The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WHILE her big brother Leevan ‘Superman’ Sands has made headlines from high school to the professional ranks, Bria Sands is starting to turn heads as she follows in his footsteps.

The 18-year-old freshman posted a fourth place finish of 11.67 metres or 38-feet, 3 1/2-inches at the NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Dave Walker Track in Johnson City, Tennessee. Her performance enabled her to become the first Life University’s Track and Field All-American.

Sands, who joined Bianca Farrington, Brandan Wilcombe, Kelson Pierre, Malik Stuart, Gregria  Higgs and Phoenix Miller in earning All-American status at the meet, said she was extremely pleased with her performance.

“I thought the performance was exciting, but I was pretty nervous at the beginning because I wasn’t sure what the outcome would be, so I just went out there and I gave it my all,” said Sands, a former standout at Abilene Christian Academy. “I came out with fourth place, so I’m pleased. I was really surprised that I was the first Life University student to win All-American too.”

While her best mark came on her third attempt, Sands also produced leaps of 11.17m (36-7 3/4), 11.64m (38-2 1/4), 11.39m (37-4 1/2) and 11.62m on her final two jumps as she trailed the field that was led by champion Tameca Wallace, a junior at Doane, who won with 12.29m (40-04) on her second attempt.

“I still think there’s a lot of things I need to work on mentally and physically,” Sands said.

Sands, whose Life University coach is Cathy Faust, has some extra help from a couple of Bahamians as she’s also coached by former triple jumper Nyles Stuart and former sprinter Dominic Demeritte.

“I was very, very excited when I found out about them. I was very excited,” Sands said. “I feel blessed to have them as my coaches because they understand me and they know what they are doing. They also have that Bahamian background so I can talk to them the way I won’t be able too with the other people won’t understand.”

Stuart, who coaches at the high school, community and a consultant coach at Life University, said he’s delighted to be teaming up with Demeritte to get her prepared. While Demeritte is responsible for a lot of the speed, conditioning and endurance workouts for Sands, it’s Stuart’s responsibility to get her through her weight training and the technical aspects of her jumps.

“I thought she had an awesome performance on Saturday. She went out there and she gave her best effort,” Stuart said. “Any adjustments that she had to make, she was able to make the adjustments and as a result, she was able to position herself to become a NAIA All-American.”

As the season progresses, the biology major said her goal is to constantly improve on her performances and become a better athlete and a better person. But she would like nothing better than to be able to come home and represent the Bahamas at another Carifta Games when the team travel to Grenada to compete over the Easter holiday weekend.

“Carifta is one of my goals,” Sands said. “I just need to work on my phrases. I believe I have it in me. I just have to train harder and push myself.”

Stuart said he doesn’t see why Sands shouldn’t be able to qualify for Carifta, despite the fact that she’s just about two feet off the mark.

“The emphasis is on triple jump and if all goes well, she should be able to make quite an improvement,” he said. “I don’t want to predict any big numbers because she might surpass them or she might not, but I think she will do pretty well. She wants to do Carifta, so we are going to try make our best effort to getting her qualified.”

The examples she’s gotten from Leevan Sands has certainly made a difference in her life and her outlook on life.

“I feel like I’m peaking a lot later than him because I feel like I’m under a lot of pressure,” she said. “But watching him and how he has overcome so many obstacles, I feel like I will get there. Even if it takes me longer than others, I know I will get there through God.”

In other events at the meet, Bianca Farrington, a senior at Wayland Baptist, got second in the women’s 400 metres in 55.87 seconds behind champion Orenthia Bennett from Souther-New Orleans, the winner in 55.39. Bennett had the fastest qualifying time of 56.14, followed by Farrington in 56.70.

Brandan Wilcombe, a senior at Taylor, clocked 8.18 for second place in the men’s 60m hurdles. The winning time was 8.02 by Taylor Killings, a junior at Marian (Indiana). Wilchcombe qualified with the seventh fastest time of 8.23. Taylor had the second fastest time of 8.15 by Deshawn Woods, a junior at Indiana Tech with 8.07. Woods was third in the final in 8.20.

Kelson Pierre, a sophomore at Wayland Baptist, got fourth in the men’s 600m in 1:19.19. The winning time was 1:18.36 by John Hester, a senior at Indiana Tech. Pierre did the third fastest qualifying time of 1:19.85. Hester had the featest time of 1:19.01.

In the men’s shot put, Malik Stuart, a sophomore at Indiana Tech, got sixth with a heave of 16.25m (53-3 3/4) on his third attempt. Zachary Lurz, a junior at Concordia (Nebraska) won with 17.57m (57-7 3/4).

Gregria Higgs, a senior at Wayland Baptist, got seventh in the women’s 200m in 24.77. Her team-mates sophomore Rochene Smith (23.87) and senior Alexis Browner (24.03) took the top two spots. Higgs had the fourth fastest qualifying time of 24.63. Browner had the best time of 23.99, followed by Smith in 24.34.

And Phoenix Miller came in fifth in the men’s 200m in 21.51. The junior from Cardinal Stritch watched as Indiana Tech’s seniors Harris Edwards III (21.09) and John Broaden (21.17) took the top two spots respectively. Miller also had the fifth fastest qualifying time of 21.63. Edwards III had the best time of 21.25 and Broaden was next with 21.32.

In the men’s 4 x 400m relay, Pierre anchored Wayland Baptist to a second place finish in 3:11.45 behind Indiana Tech as Edwards III brought the baton home. Miller also was on the anchor leg for Cardinal Stritch as they placed seventh in 3:19.45.