The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

CONTINUING its effort to engage student athletes in the fight against cancer, Scotiabank awarded its student relay winners in the eighth annual Sunshine Insurance Race Weekend.

The top finishers, in the male and co-ed divisions, were presented with trophies and giftbags during a press conference yesterday at the Scotiabank Training Centre.

The St Anne’s Blue Waves’ team of Omavi Collison, Phillip Armbrister, Vincent Gardiner and Reagan Cartwright finished first overall in 3:09.40 seconds.

Head coach Chercovie Wells said the win was a long time coming for his programme. “This is our fourth year participating and we finally got a win after those four years we participated,” he said. “We thank the organisers and the sponsors and we will be back next year to see if we can defend the title.”

The Westminster College Diplomats (Rotavieo Adderley, Joshua Forbes, Tamiko Taylor and Brandon Bastian) finished second in 3:19:04 and the St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine (Tario Beckles, Gabrielle Thompson, Tyson Moss and Ryan Bethel) were a close third in 3:19:06.

Diplomats head coach Clayton Smikle said the event is integral in the development of distance running in the county.

“It was a very good experience for the guys. I don’t think we are doing as much as we can in the Bahamas to develop middle distance running so I thank Scotiabank for doing this,” he said. “It was a good experience for the guys. Everybody gelled together, they did well and so we just want to congratulate everyone involved.”

In the mixed relay event, the St Andrew’s Hurricanes’ team of Trent Strachan, Katherine Slatter, Gabriella Moran and Ben Derbyshire took top honours in 3:47:53. The CR Walker Knights (Janin Turner, Nakeisha Dormeus, Fedlin Louis and Tamia Mackey) were second in 4:17:06 and Forest Heights Academy (Rickera Cox, Taylor Albury, Tern McDonald and Steadman McKenzie) out of Marsh Harbour, Abaco was third in 4:44:20.

Knights head coach Ednal Rolle said: “I just want to say thanks for the experience. It was a good event to have and to get my kids this exposure to see all the other kids at this level competing in the marathon.”

Approximately 16 teams competed in this year’s edition of Marathon Bahamas.

Leah Davis, Scotiabank’s senior manager of marketing and public relations, endorsed the partnership between her organisation, Sunshine Insurance and the schools as one of the highlights of the year for all stakeholders. “Scotiabank has joined forces for the sixth year with Sunshine Insurance and Marathon Bahamas as a gold sponsor and a partner for the student run event. Since its inception, this event has provided an opportunity for distance runners to participate in the marathon, running at international standards by competing in the relay component of this annual event. We look forward to this because it’s a kickoff for us of our ‘Young People In The Community’ Programme and it supports the opportunity to give back to our community by supporting health and education,”she said.

“We applaud all students that participated in this year’s marathon for their commitment, tenacity and vision to achieve a common goal of completing this 26.2 mile race. Your achievements are a testament to the power of teamwork and I am amazed at your achievements and are encouraged that there are some young Bahamians making positive choices and making changes in the lives of others.”

The student athlete segment of a packed schedule for Sunshine Insurance Race Weekend is one of the local highlights of Marathon Bahamas.

Dwayne Swaby, vice president of development for Sunshine Insurance, thanked Scotiabank for their continued support of the student athletes and shows the commitment of both organisations toward youth development.

“I have to thank each and every one of the sponsors, individuals responsible and everyone who volunteered to make Marathon Bahamas a success. This is the eighth time we hosted the marathon and the seventh time we hosted the Student Relay Run. Scotiabank has been there, almost since the inception, this is their sixth year and we thank them for their participation and involvement,”he said.

“The Student run provides student athlete distance runners with an opportunity to compete in components of this endurance event. The relay engages athletes in positive initiatives. It really shows that working together helps us to achieve our goals. Students from across the country participated so we are very thankful and we hope that this event will continue to grow. At Sunshine Insurance, our goal is to assist as much of the youth as possible. We have programmes in baseball, the Elmira scholarship fund, and we look at this as another initiative that can help build our nation.”

Said Trevor Strachan, student run race coordinator and proprietior of Winshield House and Parts Locator: “It’s a privilege to be here and to invest in people again. I just really want to thank Scotiabank for giving us this opportunity to continue to grow our young people. It is important that they don’t waver in their sponsorship of this event. I know there were some challenges this year, but we were still able to pull it off and we are just very appreciative to them both the financial effort and for the effort they have put behind the scenes because it is a lot more than the eyes can see,” he said.

“For Marathon Bahamas putting that on, I think most people don’t realise the amount of planning and time that goes into this. So it is important that we keep this alive.”

Strachan, a former middle distance runner at Queen’s College, said this is just a way for him to give back to the sport that has enabled him to secure an athletic scholarship to obtain a college education.

“I was a recipient of scholarship as a student athlete and I know it opens the doors for young people for a lot of stuff so it is important that we keep this going. I’m so proud of all of the people involved in this and hats off to the students that sacrificed their time. A lot of people don’t realise the effort that goes into making this happen,” he said.

“When you’re in the middle of that race, you’re trying to carry that baton, and hold on for your teammates, and your mind is telling you your body has had enough – you power through. We are trying to instil life lessons in you through this process. When you get your job, your marriages your relationships, your ambitions, you power through and that’s what this is all about.”

Following the event, Scotiabank made a $10,000 cheque presentation to sponsor the student-athlete portion of the race.”