scheduled for Saturday, April 16, and is expected to feature a number of international stars as they gear up for the road to the Olympic Games in August in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.